Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy has issued budget vetoes which will lead to major cuts across multiple Alaska services, including health programs, broadcasting, social service programs, and the university system. In total, the budget cuts add up to over $400 million, including a devastating 41% cut to the University of Alaska (UA).
The University of Alaska includes three campuses across Alaska and educates almost 30,000 students, as well as employing many staff members who now face termination of employment as a result of these cuts.
UA President Jim Johnsen has warned staff and students of impending loss of programs and potential campus closures. In a statement made Friday, Johnsen compared the veto to a bomb, saying, "If not overridden, today’s veto will strike an institutional and reputational blow from which we may likely never recover."
Alaska residents have also expressed concern as to where the money is going. Each year, every man, woman, and child who has lived in Alaska for the past year, intends to continue living in Alaska, and has not been incarcerated during the previous year receives a Permanent Fund Dividend, often of between $1,000 and $2,000. Dunleavy intends on increasing the PFD to over $3,000, presumably using money cut from other areas, such as the University.
Share This Article
