Legislature(2025 - 2026)SENATE FINANCE 532
04/10/2025 09:00 AM Senate FINANCE
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB69 | |
| SB57 | |
| SB76 | |
| SB44 | |
| SB69 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | SB 44 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | SB 76 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | SB 69 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | HB 56 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | HB 69 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | SB 57 | TELECONFERENCED | |
CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 69(RLS) am
"An Act relating to education; relating to open
enrollment in public schools; relating to school and
student performance reports; relating to school and
district accountability; relating to charter schools;
relating to an annual report for correspondence study
programs; relating to the base student allocation;
relating to reading proficiency incentive grants;
relating to wireless telecommunications devices in
public schools; relating to the duty of the
legislature to pass a public education appropriation
bill; relating to the duty of the governor to prepare
a public education appropriation bill; establishing
the Task Force on Education Funding; relating to a
report on regulation of school districts; and
providing for an effective date."
9:35:20 AM
Co-Chair Hoffman acknowledged the legislators in the
gallery.
Co-Chair Stedman MOVED to ADOPT the committee substitute
for CSHB 69(RLS) am, Work Draft 34-LS0309\U (Marx, 4/7/25).
There being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered.
Senator Kaufman OBJECTED for discussion.
9:36:16 AM
LIZ HARPOLD, STAFF, SENATOR DONNY OLSON, explained the
changes in the committee substitute (CS). She relayed that
the CS backed everything out of the Senate Education
Committee CS except for the $1000 increase to the Base
Student Allocation (BSA) and provided for a July 1
effective date.
Senator Kaufman remarked that funding needed to be in line
with policy changes. He thought a great deal of work had
been done in the Senate Education Committee. He thought the
CS took away from all the work done and created a simple
funding bill. He asked about the path for success.
Co-Chair Hoffman believed that the issue needed to be
addressed and referenced discussion about the level of
funding for the BSA. He continued that the CS was being put
forward to determine the level of support for funding at
the level proposed.
Senator Cronk asked about posing questions to the
commissioner of the Department of Education and Early
Development (DEED).
Co-Chair Hoffman stated no.
Senator Cronk remarked that he had spent some time
considering the work of the Senate Education Committee. He
observed that the proposed budget for the Anchorage School
District (ASD) was substantially higher than other
districts when compared to its deficit. He mentioned
abnormally high attrition balances. He did not think ASD
was proposing to use the fund balances, which would not
carry over for the following year. He thought a half-truth
was being perpetuated regarding the funds that were needed.
Co-Chair Hoffman felt that the question could be applied to
each district and stressed that the committee was
considering the BSA and what level of support there was in
the legislature and as well on the third floor.
9:39:29 AM
Senator Kaufman WITHDREW his OBJECTION and remarked that
there needed to be a thoughtful and durable compromise that
the governor and the other body would support. He was
worried that the committee was going down the path of
failure.
Co-Chair Hoffman acknowledged other legislators in the
audience.
Co-Chair Stedman MOVED to REPORT SCS CSHB 69(FIN) from
committee with individual recommendations and attached
fiscal notes. There being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered.
SCS CSHB 69(FIN) was REPORTED out of committee with one "do
pass" recommendations, four "no recommendations", and two
"amend" recommendations; and with one zero fiscal note from
Department of Education and Early Development, one new
fiscal impact note from the Department of Education and
Early Development, and one new fiscal impact note from the
Senate Finance Committee/Fund Capitalization.
9:41:37 AM
AT EASE
9:43:42 AM
RECONVENED
Co-Chair Hoffman handed the gavel to Co-Chair Stedman.