Wrangell Sentinel -

State lawmakers went back to work this week in Juneau, with two familiar topics likely to dominate the budget-writing work.

“The real question is what are we going to do for the Permanent Fund dividend … and what are we going to do for education,” Rep. Dan Ortiz told the Wrangell borough assembly Jan. 9.

“That’s what the argument is going to be about.”

Ortiz, a retired schoolteacher in Ketchikan, also represents Wrangell and Metlakatla. He’s been in the state House since January 2015 and serves on the Finance Committee, which is in charge of the budget.

The representative said he supports an i...