In his first public appearance since releasing his proposed state budget, Gov. Mike Dunleavy spoke Monday morning at the Heritage Foundation in Washington, D.C.
The purpose of the governor’s East Coast trip wasn’t immediately clear, and the governor’s press office did not respond to requests for an itinerary. Dunleavy traveled to the East Coast in October on a national media swing and met with President Donald Trump, who subsequently tweeted his support of the governor against the recall campaign.
The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think-tank, offered a friendly reception for the governor, who left Alaska for his most recent trip after revealing his proposed spending plan on Wednesday.
In a post on Twitter, the office said the governor and state education commissioner met U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos “about how we can partner with her to improve reading, increase charter schools, and compact with tribal entities in rural Alaska.”
The governor’s half-hour speech before that meeting didn’t include any new policy announcements, but the governor reiterated his support for a stricter state spending cap and increased logging in Southeast Alaska’s Tongass National Forest. The deadline for public comments on a plan that would allow more mining, logging and roadbuilding in the forest is Tuesday.
The governor’s speech, and a question-and-answer session afterward, can be viewed here: