JUNEAU- Today, House Republicans made a motion to bring HB 69, a Majority education bill to the House floor for the debate it deserves. In a vote of 20 to 18, the Democrat House Majority rejected the motion, refusing to take up their own bill.
For weeks, HB 69 has remained stalled in committee. When finally given the chance for open discussion, the Majority shut it down. Alaskans deserve to know where their elected officials stand on education issues, yet House Republicans were denied the opportunity to debate the bill in full view of the public.
“My problem with HB 69 is that the House Democrat Majority has not offered any way to pay for it. The truth is that there is no way they can pay for this without instituting a tax or eliminating the permanent fund dividend, but they want the public to believe they can. It is disingenuous and irresponsible,” stated Representative Will Stapp (R-Fairbanks).
House Republican Leader Mia Costello (R- Anchorage) stated, “House Republicans should be part of the education discussion—we owe it to Alaskans to have a real conversation about how to improve our schools. Our caucus includes members with deep experience in education, and we are committed to improving outcomes for students, teachers, and families. This is a critical issue, and we will continue to push for the opportunity to discuss meaningful solutions to both funding and policy.”
In her floor remarks Rep. Costello added that “It’s ironic the House Majority Finance members voted yesterday to move the bill out of the Finance Committee but today object to putting it on the floor calendar.”
House Republicans remain committed to advancing the discussion on HB 69 and ensuring that all legislation receives the consideration and public debate it deserves.