Senate majority prefers closed doors

Something truly unexpected happened this session in the Alaska Senate. The Republican leadership decided to arbitrarily cut the state's education budget by over $69 million. That's over $69 million of the funds every school district uses to pay salaries, heating bills, internet access and other necessary expenses. More than a $69 million cut, but there was never an opportunity to comment on those cuts. Not only did they destroy the certainty that parents, children and teachers need, the leaders refused to take public comment on their decision.

How did the Senate Republicans justify this decision? One Republican senator said, "The whole world knows that there will be a cut."

But did you? Most Alaskans are too busy working and taking care of their families to track the more than 350 bills currently introduced in the Legislature, much less know the details of a budget they haven't even seen. Alaskans who can make the time to get involved ought to be heard. That's the main reason we allow public testimony. Think about this: Senate Republicans didn't share the details with Senate Democrats, either. So if we can't find the details, how exactly are working Alaskans supposed to know?

[Anchorage, Mat-Su education leaders decry Senate's proposed cuts]

The people of Alaska have a right to know what the Senate Republican leadership proposes to cut, and the public should have a right to comment, whether they object or agree. As public servants, we legislators have a responsibility to give information to the public when we know it, and to listen to what Alaskans have to say. That's the job.

The House bipartisan majority went through days of public process and public testimony, days of amendments and debate with their Republican minority counterparts; they encouraged sharing of information, and they debated.

The Senate Republicans did little of this. That's probably because blanket, across-the-board cuts aren't thoughtful policy. In fact, in the Senate majority's own survey from February, the public said we should support education and use a combination of low taxes and limited earnings of the Permanent Fund — not further cuts — to meet Alaska's needs.  Maybe it's no wonder they don't want to hear from Alaskans on their arbitrary cuts, but it's the wrong way to do the public's business, and it needs to be righted.

This $69 million cut will not only mean firing teachers from Alaska schools, but class sizes going way up and many cherished programs being cut. School districts from around the state have already downsized their administration, cut teachers and increased class sizes. The Anchorage School District alone has already cut 109 teachers and 59 school-based and non-school-based special education employees. The Anchorage School District will lose about $17 million, The Mat-Su about $8 million, Juneau-Douglas about $2 million, and the North Slope Borough and the Northwest Arctic Borough about $3 million with this cut.

[Dismal Alaska public education statistics prompt drive to 'transform' schools]

Now, during legislative overtime, the Senate Democratic caucus will continue working for an open, public process to right-size the budget while we meet our constitutional obligations to public education, public safety and managing natural resources for the maximum benefit of Alaskans. We can't do it without hearing from you.  Join us in calling on the Senate Republican leadership to work with the governor and the House Majority Coalition to fully fund our schools. They must honor that commitment to Alaskans.

Sen. Tom Begich, D-Anchorage, was elected to the state Senate in 2016.

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