A voting mistake on Wednesday moved Alaska House public school funding one step closer to passage, altering the balance in a divided House. Representative Mike Prax mistakenly joined the House majority in advancing House Bill 69 to the finance committee.
With 20 votes required, his error secured the bill’s progress. HB 69 would permanently increase per-student public school funding across Alaska if enacted. The finance committee will now review the bill before a full House vote.
Speaker of the House Bryce Edgmon, I-Dillingham, alerted him, but he failed to change his vote on time. Realizing the error, Prax attempted to reverse the decision, but his motion to rescind the vote failed by 19-20.
Under normal circumstances, the House wouldn’t have considered HB 69 on Wednesday. However, representative Maxine Dibert, D-Fairbanks, has been absent from the capitol due to a respiratory illness.
Without her, the House Education Committee lacked enough votes to advance the bill. Frustrated by the delay, the majority caucus bypassed the committee using a discharge motion, forcing a House-wide vote.
With Dibert absent, the majority held on 20 votes, making Prax’s mistake decisive. House Minority Leader Mia Costello criticized the process, arguing that minority voices were not considered.
Representative Andi Story countered, saying minority members had opportunities to weigh in but refused to advance the bill. The education committee had heard public testimony for over a month with strong support for increased school funding.
Edgmon defended the move, saying lawmakers needed to act in response to school districts’ requests. With a razor-thin majority, future votes on Alaska House public school funding could face similar challenges.
This news article was originally published by Alaska Beacon.
