Legislature(2025 - 2026)SENATE FINANCE 532
04/04/2025 09:00 AM Senate FINANCE
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| SB146 | |
| SB22 | |
| SB6 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| *+ | SB 146 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | SB 22 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | SB 6 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| = | HB 56 | ||
SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE
April 4, 2025
9:46 a.m.
9:46:21 AM
CALL TO ORDER
Co-Chair Hoffman called the Senate Finance Committee
meeting to order at 9:46 a.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Senator Lyman Hoffman, Co-Chair
Senator Donny Olson, Co-Chair
Senator Bert Stedman, Co-Chair
Senator Mike Cronk
Senator James Kaufman
Senator Jesse Kiehl
Senator Kelly Merrick
MEMBERS ABSENT
None
ALSO PRESENT
Liz Harpold, Staff, Senator Donny Olson; Senator Bill
Wielechowski, Sponsor; Lauren MacVay, President and CEO,
True North Federal Credit Union; Senator Elvi Gray-Jackson,
Sponsor; Kaye Roldan, Self, Juneau; Zander Kotlarov, Staff,
Senator Gray-Jackson.
PRESENT VIA TELECONFERENCE
Ross Goble, Board Member, Junior Achievement Alaska; Tim
Sullivan, Executive Director, Financial Reality Foundation;
Katie Capozzi, President and Chief Executive Officer,
Alaska Chamber of Commerce, Anchorage; Ray Ward, Self,
Anchorage.
SUMMARY
SB 6 ASIAN AMERICAN/PACIFIC ISLANDER PROGRAM
SB 6 was HEARD and HELD in committee for further
consideration.
SB 22 FINANCIAL LITERACY PROGRAM IN SCHOOLS
SB 22 was HEARD and HELD in committee for further
consideration.
SB 146 REAA FUND: MT. EDGECUMBE, TEACHER HOUSING
SB 146 was HEARD and HELD in committee for
further consideration.
HB 56 APPROP: SUPPLEMENTAL; FUND CAP
HB 56 was SCHEDULED but not HEARD.
Co-Chair Hoffman discussed the agenda.
9:47:05 AM
AT EASE
9:47:53 AM
RECONVENED
SENATE BILL NO. 146
"An Act relating to the regional educational
attendance area and small municipal school district
fund; relating to Mt. Edgecumbe High School; and
relating to teacher housing."
9:48:02 AM
Co-Chair Hoffman invited Liz Harpold to the table.
9:48:16 AM
LIZ HARPOLD, STAFF, SENATOR DONNY OLSON, relayed that SB
146 amended the Regional Education Attendance Area (REAA)
fund language to include major maintenance and construction
at Mount Edgecumbe High School and major maintenance for
teacher housing, in REAA or small municipal areas, as
allowable uses for the fund. Additionally, the bill removed
the $70 million cap on fund value, preventing any fund
balance above the amount form lapsing into the general fund
at the end of the year. The bill was previously introduced
as SB 113, and had passed the Senate but died in House
Finance Committee.
9:49:26 AM
Co-Chair Hoffman OPENED public testimony.
9:49:39 AM
Co-Chair Hoffman CLOSED public testimony.
9:49:46 AM
Co-Chair Stedman commented that MEHS faced difficulty
dealing with its maintenance. He considered that MEHS was
the only school in the state that was put in with the
overall state maintenance run through DOT&PF, which meant
that the school had to compete with other state agencies
for maintenance funding. He did not think there were
maintenance advocates for the school. He said that when the
committee had tried to fund some of the school's deferred
maintenance in the past, the funds had been vetoed by the
governor the reason being that the school was not on the
maintenance list. He contended that the school could not be
on the major maintenance list and the bill would correct
the matter. He could not speak to how the school would rank
with other schools across the state but believed that the
treatment of the school overall would be more equitable.
Co-Chair Stedman cited high levels of student performance
at MEHS. He stressed that there were construction needs for
teacher housing, new dormitories, and classroom spaces. He
believed that the state could better serve the school.
9:53:31 AM
Senator Kiehl addressed a new fiscal note from the
Department of Education and Early Development, OMB
Component 2737. The department requested $313.3 thousand
and 2 new full-time positions in FY2026, which drops down
to $297.3 in the out years.
Senator Kiehl mentioned schools throughout the state that
had student or teacher housing. He wondered whether the
state could partner with Alaska Housing Finance Corporation
(AHFC) to find human resources to provide DEED with the
residential design and construction expertise necessary,
rather than establishing new positions within the
department.
Co-Chair Hoffman agreed.
SB 146 was HEARD and HELD in committee for further
consideration.
SENATE BILL NO. 22
"An Act establishing a financial literacy education
program for public schools; and providing for an
effective date."
9:56:06 AM
SENATOR BILL WIELECHOWSKI, SPONSOR, related that the
requirement could be incorporated into a number of
different classes. He cited that Alaska had some of the
worst FAFSA Free Application for Federal Student Aid
(FAFSA) completion rates in the country. He reported that
Alaskans carried and average of $8,000 in credit card debt.
He noted that nationwide, 55 percent of people had less
than $1,000 in savings and only one-third could cover a
$400 expense comfortably. He thought it was incumbent upon
Alaska's schools to teach budgeting and basic principles of
money management.
Co-Chair Hoffman thought that the bill could apply to many
of the financial issues currently facing the state.
9:58:40 AM
Senator Kaufman wondered why the bill had not been
incorporated into other education reform legislation.
Senator Wielechowski relayed that he would certainly
support the incorporation of the legislation into another
education reform bill currently circulating through the
legislature.
Senator Kaufman noticed the specificity in the bill and
referenced page 2, line 22 which included "financial
implications of being a member or a beneficiary of a Native
Corporation," and wondered whether the language wasn't too
specific.
Senator Wielechowski relayed that the provision had been
added the previous year during the committee process. He
said he was open to discussion about modification of the
language.
10:00:47 AM
ROSS GOBLE, BOARD MEMBER, JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT ALASKA (via
teleconference), offered strong support for the bill. He
noted that over 50 percent of Alaska's youth felt
underprepared to handle their financial lives into
adulthood. He thought the bill offered a pro-active
solution for educating Alaska's future on financial
literacy and would provide them tools to navigate the
financial world.
10:03:07 AM
TIM SULLIVAN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, FINANCIAL REALITY
FOUNDATION (via teleconference), testified in support of
the legislation. He noted that for the last 15 years, the
Financial Reality Foundation had worked in high school to
educate students on financial literacy. He looked forward
to collaborating with the Department of Education and Early
Development (DEED) on the creating the curriculum.
10:04:38 AM
LAUREN MACVAY, PRESIDENT AND CEO, TRUE NORTH FEDERAL CREDIT
UNION, spoke in ardent support of the legislation. She
relayed that True North Federal Credit Union (TNFCU) had a
webpage that included financial wellness but that the page
was not sought by clients. She felt that the curriculum
should be brought to people in order for them to engage and
that putting the information in classrooms was highly
effective. She stressed that talking about fundamental
financial literacy would lead to a deeper curiosity and
understanding of financial education.
10:07:19 AM
Co-Chair Hoffman OPENED public testimony.
10:07:36 AM
KATIE CAPOZZI, PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER,
ALASKA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, ANCHORAGE (via teleconference),
spoke in support of the bill. She stated that introducing
financial literacy to young people would benefit the whole
of society. She noted that there were many free or low-cost
resources to support financial education outlined in SB 22.
She encouraged passage of the bill.
10:09:56 AM
Co-Chair Hoffman CLOSED public testimony.
Senator Kiehl addressed a fiscal note from Department of
Education and Early Development, OMB Component 2796, which
reflected a one-time cost of $76,000on FY2026.
Senator Wielechowski commented that the fiscal note could
be significantly reduced.
SB 22 was HEARD and HELD in committee for further
consideration.
SENATE BILL NO. 6
"An Act requiring education in the history and
contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific
Islanders."
10:11:22 AM
SENATOR ELVI GRAY-JACKSON, SPONSOR, offered a sponsor
statement:
Senate Bill 6 requires schools in the State of Alaska
to educate students on the history and contributions
of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders by our school
system acknowledging historically accurate information
by members of these communities, from the past and
present.
This proposed piece of legislation aims to mandate the
inclusion of the history and contributions of Asian
Americans and Pacific Islanders in Alaska's public
schools. By incorporating this critical component into
our education system, we welcome a more informed
society by teaching our students this important
history of Alaska. The diverse history of these
communities, including their significant contributions
to Alaska and the United States, deserve to be
recognized and celebrated.
Senate Bill 6 will help to ensure that future
generations of Alaskans have a comprehensive and
accurate understanding of our state's history and the
contributions of all its people.
Senator Gray-Jackson referenced a rise in discrimination
and hate towards the Asian American and Pacific Islander
community during the Covid-19 pandemic. She believed that
the legislation would help to repair such behavior through
information and education.
Senator Gray-Jackson continued that the bill was a step
toward a more complete and accurate education for Alaska's
students and strengthened the state's commitment to
diversity, equity, and historical integrity.
10:13:26 AM
Senator Merrick noted that the bill established that school
districts shall establish and provide to students in
kindergarten through grade 12. She wondered whether the
children would have the program every year.
Senator Gray-Jackson replied that each district shall
th
establish a program for grades kindergarten through 12.
10:14:12 AM
Senator Kaufman wondered whether the program could be
included in another education reform bill and rely on the
funding appropriated for that bill.
Senator Gray-Jackson noted that the bill had a zero fiscal
note and would not require additional funding.
10:15:13 AM
Co-Chair Stedman wondered whether the historic
contributions of other ethnic groups were taught in schools
under statute.
Senator Gray-Jackson affirmed that the legislation would
add education on Asian American and Pacific Islanders to
what was already being taught in schools.
Co-Chair Stedman thought it would be nice if Norse history
and culture was taught in schools.
10:16:21 AM
KAYE ROLDAN, SELF, JUNEAU, testified in support of the
bill. She was a co-director of Make Us Visible Alaska,
which was a non-profit that empowered local communities to
integrate Asian American and Pacific Islander (API)
contributions, experiences, and history in K-12 classrooms.
She shared that the organization offered free materials for
teaching API history in classrooms. She had been a Juneau
resident for over 30 years and a student in the public
school and university systems. She explained that, despite
being part of a close-knit Filipino community in Juneau,
she had not been taught about Filipino American history in
her local schools or educational experiences. She shared
that a college course was her first experience with
learning Filipino American history. She believed that it
was important that the curriculum be available to students
K-12. She stressed that seeing your own culture reflected
in the classroom gave student pride in their identity and
empowered them to build positive self-images, which was
crucial for student who might struggle with self-identity
and self-worth. She added that the legislation would foster
cross-cultural understanding and an alternative narrative
to negative depictions of Asian Americans.
10:20:37 AM
Co-Chair Hoffman OPENED public testimony.
10:20:48 AM
RAY WARD, SELF, ANCHORAGE (via teleconference), testified
in support of the bill. He thought it was of vital
importance that the history of People of Color be included
in school curriculum. He thanked the sponsor for her
efforts. Mr. Ward shared a concern that that cultural and
education materials would be restricted or removed from
classrooms under the current federal administration. He
worried that actions by the Trump Administration would lead
to the downfall of education in the country.
10:25:27 AM
Co-Chair Hoffman CLOSED public testimony.
Senator Kiehl reviewed a zero fiscal note from the
Department of Education and Early Development, OMB
Component 2796.
Co-Chair Stedman wondered about what kind of burden the
program would put on school districts both financially and
timewise. He worried that there were ethnic groups that
might be left out of history like the Russians, Japanese,
Chinese, and Norse.
Senator Gray-Jackson relayed her staff would like to
address Senator Stedman's comments.
10:26:53 AM
ZANDER KOTLAROV, STAFF, SENATOR GRAY-JACKSON, believed the
bill was trying to address the lack of ethnic groups
representation in historical teachings. He noted that the
term Asian American and Pacific Islander encompassed a wide
variety of ethic groups and groups from all over the world
that were not currently represented in history classes.
Senator Gray-Jackson asked whether the committee desired a
review of the committee substitute.
Co-Chair Hoffman noted that the bells had rung, and floor
session would soon be underway. He relayed that Co-Chair
Olson's office would set the deadline for amendments.
SB 6 was HEARD and HELD in committee for further
consideration.
ADJOURNMENT
10:28:24 AM
The meeting was adjourned at 10:28 a.m.