(JUNEAU) - On Tuesday the full Senate gave its approval to the Fiscal Year 04 State operating budget.

Senate Finance Committee co-chair, Sen. Lyda Green (R-Mat-Su) said that the budget process this year illustrated a team effort put forth by all members of the Legislature and the administration. The end result of that effort was a budget that without being wasteful is responsible and responsive to the needs of the Alaskan people.

"After nine years in the Legislature and five years on finance, this has to be the smoothest operating budget process I have been witness to," said Green. "We put together a good budget in a timely manner that addresses the priorities of the State and it comes in, to date, at a lower bottom line figure than last year's authorizations."

Sen. Green noted that the FY 04 operating budget was prepared to avoid supplemental requests next year, other than truly unavoidable and unanticipated requests.

Sen. Gary Wilken (R-Fairbanks) agreed that the process was a smooth one and commended the hard work of everyone from the sub-committees to the Alaskan citizens who took time to testify.

"I think we are well on our way to having a workable operating budget pass through the Legislature," said Wilken. "The people of Alaska sent us to Juneau with a clear mandate - reduce the cost of government by prioritizing the programs most essential to Alaska. I believe this budget fulfills that mandate. This budget is less than last year's spending level while preserving the programs Alaskans themselves said were their top priorities."

Included in those priorities are:

• An operating budget that, if properly managed, should need no supplemental funding in January;
• A $159 per student increase in K-12 funding;
• Fully restored school construction debt reimbursement at the 70 percent level;
• Increased University funding by $9.5 million; and
• Increased funding to the Independent Living Centers and the Infant Learning Programs.

"I must commend the Senate Finance Committee for the hours of hard work they put in to preparing this budget," said Senate President Gene Therriault (R-North Pole). "This budget concentrates on what is needed to properly fund the priorities of the State, without conceding to the wants of the special interest."

The budget will now move to a Conference Committee, where Green says there is still a lot of work to be done before we have a final budget, but expects the process to continue to be a smooth, cooperative team effort among all participants.

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