The Governor's Vetoes
On June 19th, the Governor released his list of vetoes to the operating and capital budgets. The Legislature approved a one-time increase of $680 per-student education funding to local schools, known as the Base Student Allocation (BSA), totaling $175 million. The Governor vetoed this increase in half to $87.5 million, or a $340 increase per student. This cut forces school districts to make difficult decisions regarding their schools and how they are funded. I support overriding the Governor’s unnecessary vetoes but, it requires a 2/3 vote in both the Senate and the House to call a special session (40) and a ¾ to override the vetoes (45). At this point it seems the House Minority is willing to override, however, the House Majority is not.
Additional vetoes follow:
- $35 Million cut to maintenance/renovation projects at the University of Alaska Anchorage.
- $3.5 million for Head Start Match
- $3.1 million for road projects on the Kenai Peninsula and in the Anchorage area.
- $30 million for the Community Assistance Fund, which sends grant funds to municipalities around the state to support government services.
- $1 million that the Legislature budgeted for public radio grants.
- $375,000 for the Department of Corrections, Department of Family and Community Services, and Department of Transportation to each hire a human resources technician to “address agency recruitment challenges.”
- $2.5 million in grant funding the Legislature set aside for tourism advertising grants to the Alaska Travel Industry Association.
- $100,000 for increased security at the Anchorage Legislative Office building.
- $336,000 for five new positions for trail maintenance at Chugach State Park in the Anchorage area.
- $5 million for the Alaska Native Science and Engineering Program (ANSEP).
- $140,000 in grant funding to the Alaska Legal Services Corp. which provides legal help to low-income residents.
- $750,000 in funding for re-entry housing.
- $580,000 that the Legislature set aside to cover a 30-day special session.
- $4 million that the Legislature budgeted for the harbor matching grant fund program
- $550,000 capital grant to the Alaska Association of Chiefs of Police to create a standardized policy manual that could be used by departments across the state.
- $500,000 capital grant to the Bering Sea Fishermen’s Association for a research project to improve fisheries managers’ ability to identify the origin of Western Alaska salmon caught in ocean fisheries.
- $1.5 million capital grant to the city of Anchorage for a new cemetery in Eagle River.
