The Alaska House of Representatives is asking Congress to fix a problem with a program that pays money to rural school districts affected by the decline of the timber industry.
On Monday, the House voted 35-4 to pass a resolution urging Congress to reinstate the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000.
Congress failed to renew the act earlier this year, costing rural Alaska districts more than $12 million in funding.
Rep. Jeremy Bynum, R-Ketchikan, introduced House Resolution 5 after the congressional failure.
“This represents more than $12 million of funding that is directly being used for our schools and our communities,” he said Monday on the House floor. “This has a significant impact to our communities, and if this is not renewed, it will cause hardship for many of our small communities without a way out.”
The communities of Petersburg, Wrangell, Ketchikan, Juneau and Craig all testified in support of the resolution, which also asks that the act be permanently funded.
The four votes against the resolution came from Reps. Jamie Allard, R-Eagle River; Kevin McCabe, R-Big Lake; Cathy Tilton, R-Wasilla; and Sarah Vance, R-Homer. Rep. Neal Foster, D-Nome, was excused absent.
Speaking on the House floor, McCabe said he thinks it’s a mistake for Alaska communities to rely on federal funding and that the state is owed land by the federal government. 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, R-Anchorage. “It is the most responsible thing we can do to speak up for our neighbors.”
HJR 5 now goes to the Senate for consideration.
• James Brooks is a longtime Alaska reporter, having previously worked at the Anchorage Daily News, Juneau Empire, Kodiak Mirror and Fairbanks Daily News-Miner. This article originally appeared online at alaskabeacon.com. Alaska Beacon, an affiliate of States Newsroom, is an independent, nonpartisan news organization focused on connecting Alaskans to their state government.
