The first group of eligible Alaskans will receive $3,200 payments from the state beginning in less than two weeks.
The provision for $3,200 checks for eligible residents was included in the annual budget, which was approved by the state legislature earlier this year.
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The payments should begin to appear in bank accounts of eligible residents on Sept. 20, with all payments being delivered by the end of the year, according to Alaska Public Media.
Alaskans who opted for paper checks rather than direct deposit will have to wait until October to receive their state-issued payment.
Payments of $5,500 were initially approved by the state Senate, according to the report.
Supporters of the larger payments said inflation, the increasing cost of energy, and other economic stresses for Alaskans justified the $5,500 checks.
The state House refused to sign on to the $5,500 payments, so it was negotiated down by both chambers to $3,200 checks for eligible residents. Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy signed the provision into law with the rest of the bill, which contained the state’s annual budget.
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“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.
The direct checks are funded via the Permanent Fund Dividend Division, and the payment to residents is the largest in Alaska’s history, according to the report.
