Beth Verge

3 weeks ago | alaskasnewssource.com | Beth Verge

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - One day after the Legislature failed to override Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s veto of House Bill 69 — which would’ve boosted the annual per-student funding amount by $1,000 — a meeting in which representatives from the state’s largest school districts were meant to testify to state lawmakers was canceled. Senate Finance Committee staff said Wednesday afternoon that the rescheduled hearing could take place as early as Monday.

3 weeks ago | alaskasnewssource.com | Beth Verge

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - After a joint vote of the House and Senate, Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s veto of House Bill 69 was solidified on Tuesday afternoon. In a 33-27 vote, state lawmakers rejected overriding the governor’s veto, which was announced on April 17. HB 69, in its current form, sought to increase the annual per-student funding amount – known as the Base Student Allocation, or BSA – by $1,000 for the next fiscal year, setting the BSA at $6,960.

3 weeks ago | alaskasnewssource.com | Beth Verge

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - As lawmakers debate whether or not to use to draw on the Constitutional Budget Reserve for the purpose of covering a portion of the state’s budget deficit this year, you might be wondering exactly what the CBR is, how it works, and what it can do for Alaskans. In short, the CBR is a state savings account, and there are widely varying opinions on how the money in the fund should — or shouldn’t — be used.

3 weeks ago | alaskasnewssource.com | Beth Verge

JUNEAU, Alaska (KTUU) - While school districts await word on how much money they might see added to annual per-student funding, Gov. Mike Dunleavy, R-Alaska, indicated this week that part of the reason he’s putting forth a new education bill, after vetoing the previous one Thursday, is sinking oil prices.

3 weeks ago | webcenterfairbanks.com | Beth Verge

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - State lawmakers have a renewed endeavor ahead of them after Gov. Mike Dunleavy, R-Alaska, formally vetoed House Bill 69, which arrived to his desk in a “stripped-down” form but still provided a $1,000 per-student funding increase via the Base Student Allocation for school districts across Alaska. During a press conference Thursday morning, Dunleavy emphasized that the legislation — in its current form — is not something he will support.