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April 20, 2010

The 2010 Legislative Session has adjourned:

At 37 minutes past midnight yesterday, retiring Rep. John Harris (Valdez) made the motion to adjourn Sine Die.  It was a whirlwind weekend of long hours and tense moments, and the NEA-Alaska lobby team was there for all of it:  the rescinding of actions, the attaching of amendments, and the final compromises that led to adjournment.  Here is a quick synopsis of the big issues.  If you need further information, give us a call.

K-12 funding:

The legislature continued on its pledged to forward fund K-12 education and to give the increases agreed to in 2008 (through House Bill 273).  The overall increase for K-12 was about $58 million and will stand at about $1.15 billion for Fiscal Year 2011 beginning on July 1.  There was not a bill passed (see HB 317) to set a Base Student Allocation number into the future.  NEA-Alaska members will have to work hard in the 2011 session to ensure BSA increases are minimally inflationary increases.

There is much in the capital budget for school projects.  Governor Parnell will have the ultimate say with his veto pen as to which projects survive.  The capital budget came in at a little over $3.1 billion which is the largest in over a decade.  This includes a General Obligation Bond (GO Bond) proposal of almost $400 million to go to the voters in November.  The large projects in that GO bond are:

Retirement Issues – Return to Defined Benefit:

This was the most frustrating issue of the 26th Alaska Legislature for NEA-Alaska members and our colleagues with the Alaskan Public Pension Coalition.  After moving SB 23 through two senate committees last year with eight senators signing “Do-Pass” and only two signing “no recommendation,”   the legislation was never given a hearing in Senate Finance.

Ironically, or maybe strategically on the 90th and final day of session (this past Sunday), Sen. Bert Stedman held a 6:00 pm “PERS/TRS Presentation.”  Basically he took no public testimony and allowed the Deputy Commissioners of Administration and Revenue and the Director of Retirement and benefits to present a one-sided “Slow Growth” presentation on the retirement systems.

They could not answer questions about retention and recovery (apparently no exit interviews or surveys have been conducted?) and they could not answer questions about the starting time of a $2.8 billion lawsuit against Mercer (the state’s former actuarial advisor).  The trial will begin in Juneau in July.

We must be ready for the 27th Alaska Legislature with our sponsors and co-sponsors of legislation, and they must know we are not going away on a secure retirement for Alaska’s public employees.  Our Legacy will be…A return to DB!

Teacher Housing:

$5 million was put into the budget of the Alaska Housing Finance Corporation for a housing loan program for teacher, health and public safety professionals.

Postsecondary Scholarships:

After the dust settled, all the bills on postsecondary scholarships were addressed in Senate Bill 221.  The legislation will create two task forces:
1. The Joint Legislative Higher Education Scholarship Funding Task Force; and
2. The Advisory Task Force on Higher Education and Career Readiness

NEA-Alaska President Barb Angaiak will have a seat on the second task force.  We’ll keep you updated throughout the summer and fall of any meetings that are scheduled.

Final Thought:

Thank you for your advocacy this session for K-12 education issues.  Don’t forget to send a note to your representative and senator thanking them for their work during the 26th Alaska Legislature.  There are at least four lawmakers not returning to Juneau next year (Senator Bunde, Representatives Ramras, Harris and Crawford).  Regardless of what battles, losses or successes NEA-Alaska and our members have had with them, they deserve respect for serving Alaskans.  That is all for now.

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