February 13, 2026
UA Budget Continues Forward, Emphasizes Stability; UAF Presents on Agriculture and Voices Support for Fire Station Construction & Renovation Bill; President Pitney Joins Rep. Andrew Gray on Podcast
House to Continue Review of UA Budget
The University of Alaska House Finance Budget Subcommittee will hold its second meeting on Monday, February 16 at 9:00 a.m. While the subcommittee’s first meeting focused on reviewing the impacts of prior year state spending reductions to the university, the next meeting will highlight UA’s most critical funding requests for the upcoming fiscal year.
Full funding for UA employee compensation is the top priority amongst the budget requests approved by the Board of Regents. While the governor included partial funding for compensation in his December budget, securing the full funding for UA employees is critical to maintaining stability for students, staff, and faculty. The UA team and voices across the university will continue emphasizing the importance of stable state funding as the budget process progresses.
Food Security Week Brings UAF Experts to Juneau
Leaders with UAF’s Institute of Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Extension (IANRE) were in the Capitol this week to update legislators on the critical research being done to support agriculture in Alaska and strengthen food systems in the state. IANRE is involved in communities all across the state, helping Alaskans apply innovative and efficient techniques to everything from farming to forestry in our unique Arctic environment.
In addition to meeting with dozens of legislators individually, IANRE Director Jodie Anderson and Cooperative Extension Service Director Jenn Wagaman presented before both the House Resources Committee and the Senate Special Committee on Arctic Affairs this week. Lawmakers, many of whom are looking for ways to expand the production and availability of Alaska-grown products, continue to express their appreciation for the work being done at IANRE and the informative updates Jodie and Jenn provide.
Senate Bill (SB140), which Creates a Matching Grant Program for Fire Station Construction and Renovation, Heard in the Senate Finance Committee on Feb. 11
SB140 is sponsored by Sen. Stedman and establishes the Fire Station Grant Program. The matching grant program provides funding for up to 50 percent of the total project cost for constructing or renovating fire stations. UAF Fire Chief Forrest Kuiper helped raise a voice of support on this matter and the UA continues to support this bill moving forward.
President Pitney Joins Rep. Andrew Gray for his Podcast
President Pitney sat down with Rep. Gray for a wide-ranging conversation about her life. The links to the episode “Pat Pitney: President of the University of Alaska System” can be found here:
What We’re Watching
Monday, February 16
- 9:00 a.m. - House University of Alaska Finance Subcommittee: Presentation: Overview of FY27 UA Budget.
- 1:30 p.m. - House Finance: House Bill 289: Appropriations: Supplemental. House Bill 263: Appropriations: Operating Budget; Amend; Supplemental. House Bill 264: Appropriations: Capital, Funds, Supplemental, Reappropriations.
- 1:30 p.m. - Senate Labor & Commerce: Senate Bill 217: Employer Contributions.
- 3:15 p.m. - House Labor & Commerce: Presentation: Non-Resident Workers in Alaska by Dan Robinson, Research Chief, Department of Labor and Brett Watson, Institute of Social and Economic Research, UAA.
Tuesday, February 17
- 9:00 a.m. - Senate Finance: Senate Bill 140: Fire Station Grant Program.
- 1:30 p.m. - House Finance: House Bill 289: Appropriations: Supplemental. House Bill 263: Appropriations: Operating Budget; Amend; Supplemental.
Wednesday, February 18
- 9:00 a.m. - House Finance: House Bill 289: Appropriations: Supplemental.
- 1:30 p.m. - House Finance: House Bill 263: Appropriations: Operating Budget; Amend; Supplemental.
Thursday, February 19
- 9:00 a.m. - Senate Finance: Presentation: Amendments by Office of Management and Budget.
- 1:30 p.m. - House Finance: Overview: Governor’s Budget Amendments by Office of Management and Budget. Overview: Zero-Based Budgeting by Office of Management and Budget.
Friday, February 20
- 1:30 p.m. - House Finance: House Bill 263: Appropriations: Operating Budget; Amend; Supplemental.
For more information, contact Director of State Relations for the University of Alaska System Chad Hutchison, cell 907-378-3946, email clhutchison@alaska.edu. You can also follow the University of Alaska Government Relations on our Twitter page.