Lawmakers respond to Gov. Dunleavy’s 2024 budget vetoes

JUNEAU, Alaska (KTUU) – Slashes to the state’s budget into the hundreds of millions of dollars were announced Monday as part of Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s line-item vetoes to the Fiscal Year 2024′s state budget.

The budget, which Dunleavy has already signed, is being cut by $202 million in Undesignated General Funds, $145 million in operating funds, and $56 million in capital projects, as outlined in the Alaska House Majority press release about the vetoes Monday.

Democratic Sen. Forrest Dunbar said he’s greatly disappointed in the cuts, and that he’s urging people to contact their lawmakers to request an override process, a process that may be an uphill effort.

“I was disappointed the governor vetoed critical funds for education and childcare, maintenance to the university, and a number of other things that the Legislature agreed to,” Dunbar said.

The Alaska House Majority responded to the governor’s budget vetoes in a statement Monday. Members of the House Majority acknowledged the challenges they say faced the governor and appreciated his “thorough scrutiny of the budget.”

“It is important to adequately fund education and it is equally important to ensure those dollars are being used most effectively in the classroom. I believe the Governor’s vetoes reflect that balance and the necessity of fiscal responsibility. The Alaska House Majority remains committed to working to address the ongoing needs of our education system and advocate for sustainable funding solutions,” Republican House Speaker Cathy Tilton said in the statement.

Democratic Sen. Bill Wielechowski said he’s gotten a steady stream of emails and phone calls from a variety of people since Monday.

“Talked to constituents, talked to teachers, talked to school board members, been communicating with legislators all day today, in both the House and the Senate, minority, majority, and just kind of gauging where people are at on this,” Wielechowski, said. “Alaska has the highest threshold in the United States that is required to override a governor’s veto. It takes 75% of the Legislature.”

Rep. Kevin McCabe, a Republican, said the governor’s vetoes didn’t go far enough, although he didn’t want to do a formal interview on the subject Tuesday night.

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