Kreiss-Tomkins in 2015 (File Photo)

District 35 Representative Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins (D) is worried that the steep budget cuts Governor Mike Dunleavy is proposing could lead to major economic downturn in the state.

“I think it is a pretty dark season for coastal Alaska, and really Alaska as a whole,” he said,”and an excellent set up for a return to recession in terms of a deep economic shock to the state.”

On Wednesday, he was still digging through the numbers, going over line items and assessing what the impact could be Coastal Alaska.

“I’m still sort of grappling on some of the numbers…assessing impacts- commercial fisheries division, AMSEA, Inter Island Ferry Authority- how the cuts to the university are going to trickle down into UAS Sitka.”

When it comes to what the legislature can do in response to a budget that proposes major cuts, Kreiss-Tomkins wasn’t optimistic. He said while the legislature would pass a much more moderate budget in the coming months, Dunleavy would likely veto many of the line items in order to keep most of the cuts in his proposed budget.

“Don’t be sort of lulled into a sense of security because the legislature rewrites these numbers to look better as far as ferry service goes, as far as public education, commercial fisheries division, ADF&G. Public radio for that matter,” he said. “I’m sure the budget the legislature passes will have funding for public media. Fully expect that to get line-item vetoed back to zero.”   

Legislators can line override the governor’s line item vetos, but it requires 45 out of 60 legislators to make that happen.

“45 of 60, a three-quarters threshold set by the Alaska constitution- is a very high threshold,” he said. “I am worried that’s going to be hard. And that’s several months away.”

Kreiss-Tomkins says the budget will likely leave the legislature in April or May for the governor’s review.