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The House just passed the operating budget, and I wanted to share about how we can finally start improving kids’ health and reducing growth in prison costs.
Since 2017, Department of Corrections costs have grown 52% while most programs serving kids – infant learning program, behavioral health, care for adolescents, and K-12 education – have been flat funded, resulting in significant inflation-adjusted cuts. Investing in healthcare and education saves the state money in the long-run, and investing in our children now protect our communities well into the future. We cannot afford to continue slashing kids’ programs, which inexorably leads to higher prison costs.
I’m proud that this year’s budget finally prioritizes kids, particularly:
- Adds $1000 per child in funding for K-12 education for HB 69.
- Restores $5.2 million in Infant Learning Program funding that was cut over the last decade.
- Protects $7.75 million in child care funding which is essential for stabilizing our child care workforce
- Funds $13.75 million to improve mental & behavioral health services, addressing the root cause of trauma, addiction, and risk of subsequent incarceration.
This House budget improves academic outcomes, reduces childhood trauma, and will finally tackle the long-term growth in costs at the Department of Corrections. Relative to the budget introduced by the Governor, we have eliminated roughly 80% of the deficit, and the PFD will almost certainly be reduced further to pass a balanced budget. I'm also a strong supporter of additional revenue, including the highly digitized businesses tax that just passed the State Senate and can now be considered by the House.
Unfortunately, leadership of the Senate Finance committee has created a draft budget that would continue defunding kids’ health and perpetuate continued growth in prison costs. Every year I’ve been here, there’s been some crisis that has prevented us from tackling the primary challenges facing the state. I’m tired of continually defunding kids’ programs while shoveling tens of millions of dollars into rising prison costs.
For the last decade, Alaska has declined as school funding has collapsed, and we’ve spent ever more money on PFDs and prisons. Alaska is at dire risk of becoming a residence of last resort.
It’s time we changed course, and the House budget before us would finally make Alaska more competitive and a better place to raise a family.
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