Demonstrators rally in show of support for Legislative veto override, more funds for Alaska schools

Demonstrators came out to make their voices heard at the Alaska State Capitol on Saturday, as lawmakers returned for a special session, and urged a “yes” vote to override Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s veto of more than $50 million in funding for Alaska’s K-12 schools.

As legislators were set to gavel in at 10 a.m., about a dozen protesters lined the hallways to advocate for legislators overriding the veto, with signs reading “vote like your kids live here,” “vote to override” and “fund public education!” 

One protester was Peter Sidmore,a middle school teacher in the Juneau School District, where he graduated in 2019.  

“It’s impressive how much the system in town has degraded in the six years since I graduated, just due to lack of funding. And I’ve been pretty present to see all of that, because we did have a fairly robust school system, and it’s really changed,” he said. 

Sidmore said that last year, the consolidation of Juneau’s two high schools was especially hard on students. This year, it’s the continued climate of uncertainty, he said. 

“That’s the hardest part. When we have a direction and we know what we’re getting, and we know what we can do, we can prepare students to an extent, but it’s the indecisiveness, it’s the back and forth that really, really is hard on students. Yeah, you hear that in education all the time. It’s just, you want to have a plan, even if it’s not the best,” Sidmore said.

McLain Sidmore, standing with him holding a sign, works for an education nonprofit in Juneau. “I see classes seem to be getting bigger every year,” McLain Sidmore said. “Teachers are being moved around until weeks into the school year; there are students not getting the services they need. And just parents are stressed. Kids are stressed. Teachers are stressed.”

Eric Antrim, an engineer with the U.S. Forest Service, as well as a member of the National Federation of Federal Employees, NFFE Local 251, held a sign reading “education is our future.” 

“I benefited from a public education growing up, and that was good enough to get me into engineering school and to perform well,” he said. “And I want our Legislature to act responsibly and pay it forward. They all benefited from safe schools and good schooling, and they shouldn’t be taking that away from the next generation.”

Debra Craig, a 43-year-resident of Juneau, said she worked in state government in social services. “So I have a fairly deep understanding of the challenges that people face when they don’t have adequate resources,” she said. “And education is like a fundamental resource that people need to be able to get ahead in the world, to be able to survive, to be able to just exist adequately.”

Craig said she’s concerned about the quality of education in Alaska, especially the lack of civics education and understanding of government. “Alaska is one of eight states that doesn’t require students graduating from high school to pass a civics test. And I think all of that is showing up throughout the United States in our national politics and our state politics,” she said. “So we need to support education. We need to support civics education so people understand what their government does, and doesn’t do for them.”

Outside the Capitol, a rally kicked off at 11 a.m with a crowd gathered to join a national day of action, and to support public education in Alaska. More than 300 demonstrations were set to take place on Saturday, part of a “Rage Against the Regime” protest against the Trump administration and threats to democracy, due process, and civil rights and freedoms. 

Speakers condemned the Trump administration’s actions on immigrant communities, public services and higher education, and they called for solidarity to continue protesting the president. 

“Public schools are democracy’s tools!” the crowd chanted. 

Just after 1:30 p.m., legislators voted to override two of the governor’s vetoes, including for school funding. A handful of demonstrators in the hall cheered senators after they left the house chambers.  

“It was great. We were very happy,” said Pat Race, a demonstrator who was standing outside the House doors. He’s a Juneau-based filmmaker and illustrator, and a product of Alaska schools. “There was a lot of clapping and then shushing of the clapping, because they were still working on things. But both veto overrides were a really big deal. And it was really nice to see them come through,” he said, referring to legislators also voting to override a veto of Senate Bill 183, a bill to require reports on oil tax settlements.

“And afterwards,” he added. “It was a sunny day in Juneau, and I fled the building for a celebratory taco.”