November 29, 2019 (Anchorage, AK) – As Governor Michael J. Dunleavy clearly explained last week, “The PFD should go to all eligible Alaskans regardless of their marital status.” Despite recent media reports to the contrary, neither the State of Alaska nor the Department of Revenue have a policy of denying PFDs based on same-sex marital status. The State’s policy is that the unconstitutional statute currently on the books is not enforced, and if an individual is eligible under all the lawful criteria, he or she will receive a PFD.
After learning about the erroneous denial of one individual’s PFD, the Division remedied the matter in early November. That individual nevertheless subsequently filed a lawsuit in federal court. Any further questions about the lawsuit should be directed to the Department of Law.
DOR continues to assess PFD Division records to determine whether any other improper denial letters were inadvertently sent out and not yet corrected so that it can remedy any mistakes as quickly as possible. The DOR encourages individuals to come forward if they feel they were denied based on their marital status or if anyone has knowledge of other inadvertent denials.
