Alaska passes budget to avoid partial government shutdown

Alaska Governor Bill Walker on Thursday rescinded his plan to furlough more than 10,000 state employees after state lawmakers reached a $5 billion budget agreement, avoiding a partial government shutdown from July 1. Lawmakers had been at odds for more than four months on how to fund day-to-day operations with Alaska beset by a budget shortfall as large as $4 billion, worsened by a global oil price plunge.

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