A group of about 25 people filed into Kenai’s legislative information office Saturday morning to hear updates from State Rep. Justin Ruffridge, R-Soldotna, and Sen. Jesse Bjorkman, R-Nikiski, about what’s going on in Juneau.
Topics discussed ranged from Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s “parental rights” bill, to Bjorkman’s east side setnet buyback bill to state finances and funding for education.
Financial woes
When it comes to taxes, Ruffridge said he wouldn’t support implementing new taxes in order to pay for Alaska Permanent Fund dividend payments. Bjorkman similarly said that he doesn’t support taxing people who “are engaged in economic activity” in Alaska. Bjorkman also expressed skepticism at the 2% statewide sales tax proposed by Rep. Ben Carpenter, which he said would require the hiring of additional state employees that could counteract the additional revenue.
“We’ve kind of put ourselves in a situation where we are tied to a thing that might just sneak up right behind you and stab you in the back,” Ruffridge said of Alaska’s finances being tied to the price of oil per barrel. “It’s not a good feeling. If that was our own businesses or personal finances, we would be looking for an off-ramp or something — like quick. The situation is not great.”
Bjorkman and Ruffridge fielded sometimes heated questions about permanent fund dividend payments, to which the lawmakers reiterated the scale of Alaska’s current fiscal woes. Ruffridge said a billion-dollar cut to Alaska’s budget, finding new sources of revenue or doing something with the PFD were the “only three levers” lawmakers can pull.
“You get to see the problem and you say, ‘Well hot diggity dang, this is not a good situation,’” Ruffridge said. “And you want to know what? That situation has been perpetuated over the course of a decade and no one’s done a dang thing. You know why? Because we had $16 billion sitting in a savings account. We just spent it and now it’s gone. So now what do we do in that situation?”
Talking education
The two also touched on a number of issues relating to education.
Kim Bates, a second grade teacher in the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District, spoke against a new English language arts program the district plans to roll out in the fall. That curriculum faced some pushback from attendees at last week’s meeting of the KPBSD Board of Education, who objected to lessons that addressed world religions including Christianity, Judaism and Islam.
Pam Gillham questioned a proposed increases to the amount of money Alaska gives school districts per student, also known as the base student allocation. There is a widespread push among education advocates across Alaska for a meaningful increase to that amount, which hasn’t changed in 2017.
Bjorkman, who is also a teacher at Nikiski Middle/High School taking a leave of absence while he works in Juneau, said increasing state funding for schools is needed for a better return on the investments Alaska is making in students. He pointed to Alaska’s high cost of doing business, particularly in rural areas, and said without financial assistance districts will continue cutting education opportunities for students.
“If we don’t spend more money on education, the quality of our education will continue to decline,” Bjorkman told attendees.
Those advocating for an increase to the base student allocation have said such an increase — as opposed to a one-time allocation as put forth by the Alaska House in the operating budget that body passed Monday — would provide districts with the stability to plan out future spending.
“One time-money is a really great way to waste state dollars for education because it’s very hard for districts to rely on that money from year to year,” Bjorkman said. “So what do they do? They’re forced to spend it on one-time expenses … What districts are relying on is a reliable source of revenue so that they can build back programs that have been significantly cut.”
‘Divisive’ legislation
Bjorkman and Ruffridge were also asked about where they stand on H.B. 105, a controversial measure introduced by Dunleavy as a “parental rights” initiative. The bill is currently before the House Education Committee, co-chaired by Ruffridge alongside Rep. Jamie Allard, R-Eagle River, and has drawn more than 10 hours of public testimony, most of which has been in opposition.
Ruffridge summed up the initiative as doing three things.
First, it would shift Alaska’s sexual education classes from an opt-out system to an opt-in system and prohibit those classes for students in grades below fourth grade. Second, it would add language about civil lawsuits Alaska parents can bring against school districts, if a parent suspects information about their child, including use of a different name or pronouns, is being withheld by the school. Lastly, the bill requires school districts to separate students in locker rooms and restrooms by biological sex or provide single-occupant facilities.
Attendee Christine Hutchison, who supports H.B. 105, said she listened to testimony in opposition of the bill with her “head in the toilet” and asked whether constituents should expect from Ruffridge and Bjorkman “a godly kind of ruling or vote on that issue.”
Ruffridge said he’s listened to about 15 hours of testimony on the bill, which he called “very divisive” and said he has met with Dunleavy to talk about potential amendments. Dunleavy, Ruffridge said, is aware that the legislation faces challenges and approached Ruffridge about potential amendments. Ruffridge said the Senate has indicated they will not support the bill if it is voted out of the Alaska House.
“I think that, if it’s going to be a parents rights bill, there’s language that probably needs to be in there to strengthen that,” Ruffridge said. “It’s not actually — it’s not a true parents rights bill. It’s really not.”
Ruffridge said there will be amendments to and an “almost rewrite” of the bill coming from his office.
Bjorkman also took time to tout his lumber grading bill, which aims to make locally milled lumber more widely available for the construction of housing throughout Alaska. That bill was moved out of the Senate Finance Committee on Tuesday.
More information about legislation currently being considered by the Alaska Legislature can be found at akleg.gov.
Reach reporter Ashlyn O’Hara at ashlyn.ohara@peninsulaclarion.com.
Rep. Justin Ruffridge, left, and Sen. Jesse Bjorkman address constituents during a town hall event on Saturday, April 15, 2023, in Kenai, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)
