In a break from the conservative leadership of the previous session, Alaska’s new bipartisan reforms intends to make steady education funding its first priority. In line with the electorate’s demands for change, incoming Speaker Bryce Edgmon, I-Dillingham, highlighted the need for schools with small class sizes.
The coalition has a slim majority of 21 members, including 14 Democrats, five independents, and 2 Republicans. This shift marks a departure from the previous majority, which backed Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s veto of a $680 per student funding increase. The governor labeled SB 140 which proposed funding for transportation, rural internet, and reading programs but was labeled as a spending bill.
Edgmon and other coalition members, like Rep. Neal Foster, opposed Dunleavy’s veto but fell one vote short of overriding it. Both leaders have joined forces with newly elected legislators like Robyn Burke and Nellie Jimmie, who replaced incumbents aligned with the governor’s stance. Former Rep. Chuck Kopp, one of the coalition’s two Republicans, criticized the veto and expressed confidence in the coalition’s education agenda.
In contrast, Rep. Julie Coulombe, R-Anchorage, won re-election despite supporting the veto. Coulombe, who focuses on fiscal responsibility, refuses to join the coalition, stating that it aligns too closely with Democratic priorities. She believes voters expressed frustration with legislative inaction but disputes education as the sole factor in election outcomes.
The new coalition appointed Rep. Andi Story, D-Juneau, and Rep. Rebecca Himschoot, NA-Sitka, education chair. Both supported SB 140 and sought to advance funding measures stalled under previous leadership. With growing voter support for Alaska’s new bipartisan reforms, the coalition aims to fulfill campaign promises for improved schools statewide.
This news article was originally published by Alaska´s News Source.
