Gov. Mike Dunleavy last month announced his vetoes for the budget passed by the Legislature. After lawmakers had reached a bipartisan compromise, I was ultimately pleased with the final budget numbers that we passed. Therefore, I and a significant majority in the Legislature were disappointed in what the governor chose to veto.
His largest veto was education funding. The legislature passed a $175 million increase in the base student allocation for K-12 public school funding, equivalent to an extra $680 per student. Nearly all of Alaska’s 54 school districts had testified that they needed at least that amount in order to partially keep pace with the rising costs of heating, food, insurance and other necessities. Dunleavy vetoed 50% of that increase, leaving only a $340-per-student increase.
The governor also vetoed $35 million from the University of Alaska budget, $10 million from school major maintenance projects, $10 million from backstop funding for the Alaska Marine Highway System, and $750,000 from recidivism reduction grants for reentry housing. He also eliminated state funding for rural public radio and home- and place-based child care incentives.
The House minority coalition, myself included, is urging the Legislature to call itself into a special session to override the vetoes. The votes are reportedly there on the Senate side for the override to occur. The House majority unanimously voted on two separate occasions this past session in support of the $680-per-student education figure, and to back down on that promise now seems contradictory.
However, Alaska has the highest threshold in the country for overriding a budget veto — three-quarters of the full Legislature — and it seems unlikely that we will have that support.
Please let me know if you support the vetoes or support the Legislature attempting to override these cuts: Rep.Dan.Ortiz@AKLeg.gov, or (907) 465-3824.
Rep. Dan Ortiz
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