The amendment process in the House Finance Committee wrapped up on Tuesday afternoon with a vast majority of proposals for increased funding on everything from education and child care to health care and snow plowing turned away by the Republican-led Majority over concerns about the state’s gloomy revenue forecast.
Frequently, members of the Republican-led Majority extolled the importance of the issues but lamented that, gosh, the budget is just so tight that they really can’t afford any of it.
That included axing a proposed $320,000 increase to expand the reach of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, which provides children of all ages age-appropriate reading materials as well as instructional material on helping parents foster a passion for reading, from the budget. A particularly smarmy Rep. Mike Cronk, R-Tok, said that it sounded like a program better supported by individuals rather than the state and told supporters of the program that he’d think about making a personal donation before voting to remove the funding.
The fight for education and child care did notch one win, though, and it’s a significant one at that. Majority Rep. Bryce Edgmon, I-Dillingham, made an amendment that would divert about $5 million away from the state’s effort to take over permitting of projects that impact wetlands from the federal government and into the state’s Head Start program, an early education program.
Again, many of the Republicans argued against the amendment. The long sought-after change, known as 404 primacy, could be a massive boon to the resource extraction industry, they argued, and if the resource extraction industry is doing well then maybe they could consider funding this program in the future.
Edgmon argued that nothing is so certain about the program, which is expected to cost nearly $5 million annually and that’s not including the cost of the litigation. Head Start, he said, has a proven track record that is a worthwhile investment.
“We don’t know what it’s going to cost us in the future,” Edgmon said. “The Head Start program in contrast is a program that has been in Alaska for many years. There are 17 grantees around the state. It’s a program that by and large in terms of the early learning opportunities in our state has provided the bulk of that opportunity.”
The amendment moving the money to the Head Start program passed 6-5 with Majority Reps. Edgmon and Neal Foster being joined by the committee’s four minority members—two Democrats and two independents—to override the committee’s Republicans.
GOP support for education funding
Where the Majority legislators had far less hangups on spending money, though, was on pretty much any spending related to mines and oil and gas development. The one place where the Republican-led Majority was in favor of adding money into education was in approving Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s last-minute request to send $1 million to Alaska Resource Education, a nonprofit primarily funded by the resource industry to deliver pro-industry courses in the classroom.
Rep. Andy Josephson moved to strike the money, arguing that the state shouldn’t be putting its money into what is essentially pro-industry education in the classroom, doubting that it would provide students with a fair and even-handed look at the reality of resource development and its impacts on the environment.
“It’s promotional,” he said. “That’s what it is. It’s promotional and I don’t think that’s a balanced perspective for our children.”
It drew an impassioned defense from several Republicans on the committee, who argued if not for the resource industry there wouldn’t be any money for anything.
“As a former teacher, I do believe it’s very important that our kids know where our money comes from,” Rep. Cronk said. “There are so many—so many—things taught in schools that I don’t agree with but if we’re going to play that what are going to do? If we’re not going to teach resource development and how important it is—all the items that are in your iPhones and et cetera, et cetera—I’m not sure what’s really important.”
Josephson’s amendment was defeated as were a handful of other amendments to move money away from oil and gas to other uses.
Matt Acuña Buxton is a long-time political reporter who has written for the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner and The Midnight Sun political blog. He also authors the daily politics newsletter, The Alaska Memo, and can frequently be found live-tweeting public meetings on Twitter.
