Mat-Su’s Sen. Yundt was as key vote in overturning governor’s veto of funding for schools, bringing $7.1 million to Mat-Su

Mat-Su Senator Robert Yundt was a decisive vote this past Saturday in the state Legislature’s override of Governor Mike Dunleavy’s veto of $500 million for Alaska schools including those in the Mat-Su Borough School District (MSBSD).

The override will bring about $7.1 million in additional funds to the hard-pressed school district above what would have been provided, had the veto stayed in place.

However, it will basically amount to the same funding the state provided last year for the FY 2025 MSBSD budget that ended June 30, according to John Notestine, spokesperson for the Mat-Su school district.

But Mat-Su school costs have continued to rise with utilities, insurance, staff salaries and general inflation, so for the FY 2026 current budget year that began July 1, the district is back in the red again by about $10 million, Notestine said.

In Juneau, the dramatic vote in a Joint Session of the Legislature on At Saturday nullified Dunleavy’s action and barely met the required 45 votes to overturn a budget veto. The “yes” vote by Yundt, a Republican, allowed the override to squeak through.

Yundt is becoming known for his independent streak in sometimes taking positions different from other legislators in Mat-Su.

However, he wasn’t the only conservative Republican senator to vote for the override. Senators James Kaufman, R-Anchorage, also voted to undo the governor’s veto.

The two other senators in Mat-Su’s three-member Senate delegation were “no” votes against the override. These included Senators Shelley Hughes, who was in Juneau and cast a vote, and Mike Shower, who had commitments to his job as a commercial pilot. Not being physically present Shower counted as a ‘no’ vote.

All of the Mat-Su’s state House delegation, members of the House Republican Minority, voted to support the governor’s veto of funds and against the override.

Most of the Republican legislators in the Senate and State House who voted “yes” to support the override are Republican moderates who are part of the coalition majority organizations in both bodies. Some conservative House Republican Minority members voted for the override, however. These included Reps. Dan Saddler, R-Eagle River, and Julie Coulombe, R-Anchorage.

In a statement, Hughes said there was more to the issue than funding.

“Sometimes, votes on the floor don’t tell the whole story. A ‘no’ vote today like I made to uphold the governor’s veto of $50 million in school funding was actually a ‘yes’ vote for a package (of proposals made by the governor) reinstating the $50 million for the BSA, adding another $51 million in targeted funding to student outcome-based strategies, and providing annual inflation proofing of 2 percent,” Hughes said.

Overall, funding for schools would come out ahead but this would be part of a deal to accept the governor’s other proposals.

Three education bills were introduced by Dunleavy on Saturday that the governor said were strategies for boosting academic achievement, and were tied to the $51 million in additional funding for districts. The governor also indicated his support for “inflation proofing” school funding, and these items could be accomplished during the special session with his support once the bills were passed.

“The majorities, however, did not express interest in taking up these bills at this time,” Hughes said.

She said that the “package offer” the governor made is specific to the special session. “Any assumption that it would be available in January during the regular session after the override occurred today is pure speculation and risky.”

The senator went on to say: “When an offer is laid on the table, we should always be smart and savvy in how we proceed, but even more so when it involves students and teachers. With more than 70% of our students below grade level in most schools across our state, I am extremely disappointed and surprised the majorities chose to walk away from policies and funding to help them.”

“Regardless of the veto overrides, it is both saddening and disappointing that the legislative majorities seem to have no interest in considering meaningful education policies that would improve outcomes for our students,” said Cathy Tilton, House Minority Whip, who represents Mat-Su District 26.

The House and Senate have now adjourned the special session until August 19. “The leadership of the two Majorities declined to say whether work on the governor’s education bills would be taken up at that time,” Hughes said.