It’s time to end the line-item veto in Alaska. If the governor can simply cut whatever he wants from the budget rather than accepting the compromise reached by our representatives in the Legislature, we no longer have a representative government. We have a dictatorship.
My advice to the Legislature: Override his vetoes. Even if you supported many of Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s cuts, stand up for the principle of representative government. Stand up for the hard work that you did to craft a compromise budget. Perhaps most importantly, stand up for the people of Alaska who elected you to make these decisions.
Philip R. Bagian
Anchorage
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