E-News No. 10
April 6, 2013

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

If you do not wish to receive future emails from Rep. Drummond, click here.

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

Giving a floor speech arguing against changing teacher tenure.

Over the years I’ve watched the end of session rush of bills from afar on Gavel to Gavel, so I thought I had a pretty good idea of what I was in for when I came down to Juneau.

Now that we are down to the wire and I am in the thick of it, I can tell you it’s even more hectic on this end!

We are having House floor sessions every day now. One night this week we didn’t adjourn until after 11p.m.

The House Resources Committee debated the Governor’s Oil Wealth Giveaway until after 1a.m. on Wednesday night and managed to make it even worse than the original bill by adding an amendment that lets oil companies perform their own audits rather than the State.

It reminded me of a Greek saying that translates roughly as “The mischief-makers of the night see daylight and laugh.”

The House also pushed through a bill that will make it even harder for Alaska teachers to get tenure. We already recruit nearly 70% of our teachers from the Lower 48 and have a hard time with teacher retention. Making it harder for teachers to acquire tenure is not a solution to our education problems.

It’s a fallacy that teachers can’t be fired for poor performance; the school district already has a system of due process in place to do so. Ignoring basic education funding for the last four years and going after tenure is not the way to improve student performance in Alaska.

I am very passionate about this issue and I do not agree with some of the bills that are flying through the House right now.

Alaskans statewide stood up to the Governor’s Oil Giveaway this week. On Thursday, hundreds of protesters joined together from across the state and showed that we will not stand for a massive giveaway to the largest corporations in the state.

Rallies were held from Homer to Bethel, with hundreds showing up in Anchorage and Juneau. The message is clear – the current tax bill is not a solution. It’s a giveaway. I urge you to continue to stand up for Alaska. Call legislators, write letters to the editor, and talk to your neighbors about what is going on.

Thank you,

Harriet Drummond

Hundreds of people showed up at the Capitol
to rally against the Governor’s giveaway

Representative Bob Miller stopped by
to see who’s occupying his old office.

Mark Your Calendar!

Video Club

Alaska Teen Media Institute (ATMI)
Do you like making movies with your friends?
Do you want to learn shooting and editing techniques?
The experts from Alaska Teen Media Institute (ATMI) come to Teen Underground every Tuesday to host this free video making club. All teens 12-18 are invited!
Pick up a camera and create your own movies!

Every Tuesday 3:30-5:30
Teen Underground,
Z.J. Loussac, Level 3
3600 Denali St.

facebook.com/teenuground
anchoragelibrary.org