On Friday, The Alaska Supreme Court upheld Gov. Bill Walker’s veto that halved Permanent Fund dividends last year.
Justice Daniel Winfree wrote that the state law that started PFDs is subject to the Alaska Constitution’s ban on dedicating funds for specific purposes.
Anchorage Democratic Sen. Bill Wielechowski and former Sens. Clem Tillion and Rick Halford had argued that the constitutional amendment that started the Permanent Fund gave the Legislature the ability to dedicate uses for fund earnings, like the PFD.
Walker’s veto last year cut dividends from $2,052 to $1,022. This year, the Legislature reduced PFDs from about $2,300 to $1,100.
