Latest news with #HB57
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Alaska's Legislature was in session for four months: Here's what they did with their time.
On Friday, May 16, 2025, Sen. Jesse Bjorkman, R-Nikiski, gets a chit sheet signature from Rep. Donna Mears, D-Anchorage, for an upcoming bill. To bring a bill to a vote, a lawmaker has to get a majority of lawmakers to sign a sheet signifying that there is enough support for the bill to pass the body. (Photo by James Brooks/Alaska Beacon) Before adjourning their regular session for the year, Alaska legislators passed 33 bills through both the House and Senate. Two were vetoed before lawmakers left the Capitol. One of those became the subject of the first successful veto override since 2009. Here's a look at what's passed and is headed to Gov. Mike Dunleavy for final approval or rejection. Except for the budget, no subject took more of the Legislature's attention than education. In April, lawmakers passed House Bill 69, which would have increased the base student allocation — core of the state's per-student funding formula for public schools — by $1,000 per student. Dunleavy vetoed that bill days later, which caused legislators to switch their attention to House Bill 57, an alternative proposal that had a $700 BSA increase and some policy measures proposed by the governor. The House and Senate passed that in late April, but Dunleavy vetoed that bill, too. On Monday, legislators overrode that veto by six votes, marking the first time since 2009 that the Legislature has overridden a governor's veto and the first time since 2002 that it did so to a sitting governor. Legislators also passed Senate Bill 95 and Senate Bill 96, which would create a tax credit program that rewards companies that invest in child care programs for their workers. It also offers a new grant program for child care and expands the number of families eligible for child care assistance from the state. The Legislature passed both of those bills last year but had to redo them this year because of a legal challenge. These new versions have yet to be considered by the governor. The veto override for HB 57 likely won't be the last word on education. The new education formula in HB 57 is subject to funding through the state operating budget, House Bill 53. Dunleavy has the ability to veto line items from the budget, and overriding his decisions on that document would take 45 votes, not the 40 it took to override him on HB 57. In addition, a part of the education bill is contingent upon the enactment of Senate Bill 113, which changes the way the state handles corporate income taxes assessed on internet businesses. It doesn't increase taxes, but it does divert revenue from other states to Alaska's treasury, and Dunleavy implied on Monday that he would veto that bill because he doesn't view it as a stable way to pay for part of the education bill. In addition to HB 53, the operating budget, lawmakers also passed House Bill 55, the state's comprehensive mental health budget, and Senate Bill 57, the state's capital budget, which is used to pay for construction and renovation projects across the state. Because of low oil prices and the Legislature's reluctance to pass new revenue measures, all three budget bills were smaller this year than last year. Few services will see budget increases, and this year's Permanent Fund dividend is $1,000, down from $1,403 last year. Alaskans received another $298 last year as a one-time bonus atop the regular dividend. Early in the legislative session, lawmakers approved a bill that allows the state-owned Alaska Railroad to borrow money for a new cruise ship dock in Seward. The Legislature passed an identical bill last year, but it was one of five that Dunleavy vetoed, citing the fact that the House voted on it after the legal end of the legislative session. This time around, the governor had no problem signing the bill into law. The governor also signed SB 15, another after-midnight bill that was redone by the Legislature. That law allows teens as young as 18 to serve alcohol in restaurants, breweries and distilleries, but not package stores or bars. Teens as young as 16 may work in those places but not serve alcohol. The measure was intended to increase the labor force during the summer tourism season. Legislators also cleared up a long-running tax dispute involving the car-sharing company Turo by passing a bill that requires Turo to collect and remit the state's car rental tax. Turo rentals are a common feature of the summer tourist season. Previously, individual car owners who rented out their cars through Turo were required to independently account for and send in their taxes. State records show few people followed that procedure. The Legislature passed a different version of the bill last year, and Dunleavy vetoed it. The new version cuts the state's car rental tax and institutes an even lower tax for Turo users. This version has not yet been examined by the governor. Following some of the recommendations of the state's seafood task force, legislators passed three bills dealing with commercial fishing. Commercial fishers who form cooperatives to collectively pay liability and damage claims would see these payments be exempted from being regulated as insurance if House Bill 116 becomes law. At least three co-ops are already operating in the state, but under Washington state law. House Bill 31 would exempt many commercial fishing boats from the requirement that they register with the state Division of Motor Vehicles. The exemption applies only to Coast Guard-documented boats with a current license from the Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission. Alaska's Commercial Fishing and Agriculture Bank would receive a small grant from a defunct state loan fund, allowing the bank to issue low-interest loans to fishers. The Legislature passed the change, recommended by the seafood task force, in Senate Bill 156. All three bills have yet to cross the governor's desk for final review. Alaska is one of the last states to forbid prison inmates from regularly using tablet computers. House Bill 35, passed by the Legislature, would change that by instituting rules for tablet use. The bill was encouraged as a means of rehabilitation and education for people in Alaska's prisons but the 33rd Legislature failed to pass it. Reintroduced this year, the idea moved quickly. After failing to pass a ban on high-interest, short-term loans during the 33rd Legislature, lawmakers in the first year of the 34th Legislature rapidly passed and advanced Senate Bill 39, which eliminates an exemption from the state's normal lending laws. If enacted, SB 39 would restrict loans to a maximum 36% annual percentage rate. Many payday loans have annual interest rates that amount to several hundred percent. The bill has not yet been sent to the governor. Alaska's insurance laws are in line to receive significant updates under two bills that the House and Senate passed this year. Senate Bill 133 regulates the prior authorization process used by doctors and other medical specialists when getting permission from an insurance company before undertaking a procedure on a patient. If enacted, it's designed to speed up the medical treatment process, and the state's division of insurance is required to keep statistics on how well the changes are working. The House and Senate also passed a broader insurance bill, Senate Bill 132, that includes a series of minor changes to the state's insurance laws. It was amended late in the process to include components of a separate bill regulating pharmacy benefit managers. Accountants also got some attention from the Legislature this year with the passage of House Bill 121, which eases the work requirements for new accountants to become certified to work in Alaska. None of the three bills have yet been considered by the governor. The Legislature voted to encourage local governments to make long-term housing plans by passing Senate Bill 50, which amends state law to say that boroughs' comprehensive plans may include housing development. Comprehensive plans are long-term planning documents that set expectations for a borough's growth and future. The bill hasn't yet reached the governor's desk. After more than a decade of work, the Alaska Legislature passed Senate Bill 97, which changes the way the state regulates big game hunting guides. If enacted, SB 97 would permit the state to limit the number of hunting guides in a specific area by selling hunting concessions, much like the federal government already does on federal land in Alaska. SB 97 was the result of a yearlong process in 2023 by the state's Big Game Commercial Services Board, which formed a task force to make recommendations and conclusions. The bill has not yet been sent to the governor for final approval. Amid a long-running dispute with the executive branch, the Alaska Legislature passed Senate Bill 183, which would require state officials to turn over data in the format requested by the legislative auditor. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Legislators say that since 2019, they have been unable to properly audit the part of the Alaska Department of Revenue that audits tax payments by oil and gas companies. The executive branch, legislators and audit officials say, has refused to compile reports that it previously provided without difficulty. As a result, legislators don't know whether the Department of Revenue is cheaply settling tax disputes with oil companies. Senate President Gary Stevens, R-Kodiak, and Speaker of the House Bryce Edgmon, I-Dillingham, each sent a letter to Dunleavy, asking him to not veto the bill because of its importance. The governor has yet to take final action. Early in the session, the Legislature voted unanimously to reject a recommendation that the pay of legislators and other top state officials be automatically adjusted for inflation each year. Dunleavy signed that bill into law on March 6. The House and Senate passed a handful of bills that make relatively small changes to state laws. In each case, these changes were requested by Alaskans who ran into trouble and asked for help from their legislators. House Bill 70, for example, would allow ambulance crews to help some police and rescue dogs who are injured on the job and need to be taken to a veterinarian. Existing law allows bystanders to help, but not certified medical technicians. Some laws pertaining to the Permanent Fund dividend division, which handles the annual distribution of PFDs, would be updated if House Bill 75 becomes law. The state's rural school fund would be able to pay for teacher housing and Mount Edgecumbe High School in Sitka if House Bill 174 becomes law. Currently, MEHS isn't eligible for grants from the rural school fund under the process used by other rural schools. Senate Bill 47 clears the way for the Municipality of Anchorage to use local money to pay for pothole repairs on Canyon Road, within Chugach State Park. Those repairs are currently blocked by state law. All four bills have yet to receive consideration by Dunleavy, who may veto them, allow them to become law without his signature, or sign them into law. Alaska has dozens of boards and commissions that regulate various professions and industries, and each of those boards needs to be regularly reauthorized by the Legislature. This year, because of a lawsuit filed by a former legislator, the House and Senate had to redo a boards bill that passed through the Capitol last year, as well as pass their regular bill. In addition to those two bills, legislators passed a bill that would allow the regulation of some interior designers, affecting the Board of Architects, Engineers and Land Surveyors. All three bills have yet to be considered by the governor. Every year the Capitol sees at least one bill ceremonially renaming a state-owned landmark or establishing a ceremonial holiday. This year was no different. Legislators voted to rename the airport in Ruby after Harold Esmailka, a well-known Interior pilot who operated air services, including medevac service, for decades. They also added two ceremonial marks on the calendar, passing bills that made May 12 the Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Day of Recognition and March as Women's History Month. Dunleavy signed Women's History Month into law in April; he has not considered the other two bills yet. In addition to the bills they passed, the House and Senate also approved 15 resolutions — official letters from the House and Senate that stated their positions on specific issues. Among the approved resolutions were ones opposing cuts to Medicaid, praising the sovereignty of Canada and Taiwan, asking for more international immigration for teachers and Afghans, and celebrating the U.S. Marine Corps' 250th birthday. In addition to those 15 joint resolutions, the Alaska Senate passed a unilateral resolution asking Congress to allow people from American Samoa to vote in federal elections and serve as officers in the U.S. military. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Alaska Legislature overrides Gov. Dunleavy's veto of public school funding bill
Rep. Neal Foster, D-Nome, votes in favor of overriding Gov. Mike Dunleavy's veto of House Bill 57 on Tuesday, May 20, 2025. (Photo by James Brooks/Alaska Beacon) For the first time since 2002, the Alaska Legislature has overridden the veto of a sitting governor. With a 46-14 vote, lawmakers enacted a significant increase to Alaska's per-student public funding formula, overriding Gov. Mike Dunleavy's decision to reject House Bill 57. Forty votes were needed for an override. It was the third time in two years that the governor vetoed a significant education funding bill; lawmakers failed by a single vote to override the governor last year. A second veto earlier this year was sustained by a larger margin. Tuesday's vote may be the first chapter in a longer struggle between the governor and the Legislature. HB 57 prescribes an increase to the state's public school funding formula, but that formula is subject to appropriations in the annual state budget. To use an analogy: If the formula is a bucket, the budget fills that bucket. Dunleavy has previously said he may veto some education money from the state budget, leaving the formula only partially funded. In addition, parts of HB 57 are contingent upon the enactment of Senate Bill 113, a bill adjusting the state's corporate income taxes. On Monday, Dunleavy implied that he will veto SB 113. Overriding either a funding veto or a veto of SB 113 would require 45 votes. Some legislators who voted to override the governor on Monday declined to confirm that they would override vetoes on the two funding mechanisms. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Anchorage School Board bets on state funding increase in revised budget, reversing cuts to staff and programs
May 7—The Anchorage School Board on Tuesday passed a revised budget that relies on a yet-to-be-finalized funding increase from the state, aiming to save staff and programs that were set for cuts. However, multiple school board members cautioned that even if the funding comes through as currently proposed, Anchorage schools will still face reductions, both this school year and next. "It does seem like there will be more funds coming from Juneau, and so I think to that degree it's not unreasonable for the board to make that assumption and stop some of the worst of the damage," board member Andy Holleman said ahead of the vote. But, Holleman added, "this doesn't fully restore things by any means." The board passed the revised budget unanimously. Member Dave Donley was absent. The Alaska Legislature last month passed a bill that would increase the Base Student Allocation, the state's per-student funding formula, by $700. School districts across the state say the increase is urgently needed after a decade of virtually flat funding, but Gov. Mike Dunleavy has criticized — and vetoed — past legislation because it does not also include education policies he has proposed. Dunleavy has yet to sign or veto House Bill 57. Regardless, lawmakers have said they believe they have the votes to override a veto. In a May 6 memo outlining the proposal, the Anchorage School Board members who proposed the amended budget said it was crafted "in response to the Legislature's bipartisan passage of House Bill 57 and with acute awareness of the distress that the scale of ASD's FY26 staffing displacement process and programmatic reductions have wrought on students, families, educators, and the community at large." The revision increases the district's proposed operating budget from $594.6 million to $634.5 million. It assumes a $560 increase to the BSA — a lower number than is included in the legislation currently on the table, but an amount school board members noted the governor has indicated he can support. Still, board member Margo Bellamy on Tuesday repeatedly characterized passing the revised budget before HB57 becomes law as a "calculated risk." Bellamy likened it to "me not having any income, and writing a check, hoping that it pays for my mortgage, and it depends on so many other things — if I get a job, if someone helps me, whatever." "I'm not comfortable with it, but it is necessary," she said. Board member Kelly Lessens at the meeting outlined sweeping changes the revised budget makes possible, including allowing the school district to increase the pupil-teacher ratio by one student rather than four, making it possible it to reverse a majority of the cuts to staff positions, avoiding layoffs and most displacements. More than 200 teacher positions would be restored under the revised budget, the school district said in a statement Wednesday. Lessens added that the revised budget also reverses cuts to middle school sports and certain high school sports programs; elementary paraprofessional positions; the IGNITE program; librarians; nurses; elementary language immersion programs; elementary and secondary summer school programs; and Battle of the Books. It also provides more funding to charter schools and correspondence students, among other changes, she said. However, Lessens still characterized the funding increase the amended budget relies on as "modest." About $23 million in cuts remain in the budget for the upcoming school year, she said. "It's not perfect. Principals are still tasked with making unenviable decisions," Lessens said. "This is not a magic wand by any stretch of the imagination." The school board's memo notes that even if the currently proposed $700 BSA increase becomes law, it "would not address the full $1,808 inflationary gap that has grown between FY11 and the present." Board member Pat Higgins cautioned ahead of the vote that the budget also relies on reserves. "I ... want to be completely honest: Unless the Legislature and the governor decide that their obligation is to fund adequately public education, we're going to do this again next year," Higgins said.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
For Alaska legislators, it's try, try, try again on big public education funding effort
Members of the Alaska House of Representatives look at the voting board for House Bill 57 on Wednesday, April 30, 2025. (Photo by James Brooks/Alaska Beacon) For the third time in two years, the Alaska Legislature has approved a bill that seeks to increase long-term state funding for the state's K-12 public schools. On Wednesday, the state Senate voted 17-3 and the House voted 31-8 to approve House Bill 57, which would permanently increase the base student allocation, core of the state's per-student funding formula, by $700 per student, or $183 million across the state per year. The bill also makes some policy changes for charter schools, creates a grant program to encourage schools to improve students' reading performance, and establishes an education task force to recommend further changes. 'I can't express how much gratitude that I know all of Alaska is sending with the message that we've sent,' said Rep. Alyse Galvin, I-Anchorage, after the House passed the bill. 'Everybody wants something for children, and to see what we've seen, people working together … I think that was achieved and we found a little something for everyone.' Wednesday's votes send the bill to Gov. Mike Dunleavy, who vetoed two previous bills that attempted to increase the BSA. The governor did not have an immediate comment on the Legislature's action. Dunleavy, on a trip to Washington, D.C., was unavailable for questions by phone, a spokesperson said. While the Legislature failed to override the governor's two previous vetoes, the result of a third override could be different, legislators said. 'It's one of the most sweeping sets of policy reforms for education, I think, in state history,' said Rep. Zack Fields, D-Anchorage and the original author of HB 57. 'And I think that's why you see such unity between the chambers and from every caucus. And that kind of unity is unprecedented.' Since the start of April, the governor has urged the Legislature to include policy changes for charter schools, an open enrollment policy between schools and districts, an extra funding boost for homeschooled students, and grants for school districts whose students meet reading standards. In talks over the weekend, the Republican minority caucuses in both House and Senate negotiated some of those provisions into HB 57. That was enough to sway some Republicans who voted against prior school funding measures, such as the recently vetoed House Bill 69. 'That's the process; you do the best that you can, and this is a much better bill than HB 69,' said House Minority Leader Mia Costello, R-Anchorage. She voted against House Bill 69, but in favor of HB 57. 'Vetoing HB 69 set the stage for being listened to by the majority. When we stuck together on that veto, we were basically sending a message that there were other things that needed to happen,' Costello said. 'While nobody is perfectly fine with the outcome of this bill, it makes it a step in the right direction, and we couldn't have gotten there if we hadn't held firm on that.' In an unusual move, the governor's education commissioner sent a letter to school district superintendents on Monday, asking them to lobby the Legislature in favor of the governor's proposals. Within the letter, she said that if the Legislature failed to meet the governor's demands, he could end up vetoing money used to pay for the updated formula. In the end, some of the governor's requests were included, but others — including an extra funding boost for homeschooled students — were not. Last year, lawmakers approved $174 million in one-time bonus funding on top of the BSA, so the formula change would not significantly increase year-over-year funding. Instead, the change's main advantage is that it allows school districts to plan ahead when budgeting, instead of waiting to see what the Legislature approves each year. 'Having the stability of the funding in the formula is critically important,' Fields said. Without the change, school districts have to act as if there will be no funding bonus, a possibility until the state budget is finalized. That means warning teachers of possible layoffs, then rehiring them when money is approved. 'Having (the BSA increase) in policy avoids this destructive policy of pink slips and replacement,' Fields said. At the start of the year, school districts said they needed a BSA increase of more than $1,800 to keep up with inflation since 2011. The final version of HB 57 is a little over a third of that figure, and some lawmakers called it a good first step. 'Fairbanks schools are suffering right now. Our schools have been starving for well over a decade. It's absolutely critical that we invest right now. This funding is stabilizing our school district and districts across the state, and it was a no-brainer,' said Rep. Ashley Carrick, D-Fairbanks. But not everyone was pleased with the final result — of the Legislature's 60 members, 11 Republicans voted against the bill, and one, Rep. David Nelson, R-Anchorage, was excused absent. Rep. Cathy Tilton, R-Wasilla, said she was unhappy with the final versions of policy proposals inserted into the bill. The reading grants won't become effective unless a bill updating corporate taxes becomes law. Open-enrollment provisions, which would allow students to transfer between schools and districts, were referred to a task force and not included in the bill. 'I just felt like the policy positions that were taken in the bill were not strong policy positions,' she said. Rep. Kevin McCabe, R-Big Lake, also voted against the bill. 'I don't think it's enough. I think we need to focus on our kids,' he said. Electoral factors may have been in play for Wednesday's vote. In a column published by the conservative website Must Read Alaska, Bob Griffin of the Alaska Policy Forum opined that if the legislative session were to end without an education bill, the 'outcome wouldn't just harm our kids, it would also complicate Republican messaging in the next election, particularly with swing voters drawn to simplistic narratives.' Before Wednesday's House vote, the Alaska Senate needed to fix errors revealed after it approved HB 57 on Monday. There were two errors, lawmakers said. One involved the use of 'shall' instead of 'may' in a funding clause, raising concerns that it could run afoul of the Alaska Constitution's prohibition on budget accounts for particular programs. The second involved a mistake on the effective date of a program that distributes grants to schools whose students reach certain benchmarks for reading skills. Those grants would begin with the 2026-2027 school year, not in January, halfway through the 2025-2026 school year. The Senate had voted 19-1 in favor of HB 57, but its vote on Wednesday was 17-3. The change was largely due to the way the new reading grant program is linked to passage of Senate Bill 113, a bill that updates corporate tax law pertaining to internet sales. That change is expected to raise as much as $65 million per year, and proceeds would be directed toward the reading grant program. If there's more than enough money to fund that program, the extra cash would be available for career and technical education programs in high schools. 'That's going to be huge, I think,' said Sen. Bert Stedman, R-Sitka. Amid a state budget crunch, education 'is the only area in the state where we're increasing spending,' he said. But some senators noted that if SB 113 doesn't become law, the reading grants won't just be defunded — they'll be eliminated entirely. 'We are conditioning not only the funding of the reading grants … but the existence of the reading grants on another bill or policy,' said Sen. Robert Myers, R-North Pole. For that reason, he said, he was unable to vote for the bill. 'I do find it a little odd that we guarantee a ride to school, but we don't have that guarantee that we're going to incentivize the growth of reading,' he said. Senate Minority Leader Mike Shower, R-Wasilla, voted in favor of the bill on Monday but changed his vote on Wednesday, saying he wasn't aware that the reading grants were contingent on the revenue bill. 'I'm kind of on a hope and a prayer that those things happen. … That makes it problematic for me,' he said. Sen. Shelley Hughes, R-Palmer, also voted in favor of the bill on Monday and against it on Wednesday for the same reason. After Wednesday afternoon's final vote, a House majority spokesperson said he expects HB 57 to be transmitted to Dunleavy on Thursday. When the bill is sent, the governor will have until May 17 to sign the bill, veto it, or allow it to become law without his signature. If he vetoes it, the Alaska Constitution calls for the Legislature to meet 'immediately' for a vote to override or sustain the governor's decision. Forty of 60 legislators, meeting in joint session, would have to vote for the bill in order to override a veto. Legislators have not overridden a veto since 2009. Alaska Beacon reporter Corinne Smith contributed to this article from Juneau. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Alaska Legislature poised to approve 'compromise' education bill with $700 per-student funding boost
Apr. 28—JUNEAU — The Alaska Legislature is poised to pass a compromise education measure on Monday with a $700 boost to the Base Student Allocation, the state's per-student funding formula. Gov. Mike Dunleavy last week said that he would sign a school funding increase of that size, but only if education policies preferred by his administration were added to the measure. The Senate on Monday added several provisions intended to appeal to Dunleavy and minority Republican legislators. A spokesperson for the governor's office did not immediately say Monday morning whether Dunleavy would support the amended measure. Multiple lawmakers noted that the $700 increase to the BSA would be the largest nominal school funding increase in state history. But administrators in multiple school districts have said that may not be enough for a public education system in the midst of enacting steep cuts to programs, staff and more. Republican minority members, in particular, have supported a funding increase, but only with policies intended to improve Alaska's bottom-of-the-nation test scores. Anchorage Democratic Sen. Löki Tobin, chair of the Senate Education Committee, said the Legislature had made multiple attempts to get an education package signed into law. But she said the Senate's new education measure "strikes a balance" between policy and funding. "While the bill before you isn't the final answer to adequately funding our schools, it will get the much-needed financial resources our schools desperately need to retain high-quality educators, reduce class sizes, keep beloved extracurricular activities and support our struggling students," she said. The Senate on Monday approved HB 57 on a 19-1 vote. North Pole GOP Sen. Robert Myers was the only no vote. HB 57 now heads back to the House for a final vote. Multiple lawmakers said the House could approve the bill later on Monday, sending it to Dunleavy's desk for his consideration. But first, the Senate amended the measure on Monday to add "compromise" provisions. House Bill 57 includes plans to limit cellphone use in schools; a boost for student transportation costs; provisions to ease the process of forming new charter schools and to make it harder for local school districts to revoke existing charters; provisions to establish target class sizes to limit overcrowding in classrooms; and the establishment of a legislative task force to study education funding and how to allow students to enroll in school districts other than the ones in which they reside. The Senate on Monday added reading incentive grants proposed by Wasilla Republican Sen. Rob Yundt, a minority member, for reading. The $450 per-student funding would be paid to districts for their students who perform at grade level or show improvements in reading. But the grants would only be paid if the Legislature approves Senate Bill 113 — a measure that would raise new state revenue by applying corporate income tax on out-of-state businesses that operate online. Yundt said the grants would incentivize student outcome improvement. The contingency for new revenue recognized the tough fiscal spot the state faces, he said. The measure advanced quickly last week for a final vote, setting the stage for last-minute negotiations. Several minority amendments were rejected by the Democrat-dominated majority on Monday. But Wasilla GOP Sen. Mike Shower, the Senate minority leader, said the bill represented a "compromise" agreement with the minority after a lot of work over the weekend. He said before Monday's final vote that he would support the bill with "a lot of reservations." He said that he could support the funding increase, but that the bill should have contained more education reforms. Shower suggested that his yes vote could change if Dunleavy vetoes the measure. Minority Republican Sens. James Kaufman, Mike Cronk and Rob Yundt voted for the bill on Monday. If Dunleavy vetoes the bill, all three senators said they would vote to override Dunleavy's veto. Dunleavy last week said that his policy priorities would need to be added for the bill to receive his support. Those policies included extra funding for homeschooled students on top of what they would receive through a BSA increase, reading incentive grants and plans to expand charter schools in Alaska. But some of Dunleavy's education priorities have been opposed by many lawmakers. Multiple legislators have said that his open enrollment school policy could see students blocked from attending their own schools, and that his charter school provisions could erode the power of local school boards. The Legislature last week failed to override Dunleavy's veto of another education bill that had a $1,000 increase in per-student funding. Overriding Dunleavy's veto required support from 40 of 60 legislators, or two-thirds of the Alaska Legislature. Last week's override vote failed with 33 lawmakers voting yes. School administrators have said that a $1,000 BSA increase would be critical for school districts facing substantial deficits. Districts report that without a substantial funding increase, they will need to cut hundreds of teacher positions and popular programs. But at a cost of over $250 million per year, many lawmakers have said a $1,000 BSA boost would be unaffordable with the state facing a dire fiscal outlook. This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
