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On Monday, May 4, Governor Parnell signed the both the capital and operating budgets for Fiscal Year 2013, which runs from July 1, 2012 to June 30, 2013, only vetoing $66,633,400. No Juneau-specific projects
in the capital budget were vetoed.
List of Vetoes
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$2,860,000 for the Parents as Teachers early education program, leaving $492,500 to start the program;
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$1,200,000 for pre-kindergarten, leaving $2.8 million for grants to fund programs;
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$973,000 for expanding Alaska's pre-kindergarten program to other communities;
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$50,000,000 to pay down debt on the retirement system for Alaska's judges;
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$10,300,400 for a substance abuse treatment program, leaving $9 million in the program;
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$1,000,000 for a moose relocation program, leaving $500,000 to focus on orphaned calves;
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$300,000 for the World Trade Center Alaska's International Trade Partnership Project because existing funds are already available; and
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Contingency language that would have allowed funding to re-establish the Alaska Coastal Management Program upon passage of the ballot initiative.
Education Vetoes Disappointing
I am extremely disappointed by the governor's early education vetoes. He deeply cut into two programs that encourage development during a child's important early years and better prepare them for school. Parents as Teachers is a voluntary
program that provides a structure and information to parents that allows them to provide an optimal environment for learning and development during a child's early years. Pre-kindergarten programs have an outstanding record of success – children who participate
in pre-k are more likely to graduate from high school, obtain a college degree and be gainfully employed, and less likely to commit violent crimes. These two programs are essential in helping the next generation succeed in school and in life. I will continue
to work to fund these programs again next session. Children's brains are continually developing and every opportunity provided for success means a brighter future for Alaska and Alaskans and we must take these steps to move Alaska forward.
Coastal Management Language Veto Would Cause Unnecessary Delays
The operating budget included language that would have provided $2.9 million in startup funds should the Alaska Coastal Management Program be re-established through the ballot initiative, which will be on the primary ballot on August 28.
While we don't know whether the initiative will pass, there is a good chance given the immense support shown during the record-breaking signature-gathering stage of the initiative process. The governor's veto effectively delays implementation of the program.
For More Information
Budget primer newsletter, December 2010
Governor's veto
spreadsheet
Operating budget
bill page
Operating budget Legislative Finance
page
Capital budget
bill page
Capital budget Legislative Finance
page
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