Governor Mike Dunleavy late Thursday vetoed an education funding package after it was passed by lawmakers.
Dunleavy, a Republican and former educator, announced his decision hours ahead of a deadline he faced to sign the bill, veto it or let it become law without his signature. School districts have struggled with teacher shortages and, in some cases, multimillion-dollar deficits, and education leaders had urged the governor to let the package become law.
In late February, Dunleavy threatened to veto the measure, complaining it lacked provisions he favored, including a three-year program offering annual bonuses of up to $15,000 as a way to attract and keep teachers and changes to the application process for charter schools aimed at promoting such schools. He cited those again in the veto message he sent legislative leaders.
After his decision to veto the bill, Dunleavy held a press conference on Friday.
He questioned where the proposed $680,000 would come from in the first place, and referred to the Kenai Peninsula Borough for coming up with the number. He says that the numbers were not researched, and describes the bill as just a “spending bill.”
Dunleavy says that there were also some disagreements from both the House and the Senate.
“[The] Senate didn’t necessarily agree with some of the things that the House wanted. We didn’t necessarily agree with some of the things that the Senate wanted. So when the end what happened to this bill was it moved in the right direction. But it was still far from addressing our charter schools. It’s not going to deal with the teacher retention issues. Just doesn’t do that,” said Dunleavy.
Since Dunleavy’s veto on Thursday, there has some concern about whether or not there will be adequate educate funding for school in the future.
“But the point I’m trying to make is because the bill is veto doesn’t mean there’s not gonna be money, there’s gonna be money, it’s gonna happen. So knowing that and knowing what wasn’t put into the bill, I vetoed the bill,” said Dunleavy.
Lawmakers were planning a veto override session for Monday. To be successful, 40 of the Legislature’s 60 members must vote in favor of an override.
