JUNEAU, Alaska — The Alaska Senate’s new minority leader said she will call it a win if education is not cut during the upcoming legislative session.
Sen. Berta Gardner, D-Anchorage, said there is no way lawmakers will be able to cut the state’s budget to offset the multibillion-dollar budget deficits projected for this year and next. She said in the current climate, there will not be funding increases.
Democrats in recent years pushed for increases in the per-pupil funding formula, known as the base-student allocation. Some Republicans balked, saying they wanted greater accountability for school spending and improvements within the system.
Education became a sticking point during the last session, with lawmakers going into overtime to craft a compromise for additional funding and changes within the public education system. Some Democrats criticized the measure as a flop.
Gov. Bill Walker and lawmakers face a tough task ahead, with oil prices in the tank. Alaska relies heavily on oil revenues to fund the operations of state government. Walker has asked state agencies to look for cuts and possible changes in how services can be delivered. He also has asked the public to weigh in with budget ideas.
Gardner said legislators should similarly reach out to Alaskans. Dealing with the budget situation will be a top priority for the five-member minority caucus, she said.
“We have to start a big statewide conversation and make sure all Alaskans understand it’s not just a spending issue, it’s a revenue issue,” she said. “We cannot cut the budget enough to meet our needs at this point.”
She also said the budget problem won’t be solved this year.
Other caucus priorities include supporting Walker’s push to expand Medicaid coverage in Alaska, something Democratic lawmakers previously backed, and working on “human rights issues,” such as legislation that would add sexual orientation to the state’s anti-discrimination statute, the Juneau Empire reported (http://bit.ly/1yBemu3 ).
At least two House lawmakers, Republican Rep. Cathy Munoz of Juneau, and Democratic Rep. Andy Josephson of Anchorage, have announced plans for similar bills, which Gardner said indicates support for the issue.
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