JUNEAU – Today, the Alaska House of Representatives concurred on House Bill 114, which the Alaska Senate amended on May 17 to include the Alaska Reads Act. The Alaska Reads Act includes universal, voluntary pre-K, a reading intervention program, and an increase to the Base Student Allocation (BSA) for the first time since 2016. Members of the Alaska State legislature issued the following comments: 

“This is a win for all Alaskan children. Through countless hours of work and committee hearings, I am proud of this accomplishment by the Alaska legislature,” said Senate President Peter Micciche, (R-Soldotna). “We cannot sit back and continue to think that doing nothing will improve education. Passing the Alaska Reads Act will improve Alaska’s educational outcomes and give every Alaskan student a chance to start school ready for success.”

“I am very pleased that the House was able to complete the process of this landmark legislation. This will improve education outcomes for decades to come,” said Senator Roger Holland, Chairman of the Senate Education Committee, (R-Anchorage). “Through a bipartisan effort, we have provided the tools for all Alaskan children to be ready to read by nine.”

Working collaboratively across party lines, the Alaska Reads Act is a bold move in education,” said Senator Tom Begich, (D-Anchorage). “I am proud of the work of both education committees. I am thankful for the energy and efforts of our education stakeholders. I am honored to have walked beside these student-centered advocates to bring forth the single largest investment in Alaska’s most valuable resource, our children, in years.”

"Tonight, the Alaska State legislature passed legislation focused on the early learning career of children to ensure students can read proficiently by 4th grade. The passage of the Alaska Reads Act is the result of years of hard work by stakeholders across the state to improve educational outcomes,” said Representative Chris Tuck, (D-Anchorage).

For more information, please contact Noah Hanson, Senate Minority Communications Director, at 907-465-5319, Leona Long, Senate Majority Press, at 907-465-4066, or Mike Mason, Staff to Representative Tuck, at 907-465-3579.

###