Alaska House Finance Rejects Cemetery, School, Energy Amendments

The Alaska House Finance Committee rejected multiple capital budget amendments Friday, turning down funding requests for an Eagle River cemetery, Galena school renovations, Arctic Winter Games, the West Susitna Access Road, and a hydroelectric feasibility study.

The committee voted against the amendments during its review of Senate Bill 214, the state capital budget. Co-Chair Calvin Schrage repeatedly cited limited revenue as the reason for opposing amendments. The committee did adopt Amendment 1, which added contingent appropriations tied to bills with capital fiscal notes.

Cemetery Funding Denied

The committee rejected an $850,000 appropriation for an Eagle River cemetery after Representative Allard said no burial plots remain available in the Anchorage area. Alaska News previously reported that House Finance rejected a $1 million reallocation for Eagle River Cemetery in the FY25 capital budget.

"There was a woman who passed away in Anchorage. She was a grandma and her family had to move her and was not able to bury her in Anchorage because we no longer have any cemetery plots left," Representative Allard said. "We do not have plots available in Anchorage at all. There are no burial plots that are located in Eagle River and Chugiak either."

The funding would have covered site preparation, engineering, and design work for a cemetery on land to be donated for one dollar. Representative Allard said the facility would be self-sustaining through plot sales once operational. The amendment failed 5 to 6.

Galena School Amendment Fails

An amendment to fully fund the Sidney C. Huntington Elementary and High School renovations in Galena also failed. The project ranks second on the state's school major maintenance list but received only partial funding in the Senate version of the budget.

"If we were to follow the list as been as is proposed by this amendment, we are following the list. If we are to fully fund according to the list recommendations as this amendment proposes, it means that other schools are not funded," Schrage said.

The Galena school serves students from across Western Alaska through its boarding program. Representative Tomaszewski said partially funding the project "sets a dangerous precedent" of deviating from the prioritized maintenance list. The amendment failed 5 to 6.

Arctic Winter Games Funding Rejected

The committee voted 5 to 6 against additional funding for the 2028 Arctic Winter Games planned for Fairbanks. The budget already includes $500,000 for the event.

"In communications with them, and I believe we have letters of support from the Fairbanks North Star Borough as well as some communications from the Arctic Winter Games Committee that indicate that the $500,000 will allow them to get off the ground this year and continue to pursue this," Schrage said.