Note from Rep. Gara: Work Across Party Lines Will Solve Budget Impasse Better Than Barbed Wire
May 21, 2015
Below, and linked here, is an Op-Ed I ran today in the Alaska Dispatch on the status of Special Session. I’m working hard, and will offer a few words beyond what could fit in that Op-Ed, which I wrote in part to set the record straight on a few statements I’d seen in the paper by legislators who likely wrote in the heat of the moment. That’s understandable.
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Rep. Guttenberg’s Newsletter: Special Session, Bennett Road and Fire Safety
May 20, 2015
Despite the governor’s call for the special session to take place in Juneau, the Speaker of the House has called House members to Anchorage on Thursday for a full floor session. It is unclear what this action means in terms of the special session coming to a close, or even the legality of the actions taken in Anchorage.
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NEWS: Legislation to Protect Children from Sexual Predators Hijacked by Senate Education Committee
May 20, 2015
ANCHORAGE – Wednesday, the Senate Education Committee passed a new version of a bill that includes Erin’s Law, which is a proven tool to prevent child sexual abuse. House Bill 44 also included language calling on public schools to teach students about how to prevent dating violence. The new version of the bill was amended by the Senate Education Committee, at the behest of Senator Mike Dunleavy (R-Wasilla), to bar organizations like Planned Parenthood from teaching students about sexuality or sexually transmitted diseases. It also requires school districts to get parental permission before students can take classes about human reproduction or sexual matters. The new version of House Bill 44 also eliminates requirements for schools to offer college readiness tests.
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NEWS: Erin’s Law Public Hearing Tonight in Anchorage
May 19, 2015
JUNEAU - Tonight, several Democratic lawmakers are hosting a public hearing on Erin’s Law, which Governor Bill Walker included on the call for the ongoing First Special Session of the 29th Alaska Legislature. Erin’s Law would require youth be taught a personal body safety curriculum that gives them information to keep them safe from child sex abusers. Representative Geran Tarr (D-Anchorage) has been a champion for Erin’s Law and introduced legislation to implement the law the past two years.
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NEWS: Alaska Independent Democratic Coalition Ready to Work to Solve Budget Impasse
May 18, 2015
ANCHORAGE – Today, Governor Walker announced his intention to veto the portions of House Bill 72 that deal with fiscal year 2016. This is due to the fact that the House and Senate Majorities passed a largely unfunded budget, which could result in a shutdown of state government beginning in July.
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