March 10, 2023 — thread announced its official endorsement of Proposition 14 (Prop 14) the “Care for Kids” initiative in Anchorage. The proposition is a bipartisan-led effort that would dedicate the current local marijuana sales tax to providing affordable child care and pre-kindergarten for children in Anchorage. Prop 14 is being brought before voters on the
Anchorage municipal ballot in April.
The proposal was unanimously approved by the Municipality of Anchorage Assembly earlier this year. If passed by voters, this initiative will:
- Dedicate current revenue collected from local Anchorage marijuana taxes to provide affordable, high-quality child care and early education for Anchorage children. This would be an investment of $5-6 million per year in our young children.
- Lower the tax cap to provide protections for property taxpayers.
- Establish an independent advisory board to oversee the use of the funds.
Prop 14 does not call for a new tax or raising the current marijuana tax rate. It asks for the current revenues made from the Anchorage marijuana tax to be dedicated to early childhood education. Like many Alaskan cities and boroughs, Anchorage is struggling with a lack of available child care. The shortage of affordable child care options keeps hundreds, if not thousands, of parents out of the workforce that want to be working. Prop 14 will help more parents access child care in order to return to the workforce.
Around 7 in 10 Anchorage children don’t meet readiness criteria for Kindergarten. High-quality child care and early education prepares children to learn to read and succeed in school, increases graduation rates, lowers incarceration rates, improves long-term health, and positively contributes to our community. That’s why political and business leaders from different political parties are coming together in support of Proposition 14.
Ballots hit the mail this week. Voters can mail in their ballot or deposit it in one of several secure ballot drop boxes across the city beginning March 14. Information about secure ballot drop boxes and hours is available on the municipal website.
To get involved or learn more about Proposition 14 visit the Care for Kids website.
Read the op-ed by the co-sponsors here.