Week One Update

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

Welcome to the second edition of Claman’s Alaska Matters newsletter. This newsletter will be one of the many ways you can find out what is going on in our State Legislature, how pending legislation may affect our district, and my thoughts on various subjects. Feel free to follow my office on social media with the links above for day-to-day happenings in the Alaska State Legislature. Enjoy!

Marijuana Legislation

 
Rep. Claman answering press questions about marijuana legislation and the budget

The Legislature is dedicated to implementing Ballot Measure Two in a manner consistent with the Alaska voters’ intent. The approach taken in the first draft bill, HB79, allows for a defense to marijuana possession and sales and, in doing so, presumes guilt instead of innocence. If that dynamic was the voters’ intent, the initiative would have been written differently. The ballot measure states that “the use of marijuana should be legal for person 21 years of age or older.”

It appears that a majority of both the House and Senate Judiciary Committees oppose the approach in the draft bill. I expect an amended version of the bill, or a completely new bill, will be introduced in the near future so that the legislature can timely consider legislation before the February 24th effective date of the initiative. Read more here.

In considering legislation related to the legalization of marijuana, I will work to make sure that our statutes and regulations are consistent with the voter’s intent.

The Budget

Governor Walker delivered his State of the Budget Address last Thursday. In short, there will be budget cuts and it appears that everything, including public education funding, is under consideration. Watch in your mailbox for a constituent survey where you can let us know your budget priorities.

Gunnar Knapp, Director of the Institute of Social and Economic Research (ISER) at UAA, gave a great presentation about our current fiscal situation. You can watch that here. These are some main takeaways:

• ISER has not taken an “official” position about how to manage our budget
• All of the economists at ISER probably agree that some cuts are needed
• Alaska should carefully address the State budget in the larger context of strengthening Alaska’s economy

Constituent Meetings

 
Rep. Claman with constituents last weekend at Tastee Freez

When I am home in Anchorage on weekends during the session, I will be available to meet constituents at local establishments.

This Saturday, January 31st, I will be at the Rustic Goat on Northern Lights from 4:00-5:00pm on the second floor. Please stop by for a cup of coffee or tea, share your thoughts and concerns, and hear more about what’s happening in Juneau.

Local Events and Announcements

Sincerely,

    Rep. Matt Claman

    P.S. follow me on Facebook and Twitter
    P.P.S. Check out this video of the drive to Juneau (via a ferry from Haines)

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