May 09, 2007
Wednesday PM

After passage of the FY08 Capital Budget, Senate Bill 53 by the Senate Finance Committee today, Senator Bert Stedman who represents District 1 said, "I have been working hard with my colleagues in both the House and Senate to ensure an equitable capital budget that improves the infrastructure and economy throughout the whole state. I think we have accomplished both these goals."

As co-chair of the Senate Finance Committee, Senator Stedman is responsible for writing the capital budget, which finances such important items as transportation infrastructure, recreational facility improvements, and emergency and health services infrastructure.

The capital budget this year includes large projects such as full funding for the Swan Lake-Lake Tyee Intertie, a replacement for the Ketchikan Airport Ferry, and water treatment facility upgrades. It also includes many smaller, but equally important projects like an access road for senior housing, funds for a new South Tongass Fire Station, and improvements to the Refuge Cove recreational facilities.

"The Capital Budget is an opportunity to improve both the economy and our way of life in Southern Southeast," said Stedman. "Fully funding the Swan Lake-Lake Tyee Intertie was perhaps the most important item in the capital budget this year for both Ketchikan and Southeast as a whole. Completion of the intertie will bring clean, reliable, and plentiful power to Ketchikan and brings the planned region-wide power grid, so vital to Southeast's future economy, one giant step closer to reality."

Source of News:

Office of Senator Bert Stedman
Alaska State Legislature
www.legis.state.ak.us

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