With not a vote to spare, the Alaska Legislature on Saturday voted to override Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s veto of education funding in the state budget, on the first day of a special session he called.
The Alaska Legislature on May 2 passed a bill increasing per-student funding by $700. They fended off a veto of the bill by Gov. Mike Dunleavy on May 20. Dunleavy vetoed funding to schools inside the state’s budget on June 12 — slashing $50 million in education funding and reducing the per-student funding increase to $500 while citing declining oil revenues. That total would have been a reduction in funding from last year, when Alaska schools received one-time funding equal to a $680 increase to the BSA. After the successful override, the $700 increase is restored and education funding will be very slightly increased this year.
The final tally for Saturday’s override vote was 45-14 — with Sen. Mike Shower, R-Wasilla, an excused absence and Rep. Mia Costello, R-Anchorage, the only lawmaker to switch from a yes to a no vote between the original veto override in June and this weekend’s special session.
The override was approved with no floor discussion.
The Kenai Peninsula Borough School District made deep cuts to staffing and programs this year in the face of a $17 million deficit driven by declining state funding. This week, the school board is beginning conversations about which schools to close in the coming year to reduce the district’s budget.
The increase in funding from Saturday’s veto override will represent a roughly $3 million increase to the KPBSD.
Five of the six lawmakers who represent the Kenai Peninsula — Sen. Jesse Bjorkman, Sen. Gary Stevens, Rep. Justin Ruffridge, Rep. Bill Elam and Rep. Louise Stutes — voted in favor of the override. Rep. Sarah Vance, a Homer Republican, was the only Kenai Peninsula lawmaker who voted in opposition.
Ruffridge, R-Soldotna, said Saturday that the Alaska Constitution “deliberately balances power between the branches of government.” He said it is the Legislature’s job to maintain that balance.
“Voting ‘yes’ today is about keeping our commitments, ensuring accountability of revenues, following the budget that was passed, and giving our schools the stability they need to deliver results for Alaska’s children,” he said.
Juneau School District this year discontinued its Relationships and Leadership Learning for Youth after school program and eliminated free breakfasts. Last year, the district closed multiple schools to overcome a $10 million deficit.
Dunleavy called the special session in July and asked Republican lawmakers not to come to Juneau until after the deadline for a veto override. Given the vote margin, even a single missing lawmaker would have caused the vote to fail. Multiple lawmakers who returned to Juneau for Saturday’s vote were expected to be overseas and had excused absences.
Reach reporter Jake Dye at jacob.dye@peninsulaclarion.com.
