The first group of $3,200 checks is set to be delivered to eligible Alaskans beginning next month.
The state legislature approved the annual budget, which included a provision for $3,200 payments for eligible residents by the end of 2022. Direct payments should start hitting bank accounts of eligible residents on Sept. 20, according to Alaska Public Media.
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Eligible recipients who opt for paper checks will have to wait until October to receive their direct payments.
The state Senate initially approved payments of $5,500 to eligible residents, according to the report. The state House would not sign on to the $5,500 checks, so it was negotiated down by both chambers to $3,200 direct payments. Gov. Mike Dunleavy (R-AK) signed the bill into law, along with the rest of the state budget.
“This budget is more than a spending plan; it’s a blueprint for Alaska’s future. Budgets should reflect the values and ambitions of the people they are designed for, and I believe this legislation accomplishes that,” Dunleavy said.
Supporters of the large payment said inflation, increasing energy costs, and other economic matters for residents justified a bigger direct payment.
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Funding for the direct payment comes from the Permanent Fund dividend, and the payment itself is the largest in state history, per the report.
