Dunleavy Vetoes, FNSB Trails Plan, and More
Dunleavy Vetoes, FNSB Trails Plan, and More
After a wonderful week in Idaho, I’m back! A lot happened during what were supposed to be sleepy summer days.
Here’s a quick look at some high (and low) lights.
Dunleavy Vetoes Slash Education Funding, University Projects, and More
has an excellent article in on Governor Dunleavy’s seemingly targeted vetoes. , who chairs the Senate Education Committee and was a panelist during June’s Fahrenkamp Lunch, has been a strong voice in looking to override the governor (though, as Matt notes above, that is particularly difficult in Alaska).
Her statement, given near the top of the article, is below:
“Due to the Governor’s actions today, our public schools are going to have to make do with substantially less funding than they need to provide for reasonable class sizes and prevent teachers from leaving Alaska for better opportunities elsewhere. Inflation has made it much more expensive to keep the lights on and keep school buildings warm. Unfortunately, the Governor’s line-item veto will further shift that burden to local school districts, and in many cases, local taxpayers. I fully support an effort by the Alaska State Legislature to override this short-sighted veto.” - Sen. Tobin, chair of the Senate Education Committee.
Senator Tobin is right: these vetoes will have a serious impact on our school district, as the Fairbanks North Star Borough had set (and slashed) the local contribution over a month ago.
As I wrote back in May, the conservative majority of our FNSB Assembly bet big on a theoretical increase to education funding from the State, and reduced the local funding contribution by $9 million dollars from the districts ask.
I’ve heard that certain Assembly members are now scrambling to come up with a plan to provide some additional funding for the district. This would be welcome….though it’s also an issue that they created for themselves. The details for that are still murky: a local increase is now somewhat constrained by the codified Borough budget and other factors. More on this soon.
Updated FNSB Trails Plan Passes
Earlier this week, the FNSB Assembly ended up passing the Comprehensive Trail Plan update by a 7-2 vote.
Eric Troyer (who has been a huge and effective advocate during this entire process) writes:
A last-minute compromise deal devised by Assemblyman Aaron Lojewski, and then refined by Mayor Bryce Ward and his staff, assuaged most of the private property concerns of several Assembly members. In the end, only Assembly members Barbara Haney and Brett Rotermund voted against the plan update.
The plan had been sent back to the Platting Board late last year. The Assembly incorporated recommendations from the Platting Board and went a little further, though the core of the Plan remains intact.
Very happy to see this cross the finish line.
Petitions Worth Signing
Advocates for Safe Alaska Highways is planning on collecting signatures for a petition opposing 80-ton ore freighters on public roads for a mix of safety reasons and the costs the State has committed itself to, with few benefits to most Alaskans. Details and all the locations for the petition will be sent out via email soon (I’ll try to share that here, though I recommend you sign up for the tech ASAH mailing list, too).
As I wrote yesterday, the Fairbanks Hub of Fireweed Collective is also asking for virtual signatures of FNSB residents in support of our Young People’s Policy Platform. You can learn more about the Platform here, and sign the petition in support of it here.
Ester Dome Mining Update Tonight
Save Our Domes is having an open house tonight at 5:30 at Goldstream Sports. There will be free refreshments and music.
Schedule:
5:30: Pat Fitzgerald & Robin Dale Ford open the event with music
6:00: Presentation, Q&A w/Sarah Heinchon and Anna Godduhn
7:00: Alaska Mapper Tutorial, T-shirt stenciling (bring something to stencil), and more music.
Advocates for Safe Alaska Highways will also be there to answer questions about the Manh Choh Ore Haul and gather petition signatures.
Around the Corner
I spent most of the last week sleeping in a tent or on a camp bunk bed, and it was glorious. I didn’t bring a laptop and my cell phone didn't have reception most of the time: perfect.
Betsie and Zach had a lovely wedding ceremony at a beautiful venue.
I’m back and feeling better than I have for a long while. Friends and family are in town and it’s the day after Solstice, with plenty of summer left.
Hope you’re doing well, too.