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Governor Mike Dunleavy tonight delivered his State of the State address to a joint session of the Alaska Legislature, outlining his administration's priorities for the remainder of his term and emphasizing continued progress alongside areas requiring focused action.
In his address, Dunleavy highlighted significant reductions in crime across much of Alaska following public safety reforms enacted over the past several years and increased law enforcement in rural Alaska. Since 2018, Alaska's overall crime rate has declined by more than 40 percent, including a nearly 50 percent drop in property crime.
Yet in Alaska's largest city, the violent crime rate is three times the national average and is higher than Chicago, Washington D.C., and Los Angeles. Governor Dunleavy announced a new partnership between the State of Alaska led by Attorney General designee Stephen J. Cox and the Municipality of Anchorage to surge resources to stop crime in Anchorage. The effort addresses quality of life issues including retail theft, open drug use, disorderly behavior and public camping. Future phases will focus on drug interdiction and the final phase will focus on violent crimes.
Given the state's tight fiscal outlook and volatile revenue, Governor Dunleavy outlined a plan for a five-year fiscal bridge to stabilize Alaska's finances until the State begins realizing new revenue from new production on the North Slope. The fiscal plan ensures that the PFD is protected and growth in government spending is restrained to provide predictability and stability for families and businesses. The Governor will provide additional details on the fiscal plan once the legislation is introduced.
Dunleavy also explained that the Alaska LNG project is entering a decisive phase, with key federal approvals in place and commercial negotiations progressing toward final investment decisions. The project would provide decades of affordable and reliable energy for Alaska residents and businesses, and provide an economic tailwind benefiting the entire state for years. The project will also benefit Alaskans off the Railbelt through a provision of state law that requires a portion of royalties from the gas line are dedicated for rural energy improvements.
Education was another focus of the address, with Dunleavy emphasizing the need to continue improving student outcomes, expand educational options for families, and address teacher recruitment and retention, building on reforms already underway.
Click here for a transcript of the Governor's speech.
Click here to view the speech's fact sheet.
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