The Alaska Superintendents Association issued a formal statement after meeting with Gov. Mike Dunleavy. The superintendents publicly urged the governor to not veto House Bill 57, legislation that he has indicated he plans to veto because it contains none of the education reforms he has asked for.
House Bill 57 is spending for schools without any real expectation from the schools for improving results.
The letter emphasized a unified stance among superintendents in support of HB 57, a bill that started out as a ban on cell phones in schools, but which became the Legislature’s vehicle for funding schools at a much higher rate.
Gov. Dunleavy informed superintendents during the meeting that he intends to veto HB 57 unless two policy provisions are included: Open enrollment between school districts and additional charter school expansion measures.
He also raised concerns over literacy incentive funding being tied to a separate bill, Senate Bill 113, indicating a preference for those funds to be handled independently. SB 113 is the tax on internet businesses.
The superintendents also praised the Legislature for the quick passage of SB 113, the Etsy Tax, which raced through the House and Senate with no analysis.
Valley Republican Women of Alaska responded to the unfolding drama by posting a clever meme showing Gov. Dunleavy with a big veto stamp in his hand, shown above on this page. Soon, other Republican women’s clubs around the state were sharing the same meme.
Rep. Jamie Allard also posted a meme on Facebook.
In the Must Read Alaska newsletter, the Question of the Week survey asked readers if they think the governor should veto HB 57. The response was 89% “Yes” from 640 participants in the three-day poll of Alaska conservative activists:
