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Alaska Marine Exchange loses part of budget in capital cuts

JUNEAU, Alaska — Alaska’s primary provider of real-time marine vessel tracking has lost a portion of its funding to cuts by the governor to the 2020 capital budget.

CoastAlaska reported Wednesday that the Marine Exchange of Alaska lost 11% of its state funding.

Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy vetoed line items equaling $444 million in reductions to Alaska’s operating budget in June, including $34.7 million in cuts from the capital budget.

The Legislature restored $400,000 in cruise ship passenger revenue to support the network of ship-tracking stations.

The Marine Exchange funding was to be drawn from the $34.50 head tax paid by every cruise ship passenger visiting Alaska.

Dunleavy retained the cut through a second veto.

The governor has suggested the tax revenue should be redirected to port projects across coastal communities.

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Information from: KTOO-FM, http://www.ktoo.org

The Associated Press