Rep. Kawasaki’s Juneau Note: Constituent Meeting, AWG, 1964 Earthquake Anniversary
We are sprinting towards the end of the 28th Alaska State Legislature and multiple bills are passing the House every day. As of this writing, we have more than 25 pieces of legislation that have passed out of committee and are waiting to be voted on in the House. My office has been working diligently to ensure everything is properly vetted before we vote. It is our duty as legislators to ensure we only pass legislation that is beneficial to all Alaskans and I will continue to work hard for Fairbanks and Alaskan families.
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Rep. Kawasaki’s Juneau Note: LNG, GMOs and Flint Hills
On Tuesday evening, the Senate voted 15-5 to advance SB138, the Governor’s Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) proposal. The House will now have a mere 30 days to analyze the details of SB138, weigh the pros and cons, hear from the public, offer amendments and consider the impact to the state. This hurried pace once again has me concerned with the lack of due diligence that has become far too common this legislative session.
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NEWS: Democrats Move Pro-Job, Public Education and Cost-Saving Budget Amendments
JUNEAU – Today, Alaska House Democratic legislators offered a series of amendments to the state operating budget to improve public education, promote workforce development, and trim wasteful spending.
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NEWS: House Democrats Comment on Withdrawal of Governor’s Controversial Appointee
JUNEAU – Today, Representative Scott Kawasaki (D-Fairbanks), Representative Les Gara (D-Anchorage) and Representative Andy Josephson (D-Anchorage) released the following statements upon hearing Dennis Mandell had withdrawn his name from consideration for the Alaska Assessment Review Board after concerns were raised about his residency, his history of working for the oil industry in disputes against Alaska, and his failure to pay taxes.
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Rep. Kawasaki’s Juneau Note: Measure Twice, Cut Once, Voice Your Opinion, Water Rights Bill, Arctic Winter Games
There has been a disturbing lack of rigorous vetting of bills during this legislative session. Since 2008, the legislature shortened the session from 120 to 90 days. When the change first took place I was a strong proponent. However, experience has taught me that 90 days is simply not enough time for the legislature to thoroughly understand bills or get adequate public input. Recently, we’ve seen a concerning trend where bills only receive one committee of referral, reducing the opportunity for public input and resulting in less scrutiny on the effects to Alaskan families.
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