House and Senate Democrats Express Their Sympathy to Minority Leader
The House and Senate Democrats extend their condolences to Senator Johnny Ellis and his family for the loss of his father Johnny Ellis Sr.. Johnny “Chief” Ellis was a retired Chief Master Sergeant in the Air Force, having served 30 years. His family and friends say they will remember him for his playful wit and outrageous sense of humor.
Memorial donations may be made to the American Lung Association of Arkansas, 211 Natural Resources Drive, Little Rock, Arkansas, 72205.
Senator Davis Comments on Passing of Husband
From “Special Orders” on the Senate floor, Monday, March 8
Senator Bettye Davis (D-Anchorage) returned to work this week after spending time at her husband's side during his final fight against cancer. Senator Davis shared these thoughts with her colleagues upon her return to work:
Thank you Mr. President, I'll be very brief. I just want to say I'm very glad to be back here on the Senator floor. All of you know I've been going through a situation with my husband and he died February 16. I want you to know that I have a graceful heart that I've had as much support as I've had from not only people here but throughout this community and state and my relatives.
To read the rest of the Special Orders speech click here.
Representative Moses's Bill to Aid Workers in Southwest
Alaska Passes House Finance
House Bill 123, sponsored [sponsor statement] by Representative Carl Moses (D-Unalaska), would add the Southwest Alaska Vocational & Education Center in King Salmon to the roster of entities eligible for allocated funding under the Alaska Workforce Investment Board (formerly Alaska Human Resource Investment Council). These entities are not currently among the program participants afforded a regular allocation under the Alaska Workforce Investment Board. In the case of the Center at King Salmon, it is a struggling regional training center in the heart of the worst failed salmon fishery in Alaska. This bill would require the expenditure of no new money, only reallocate whatever funds are appropriated to the program.
 Representative Carl E. Moses |
The Center at King Salmon provides ongoing skill development and retraining services in several areas of potential reemployment for local residents, including skills in the construction trades, energy development, heavy equipment operation, computer hardware, commercial operators' licenses, refrigeration, and welding, just to name a few. The center is uniquely positioned to train the workforce likely needed to support oil and gas development now identified in this region.
The Southwest Alaska Vocational & Education Center has officially been in existence since May of 2002, and between that time and January of 2003, it has served just over 900 students, many of whom have received formal credits through the Bristol Bay Campus of the University of Alaska. The average active student count is about 45 individuals per month.Putting Alaskans First - Moving Alaska Forward
