Anchorage legislative town hall draws hundreds to speak on education
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - The Anchorage delegation to Juneau appeared before a packed room on UAA’s campus as hundreds turned out for their annual town hall.
Constituents were able to speak directly to their legislators on topics of their choice, but testimony on the topic of education and education funding abounded. The town hall comes less than a week after HB 69, a key education funding bill, advanced one step further in the State Senate, the current draft of the bill includes a $1000 increase in per student funding.
“The reality is that our schools aren’t failing, they’re starving,” said Jeff Raun, founder of Alaska Dads for Economic and Student Capacity (DESC). “And the testimony that people are giving is giving is to speak power to, that to speak truth to that, and to help their legislators understand the importance of eliminating the starvation as it has existed, picking a different path and fully supporting our schools with at least $1000 BSA increase.”
Other topics raised at the town hall include transportation, commerce, increasing state revenue and more.
With standing room only, the testimony lasted the full two hours of the town hall. For members of the delegation, the size of the crowd was striking.
“One of the biggest crowds I think I’ve ever seen that in Anchorage delegation meeting,” said Sen. Bill Wielechowski (D-Anchorage). “And very passionate, and you could sense an a palpable anger among people for the failure to increase education funding for going on close to a decade now, and that people are upset.”
Legislators from both sides of the aisle listened, some intently taking notes as one constituent after another took the floor to speak to their state representatives and senators.
“A lot of the state doesn’t realize that our state statute actually puts in the legislature’s hands, the legislature defines what our basic need is,” said Anchorage resident Denny Wells in his testimony. “The legislature tells our schools how much they can spend per student, not the other way around, and as long as that is in your wheelhouse, you need to be sufficiently funding our schools.”
House Minority leader Rep. Mia Costello (R-Anchorage), who criticized House Democrats for not including Republican demands in HB 69 in the past, is supportive of a funding increase and waiting to see how the bill progresses.
“We want to support education, we do want it to be as an increase,” Costello said. “But we need it to be something that we can afford, so I’m just again looking forward to seeing what comes out of the Senate and they’ll send it back to the House for our consideration.”
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