Note from Rep. Gara: Public Testimony on Budget Tomorrow; Are We Building an Artificial Fiscal Cliff to Tumble Off?
March 4, 2013
Houston, we have a problem! If you’d like to testify tomorrow on the operating budget before the House Finance committee, you’ll need some information, and it’s provided below.
The State seems to be building its own fiscal cliff to tumble over.
How? By creating a $1 – 1.5 billion deficit through a poorly crafted oil tax giveaway. The biggest part of the tax break gives away $1.5 billion or more in state revenue when oil prices are high.
Read More →
Rep. Josephson’s Newsletter: Now is the Time.
March 4, 2013
Tonight, you may listen to Mayor Sullivan’s meeting with Anchorage legislators about public employee retirement programs.
Tomorrow is your chance to testify on the operating budget about important issues like education funding, where the legislature has recently made detrimental cuts to pre-kindergarten education.
Read More →
Note from Rep. Gara: Sarah Redmon: A Profile in Success and a Profile of a BIG Problem in Alaska Fishing Stream Rules
March 1, 2013
It’s easy to think that the laws we pass don’t make a difference. Well sometimes they do. Or at least help those, as in foster youth Sarah Redmon’s case, who just might have moved any mountain-sized obstacles out of her way on her own.
And – I’ll write a short note about a bill we will hear Monday – that weakens Alaska’s ability to prevent developers from taking huge amounts of water from fishing streams that might damage our prized sport, commercial and subsistence fisheries. Yup. This bill (House Bill 77) violates the “promise” we once heard that Alaska would never trade one resource for another. Well, Alaska will, and our fish are coming out on the short end lately. There’s currently an application to take out eighteen million gallons a day of water from a prized western trout and salmon stream, the Upper Talarik Creek drainage off Lake Iliamna.
Read More →
Rep. Drummond’s Newsletter: School Vouchers, Pizza Party, State Operating Budget Testimony March 5
February 28, 2013
Dear Friends and Neighbors,
You may already be aware that earlier this week the Anchorage Daily News published a Compass article I wrote about the School Voucher discussion that is currently taking place in the capital. The Item in question is House Joint Resolution 1 (HJR1).
HJR1 is an attempt to amend the language of the Alaskan Constitution, which currently states: “No money shall be paid from public funds for the direct benefit of any religious or other private educational institution.”
Read More →
Rep. Josephson’s Newsletter: Community Participation
February 27, 2013
What a Turnout!
To all who were at the Anchorage Caucus on Saturday morning, thank you! Along with the other Anchorage legislators in attendance, I heard from 130 local Anchorage citizens. You were out in force on topics such as increasing school funding, capital projects requests, the local labor dispute, and school vouchers. I believe that whatever your issue, state or municipal, it is my duty as your elected official to listen to you and act on your behalf. It was inspiring to hear from so many local residents.
Read More →
