The Alaska Legislature on Tuesday did not succeed in overruling Governor Mike Dunleavy’s veto of a substantial funding increase for public schools, which called for a $1,000 boost to the Base Student Allocation (BSA).
Lawmakers voted 33-27 in favor of sustaining Dunleavy’s veto, falling seven votes short of the 40 needed to override it.
This setback comes as school administrators throughout Alaska express serious concerns regarding the future of education in the state. They argue that an increase in the BSA is crucial, given that the past decade has seen nearly stagnant state funding.
Consequently, numerous school districts anticipate significant layoffs, overcrowded classrooms, and the elimination of popular educational programs.
In his veto, Governor Dunleavy cited the absence of policy in House Bill 69 and articulated that the state’s current fiscal challenges make a $250 million annual funding increase untenable.
During a joint session, Democratic Senator Elvi Gray-Jackson argued for the override, emphasizing that Alaskans value the quality of education their children receive. She pointed out the adverse effects of inadequate funding, including larger class sizes and teacher attrition.
“The consequences of underfunding are being felt deeply,” she stated, highlighting the urgency of the situation.
Despite some lawmakers’ support for a significant funding increase, many believed the proposed $1,000 BSA hike was unrealistic given the state’s financial realities.
Senator Lyman Hoffman, co-chair of the Senate Finance Committee, expressed reluctance in his decision to sustain Dunleavy’s veto, noting he would support the increase only if paired with new revenue sources to address the state’s substantial budget deficit.
Following the vote, Governor Dunleavy took to social media to thank lawmakers for supporting his veto, asserting that the vote acknowledged the state’s financial constraints and the lack of a policy framework in the rejected bill.
On the same day, Dunleavy introduced an alternative education package, designed to outline his vision for education reform after the veto. This package proposes a $560 increase to the BSA and includes approximately $35 million dedicated to homeschooling and reading incentive programs.
Additionally, the new proposal features measures to facilitate student enrollment in districts outside their local areas, limitations on cellphone usage in schools, and enhancements aimed at charter schools, among other changes.
Fairbanks GOP Representative Frank Tomaszewski characterized Dunleavy’s new package as a “real compromise” that the Legislature should accept.
“If anyone doesn’t want to get on board with that, they’re really not interested in funding education,” he argued during a media briefing.
Nonetheless, some lawmakers voiced reservations about the proposed changes. Democratic Senator Bill Wielechowski from Anchorage expressed concerns that an open enrollment policy might disadvantage some students based on timing. He also warned that provisions favoring charter schools could undermine local school board authority.
“I think fundamentally, there are many people in both bodies who are concerned about giving up local control,” he noted, emphasizing the importance of local governance in educational matters.
This year marks the third consecutive instance in which Governor Dunleavy has utilized his veto power to cut school funding. Education advocates and many legislators anticipated that the attempt to override this year’s veto would fail, in contrast to the uncertainty of last year’s efforts where the Legislature narrowly missed the votes needed to overturn a previous veto.
Last year, the Capitol buzzed with education advocates rallying for support to override Dunleavy, but this year’s atmosphere was markedly subdued, with the Capitol largely empty ahead of the joint legislative session.
During prolonged discussions in the House, only one member of the Republican minority, Representative Mike Prax, articulated opposition to the veto override.
To successfully override Dunleavy’s veto, a two-thirds majority, or support from 40 out of 60 legislators, was required.
When the $1,000 BSA increase was first brought up on April 11, only 32 lawmakers voted in favor, with 33 supporting the veto override—entirely from the bipartisan majorities in the House and Senate.
All Democratic votes in favor, as well as support from a few independent and Republican members, represented a united front for the funding increase.
In contrast, votes against came predominantly from the state’s Republican members, reflecting the divide over education policy and funding.
Prior to Dunleavy’s veto, House Bill 69 had included policies meant to appeal to the governor and his Republican colleagues, yet Dunleavy eventually rejected it, citing inadequate provisions for oversight of homeschool funding as being “inequitable.”
In the lead-up to this vote, the Senate Finance Committee has removed all policy amendments from the bill, presenting a singular focus on the BSA increase, prompting Dunleavy’s veto threats.
The previous year, lawmakers allocated a temporary, one-time increase in school funding amounting to $175 million, equating to a $680 boost in the BSA but lacking permanence. Now, there is a strong desire among legislators to approve a regular and stable funding increase for the current year.
Many in the legislature signal that they might be open to yet another $175 million increase for school funding, though discussions regarding how to tackle the state’s financial situation continue to be fragmented between the House and Senate majorities.
Representative Will Stapp, a Fairbanks Republican who supported last year’s override attempt, expressed disappointment in the current veto override vote, indicating support for the proposed $560 increase but acknowledging the necessity for adequate financial planning.
“If you want to prioritize education, prioritize it in the budget and fund it,” he asserted.
Conversely, some legislators maintain that a $1,000 increase is not only essential but also justifiable.
Senator Jesse Bjorkman, a Republican from Nikiski, backed the $1,000 BSA increase, arguing that it would translate into a $78 million rise in educational funding when compared to last year’s figures. As a former teacher, he expressed concerns over increasing class sizes and the diminishing opportunities in career and technical education.
“Our schools are unable to meet their mission effectively, because they don’t have the budget to deliver on the requirements that we expect,” Bjorkman stated.
With roughly a month left in the legislative session, it remains uncertain how or if a consensus on education funding can be reached that satisfies both the majority of lawmakers and the governor.
Senate President Gary Stevens, a Kodiak Republican, mentioned that discussions with the governor’s office regarding the new education package had yet to commence but expressed optimism about finding common ground moving forward.
“We’ll see where it goes,” he concluded.
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