Gov. Dunleavy trims $225 million with budget vetoes but leaves school funding boost intact

The destruction of nan Alaska State Capitol successful Juneau connected May 22, 2024. (Eric Stone/Alaska Public Media)

Gov. Mike Dunleavy signed nan state’s $12.2 cardinal operating fund Friday. He trimmed immoderate $225 cardinal successful planned spending from nan state’s operating and capital budgets pinch line-item vetoes.

“The framers of Alaska’s Constitution codified a beardown main executive to guarantee responsible budgeting. This fund reflects their intentions. By maintaining attraction and fiscal discipline, this fund increases backing wherever it is needed astir while astatine nan aforesaid clip reducing full Unrestricted General Fund spending,” Dunleavy said connected societal media.

Left untouched, though, was astir $175 cardinal successful one-time backing for schoolhouse districts crossed nan authorities included by nan Legislature. That’s astir balanced to $680 successful guidelines per-student funding. Dunleavy signaled May 1 that he planned to fto nan backing survive nan veto process aft vetoing half of a akin summation past year.

The politician vetoed an further $5.2 cardinal backing boost for young students successful low-income schools and $2.6 cardinal for Head Start. He besides vetoed $11.9 cardinal nan Legislature had group speech to settle a conflict pinch nan U.S. Department of Education complete nan distribution of pandemic-era schoolhouse funding. The backing was planned to beryllium divided betwixt nan Anchorage and Kenai Peninsula Borough schoolhouse districts.

Dunleavy besides nixed $10 cardinal nan Legislature had group speech for nan Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute to thief nan manufacture upwind a marketplace downturn. He besides trim $11 cardinal from a programme that helps agrarian schools spend faster broadband connections, reducing backing by astir a third.

The fund includes immoderate $53 cardinal successful backing for affordable lodging programs, and $63 cardinal for schoolhouse maintenance. There’s besides $87 cardinal for nan University of Alaska, but nan politician trim a $20 cardinal petition aimed astatine making nan Fairbanks field a Tier 1 investigation assemblage by astir 25%.

The politician besides trim much than $120 cardinal successful planned spending from nan $3.5 cardinal superior budget. 

The fund signed Friday provides for a Permanent Fund dividend of astir $1,718 per Alaskan.

This is simply a processing story. Check backmost for updates.