As your representative,
I am here to listen and to help. Please don't  hesitate to contact me.

Rep.Harriet.Drummond
@akleg.gov

IN JUNEAU
Mid-January to mid-April
(907) 465-3875
State Capitol Rm  112
Juneau, AK 99801

IN ANCHORAGE
May to December
(907) 269-0190
716 W. 4^th Avenue
Anchorage, AK 99501

Voice your opinions!
Here are some way to make sure your voice is heard:

Write a Letter to the Editor
It's the most read section of the newspaper. Submit up to 175 words to the Anchorage Daily News at www.adn.com

Contact the Governor
Governor Parnell's Office may be reached at 907-465-3500, or you can email him at sean.parnell@alaska.gov

You can also visit the state website at www.state.ak.us

Contact your
Congressional Delegation

Senator Mark Begich
www.begich.senate.gov
Anchorage Office
(907) 271-5915

Senator Lisa Murkowski www.murkowski.senate.gov
Anchorage Office
(907) 271-3735

Congressman Don Young
www.donyoung.house.gov
Anchorage Office
(907) 271-5978

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Dear Friends and Neighbors,

Thursday was a tough day on the House floor. The House majority, through sheer force of numbers, rapidly pushed through an operating budget with deep cuts to education and mental health services.

We need to arm people with knowledge.
I introduced an amendment to restore
$2.4 million in Pre-K grants. This wasn’t additional money to go into an already bloated budget, this was simply restoring what the Governor had already set aside for our children’s education.

The amendment was focused on moving education forward in Alaska. I also tried to get $242,500 to restore base funding for the Parents as Teachers program, an early childhood parent education and family support program designed to help rural communities. Every credible study of education has shown that children who attend pre-K perform better, graduate high school and college in higher numbers, commit less crime, earn more as adults, and end up in jail less often. It actually saves the state money in the long run. A modest investment now will provide our state with the future engineers and scientists Alaska will need to remain a player on the world stage.

Another amendment offered was a $60 million dollar increase to the Base Student Allocation, which would have put schools in sync with inflation—something the legislature should have been doing all along. School districts all over the state are making deep cuts to direct student services in anticipation of budget shortfalls; very unfortunate in light of the work that must be done simply to keep our schools on even footing with the rest of the nation.

Even conservative Don Smith, who spearheaded Anchorage’s tax cap initiative several years ago, provided public testimony that says the Governor and legislature have cut school funding to the bone and is “on the verge of harming our schools.”

$250,000 would have restored base funding for the State Training and Education Program (STEP) that provides job training and assistance to Alaskans, but this too was stopped by the majority.

We also tried to amend a nearly $8.4 million cut to the Division of Behavioral Health. Those cuts will affect services for youths with severe emotional problems, suicide prevention, tribal health services, assistance for seniors, and substance abuse treatment. These Division cuts will also eliminate two sexual assault prosecutors, which the State desperately needs. Other money cut was slated to help improve crime labs and much more. We also fought for $689,000 to maintain funding for Therapeutic Courts, a highly successful program that provides extensive substance abuse treatment and holds corrections costs down, but were voted down.

Somehow, among all the cuts to education, job training and mental health services, the majority refused to approve a REDUCTION to the budget of Alaska Aerospace Corporation, another state boondoggle that is soaking up millions and hasn’t launched a rocket in the last two years.

The money that the Legislature decides to spend has a very real impact on the lives of everyday Alaskans and their children. I, for one, want a budget that provides for Alaskans instead of neglecting them.

These are just a few of the many reasons why I could not, in good conscience, vote in favor of this budget.

Thank you,