Latest news with #WillStapp
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Most state services will see no new funding in final Alaska state budget draft
The Alaska State Capitol is seen behind a curtain of blooming branches on Saturday, May 17, 2025. (Photo by James Brooks/Alaska Beacon) There will be no extra money for the University of Alaska's sports teams, its effort to become a top-tier research university or its attempts to hire and keep staff. On Friday, the legislative committee assigned to write the final version of Alaska's state operating budget axed all of those items — and many more — from its in-progress draft. Alaska is facing a severe budget crunch, thanks to low oil prices and reduced federal spending, and lawmakers are eliminating almost every previously considered addition, even before Gov. Mike Dunleavy gets a chance to use his veto pen. Flat funding, combined with inflation, means cuts for most state services. The Permanent Fund dividend isn't immune, either. It's expected to be about $1,000 this year, the lowest figure in state history, once adjusted for inflation. 'It's just a really challenging time, and there's a lot of volatility, and Alaska's heavily dependent upon federal funds,' said Sen. Scott Kawasaki, D-Fairbanks. 'We don't have that huge buffer of oil and gas funds that we once did.' Rep. Will Stapp, R-Fairbanks, appeared resigned to the decisions when asked for comment. 'It is what it is,' he said. Among the university's budget cuts is $150,000 for a staff member to help the university's efforts on diversity, equity and inclusion. The University's Board of Regents voted earlier this year to cancel DEI efforts, including those intended to help Alaska Native students. 'We obviously are cut down to the bone if we're talking about individual, singular positions in the budget, and the board of regents has taken a position that's alternative to what I think the UA community broadly wants to see happen, so it puts our Legislature as an appropriating body in a really difficult position making those kinds of decisions,' said Rep. Ashley Carrick, D-Fairbanks. The budget maneuvering isn't restricted to the University of Alaska. At the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities, legislators have cut road maintenance spending and have requested a report on the feasibility of turning the Dalton Highway — Alaska's overland link to the North Slope — into a toll road. A plan to put more Alaska state troopers in Kotzebue to fight child abuse crimes was only partially funded, and $2.3 million for additional trooper overtime was trimmed to $1 million. The conference committee, in charge of combining different budget drafts approved by the state House and Senate, may also cancel plans for additional state and wildlife troopers in Talkeetna. Legislators are asking DPS to begin meeting with the Kenai, Fairbanks and Matanuska-Susitna boroughs about setting up local police in those areas in order to replace troopers. 'It is the intent of the legislature to direct public safety funds to areas of the state that do not have the tax base to provide needed policing services to their communities,' the latest budget draft states. A few budget increases remain — $250,000 more for maintenance at the state's trial courts, $292,000 more for security screening of legislative mail, and additional state funding for Alaska's forestry program as part of an effort to increase logging. For the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development, the conference committee approved backstop funding for public schools in case Dunleavy vetoes House Bill 57, which would permanently increase the state's per-student funding formula. The backstop language includes a one-time bonus that's slightly smaller than the increase included within HB 57. That increase is itself lower than the rate of inflation. The committee declined to increase funding for special education, child nutrition, early education, and state libraries, archives and museums. But lawmakers did approve an increase for career and technical education initiatives. They temporarily postponed a decision on items related to foreign teacher recruitment and training, at the request of Sen. James Kaufman, R-Anchorage. Those may be taken up as soon as Sunday. The committee approved $5.5 million for child advocacy centers, which support child victims of physical and sexual abuse. That money was added after the federal government cut funding for the centers. For the state prison system, the budget directs the closure of part of Spring Creek Correctional Center and directs the Alaska Department of Corrections to prepare a report for the Legislature evaluating which prisons would provide the most cost savings if closed. Budget negotiators also rejected increased funding for vocational training programs intended to aid Alaskans who leave the prison system. Several items are still being debated, and the conference committee was scheduled to meet at 1 p.m. Sunday to finalize the compromise budget draft. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
As Trump tells some Afghan war allies to leave US, the Alaska Legislature is asking for more
Rep. Will Stapp, R-Fairbanks, speaks on the House floor on Feb. 21, 2025. (Photo by James Brooks/Alaska Beacon) On Monday, the Trump administration announced that it is canceling permission for about 9,000 Afghanistan refugees to remain in the United States, including some who aided America's war effort in Afghanistan. The move came eight days after the Alaska House of Representatives voted unanimously to approve a resolution that asks the administration to resume evacuation flights from that country. The state Senate is considering that resolution as well. House Joint Resolution 13, from Rep. Will Stapp, R-Fairbanks, asks federal officials 'to resume processing stalled applications by Afghan allies' and to reinstate evacuation flights 'for applicants with approved special immigrant visas and their families, including efforts to overcome logistical barriers and diplomatic negotiations.' The resolution doesn't address the Trump administration's actions; the resolution was developed before those were announced. Speaking on the House floor, Stapp said he served two tours of duty in the Iraq War and saw the bravery of local interpreters and police officers who worked with members of the American military despite threats to their lives. 'This resolution requests that our federal partners expedite special immigration visas so that we can look to bring as many of those people who stood shoulder to shoulder with us during our time at war to the United States so we can fulfill the promises that we made to them before they too suffer the same fate … that so many have already suffered,' he said. HJR 13 is in the Senate State Affairs Committee and becomes final only if approved by the Senate and the House. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Alaska House passes $1,000 per student funding boost, after three days of debate
Rep. Rebecca Himschoot, I-Sitka, sponsored the school funding bill, and urges House members to vote in favor as student visitors from around the state look on in the gallery on March 12, 2025. (Photo by Corinne Smith/Alaska Beacon) The Alaska House of Representatives passed a bill on Wednesday that is aimed at adding $275 million to fund public schools starting this summer. The House spent long floor sessions across three days this week, proposing amendments to, debating and voting on House Bill 69. The House passed the bill by a vote of 24 to 16. It would add $1,000 per student to the formula used to set state funding for K-12 schools. 'The journey this year has been so much longer and literally, I'd say, hard fought, to the point where, at least for me, it's a relief to get it through the House,' said House Speaker Bryce Edmon, I-Dillingham, in a news conference Wednesday after the vote. In favor Robyn Niayuq Burke, D-Utqiagvik Jeremy Bynum, R-Ketchikan Ashley Carrick, D-Fairbanks Julie Coulombe, R-Anchorage Maxine Dibert, D-Fairbanks Bryce Edgmon, I-Dillingham Ted Eischeid, D-Anchorage Zack Fields, D-Anchorage Neal Foster, D-Nome Alyse Galvin, I-Anchorage Andrew Gray, D-Anchorage Carolyn Hall, D-Anchorage Sara Hannan, D-Juneau Rebecca Himschoot, I-Sitka Ky Holland, I-Anchorage Nellie Unangiq Jimmie, D-Bethel Andy Josephson, D-Anchorage Chuck Kopp, R-Anchorage Donna Mears, D-Anchorage Genevieve Mina, D-Anchorage Justin Ruffridge, R-Soldotna Calvin Schrage, I-Anchorage Andi Story, D-Juneau Louise Stutes, R-Kodiak Against Jamie Allard, R-Eagle River Mia Costello, R-Anchorage Bill Elam, R-Nikiski DeLena Johnson, R-Palmer Kevin McCabe, R-Big Lake Elexie Moore, R-Wasilla David Nelson, R-Anchorage Mike Prax, R-North Pole George Rauscher, R-Sutton Dan Saddler, R-Eagle River Rebecca Schwanke, R-Glennallen Will Stapp, R-Fairbanks Cathy Tilton, R-Wasilla Frank Tomaszewski, R-Fairbanks Jubilee Underwood, R-Wasilla Sarah Vance, R-Homer Many members of the Republican minority caucus debated and contested the bill, and questioned how the bill will be paid for. 'The revenue picture is not getting any better as time goes on,' said Rep. Will Stapp, R-Fairbanks, in his caucus' news conference Wednesday. 'And it's really important that if we're going to stand on the floor, and we're going to pass things, we have really got to start telling the voters and the state how we're going to pay for it.' The mostly Democratic majority coalition originally proposed an $1,800 per-student funding increase, but that was lowered to a $1,000 increase by the House Rules Committee last week. The formula funding, known as the base student allocation, is adjusted upward based on a variety of factors for each school. 'At the heart of this bill is the BSA increase,' said sponsor Rep. Rebecca Himschoot, I-Sitka, to the House chamber. 'In terms of the policy areas, we worked hard to find compromises, especially with the executive branch.' The committee also added some, plus adding policy changes sought by Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy and the members of the minority caucus in closed-door negotiations. The bill would include allowing families to enroll students in any school in a district; requiring rules on limiting cell phone use; and creating a legislative task force to analyze school spending and make recommendations, among other provisions. The bill would also provide a $450 reading incentive grant per student, via an amendment in the rules committee by House Minority Leader Mia Costello, R-Anchorage, to support implementing the 2022 Alaska Reads Act. But that funding is dependent on legislative appropriations. While the bill is aimed at setting the state policy for how much schools are funded, the actual appropriations would be in separate legislation, the annual operating budget bill. Last year, Dunleavy vetoed a similar funding boost, citing needed policy changes, and instead approved $175 million in one-time funding. This year Dunleavy introduced an omnibus education bill that repeats the one-time funding for schools, at an estimated cost of $116 million. School funding legislation is a top agenda item for this legislative session, with much discussion in both chambers on how the state will budget for schools statewide. The price tag for HB 69 includes $253 million added to the per pupil funding, plus an estimated $22 million for the reading program, according to a new fiscal outlook report published by the Legislative Finance Division. Without the increase, the budget includes $1.15 billion in state funding for school districts. On Monday, the House took up HB 69 with a marathon session of amendments. Over more than 10 hours, Republican members of the minority caucus brought dozens of amendments, ranging from increasing per pupil funding for homeschool students, expanding charter schools and capping class sizes to a competitive bid process for districts' internet service, tying funding to birth rates and consolidating the state's school districts. The majority of amendments were voted down, many along caucus lines of 21 to 19 – with the majority coalition of 14 Democrats, five independents and two Republicans driving the defeats. Five amendments were passed over two days of debate and voting. The first of those amendments was adopted without opposition. Introduced by Rep. Jubilee Underwood, R-Wasilla, the amendment deleted language in the bill saying, 'nothing in this Act may be construed to allow a voucher system for education.' In a surprise twist, Stapp introduced an amendment to reinstitute the original funding boost proposal of an $1,800 per student increase — though he attached a conditional clause requiring the bill to also raise revenue to pay for it. 'Currently, we have no way we can fund this bill multiyear, because we don't have the money for the bill,' Stapp said. 'I don't mind debating the policies in the bill, but we should probably tell the voters of the state how we're going to pay for the bill.' The move prompted intense debate on the floor, until House Speaker Edgmon interjected. 'There's tension building in the chamber here, and that is not my intent, to allow that to go forward,' he said. The vote was overwhelmingly against the amendment, 27 to 12. The House adopted an amendment introduced by Rep. Justin Ruffridge, R-Soldotna, that would allow charter schools to appeal a decision by a school board to terminate their contract to the state. The education commissioner would review the decision and issue a decision within 90 days. It would also establish a charter school coordinator in the Department of Education to support charter schools, including with policy guidance and regulations, help with applications, and coordination between school boards and the state. Another amendment passed 25-15, authored by Ruffridge, that would require more reporting from school districts on testing and improving students' academic performance over time. Rep. Kevin McCabe, R-Wasilla, introduced an amendment to consolidate the entire state down from 54 to 30 school districts, as well as an amendment to tie funding to state birth rates. Both were voted down 23 to 17, and 31 to 9, respectively. Rep. Julie Coulombe, R-Anchorage, introduced an amendment to require school districts to complete a competitive bid process for internet access every two years. She said it would prompt districts to find more efficient and low-cost internet service, and reduce reliance on federal funding, citing the Lower Yukon School District paying millions for internet service. Last year, the district signed an over $100 million contract for broadband with GCI, the majority of which is paid by federal funding. That amendment was narrowly defeated by a tie vote, 20 to 20. Late Monday evening, House debate grew tense as Ruffridge introduced an amendment to expand authority for use of force in schools from teachers to include 'teaching assistants, principals, and other persons responsible for students.' Some members recounted stories of disruptive students hitting teachers, and supported the measure that would allow them to be restrained by force. However, other members objected strongly, including Rep. Robyn Niayuq Burke, D-North Slope. 'Nearly every single Alaska Native student in my district is descended from somebody who was forced to attend a residential school,' Burke said. 'My grandmother was picked up, placed in a trash can and hit by a ruler on her hands for speaking her language. There are other options: de-escalation training, funding for resource officers. Expanding corporal punishment doesn't address the needs appropriately, it opens up wounds for rural schools.' Ruffridge defended the measure, calling it a 'grave misunderstanding' that he supported children being harmed, but said it would expand what's already allowed for teachers handling behavioral issues. 'This bill simply says, teachers, we see you, we hear you. We want to make sure that you can teach your class,' he said. 'And if you have to, and Lord, I hope they don't have to, but if you have to help save a student from either hurting themselves or another person you can do so, but by no means should we be hitting children.' On Tuesday, the second day of debate over amendments, the House passed a proposal by Costello to require future legislatures to pass school funding legislation by March 15, to allow school districts time to budget for the next year, rather than have to create estimates and wait for when final budgets typically pass in May. Another amendment introduced by Coulombe would cap class sizes, a concern for members across the House majority and minority coalitions, as many districts report overcrowding of classes with a lack of teachers and support staff. After debate, the amendment failed, 21 to 19. But minority leadership said, following that vote, they hoped to pursue some of the policy changes in future legislation, including capping class sizes, increasing funding for homeschool students and addressing school facilities funding. 'The House Republicans were not participants in the negotiations that were occurring when we started out at the table,' said Costello in an interview following the amendment votes on Tuesday. 'And so we've been incredibly disappointed and frustrated that we weren't … we need to focus on things that bring outcomes to our students, and so that was disappointing, that more amendments didn't pass.' On Wednesday, lawsmakers each stood to voice support and opposition for more than three hours before a final vote on the bill. 'This is a substantial and historic increase to the base student allocation,' Himschoot said. 'Our schools are waiting.' 'This bill does not address specific drivers of costs that are crushing my rural districts,' said Rep. Rebecca Schwanke, R-Glennallen, a former school board member who represents most of the rural Interior. 'Insurance, transportation. There is no accountability in this bill.' Rep. Andy Josephson, D-Anchorage, read a list of the severe potential cuts to the Anchorage School District, now facing a $111 million deficit, that include sports, staff and programs from preschool through high schools. The district says those cuts would be reversed if the state funding increase is passed. He suggested that the state is failing to meet the requirement under the state constitution to provide adequate funding for schools. 'How can I possibly say no?' Josephson said. 'I don't know why there hasn't been an adequacy lawsuit yet, but I guarantee you it's a winner. So why wait for the lawsuit?' In the final vote, minority-caucus Republican Reps. Jeremy Bynum of Ketchikan, Coulombe and Ruffridge joined the majority in voting for the bill. 'A vote that is green should not be taken as support for the bill. It's support for moving it to the next step in the process,' Ruffridge said in an interview after the vote, referring to the color scheme of the electronic board that reflects how members vote. He added that he made a motion to move the bill back to the House Education Committee to continue debate and public input on the policy measures. 'I'm generally supportive of increased education funding. But that bill has significant issues that need to be addressed.' The bill now moves to the Senate, where its likely first stop will be the education committee. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
21-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Alaska education funding boost nears vote of full House amid affordability concerns
Rep. Will Stapp, R-Fairbanks, speaks Thursday, May 2, 2024, on Senate Bill 129. (Photo by James Brooks/Alaska Beacon) A key House panel unexpectedly advanced a major rewrite of Alaska's per-student funding formula for public schools on Thursday. Without objection, the House Finance Committee advanced House Bill 69 to a vote of the full House without discussing amendments or hearing public testimony. If HB 69 were to become law, the state would be expected to provide $325 million more next year for public schools, with additional increases in 2027 and 2028. Rep. Will Stapp, R-Fairbanks, made the motion to advance the bill, saying that there's no point in debating it when there's no money to pay for it. 'There is no way that the state can make that type of promise to pay for a service without ending the PFD program and imposing new taxes,' he said afterward, referring to the Permanent Fund dividend. The bill would phase in the increase over three years, with an estimated $644 million per year in additional public school funding by the 2027-2028 school year, according to figures from the Legislative Finance Division, which analyzes the budget for lawmakers. Even without that increase, current state revenue and expense forecasts predict a significant deficit in the coming years. 'I don't have the money. I don't see how I can support the bill without having the money. I'm interested to hear what the majority's proposals are to be able to fund the bill, but I will absolutely bite,' Stapp said during Thursday's finance committee meeting. 'I know this is a big priority for you guys. So Mr. Co-Chair, with the permission of the committee, I'm going to go ahead and see if I can move the bill.' The action came after a brief discussion of HB 69 but before any public testimony, breaking the Legislature's usual precedent. After the vote, Speaker of the House Bryce Edgmon, I-Dillingham, said there are always questions in the Legislature about how to pay for priorities. 'I think in this fiscal year, we're looking at a lot of things with that same question. We always, in the end, make it work right, just to all come together,' he said. 'I always posit the cost of doing nothing — what's that cost?' Asked how the state intends to pay for HB 69, Rep. Andy Josephson, D-Anchorage and co-chair of the House Finance Committee, said he believes it's possible to afford a public school funding increase if the Permanent Fund dividend is cut to $1,000 and if legislators pass some small tax bills, like one proposed by Sen. Robert Yundt, R-Wasilla. Rep. Rebecca Himschoot, I-Sitka and the author of HB 69, said school districts have been asked for years to balance their books despite inflation and no increases in funding from the state. 'We have some hard decisions to make,' she said when asked how the state would pay for her bill. 'We have a more flexible budget than school districts have. We also have the ability to raise money. So collectively, we have hard decisions. But we can't lose sight of the fact that we owe our children the best education they can get, in our constitution.' Over the last several weeks, the House Education Committee has heard emotional testimony from students and school officials grappling with budget shortfalls and school closures around the state, and urging a boost to school funding. The Alaska House is closely divided between a 19-member Republican minority, including Stapp, and a 21-member multipartisan majority that includes two Republicans, five independents and 14 Democrats. Changes to the state's public school funding formula have been the No. 1 priority of the majority since its creation after last year's elections. On Wednesday, members of the Republican minority caucus voted against sending HB 69 to the finance committee via a procedural motion. At the time, they said more discussion was needed and that members of the House majority were acting too hastily. 'I wish we'd had some more debate about the merits of the bill and expectations and outcomes. That was my only concern. We didn't have more opportunity to talk about expectations and outcomes of such a bill passing, and that really didn't happen,' said Rep. Rebecca Schwanke, R-Glennallen. Twenty-four hours later, it was the minority's turn to act quickly as Stapp urged the bill forward. He said afterward that the proposal is so unrealistic that it's not worth talking about. 'I honestly don't know how this bill is even remotely going to be funded, because no tax proposals have been coming out by the folks who want to pay for the bill,' he said. 'So I'm interested to see how they're going to tell the voters of the state and really the educators and the teachers, how they're going to fund it. They didn't do that on the committee.' Rep. Jeremy Bynum, R-Ketchikan and a member of the finance committee, said he was surprised by Stapp's move, but he wanted to see policy changes, and at the end of the day, HB 69 was about funding, not policy. Members of the minority could have fought the majority in an attempt to include policy items, but 'it's better to send it over to the Senate, and they can fix it,' Bynum said. Shortly before Stapp's action, Gov. Mike Dunleavy said on social media that he does not support the bill in its present form but does support separate, ongoing negotiations between his office and members of the Legislature. 'This fast-track standalone bill does not have my support. The education negotiations between the two bodies and my office do,' he said. Josephson voiced support during the committee meeting for those ongoing negotiations, 'so that we can get to a yes, and it's a win-win,' he said. Scheduling the bill for a floor vote will be in the hands of Rep. Louise Stutes, R-Kodiak and chair of the House Rules Committee. Twenty-one votes are needed to pass a bill in the House, and the House majority has 21 members, but Rep. Maxine Dibert, D-Fairbanks, has been hospitalized with a respiratory illness and has not been cleared for a return to work. Outside her office on Thursday afternoon, reporters asked Stutes whether she could say when it will come up for a vote. 'No, no,' she said — then walked away. Later, she provided a written statement. 'I'm happy to see House Bill 69 pass the House Finance Committee. Education funding is a critical issue to Alaskans, the House Majority Coalition, and educators across the state. It is a priority to get this legislation on the House floor,' she said. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
