Rep. Doogan in Juneau: SPECIAL FAREWELL TO A DEAR FRIEND EDITION
April 13, 2012
Carl Gatto, 1937-2012
In a building full of people known for their superhuman capacities for hot air and occasional hyperventilation, it’s rare that something happens with the power to suck the air out of the building. The passing of a very good friend, Rep. Carl Gatto from Palmer, has done just that.
Carl’s death hit the Legislature very hard this week, and I know it took a heavy toll on me. Carl came to the House of Representatives in 2003, and I joined a few years later. I liked him from the start. There are a lot of reasons for that.
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Rep. Tuck’s Community Connection: Protecting Our Oil and Gas Future and Goodbye to a Great Alaskan
April 11, 2012
There are only four days left in the final session of the 24th Alaska legislature and there has been talk of an extended or special session to deal with unfinished business. Numerous bills are now in danger of failing due to lack of movement during the regular session. However, if we do go into extended or special session the main focus is sure to be primarily on oil taxes.
To make sure you have the facts about the oil tax issue, I have dedicated my recent newsletter to compiling the best information available.
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Note from Rep. Gara: Mourning the Loss of a Great Legislator: Rep. Carl Gatto
April 11, 2012
Yesterday Alaska lost a great legislator, and a great family man. He was a friend of mine and of many. Carl Gatto, a fiercely independent Palmer Republican, fought prostate cancer for roughly a decade, and, though spry and active until very recently, passed away after bravely battling a month of rapidly declining health.
Carl and I had a running joke. We were both born in New York, and in our first year as legislators, voters, administrators who sent us our hiring packets, and many others got us mixed up. For a year I got blamed for his votes and he got blamed for mine - which we kidded about. I claimed the confusion got him votes because people thought he was me; he claimed it got me votes because it was obvious people thought I was him. He was probably right.
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Rep. Kerttula’s Juneau Newsletter: Budget, Texting and Girl Scouts
April 6, 2012
There are nine days left in the 90-day legislative session. In this newsletter, I’ll give you an update on the budget and some information about a great bill banning texting while driving. I’ll also share my thoughts on some unfounded concerns about the Girl Scouts.
Thank you for reading my newsletter. I appreciate hearing from you, so please stop by my office, call, write or email.
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Rep. Doogan in Juneau: SPECIAL I’M THINKING ABOUT MAKING A RUN FOR IT EDITION
April 6, 2012
Four bills Nine Days = Chaos
Nine days from the scheduled end of the session and we’re sending House bills to the Senate. Not to be too inside about it, but that means one of two things: 1) those bills are D-E-D dead; 2) we are going to be here longer than 90 days.
All the talk here is about option #2. Here’s why.
There are four important bills left: the operating budget, the capital budget, the bill to greatly expand the power of a new agency to build an in-state gas pipeline (HB 9) and the bill to hand more money to the oil industry (SB 192).
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