How new, bipartisan Alaska House leadership could impact education funding [Video]

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – In outlining their Alaska legislative priorities, the House’s new bipartisan leadership appears likely to separate themselves from last session’s conservative-leaning majority, who stood with Gov. Mike Dunleavy as he vetoed a compressive education package.

“We have heard loud and clear from Alaskans that we need stable education funding for great schools with small class sizes,” said incoming Speaker Bryce Edgmon, I-Dillingham.

The caucus consists of 21 members, the minimum needed to establish a majority in the 40-member House. It comprises of 14 Democrats, five independents, and two Republicans.

The 19 members who do not belong to the majority are all Republicans.

Edgmon was a member of last session’s mostly Republican and conservative-leaning House Majority, with fellow Bush Caucus members Rep. Thomas Baker, Rep. Neal Foster, R-Nome, and CJ McCormick, D-Bethel.

When it came to education legislation last session, with the exception of a few members, the …