 Representative Gara and Senator Ellis working for you in Juneau! |
2006 Mid Session
E-Newsletter
From Rep. Les Gara and Sen. Johnny Ellis
Dear Friends and Neighbors:
The second half of the 24th Legislature began on January 9th. With oil tax reform, a substantial budget surplus, and a potential gasline deal, this can be an historic session. We’ll keep working to try to reach a resolution on these issues that serves the public fairly.
We are working hard to make sure Alaskans get the best deal possible on oil tax reform. We also feel we should be responsible with our spending, save a substantial portion of our surplus, and provide much needed property tax relief.
A gas contract should protect our interests, provide gas to our communities, and include a binding commitment to build a pipeline.
We’ll continue to push those education reform ideas that can make the biggest difference for our next generation.
We’d like to hear your thoughts while we’re in Juneau. You can find a more detailed summary of issues we’re working on at our website, www.akdemocrats.org, and if you would rather contact us in our offices, just give us a call at (800) 330-3704 (Sen. Ellis) or (888) 465-2647 (Rep. Gara).
Sincerely,
 Senator Johnny Ellis 888-330-3704 |
 Representative Les Gara 888-465-2647 |
| P.S. As always, it is our honor and privilege to serve you. |
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Ellis & Gara: Working for a Competitive Economy
A strong university and vocational education system can help improve our economy, and make it work for all Alaskans. That's why we've supported construction of a new Integrated Sciences Center at the University of Alaska Anchorage. And it's why we support legislation to make financial aid available to all Alaskans who wish to continue with college and vocational education at the University of Alaska, and other state learning centers. We've called for a strong improvement in what is still unfortunately the nation's least generous financial aid system. Cost should never be a barrier to those who want to learn and improve their job skills.
Our 30-year old science facilities at UAA are inadequate, and don't provide space for the students who need them. They create a bottleneck that prevents students from advancing in such critical fields as nursing and engineering. That hurts students who have future aspirations, and hurts an economy that's short on nurses and other professionals.
SB 99, which Senator Ellis has sponsored, and HB145 co-sponsored by Rep. Gara provide for the funding needed for the Integrated Science Center, and would allow the University to break ground on the project as early as this year.
Senator Johnny Ellis |
Representative Les Gara |
Keeping in Touch! |
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Working for a Safer, Healthier, Smarter and Richer Alaska
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Here are a few of the bills we're pushing this year to protect our privacy, strengthen our economy, and improve our schools and communities: |
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