Hi! The Alaska Memo is a political newsletter by me, Matt Acuña Buxton, focused on Alaska politics with a dash of Anchorage and a smattering of everywhere else. At the heart of it, my mission is to explain not just what happened but why it matters, bringing in the context and background that I’ve amassed in more than a decade of reporting in Alaska.
Deep Dive: The flaws in Dunleavy's two-tier education system
The governor's proposals would leave most students out in the cold in educational environments that are both figuratively — and literally — condemned.
Deep dive: Let's be honest about Dunleavy's two-tier education system.
Behind all the rhetoric that neighborhood schools must do the impossible with less, what Dunleavy is proposing is a system that funnels what little funding he will support to the few — while leaving everyone else to fight over the scraps.
New Year, New Platform and a New Session of Hope
A new home for a new year.
Dunleavy prepares to slash public school funding in fight for half-baked policies
But leave it to Dunleavy to kill a unicorn.
Oversight bill seeks to address 'serious and ongoing problem' with oil tax transparency
The Dunleavy administration's secrecy has created a troubling blind spot where legislators cannot say for sure that Alaska is getting what it rightfully should.
Legislators salvage an education bill as the clock ticks down on the session
As the final days of the session approach, hopes give way to what's doable.
19-1
Just when things looked doomed in the wake of Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s school veto standing, the Senate reached and passed a breakthrough deal that ostensibly addresses the two main complaints around funding schools: It has policy and a way to pay for it.
33-27
A lot can change in a few months, and even more can change in a year.
Dunleavy's education bill alternative would be a boost for some, a cut for the rest
It's Friday, Alaska! In this edition: As expected, GOP Gov. Mike Dunleavy delivered his second veto of what legislators hoped would be a much-needed funding lifeline for public schools on Thursday. Instead, he's pushing to get his way with policies and targeted funding that will see
House passes budget that needs more work, approves cellphone ban that doesn't ban cellphones
There's still a long way to go on the budget.
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