Great News! State legislature overrides Education Veto!

 

Alaska Legislature overrides Gov. Dunleavy’s veto of public school funding bill

The override may be the first of several; two of the bill’s funding mechanisms could be vetoed by the governor

By: James Brooks and Corinne Smith - May 20, 2025 9:33 am

Alaska’s public schools may see the largest permanent funding boost in well over a decade, after the Alaska Legislature voted for the first time since 2002 to override a sitting governor’s veto.

With a 46-14 vote, lawmakers significantly increased 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. 

“This was a truly bipartisan vote reflective of everyone in Alaska,” said Speaker of the House Bryce Edgmon, I-Dillingham.

...

The override means a permanent increase of $700 in the base student allocation, core of the state’s per-student funding formula.

READ MORE:

https://alaskabeacon.com/2025/05/20/alaska-legislature-overrides-gov-dunleavys-veto-of-public-school-funding-bill/

Dunleavy Vetoes Education Bill HB 69

 

Governor vetoes education funding bill, sending HB 69 back to state lawmakers

ALASKA NEWS SOURCE

By Beth Verge

Published: Apr. 17, 2025 at 10:08 AM AKDT

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - State lawmakers have a renewed endeavor ahead of them after Gov. Mike Dunleavy, R-Alaska, formally vetoed House Bill 69, which arrived to his desk in a “stripped-down” form but still provided a $1,000 per-student funding increase via the Base Student Allocation for school districts across Alaska.

READ MORE:

https://www.alaskasnewssource.com/2025/04/17/governor-vetoes-education-funding-bill-sending-hb-69-back-state-lawmakers/ 

VOTED FOR THE BILL

URGE SUPPORTERS TO OVERRIDE THE VETO!

List of “Yes” voters. Please put pressure on your legislators. Thank them for their initial yes vote of HB69. Tell them to stay steadfast - maintain the course and contribute to overriding Dunleavy’s veto.

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EDUCATION BILL HB 69 PASSES, GOES TO GOVERNOR

 

NOTE: 

FAIRBANKS EDUCATION RESOLUTION

Fairbanks Northstar Borough School District

A resolution setting our minimum education funding at 60 million passed on 4/11/25, so this is good news for the Fairbanks Northstar Borough, as it means our schools will continue to be funded in the way they need to be. Thanks to everyone who wrote letters!

By: Introduced: Grier Hopkins, Mayor 04/10/2025 / this passed.

https://www.fnsb.gov/DocumentCenter/View/21414/Resolution-No-2025-08

MEANWHILE 

STATE NEWS: HB 69

From Senator Kawasaki:

4/11/25

Education Latest Alert Update!

The education session began on day one with a flurry of bills to improve education outcomes, assure accountability and erase the years of flat funding by increasing the base student allocation or BSA. Schools are not failing, schools are starving. The flat state support of education over the decade has meant that local property taxpayers have had to foot the bill, but now most every school district is at the maximum cap they can provide in addition to state funding. Today, the Senate took up HB 69, which was legislation from the House that has been working through the chambers and contains both a permanent, predictable and sizeable increase to the BSA and a dozen policy initiatives to address accountability and education outcomes. The Senate Finance Committee stripped HB 69 of all additional policy but kept the main per pupil BSA increase which will help correspondence, homeschool, charter and neighborhood schools alike. Even though HB 69 does not contain necessary education reforms, it is still a big start in helping our underfunded schools. The move to simply increase funding for schools is important as local government is deciding on their budgets. School boards are beginning the process of sending out pink slips. I'm happy to support this first step knowing that the legislature still has 40 days to continue the important policy discussions. HB 69 passed by 11 to 9 in the Senate after much debate and posturing. The bill then went to the House for a vote to concur or reject the changes that were made by the Senate. There was more debate, but in the end the House voted to concur with HB 69 with a vote of 21 to 16 with 3 members absent from the vote. Now, the fate of HB 69 is in the hands of the Govenor who has 15 days from when this bill hits his desk to either sign or veto this legislation. (From his 4/11/25 newsletter)