Alaska Senate passes special education funding and Palmer judge bills

The Alaska Senate unanimously passed two House bills Wednesday aimed at special education services and court backlogs in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough.

House Bill 246, which increases funding for the Special Education Service Agency, passed the Senate 20-0. The bill changes the agency's allocation formula from $23.13 to $26.89 times the number of students in average daily membership for the preceding fiscal year.

Sen. Löki Tobin, D-Anchorage, carried the bill on the Senate floor and said the agency provides special education services in Alaska school districts. The House had passed the bill 40-0.

The Senate also voted 20-0 for House Bill 262, which adds one Superior Court judge in the Third Judicial District. Sen. Matt Claman, D-Anchorage, said the new judge would serve in Palmer.

Claman said Palmer's four Superior Court judges have the highest caseload per judge in the state, about 680 cases each, compared with a statewide average of about 450. He said adding a fifth judge would reduce the Palmer caseload to about 540 cases per judge.

Sen. Shelley Hughes, R-Palmer, said the backlog affects constituents waiting on probate, family law, divorce, child custody, and other cases without strict legal deadlines.

Both bills adopted effective date clauses without objection and were returned to the House for the next step toward the governor.