Association of Alaska School Boards

Legislative Bulletin

A weekly digest of activity by the Alaska Legislature and U.S. Congress for Alaska’s School Board Members. AASB Tel. 907-586-1083, Fax 907-586-2995. Executive Director, Carl Rose, crose@aasb.org; Editor, John Greely, Review past issues of the Bulletin on the AASB website at http://www.aasb.org. To unsubscribe send an email requesting the same to jgreely@aasb.org

This bulletin is distributed by email only. School districts should copy for board members not online.

June 29, 2007

GOVERNOR ANNOUNCES BUDGET VETOES: SCHOOL PROJECTS AXED

Governor Palin issued the following announcement today regarding the FY 2008 state budget:

June 29, 2007, Anchorage, Alaska – Governor Sarah Palin today signed three budget bills into law: House Bill 95, House Bill 96, and Senate Bill 53.

“I know we share the goals of creating a strong economy with good jobs, an education system that is world class in preparing our children for those jobs, safer communities and good solid infrastructure,” said Governor Sarah Palin. “The budgets before us will set us on a course to make that vision a reality by prioritizing our spending, making substantial investments in core services and saving for our future.”

House Bill 95, sponsored by the Governor, establishes the fiscal year 2008 state operating budget.

House Bill 96, sponsored by the Governor, establishes the fiscal year 2008 state mental health budget and makes appropriations for the operating and capital expenses of the state’s integrated comprehensive mental health program.

Senate Bill 53, sponsored by the Governor, makes and amends capital and supplemental appropriations and ratifies certain expenditures.

The Governor vetoed nearly a quarter of a billion dollars of projects contained within Senate Bill 53. Establishing a budget process, the Governor focused her decisions on the Constitutionally-mandated services of education, public safety and health, and infrastructure.

“This was a very deliberative process, meant to provide consistency and a level of fairness in a process that can be anything but fair,” said Governor Palin. “Vetoes included within the decision-making process are not a reflection on the project itself, but upon the state’s responsibility to pay for the proposed project. We recognize that we have got to change the system. We have already begun working with legislators to change the process and this is a good start.”

An analysis of the Governor’s vetoes indicated about 50 appropriations for a variety of school-related projects were vetoed or partially reduced. A full list of the governor’s vetoes to SB 53 can be obtained by clicking here:

http://www.gov.state.ak.us/omb/08_OMB/budget/Enacted/SB53_Vetoes_6-29-07.pdf