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Senate Finance committee advances simplified HB 69 raising base student allocation by $1,000
Summary
The Senate Finance Committee adopted a committee substitute for House Bill 69 that keeps a $1,000 increase to the Base Student Allocation and sets a July 1 effective date; members debated removing policy provisions left by the Senate Education Committee and concerns about district fund balances.
The Alaska Senate Finance Committee on April 10 adopted a committee substitute for House Bill 69 that retains a $1,000 increase to the Base Student Allocation (BSA) and sets an effective date of July 1.
The substitute removes policy changes the Senate Education Committee had included and reduces the bill to a funding measure. "The CSB4U, HB69 Work Draft U, backs everything out of the Senate Education Committee substitute, except for the $1,000 increase to the base student allocation, and provides a July 1 effective date," Liz Hartbelts, staff to Senator Olson, told the committee.
Lawmakers said the draft is intended to test support for the funding level before pursuing more complex policy changes. "The path for success, I believe, we need to address the issue," the chair said, adding the committee seeks to learn how much support the $1,000 increase can gather in both chambers.
Senator Kaufman voiced concerns about the bill removing policy work done in education committees and questioned whether a funding-only approach will be durable. He described the need for "a thoughtful compromise that is durable, that hopefully the governor and the other body will accept." Kaufman also raised questions about district fund balances, noting Anchorage reported unusually high year-end balances in recent years and asking whether those balances affect actual financing needs.
The committee proceeded after Kaufman withdrew his objection and Senator Stedman moved the substitute from committee. The motion passed with no roll-call tally recorded in the transcript and the substitute will be used as the committee's working document as it continues negotiations.
What the committee adopted is a narrowed bill that focuses on immediate funding to the BSA rather than the suite of policy changes the education committee had considered. Committee staff said the change is intended to surface support for the funding level in both chambers and with the governor's office before pursuing additional policy language.
The committee did not take a final vote on a floor version of the bill; instead, members set the substitute aside as their working document while they continue discussions.
The transcript does not include a roll-call vote on the committee action nor detailed fiscal figures in the committee discussion beyond the $1,000 BSA increase and July 1 effective date.
