Lawmakers struggle to fund pioneer senior homes

The pioneer home system is older than the state of Alaska. The first home, in Sitka, was repurposed from abandoned marine barracks in 1913. The state-funded system now operates in six locations and provides care to 440 of Alaska’s senior citizens. And demand is only growing.
But as lawmakers grapple with the budget, some wonder whether the state can keep funding the homes at all.
If you’re walking around Sitka, you can’t miss the pioneer home. It sits on a hill, crowned in croc