1993-04-07                     House Journal                      Page 1054
HB 45                                                                        
The following letter, dated April 6, 1993, was received:                       
                                                                               
"Dear Speaker Barnes:                                                          
                                                                               
Under the authority of article II, section 15 of the Alaska Constitution,      
it is with mixed feelings today that I am signing into law:                    
                                                                               
SENATE CS FOR CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 45(FIN)                                   
"An Act making appropriations to the Department of Education for              
support of kindergarten, primary, and secondary education and                  
community schools programs and for school construction debt                    
retirement; and providing for an effective date."                              
                                                                               

1993-04-07                     House Journal                      Page 1055
HB 45                                                                        
	Chapter No. 5, SLA 1993                                                       
                                                                               
                                                                               
	[Effective Date:  July 1, 1993]                                               
                                                                               
                                                                               
In signing this bill, I am recommending that the Legislature take              
immediate action to pass legislation to fully fund all single site school      
districts for the next academic year.  Additionally, I recommend that          
the Legislature put aside politics and get serious about my school             
foundation bill.  Passage of my bill would provide a long-term fix to          
the single site problem as well as take care of the greater problem of         
providing fairness in the distribution of the state's revenues among our       
54 school districts.  Our schools and our children deserve no less.            
                                                                               
                                                                               
With my aforementioned concerns aside, I am pleased with the timely            
manner in which school funding was addressed.  Early funding gives             
our schools more time to make plans for the next academic year, an             
important ingredient for success.  In some ways, this legislation speaks       
highly of our commitment to public schools and our children--our               
investment in the future.  We are providing more funding than ever             
before for our schools.  We are fully funding school operations,               
including the day-to-day instruction and administration, pupil                 
transportation, and school construction debt retirement, and we are            
boldly meeting the responsibility of paying the added costs of an              
increasing enrollment.  This bill reflects the commitment of our state         
and its citizens toward its schools and the seriousness with which we          
take our constitutional responsibility to maintain a system of public          
schools open to all of our children.                                           
                                                                               
                                                                               
With best regards.                                                             
                                                                               
                                                                               
						Sincerely,                                                               
                                                                               
						/s/                                                                      
                                                                               
						Walter J. Hickel                                                         
						Governor"