2005-01-14                     Senate Journal                      Page 0056
SB 43                                                                                             
SENATE BILL NO. 43 BY THE SENATE RULES COMMITTEE                                                    
BY REQUEST OF THE GOVERNOR, entitled:                                                               
                                                                                                    
                "An Act making special appropriations for the                                      
              support of K-12 public education in the state; and                                   
          providing for an effective date."                                                         
                                                                                                    
was read the first time and referred to the Finance Committee.                                      
                                                                                                    
Governor's transmittal letter dated January 12, 2005:                                               
                                                                                                    
Dear President Stevens:                                                                             
                                                                                                    
Under the authority of art. III, sec. 18, of the Alaska Constitution, I am                          
transmitting a bill making special appropriations for the support of K-                             
12 public education in the state.                                                                   
                                                                                                    
I am asking the Legislature to not only make permanent the $84                                      
million increase to K-12 education approved for fiscal year 2005, but                               
to increase education by another $127 million over the next two fiscal                              
years.  I am asking that the Legislature give the education budget                                  
priority by passing appropriations for fiscal years 2006 and 2007                                   
during the first regular session of this Legislature.                                               
                                                                                                    
I want to avoid the unnecessary cycle of districts sending pink slips to                            
teachers each school year as a means of anticipating possible budget                                
cuts.  It is my sincere hope that this early funding package will let                               
schools focus on teaching over the next two fiscal years instead of                                 
worrying about how to make ends meet.                                                               
                                                                                                    
This bill would cover fixed retirement costs, higher-than-expected                                  
costs of fuel oil, and other inflationary costs as well as providing the                            
money necessary to pay the core costs of classroom education.  These                                
appropriations would be conditioned on the enactment of an increase                                 
of $304 in the base student allocation for fiscal year 2006 and another                             
increase of $310 for fiscal year 2007 and subsequent years.  Meeting                                
these costs and enacting the increases to the base student allocation                               
would address the needs of school districts in the state by allowing                                
them to stabilize their administrative planning and concentrate their                               

2005-01-14                     Senate Journal                      Page 0057
efforts and resources on increasing student achievement and efficiently                             
running the state's K-12 educational system.                                                        
                                                                                                    
I urge your favorable consideration of this bill.                                                   
                                                                                                    
Sincerely yours,                                                                                    
/s/                                                                                                 
Frank H. Murkowski                                                                                  
Governor