Walker proposes Permanent Fund overhaul to cover deficit

Governor Bill Walker will propose a complete overhaul of the way Alaska uses the Permanent Fund when he releases his budget later this year. The plan would turn the state’s various savings accounts into a kind of endowment, using their earnings to fund state operations.
Lawmakers, including Senate President Kevin Meyer, gather for a briefing on the governor’s proposal. Photo: Rachel Waldholz/APRN.
The governor’s goal is to shift the state from a reliance on oil revenue to