A political independent expenditure group is forming that is said to have substantial funds already committed to help Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s efforts to improve educational outcomes in Alaska, Must Read Alaska has learned.
The move for a political change comes at a time when Americans are up in arms about substandard education, radical curriculums, the pushing of gender ideology, and continued dropping educational outcomes in public schools, which are controlled by the National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers.
In Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott recently raised $6.5 million overnight to support his educational initiatives in a similar effort, aimed at getting a supportive Legislature.
The independent expenditure group, which will launch next week, will assist candidates who share the same vision about what education should aim for in Alaska. The group will have the support of those who initially supported the campaign of Dunleavy, including major supporters from around the country. When he ran in 2022, Dunleavy had a national fundraiser thrown for him by former President Donald Trump. National groups are watching this debate and education reform is a hot topic in other states; major donors are starting to see that Alaska needs support to make change.
On Thursday, Dunleavy vetoed a massive spending bill that he rejected because his priority reform initiatives had been stripped out by the legislative majority. Word quickly spread that a number of Republicans who are worried about reelection have decided to vote to override his veto so they don’t lose in November. That vote could come as early as a joint session on Monday.
Judy Eledge, president of the Anchorage Republican Women’s Club, has put out the word to her membership to support the governor. She encouraged conservatives to phone the soft Republicans who are considering overriding the governor’s veto; the names she broadcasted as needing phone calls from conservatives included Representatives Julie Coulombe, Craig Johnson, Stanley Wright, Jesse Sumner, Dan Saddler, DeLena Johnson, David Eastman, Justin Ruffridge, Will Stapp, Thomas Baker, Mike Cronk, and Tom McKay. Also, Sen. James Kaufman, who is up for reelection this year.
“It is appalling Republicans would override a sitting Republican Governor, and vote with Democrats,” Eledge said. “It will be difficult [for her Republican club] to support any Republican who would override a veto of massive spending and listen to NEA, and not the people who elected them.”
Dunleavy wanted teacher retention bonuses and charter school support; these are opposed by the NTA and AFT. Deals were made by some legislators that stripped those items out. All they left in was the $680 per student that districts would get as part of the base student allocation formula.
The new independent expenditure group may also seek out Republicans to challenge those Republicans who do not support Dunleavy, who was reelected in 2022 with over 50.3% of the vote in a four-way race.
Studies have placed Alaska as the second most adequately funded K-12 education system in the country. In the last 20 years, the state increased per-student spending 91%, while inflation was 65%, and test scores went down significantly to the point where Alaska is the second-worst for education in the nation.
Rep. Eastman was one of the few who voted against against SB140 in the House.
Kinda silly that Judy would suggest he’d need any sort of calls to do the right thing. Only he and Prax voted against it’s passage in the House. Maybe call everyone else?
‘Soft’ is not normally one of the pejoratives the other side lobs in my direction as a conservative.
David great use of the word “pejoratives” as being belittled constantly on everything conservative is the ” rule of the day ” in Alaska’s legislature…. shame on them. Stay the course David you will outlast the Majority of them.
I agree Ed. The tide is slowly turning up here and Rep Eastman is at the forefront of doing what is right.
$Money, $money, $money. The Democrats answer to improving(?) education. It all comes down to politics by the teacher’s unions and Democrats, backed-up by the Marxists who run the Democrat Party and the major Left-wing media outlets. They are picking sides early because we have a national election with implications of ousting the Democrats from their power base. So, Democrats and some RINOs are ganging-up on Dunleavy to posture themselves for this fall’s municipal, state and national elections.
What’s at stake are higher property taxes, more state and local sales taxes, more state and federal regulations. But, not surprisingly, ……..no better EDUCATION for the kids. They will only be moved forward with more brain-washing, wokeism, and LGBTQ nonsense.
This is the Democrats way of forcing their transformational agenda on the public.
Alaska is very lucky to have a common sense governor like Mike Dunleavy. He will be a GREAT Secretary of Education under Donald J. Trump.
Get your kids out of the indoctrination center because they will have no life skills.
The Christian Nationalists are behind Dunleavey’s unwillingness to provide for ALL Alaskan students, not just the Jesus types.
What’s a Christian Nationalist? Do you have a definition?
It’s kind of like the (radical leftist extremist) definition of “racist”, or “transphobe”, or “bitter clinger”, or “basket of deplorables” — anyone who does not immediately and fully toe the corporatist establishment power structure line. In other words, anyone who is NOT a radical leftist extremist.
If you don’t like snow VC, leave. This has nothing to do with fears of what is falsely called “Christian Nationalism”, and everything to do with teaching basic lifeskills like reading, writing, math, logic, and reasoning. Teach them how to think, not what to think. If you’re overwhelmed by fear of teaching contrary to your persuasion, calling what you disagree with “snow” – a “snowjob” in the 70s was to tell lies to cover up something – then I suggest you look in the mirror, then sit down with us sometime and have a civil discussion. Why is teaching kids how to think threatening? Why is Christianity threatening? Why is freedom threatening? Why are our kids test scores so abysmally low?
I will never understand those who want more and more of the same slop served up by our public school system. Why condemn all that opportunity within the young beautiful minds of our youth to those gulags of mediocrity and low expectations. Would one keep going to a lousy restaurant that dishes out worse and worse fare at higher and higher prices? Why would you demand that others accept the same? Shut the place down! Allow all that talent, drive, capital, and hard work to be put to good use within a system that allows, nay, demands, that people succeed.
I’m not a Christian nationalist and I support him. While there’s always room for improvement, it’s pretty stupid to continue throwing money at something w/out any actual, feasible goals to improve education.
I see you must hate Christians. What does that make you?
A liberal.
The snow seems to have smothered your brain.
The time has come for the “silent majority” to get off their butts and support this governor with his veto. Many of today’s problems have been created by the public K12 education system. These kids are our future and will control much of the public policies that control the rest of us.
So, please call your legislators, especially the House members. Here is a link to the House members with their phone numbers and email links: ‘https://akleg.gov/house.php
Interesting. I wonder what Stapp’s constituents have to say. Is he going to be a representative of his party or of his constituents?
This assumes the voters are his constituents. Based on the quality of AK Republicans, that’s not a given.
The sadly more relevant question may be how do his donors want him to vote?
Finally, the legislature is doing the job “the people” of Alaska in their election district voted to put them in to do. Thank you to the legislature! I was beginning to think they were put in a job and did not know how to think through the process to work a solution to a problem. Since this is a budget issue, the legislature is working appropriately to say what needs to be included and to exclude the “pork” of a bill which the out of control Governor Dunleavy has shown his inability to manage in his position, but in turn thinks he is a legislator trying to do the job that was not intended for his position or election by the Alaska Constitution. Kudos to the Legislature! Don’t be concerned about Trump, Abbot or Eledge wanna-bees because they do not pay the bills of the State of Alaska. That job was given to the legislative body to work through under oath. The Governor Dunleavy reminds me of a four year old child with a bowl of candy having a “hissy fit” because he can’t have any more candy. But the legislative body is doing the job for the people of Alaska. Thank you to the legislature for the work you do and trying to help this state live within its budget. Thank you for voting this down and don’t give in to an out of control governor.
Evidently you don’t care about getting your PFD. There is a “pick” program you can send your PFD to the School system. because that is EXACTLY what is going to happen, They’re going to RIP your PFD from you. They already have RIPPED more of your PFD on other items. Are you willing to have them STEAL your PFD for all the WOKE AND TRANSGENDER Garbage that is being taught in the school system.
DK…….another sick mouthpiece for the Marxists and left wing wackos who define education as the integration of DEI, LGBTQ, wokeism, transformationalists, climate change and all the other BS. Taxpayer’s rebellion is what we need. No more “education” money to the teacher’s unions and the Democrat Party. The only things you need for quality education are teachers who are competent to teach the basics (RRR), sound economic base expenses without unnecessary add-ons to support unions and leftist idiocy, merit pay for the better teachers, strong incentives for home schooling, good charter schools and essential costs to keep the school buildings functional.
Dunleavy has it correct. Education funding is a beckon call for Democrats and Marxists to open the floodgates to destruction, chaos, and a broken society. It’s what we have right now.
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Don’t be fooled by agents of the Left!
“Out of control” governor? Dunleavy?
God, I can’t stop laughing. The Eunuch of Wasilla “out of control”?
If you wish to be taken seriously, make serious comments.
Dunleavy is doing what should have been done years ago. Unfortunately to many democrats in the Republican party and nothing gets fixed. Kodiak vote out the rino’s.
I would hardly call those Republicans Judy listed “soft”. There is more to this story; and yes, support the Governor on this.
I haven’t agreed with the Governor on everything but he is definitely getting my support on this one. This is a great opportunity to make positive changes and I am glad to see that he is gaining support. To be on the wrong side of this should be self-destructive to anyone who claims to represent his constituents. The only ones against this will be exposed as serving only special interest groups who are mostly from outside our state. I hope everyone will get behind this instead of bickering minor politics.
It is the definition of insanity to keep doing the same old thing over and over again and expect different results. Government schools have failed to educate students and they are morally bankrupt. What public schools did to students during covid is a disgrace! I’m disgusted by Republicans who are more concerned about their own political futures than they are for what is in the best interest of children and families. It’s time to find new leadership.
Wow Texas raised 6.5 million over night. I imagine there are a lot more large political donors in Texas than Alaska. Since the population of Alaska is roughly 2% of Texas maybe they can raise a whopping $130000. Maybe they are hoping for some of that evil outside dark money.
The left knows well that they can easily outspend the private sector in Alaska. That is why we have the government that we do. And our uninformed voters are very susceptible to expensive advertising.
Please consider voting for the two conservatives for school board, Chelsea Pohland and Kay Schuster. I feel the incumbents, except for Mr. Donley, have failed our children miserably. This is our chance to help our children read, write, and do math.
Dave Donley is the ONLY member of the School Board with common sense. The rest are Marxist idiots who don’t belong on any board.
K-12 education in Alaska these days is an expensive embarrassment . Expenditures per student number 2 in the Nation and academic performance 2nd from the bottom. Teachers unions pandering to politically correct “wokeism” crap and the alphabet crowd pushing vulnerable youngsters into dangerous transition situations have created a horrific mess of our public education system. Thankfully we have a Governor that recognizes this despicable situation. Hopefully we have enough level headed lawmakers that are able to recognize and properly place their priorities. Enough of this garbage! The too long silent majority needs to rise and raise hell.
Teachers unions don’t run crap. School admin and boards do. Unions are all blow.
As long as the NEA, ALA, PP union leaders keep getting money with no accountability for what they teach or no good academic and moral character building result, these leeches will make their demands. They are leading us and the nation in the anti-god, anti-family direction and call us names when we challenge them on the false ideologies that keep pouring into the education system. The worst false teaching is evolution which has been disproven and fuels the rest of this chaos that we are witnessing. Right now most of us cannot use the government schools and are paying out our own money in addition to paying school taxes. We live in Fairbanks and three schools are shutting down but the school district ignores or denies the exit of children from the poisonous and hostile environment within the government schools coming down from the “swamp.” The promotion of “Queer Theory,” a cult is sweeping through the schools coming down from the colleges and down from DOE in DC.
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