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Senate President Gary Stevens Issues Statement After Governor Dunleavy’s State of the State Address
JUNEAU, AK – Tonight, Governor Mike Dunleavy delivered his annual State of the State address to a joint legislature. Senate President Gary Stevens, R-Kodiak, issued the following statement:
"Alaska faces significant challenges, including inadequate education funding, a seafood industry in crisis, the need for affordable and reliable energy along the Railbelt, and ongoing workforce shortages. While there may be areas where the Governor and the Senate differ, we recognize the shared responsibility to address these challenges for the benefit of all Alaskans. The Senate remains committed to crafting effective policies and balanced budgets to ensure essential services for Alaskans.
“Among these challenges, education stands out as one of the most urgent. Classroom sizes in many of our schools exceed 40 students, schools are closing across all districts, and essential programs—from advanced placement courses to extracurricular activities—are being cut due to insufficient resources. We must tackle this crisis now or risk falling further behind. Education is a cornerstone of our economy, and a strong public education system is essential if we want to attract young families to Alaska and provide them with opportunities for growth and success.
“But we cannot just stop there. We continue to lose our best and brightest to outside opportunities with which we are not competitive. Changing our approach to recruiting and retaining a highly qualified workforce will help our state and local economies, increase public safety, and provide opportunities for the next generation to continue to call Alaska home.
“Despite these challenges, Alaska’s future is bright. Over the next 112 days, our responsibility is to identify solutions and develop them into the best possible policies. The Senate is already starting off strong on this process and looks forward to working with the Governor, the House, and stakeholders to achieve these goals.”
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