Senate Finance cuts include $100 from education funding
Thursday [April 3, 2013], the Alaska Senate Finance committee moved an operating budget with $700 million in cuts, including a $100 million cut to education funding. Committee members zeroed out state employee pay increases and froze legislative pay. They voted to break the lease on the controversial Anchorage Legislative Information Office. Several committee members said the cuts were hard to make but necessary due to the state's $3.5 billion budget deficit. The budget now goes to the full Senate for consideration.
Recovered surveillance video implicates Bethel police officer in violent arrest
As KYUK's Daysha Eaton reports, the video shows police officer Andrew Reed picking up and slamming Wasillie Gregory to the ground in a store parking lot at least nine times. Reed said he was afraid Gregory was trying to grab his weapon. He took Gregory to the hospital in protective custody. Later testimony about that hospital visit stated Gregory had a dislocated shoulder and possible broken collarbone. But Gregory was charged with disorderly conduct. In exchange for having those charges dropped, Gregory eventually pleaded guilty to harassing the officer. The video had been given to police but was erased and recently restored. The attorney representing Gregory is now trying to get the case reopened to have the harassment charges dropped. Andrew Reed was fired from the police force in relation to charges of domestic violence. Go to KYUK.org for more on this story, and to see the video.