Nearly every Alaskan gets a $1,312 oil check this fall. The unique benefit is a blessing and a curse

Nearly every Alaskan will receive a $1,312 check starting this week, their annual share from the earnings of the state’s nest-egg oil fund. Squabbling over the oil checks' size has resulted in legislative paralysis, and a Senate proposal aimed at resolving the dividend debate this year fizzled with no agreement. As Alaska struggles to attract workers and stem a years-long trend of people moving away, some residents are wondering how the dividend fits into the future of a state with no income tax or statewide sales tax.