Senate panel hears push to lower Alaska’s budget veto‑override threshold to two‑thirds

Juneau — The Senate State Affairs Committee on Jan. 20 heard testimony on Senate Joint Resolution 2, a proposed constitutional amendment to reduce the legislative vote required to override a governor’s veto of revenue and appropriations items from three‑quarters of the legislature (45 votes) to two‑thirds (40 votes).

Senator Matt Klayman, sponsor of SJR2, told the committee the change would "improve the public's ability to influence executive and legislative decisions on revenue and appropriations matters" and said Alaska now has the highest override requirement in the country for those issues. Klayman said the amendment would amend Article 2, Section 16 of the Alaska Constitution and, if enacted by the legislature, would appear on the November 2026 general election ballot for voters to decide.

Supporters who testified said the higher threshold has disrupted state budgeting and local services. "The three‑quarters vote for a budget veto override is an unreasonably high threshold," said Laura Cappelli, president of NEA Alaska, who warned that the current rule contributes to "budgetary whiplash" that harms school districts' planning and staffing. Cappelli cited a recent line‑item veto that targeted student allocations and said it required an "extraordinary, nearly impossible effort" to restore funding.

Private citizens who testified echoed those concerns. Caroline Storm, who identified herself as a civics instructor, said she supports putting the amendment before voters because Alaska’s high threshold limits representative government. "I support the resolution," Storm said. Therese Lewandowski, calling from Homer, told the committee, "This should be put to the voters" and expressed worry about excessive executive power under the current standard.

One online witness, who identified herself as Miss Obermeyer, said she supported SJR2 but used her time to criticize Senator Klayman personally, asking whether the proposal was tied to a gubernatorial campaign and calling him "a wolf in sheep's clothes." Chair Kawasaki redirected the witness to speak to the content of the resolution; no committee action was taken in response to the accusation during the hearing.

Carly Dennis, staff to Senator Klayman, read the resolution’s sections for the record, saying Section 1 would change the override requirement from three‑quarters to two‑thirds for revenue and appropriations vetoes and Section 2 would place the amendment on the next general election ballot.

Klayman and witnesses noted past events to illustrate the problem: if a late line‑item veto removes school funding and the legislature later votes to override, the current three‑quarters threshold can leave restoration vulnerable to attendance or other contingencies. The sponsor and witnesses said lowering the requirement to two‑thirds would align the override standard for fiscal items with the standard used for most other vetoed legislation.

After hearing testimony, the committee set SJR2 aside for further consideration and the chair said the committee would try to hear the measure again on Thursday, Jan. 22. The panel also attempted to hear Senate Joint Resolution 13 (by request of the governor), but no representative from the governor’s office appeared; members criticized the absence and set that item aside as well.

What happens next: The committee is scheduled to reconvene Jan. 22, when members said they plan to revisit SJR2; if the resolution passes both chambers as required it would be placed on the November 2026 ballot for Alaska voters.

—Reporting from the Senate State Affairs Committee hearing on Jan. 20, 2026. Quotes are taken from testimony and committee remarks on the record.