Lawmakers still struggling with $3 billion budget deficit

State Lawmakers continue working overtime to try to come up with a budget solution.

The two sides haven't been able to agree on proposals that would help reduce the $3 billion deficit.

Two of the most contentious arguments have been over the idea of implementing a state income tax and using part of the permanent fund's money.

Governor Bill Walker said there has been a lot of discussion about the proposal to implement a state income tax. He said when people tell him they don't want one, he asks if they have ideas for other options.

"If we don't do this, I'm open to have a discussion about what are the other options that don't involve looking for the price of oil to go up, looking at a forecast and hoping that suddenly we're going to have in the next few years significant increases for throughput in the pipeline, or we're going to have a big spike in the price of oil. I guess there's two different philosophies on that, Austin; one for me is are we going to fix it, or are we going to try to get through it? And I guess I want to fix it. I think its time we fix it," said Walker.