Gov. Mike Dunleavy has called a special session to take place in August with the topics of addressing education funding and his executive order to create a Department of Agriculture.
The timing is interesting: It comes the same week that many legislators are scheduled to head to Boston for the National Conference of State Legislatures, which meets Aug. 4-6 and is where legislators from all over the country will be attending. Many Alaska legislators already have booked their tickets and rooms in Boston, with some even booking days early and later to allow them to have some vacation time on the state dime.
Special sessions run for 30-days. This one will begin Aug. 2 at 10 am in Juneau. There’s no secret that the governor would probably prefer that many legislators didn’t attend the first five days, but do the work on his call for the remaining 25 days.
“Enacting a few necessary reforms to our public education system can elevate those children struggling in Alaska’s school system,” Dunleavy said. “As elected officials we must do all we can to put the next generation on the path to a successful and prosperous future, and that starts with a solid public education. Splitting the Division of Agriculture away from DNR into a department will elevate food security and support our hard-working farmers while growing the agricultural sector.”
The agriculture department EO and the education reform bill from the governor will be available on the first day of the special session.
The special session also give the Legislature an opportunity to take a vote on overriding the governor’s partial veto of the Legislature’s appropriation for education union demands.
