Some Alaska lawmakers are holding out hope for a groundswell of support to override Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s line-item budget veto on public school funding.
Rep. Calvin Schrage, is an Anchorage nonpartisan who leads the House’s largely Democratic minority caucus. He said he asked House Speaker Cathy Tilton, a Wasilla Republican, on Wednesday to poll House members about holding a special session to attempt veto overrides.
“I think it’s important that we at least do our due diligence in taking the time to figure out where members are at, and whether two-thirds of the members of the Legislature support going to special session to override this veto,” he said.
The Legislature can call a special session with the vote of two-thirds of its members. If a special session is convened, then there’s an even higher bar to override budget vetoes. That would take three-quarters of the full Legislature.
Schrage said he heard back from Tilton on Thursday afternoon. She told him an informal poll of her members led her to believe there wasn’t anywhere close to the votes for a special session.
Tilton’s caucus of mostly Republicans has the votes to make or break both supermajority votes.
The governor’s veto to public school funding was the single biggest budget reduction he made. The Legislature had adopted a major increase, intended to put roughly $680 more per student into schools. The governor cut that one-time increase in half. In a statement, the administration said the vetoes back an administration priority to grow savings and ensure fiscal stability.
Tilton said in a statement from her caucus that she believes the cut strikes a balance.
“It is important to adequately fund education and it is equally important to ensure those dollars are being used most effectively in the classroom,” she said. “I believe the governor’s vetoes reflect that balance and the necessity of fiscal responsibility.”
Still, Schrage said it will take some time for individual school districts to reckon with the latest funding changes, which affect the coming school year.
“I think as we learn the impacts of such a low number, the votes may actually be there, for both a special session and for overriding this veto,” he said. “I think the question is still out there as to whether the votes are out there. And I think it’s going to take some time for people to know the answer, both collectively and individually, to that question.”
Sen. Cathy Giessel is an Anchorage Republican and the Senate majority leader. Her caucus was responsible for the budget that passed. Giessel said she did not support the governor’s vetoes and was far more pessimistic.
“No, I don’t think there’s a path at all,” she said. “I think we’d be hard-pressed to get to 45 legislators that would be willing to override the vetoes.”
Meanwhile, the governor can also call the Legislature back for a special session on any topic, at which point the constitution requires lawmakers to reconsider vetoed bills.
Jeff Turner, a spokesperson for the governor, said Thursday it has yet to be determined if the governor will call the Legislature back for a special session. Otherwise, vetoed legislation will be taken up after the next regular session convenes in January.
Shannon Mason, another spokesperson, said the governor is looking forward to working with lawmakers on a stable fiscal plan that could lead to predictable funding for education.
She also noted that the governor proposed a program to pay out lump-sum recruitment and retention bonuses to certificated, full-time teachers, ranging from $5,000 to $15,000. The proposal is in House Bill 106 and its companion Senate Bill 97. Mason encouraged Alaskans to contact their legislators about those bills.
Jeremy Hsieh covers Anchorage with an emphasis on housing, homelessness, infrastructure and development. Reach him at jhsieh@alaskapublic.org or 907-550-8428. Read more about Jeremy here.
