Petersburg Pilot -

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — The Alaska Senate delayed action on a state spending package Tuesday, as lawmakers evaluated their options for getting needed votes on a budget and completing their work ahead of a Friday special session deadline.

The budget proposal that advanced from a six-member conference committee Sunday attached strings to funding for programs like the annual dividend paid to residents. It was criticized by some lawmakers as a strong-arm tactic.

Dividends typically have been paid using earnings from the state’s oil-wealth fund, the Alaska Permanent Fund. But the conference co...