ANCHORAGE, Alaska: Alaska lawmakers were heading for a showdown with Governor Mike Dunleavy on Wednesday to try and stop his bid to slash spending on higher education: A move the state's main university has warned could force it into bankruptcy.
Dunleavy, in his first year as governor, has said his budget vetoes are needed to scale back what he sees as bloated spending, and to cope with a long-term fall in state oil revenues. University of Alaska President Jim Johnsen wrote to students and staff on Friday, warning that the cuts would “strike an institutional and reputational blow from which we may likely never recover".Dunleavy, a former teacher, said the same day he believed the university was resilient and would emerge in a healthier state.