KMXT 100.1 FM Public Radio in Kodiak, Alaska
During a press conference Monday morning in Juneau, House Majority Leader Alan Austerman, along with Representatives Bill Thomas and Anna Fairclough, spoke about the governor’s $8-million appropriation request for the Alaska Aerospace Corporation.
Austerman raised the specter of shutting down the state-owned enterprise if enough money to sustain it cannot be found.
— (Aerospace 1 21 sec "I’m a non-voting member of … a working corporation.")
Austerman called the $8-million dollar request "bridge funding," meant to hold over the corporation until it can secure new launch contracts. Currently it has none, but Austerman said the possibility is there:
— (Aerospace 2 27 sec "I know that the governor has been … or not, I don’t know.")
Austerman did not say how he would vote on the $8-million request if it reaches the House floor, but Representative Fairclough, Vice-Chair of House Finance, said she would support it, at least for this year:
— (Aerospace 3 34 sec "From a financial perspective … back to the state of Alaska.")
In last year’s State Capital Budget, the Alaska Aerospace Corporation received $4-million in general fund money for maintenance and operation of the Kodiak Launch Complex.
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