In a Friday letter to the leaders of the Alaska House and Senate, Gov. Mike Dunleavy said he will not call lawmakers into a special legislative session after the first one expired at the end of Sunday.
“I write today to inform you that I will not be extending the current special session,” Dunleavy’s letter begins.
Officially, Dunleavy called the session in hopes that legislators would take up education policy legislation and his proposal to create an independent Alaska Department of Agriculture.
The agriculture issue remains unresolved amid a dispute over executive power and appears headed to the court system.
Lawmakers rejected the governor’s education ideas during this spring’s regular session and declined to take them up during the special session, something Dunleavy called “disappointing” in his letter.
Unofficially, lawmakers and political observers believe the governor called the session to force an early vote on his decision to veto millions of dollars of public school funding. Because not all lawmakers were expected to attend the session, it was expected that an early vote would increase the odds that Dunleavy’s veto would stand.
Instead, through extraordinary actions, 59 of 60 legislators were present on the first day of the special session and overrode Dunleavy’s veto. It was the first time since 1987 that Alaska legislators reversed a sitting governor’s budget veto.
After the override, legislators left Juneau and have not held a meeting in the Capitol since.
An education funding task force, created before the special session, has met once, but lawmakers have not taken up education policies the governor prefers, including legal changes that could lead to an increase in the number of charter schools statewide.
In his letter, Dunleavy said that if he does not see progress on his education policies next year, “I am prepared to call additional special sessions, in both duration and number, until we see substantive steps taken to improve Alaska’s education system.”
“That’s his right,” said Senate President Gary Stevens, R-Kodiak. “He can call us into as many special sessions as he wants. Of course, we’re not going to waste time and money. We’ll meet and see where we go.”
Next year is an election year, and the Alaska Constitution prohibits legislators from campaigning while the Legislature is in session.
Calling a special session could keep incumbent lawmakers from raising money or holding campaign events.
“That would be an impact,” Stevens said, “but you know, he has more of his followers running — or as many as people who are opposing his ideas on education. So, it could really hurt his friends more than his enemies.”
In a news conference with reporters after the veto override, Dunleavy said he was considering a special session in September or October to discuss long-term measures intended to bring state revenue and expenses in line.
That’s now off the table.
“The fiscal plan is moving forward. I would expect it to be ready for the 2026 session,” said Jeff Turner, the governor’s communications director.
Another aspect of the special session will linger and may not be resolved short of the court system.
At the start of the special session, Dunleavy issued an executive order setting up the Department of Agriculture.
Lawmakers refused to take up the order, saying they believe it is unconstitutional to issue an executive order during a special session, and they believe it is unconstitutional to reissue one that has already been rejected.
The governor has declined to withdraw the executive order and has said he plans to consider it effective unless lawmakers vote it down.
Legislators are unwilling to vote it down, because doing so would be an implicit recognition of the governor’s right to issue an order during a special session.
The dispute remains unresolved as the special session ends.