News: Bipartisan Bill to Stop Political Attacks in Publicly-Funded Alaska Election Pamphlet Passes Committee
February 10, 2015
Juneau – Today, the House State Affairs Committee passed House Bill 13 to eliminate the language in state statutes that allows political parties to include up to 2 pages of material in the official Alaska Election Pamphlet. Last year, some of that space was used for a negative ad. Reps. Les Gara (D-Anchorage) and Bob Lynn (R-Anchorage) are seeking the repeal of the section of state statutes that allows political ads in the election pamphlet.
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NEWS: House Passes Bi-partisan Bill to Make Alaska Native Languages Official State Languages
April 16, 2014
Today, the Alaska state House of Representatives voted to make each of the Native languages in Alaska an official language of the state. Supporters of the legislation in the House galleries broke into applause upon passage of the legislation (HB 216).
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NEWS: Gara, Kawasaki Introduce Bi-Partisan Redistricting Proposal
February 26, 2014
JUNEAU – Today Representative Les Gara (D-Anchorage) and Representative Scott Kawasaki (D-Fairbanks) filed a constitutional amendment to end Alaska’s process of partisan, one-party-controlled redistricting. If passed and ratified by Alaskan voters, the bi-partisan redistricting legislation would let Alaska join nine other states with either non-partisan or bi-partisan redistricting, according to a report by the legislature’s Legislative Research Services.
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NEWS: Bi-Partisan Bill Would Honor Tlingit Elder, Create Walter Soboleff Day
January 10, 2014
Today, legislators from Southeast Alaska introduced bi-partisan legislation (HB217) to set aside November 14 of each year to honor the life and work of Dr. Walter A Soboleff, a revered Tlingit elder who passed away in 2011 at the age of 102. Representative Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins (D-Sitka), Representative Peggy Wilson (R-Wrangell), Representative Cathy Muñoz (R-Juneau), and Representative Beth Kerttula (D-Juneau) are co-prime sponsors of the legislation.
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NEWS: Bi-partisan Work Leads to Housing Solutions, Vibrant Communities
June 26, 2013
Rep. Gara Applauds signing of bill to lower housing costs and help local businesses
Today, Representative Les Gara (D-Anchorage) applauded the signing of a bill that will make it easier for the Alaska Housing Finance Corporation to build affordable housing and vibrant communities in Alaska. Rep. Gara co-authored the legislation with Representative Mia Costello (R-Anchorage), which they co-sponsored, after a business in his downtown district called his office concerned about a law that was forcing it to close a popular community restaurant at Inlet Towers.
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