Hello again from Juneau. We have completed the first thirty days of this session. We have all dug in and are working very hard. With significantly lower projections for oil prices and production, our state is confronting its first budget deficit in many years, and the need to constrain spending is very clear. There is a growing sense of urgency at the legislature this session, and we will face one tough decision after another as we build and review the budgets for the coming fiscal year and beyond. Many worthy programs and projects across the state are competing for the same funding. We will be doing our best to keep spending within the state’s means which equates to a leaner budget than the past 7-8 years. We have all gotten spoiled and everyone is coming to the legislature requesting funding but unfortunately many projects won’t get funded.
Hopefully many of you heard our House Majority Caucus’ Five Guiding Principles press conference that we held on Friday. Those five guiding principles are: Affordable Energy, Building a Strong Economy, Fiscal Responsibility, Education Reform and Workforce Development and Healthy Communities. I believe that we are on the right path to fulfilling many of these principals with bills that are currently before us in the Legislature.
Briefly recapping a few bills and their relationship to our principles:
Affordable Energy & Building a Strong Economy: HB 4 is paving the way for an instate gas pipeline; HB 15 reduces regulatory burden on small businesses; HB 35 would provide low cost home heating conversion loans; HB 39 is about power cost equalization for our rural communities and HB 47 seeks to ensure responsibility in bringing lawsuits against permitted projects.
Fiscal Responsibility: HB 30 would ensure that every state agency is periodically audited to be sure they are providing fiscally responsible services that meet the agencies core obligations. HB 71 would extend the date of the AK Regional Economic Assistance Program; HB 72 determines if Alaska has an oil tax regime that is fiscally and competitively accountable now and in the future.
Education Reform & Workforce Development: HB 17 provides for reductions in principal loan amounts for students that remain or come back to Alaska; HB 21 gives rural school districts the option for a 4-day school week; HB 31 adds an American Constitutionalism History course to the required curriculum; HB 41 provides for forward funding of Education; HB 93 revises the current statute for approval of charter schools.
Healthy Communities: HJR 5 opposes genetically engineered salmon; SB 22 would strengthen our court system in punishing sex trafficking crimes; SB 37 extends the Suicide Prevention Council to continue their vitally important role in our communities.
I have mentioned only a few of the many bills that are before the Legislature. There are more bills to come that will join those I have already mentioned; many are in the drafting phase, so stay tuned.
If you would like further information or are interested in commenting, please contact my office or view the complete details of any bill on the State Legislature website in the BASIS system. I appreciate hearing from my constituents.
I would like to take a moment to thank WISH for honoring Ketchikan’s four outstanding Women of Distinction for 2013– Charlotte Glover, Tris Nausid, Elizabeth Nelson & Alma Parker. It cannot be stressed enough how important it is to have role models such as these women in our communities.
That’s the news for this past week.
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