Half Way Home:
Today marked the
45th day of the first ever 90-day session in the history of
the Alaska legislature. The pace has quickened and
important topics are being heard, such as...
K-12 Education
Funding (HB 273):
Today, the Senate Finance Committee heard HB
273. This bill passed the House on Monday on a vote of
32-5. The Senate is trying to ensure K-12 funding is passed
earlier than ever before. NEA-Alaska testified in support
of the legislation but asked the committee to implement
Governor Palin’s proposal of a $200 increase to the Base
Student Allocation (BSA). Everyone who testified, including
the President of the Kenai Peninsula Education Association (LaDawn
Druce) testified in support of the $200 increase. The
legislation passed without the additional increase.
In spite of the headlines you
may have read, the REAL new money for K-12 next year will be
$42 million. An increase of about 4.5% but not the largesse
being sold in the media. Certainly in this era of
unprecedented surplus ($3 BILLION next year) the State of
Alaska could support an additional $100 in the BSA. This
would cost the state $22 million or less than 1% of the
surplus.
The legislation now goes to the Senate Floor
(Tomorrow) and may reach a final vote either tomorrow or
Monday, March 3rd.
House Finance—Operating Budget:
House Finance finished the work
on the budget and looks to have the budget on the floor next
week. The House Finance committee has cut $75 million form
Governor Palin’s budget.
SB 125—PERS/TRS
Cost Share:
Tomorrow at 4:30
pm the Free Conference Committee on SB 125 meets to address
the issues of PERS/TRS cost share for school districts and
municipalities. The key to the legislation is allowing
districts to pay a rate of 12.56% for TRS employees and
School Districts and municipalities to pay 22% for PERS
employees. Everyone pays the same rate under the plan and
the state of Alaska picks up any excess in past service
costs for the retirement system. This is a critical piece
of legislation before adjournment is possible and the fact
that it is in free conference on day 46 bodes well for
solving this issue soon.
K-12 Education
Funding:
Yesterday, with the NEA-Alaska Fly-In
participants and NEA-Alaska lobby team in the gallery, the
House passed K-12 education funding (HB 273) on a vote of
32-5. The handful of representatives that voted NO were
Rep. Kelly (Fairbanks), Rep. Coghill (North Pole), Rep.
Keller (Wasilla), Rep. Neuman (North Wasilla) and Rep.
Stoltze (Chugiak/Mat-Su).
There was a single amendment offered to
attempt to increase the Base Student Allocation (BSA) by
$200 per student in the next three fiscal years, as offered
by Governor Palin in her K-12 education proposal. The
amendment failed on a disappointing vote of 11-27.
In spite of the headlines you may have read,
the REAL new money for K-12 next year will be $42 million.
An increase of about 4.5% but not the largesse being sold in
the media. Here is the direct text from the fiscal note:
Fiscal Note #1: "The Legislature funded
50 percent of ISER in FY 2008 outside the formula
for approximately $50 million and the School
Improvement Grant for approximately $20 million. If
the $70 million provided in FY 08 is taken into
consideration, then the actual increase in FY 09
over FY 08 is approximately $42 million dollars".
Certainly in this era of unprecedented
surplus ($3 BILLION next year) the State of Alaska could
support an additional $100 in the BSA. This would cost the
state $22 million or less than 1% of the surplus.
The legislation now goes to the Senate (see
calendar). Stay tuned for further developments as we
approach the halfway point of the first ever 90 day session
in Alaska’s history.
NEA-Alaska
Legislative Fly-In:
As mentioned
earlier NEA-Alaska members were here from Sunday-Tuesday to
educate lawmakers on our issues. They were here for the
debate on HB 273 on the House floor. They were also able
to meet with dozens of lawmakers to address the NEA-Alaska
members priority one issues of K-12 education funding and a
return to a defined benefit pension system. If you know any
of the members who came down here please thank them for
giving up their entire Sunday and for spending the time to
do the important work here in Juneau. The participants
were: Kathleen Navarre, Pamela Orme, Andrea Lang, Marilyn
Pillifant, Kate Ortega, Julie Thomas-Ritchie, Karl Kircher,
Jake Todd and Jacob Bera.
If you know anyone who wishes to
receive the LCS/Legislative
Update, please send us an e-mail with their home e-mail address if
possible, and we’ll add them to the growing list of K-12
education advocates.
