The Alaska House of Representatives is asking Congress to appropriate funding for a program that pays money to rural school districts affected by the decline of the timber industry — including Wrangell.
The state House voted 35-4 on March 17 to pass a resolution urging Congress to reinstate the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000.
The U.S. Senate approved extending the program and providing funds last year, but the U.S. House never took up the legislation before it adjourned in December, leaving a big hole in community budgets.
The decision by the Republican-controlled U.S. House cost Alaska communities more than $12 million in funding, with the Wrangell borough losing out on an estimated $800,000 it had expected to receive for this year’s budget.
The borough appropriates most of the federal money to the school district. Some of the funds also go to road work.
Nationwide, the program distributed more than $250 million in 2023, the last year that Congress appropriated funding.
Ketchikan Rep. Jeremy Bynum introduced House Resolution 5 after the congressional failure. The freshman lawmaker’s district also includes Wrangell.
Legislative resolutions carry no force of law; they are merely a way for state lawmakers to express their opinions on issues.
“This has a significant impact to our communities, and if this is not renewed it will cause hardship for many of our small communities,” Bynum, a Republican, said on the House floor March 17.
Petersburg, Wrangell, Ketchikan, Juneau and Craig all testified in support of the resolution, which also asks that the Secure Rural Schools program be permanently funded.
The four votes against the resolution came from Republicans Jamie Allard of Eagle River, Kevin McCabe of Big Lake, Cathy Tilton of Wasilla and Sarah Vance of Homer.
Speaking on the House floor, McCabe said he thinks it’s a mistake for Alaska communities to rely on federal funding. The state is owed land by the federal government, and developing that land could generate revenue that would offset the need for federal help, he said.
Other lawmakers spoke for the majority of House members in favor of the resolution.
“I think it’s a matter of fundamental fairness,” said House Majority Leader Chuck Kopp, an Anchorage Republican. “It is the most responsible thing we can do to speak up for our neighbors.”
The resolution has moved to the Senate for consideration.
The Wrangell Sentinel added reporting for this story. The Alaska Beacon is an independent, donor-funded news organization. Alaskabeacon.com.
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