Stevens Reacts to Budget Vetoes

Jay Barrett/KMXT

When Governor Sean Parnell signed the state capital budget last week, nearly $60-million in Kodiak projects were funded, but two items for the city of Kodiak were vetoed. Kodiak Senator Gary Stevens, the Senate President, thought the two projects that got the axe were important to the community.

— (Budget 1 37 sec "It’s a disappointment … this coming year.")

In addition to drinking water projects in Kodiak, the governor also vetoed alternative energy projects around the state.

Stevens was pleased at projects in three borough villages that were funded:

— (Budget 2 35 sec "A lot of good projects … did not touch those issues.")

The single largest item of capital money headed to Kodiak is $36-million in federal pass-through funds for refurbishment at Kodiak State Airport:

— (Budget 3 48 sec "Well, we certainly hope … runways, not the parking lot.")

The largest single item on Kodiak Island being paid with state money is $4-million for the Alaska Aerospace Corporation. That’s money Stevens requested to give the operator of the Kodiak Launch Complex some breathing room after it lost its only customer, the U.S. Missile Defense Agency:

— (Budget 4 37 sec "What this does is … until those contracts happen.")

Also in the budget is $20-million for a new Fish and Game headquarters and research facility on Near Island, but that’s money included in a statewide bond package that must be approved by voters in August.

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