JUNEAU – Today, Representative Les Gara (D-Anchorage) released a report showing that, in order to avoid cutting educators a fourth year in a row, Alaska’s six largest school districts need an increase of roughly four times more per-pupil funding next year than the Governor has proposed.
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OK, this will be short. Really. I’ve spent the week writing a detailed document on how the oil giveaway passed last year requires nothing from oil companies in return for their billions in Alaska tax breaks. Giving away billions without requiring anything in return is a fool’s game. And it’s killing our schools.
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JUNEAU – Today Rep. Les Gara (D-Anch) has provided Alaskans with a source of information so they can see how the Governor’s oil giveaway kills Alaska’s ability to fund schools, construction jobs, and basic services. It will be on Gara’s website, with documents, most of which were provided by the Governor’s paid experts and administration officials when they were pushing SB 21. The latest state projections show oil production will fall under SB 21 from over 500,000 barrels a day to 285,000 barrels in 2024.
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Today I filed legislation no party in power would like. It will give you back your vote by eliminating the power the party in power has to gerrymander districts in their favor. This hasn’t been a monopoly of Republicans, though they gerrymandered Alaska’s lines most recently in 2012. Parties have used their majority status to “gerrymander” districts, to try to pre-determine election results, since Governor Elbridge Gerry did it in 1812.
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There’s still quite a bit of work to do on the budget, and your input is needed. If you live in Anchorage, testimony is Tuesday from 4:15 to 5:45. The temporary legislative information office (LIO) is located at 733 W 4th Ave, Suite 100 (right across the street from the former location). You must sign in to testify, and testimony is limited to two minutes per person. A list of testimony times and days for people around the state can be found below.
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