Dan's Dispatch

Thank you to everyone who spoke up during public testimony on the budget in House Finance last week. I need to hear from you in order to do my job, and I was incredibly impressed with the straight-forward, intelligent, and passionate comments that the residents of Wrangell provided. There were more people in Wrangell who testified than all other District 36 communities combined! You all have been the most effective political advocates for any community. The top three issues brought to our attention were: staffing woes in the Office of Children Services, the threat of closure for the Office of Fish and Game, and protecting the Alaska Marine Highway System. I will continue to work on these issues. I am working with the Department of Health and Social Services, the City of Wrangell, and the legislature to implement an additional OCS caseworker or social worker in Wrangell. The Fish and Game subcommittee that I chaired did NOT accept the Governor's proposal to cut the Fish and Game office in Wrangell, and I plan to hold fast on that decision. Lastly, the Department of Transportation subcommittee added $18.7 million to AMHS funding in order to increase service next year, which I support. Once again, thank you Wrangell. I appreciate your overwhelming testimony in support of your community, and great job making your voices heard. If you want to tell me more, you can always email me at Rep.Dan.Ortiz@AKLeg.gov or call my office at 907-465-3824.