In a joint session of the Alaska House and Senate on Tuesday, Democrats’ and unions’ attempt to override the governor’s veto of House Bill 69 failed to get the 40 votes needed.
Democrats stood and pontificated, lectured, and insisted in no uncertain terms that the $1,000 extra to be made permanent per student is an existential need for Alaska schools. But they knew they did not have the votes.
Sen. Lyman Hoffman, a Democrat who dissented from his party, said it’s too much and had no funding. The Legislature needs to come up with the revenue, he said. Hoffman, who is co-chair of Senate Finance Committee, said that HB 69 would cost the state $100 million more per year, and he is worried that next year, the Legislature won’t have the money to pay for it.
Jesse Bjorkman, a Republican who caucuses with Democrats, argued it’s only $77 million, contradicting Hoffman. He asserted that it’s the constitutional duty of the Legislature to pass HB 69.
But after the Democrats stripped all of the accountability pieces from the bill, it ended up just being a blank check, with the final vote to override ending up at 33 to 27.
The old saying, “If you don’t have the votes, talk. If you have the votes, vote” became clear early on in the joint session.
The votes were not going to be there and the Democrat majorities knew it, and true to the old saying, the Democrats (and a few tax-and-spend Republicans) talked and talked and talked.
With lower oil prices, a smaller Permanent Fund dividend, and a drained savings account, the Alaska Legislature is in a pickle. The 90th day of the session came and went on Sunday and the body is now in the home stretch for the 120th day, which is the constitutional deadline three weeks away.
Meanwhile, Gov. Mike Dunleavy has filed new legislation for education, which has his policy pieces in it and a smaller permanent funding formula for education. House Bill 204 was only referred to the House Finance Committee, bypassing the Education Committee, a sign that it may get passed before the 120th day.
This is so irresponsible! I have no words.
It’s irresponsible to spend money we don’t have with no accountability on how or where it gets spent?
How is that irresponsible?
“Democrats and unions”. why is the latter part of this always the problem?
We’re already paying $22,000 per student, each year! When is enough, enough?
It’s certainly telling that Democratic Senator Hoffman, who is co-chair of Senate Finance Committee, said that HB 69 would cost the state $100 million more per year and he was rebuffed by the good Senator Jesse Bjorkman, a supposed Republican who caucuses with Democrats, that argued it’s ONLY $77 million that we don’t have.
I guess the good Senator Bjorkman has never heard the saying “A billion here, a billion there, and pretty soon you’re talking real money.” Or maybe he just thinks millions of dollars aren’t real money?
Hurray: Looks like they finally realized Financial Responsibility. Thanks, Governor, Thank You, Legislators for not spending us into Oblivion. The Unions need to stop ruining Alaska for their own personal gain. Thanks to those who voted against this.
Mr Rudd, the guv’s (former teacher)proposed spending Zeppelin does have a few good points, but this charade should remind you of the ASD’s scratched record of asking for a ten percent increase, getting seven percent and calling it a budget cut. Don’t leave bonuses and LCD standards for NEA grifters is not a win.
“Jesse Bjorkman, a Republican who caucuses with Democrats, argued it’s only $77 million, contradicting Hoffman. He asserted that it’s the constitutional duty of the Legislature to pass HB 69.”
Ummm, Jesse, what about your “constitutional duty” to obey Art. 2, Sec. 13, when you voted for SB 189 last session? You know, the one that says only ONE subject per bill, when it had around SIX? It is hypocrisy to call others out for violation of mandates when you use the constitution only when it is convenient for your own purposes. You have forfeited your honor.
Money is not the problem with education, it is the focus of the class room on all manner of other BS instead of teaching the basics.
Jesse Bjorkman just couldn’t shut up. It was like a nonstop faucet of bs-my ears were begging for mercy. And seriously, how the hell did we end up saddled with him again? Oh, that’s right… he’s the NEA’s poster child who dumped a pile of cash into his campaign. Money talks, I guess—even when the candidate doesn’t say a damn thing worth hearing.
It’s time to balance the budget with objectives in mind; only provide for what you want to accomplish, and the limited funds may be sufficient.
Can one person show any correlation between spending and learning? Will one school administrator or union leader tell us the dollar number to guarantee educational success for our students? I already know your usual answer “more” doesn’t work. Let’s try “less”, that seems to work for both Home and Charter Schools.
It’s not the spending that is the problem it is accountability and the failed policies especially ASD that are the issue. ASD hired an unexperienced Administrator who is wrong all aspects of education.
The guy needs to be FIRED. The ASD Board should have checked the guy out..HE was being “relieved/FIRED “by the HOUSTON schools because he was NOT qualified as a superintendent..If you go back to when they announced his hiring here for Anchorage.. you’ll understand.
I’m just happy the veto failed. Will give the governor a chance to pursue something more appropriate and sustainable.
For anyone who wants to live in Reality, there are solutions, and none of them include stuffing more money down a toilet.
‘https://www.realclearinvestigations.com/articles/2025/04/22/another_thing_folks_like_about_the_south_public_educations_revival_1105099.html
Another Thing Folks Like About the South: Public Education’s Revival
For some strange reason….The teachers,school districts and anyone else fitting into this group..thinks that they have $$$ to spend, while in reality they see our PFD as THEIR Peggy Bank..which is ILLEGAL as everything..to use..Yes, individual families do use their PFD or the Child’s portion of their PFD to use as they wish to on their school education..but as a whole, The PFD should be off limits for the legislature to keep their hands off the PFD..We need to get back to the original stature that Gov Hammond setup..Yes, I know Bill Walker screwed up the mess. And he tried to Sell Alaska to the Chinese.
The BSA hasn’t changed in 9 years, much like the minimum wage hasn’t changed with the times. Is it on the students to prove they deserve more?
Uh….YES!
Since a quick look at scores shows that 4th grade Math and English scores for Proficient or Advanced went down by 11 percentage points during that period, I’d say NEA-Alaska has shown that they cannot teach.
‘https://education.alaska.gov/assessments/results
That doesn’t sound like much, right? But it’s not down 11%, it is down from just over 42% to now 32%.
LESS than 1/3 of Alaska students are even Proficient as of 2025.
If that sounds good (and rewardable) to you, I pity your children.