ANCHORAGE, AK – In yet another attempt to underfund and attack Alaska’s public schools, Governor Mike Dunleavy tried to take advantage of State Senator Forrest Dunbar’s deployment to prevent the state legislature from passing an increase for the Base Student Allocation (BSA). This was a direct attempt to deny Dunbar a chance to vote, thus denying his constituents a voice.
“Let’s be clear, this is one of Dunleavy’s many dirty tricks to prevent the override of his veto for education funding,” said Alaska Democratic Party Chair Eric Croft. “But, this time, he is outright disrespecting Senator Dunbar’s commitment and duty to serve our country in the National Guard, by taking advantage of Dunbar’s deployment. There is nothing Dunleavy won’t try to further his anti-education political agenda, including taking advantage of a legislator’s active commitment to the military. We’re grateful for Senator Dunbar’s service to our country’s security and to Alaska. If not for his dedication to his constituency, we may have seen our persistent efforts to fund education fail yet again.”
Dunbar not only serves his community as a State Senator for SD J, but he also serves our nation as a member of the Alaska Army National Guard. Dunbar was deployed to Poland, which he announced in May, with the expectation of staying overseas for most of the year. But, Dunbar quickly secured an exception to use leave to serve Alaska when Dunleavy called an unexpected Special Session beginning on August 2, 2025, with education funding on the agenda.
“I plan to return to Alaska for the start of the Special Session, and I will be voting yes to override, so that our students have the funds they need to avoid catastrophic cuts to their schools,” said Senator Forrest Dunbar in a statement released on social media.
Dunbar was granted an Exception to Policy (ETP) by the overall commander of the Alaska National Guard that allowed him to use his personal leave time to serve in the State Senate. An exception of this kind is very rare, having to go through four layers of the chain of command, and getting one required considerable time and work.
“Senator Dunbar’s commitment to his constituents and Alaska will not be forgotten,” said Alaska Democratic Party Executive Director Jenny-Marie Stryker. “Dunbar had an excused absence and a valid reason to miss this vote, yet he still fought to come home and is paying his own way to fight for our future, our families, and our schools from Dunleavy’s relentless attacks on public education.”
Dunleavy’s education veto needed 45 votes to be overridden, and the State Legislature successfully overridden his veto with a vote of 46-14 in May. With Dunbar and Senator James Kauffman’s excused absences, that meant Dunleavy could have caused the override to fail in this Special Session if both state senators had not changed their plans. After scheduling the session, Dunleavy went as far as encouraging 19 members of the House’s Republican minority caucus to “stay home” for the first five days in an attempt to reverse the override.
“For folks in the Lower 48 wondering why Alaskans are talking so much about a Governor’s race 16 months out, this is what we’re dealing with,” said former U.S. Representative Mary Peltola in a statement on social media. “Thank you, Senator Dunbar, for serving our country overseas—and then flying straight to Juneau to clean up this mess. Extreme measures to combat extremist politics. Alaskan kids deserve better, and a better way is coming next November.”