March 19 will be a day to remember on Election Day this November. On March 19, the Alaska State Legislature voted to sustain Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s veto of a major education bill, SB 140. South Anchorage voters who will feel the effects of this failure should give Rep. Julie Coulombe the boot. They would be smart to replace her with Walt Featherly.
Rep. Coulombe voted against a critical funding match for Alaska’s schools still living inside the digital divide in the 21st century. Millions of congressional dollars for Alaska’s schools were vetoed by the governor, and that veto was sustained by Coulombe.
An increase in the Base Student Allocation, which would have helped close the gap in funding resulting from past failures by the Legislature, was also buried by the governor and Ms. Coulombe.
Implementation funds for the Alaska Reads Act also went down. There are many,many worthy elements in SB 140 that are now lost to this session.
District 11 voters: Please give Ms Coulombe the boot in November.
— Elstun Lauesen
Anchorage
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