E-Newsletter from AKDemocrats.org
Sen. EllisDemo Memo logoRep. Gardner
"Demo Memo" - A weekly report from your Democratic legislators in Juneau working for an Alaska that is safer, healthier, smarter, and richer.
Please join Senator Johnny Ellis and special guest Representative Berta Gardner this Friday, March 17th at 4:30 pm for the "Demo Memo" on KUDO radio 1080 AM. This is a weekly segment on The Aaron Selbig Show, KUDO 1080's local progressive voice, a chance for Senator Ellis and a special guest to do the week in review...what happened in Juneau, what's going on next week, what bills are moving and so on. The Demo Memo is only broadcast in Anchorage at this point, but we hope it will be available statewide soon.

ACTION ALERT!!!
Operating Budget in House Finance 

The House Finance Committee will hold public hearings on the proposed FY2007 operating budget this week. To learn more about what's in the budget click here.The hearings will be teleconferenced, with a schedule for specific communities to participate at specific times as follows:

Thursday, March 16:
Thursday at 4:00pm for participants in Anchorage.

Friday, March 17 
Friday, public testimony is scheduled for participants from Juneau at 1:30pm and participants from Fairbanks at 4:00pm.

Saturday, March 18
10am: Public testimony is scheduled at 10:00 am for participants from Kenai, Valdez, Ketchikan, Kodiak, Seward, Mat-Su

11:15am: Testimony for participants from Sitka, Wrangell, Petersburg, Homer, Dillingham, Cordova begins at 11:15am.

12:30pm: For participants from Bethel, Kotzebue, Barrow, Nome, Delta Junction, Tok, Glennallen, and Offnet sites, the time to begin is 12:30pm.

(Offnets are areas where there are no LIO's within 30 miles. Call 907-465-4648 for more information. The offnet number is 1-800-395-5073 and will only be available during the scheduled offnet time.)

All testifiers need to sign up at least 30 minutes prior to the end of their scheduled period if they wish to testify. Testimony will be conducted from the local Legislative Information Offices. Public testimony will be limited to 2 minutes per person, and people are welcome to submit written testimony. If you provide written testimony to the staff at the LIO they will make sure that the Finance committee members receive it.

Funding for the K-12 school district programs is not contained in the proposed operating budget.

People wishing to participate should arrive at their local LIO and sign up during the allotted times.  Offnet sites are those communities without an LIO. 
 
Budget amendments will be considered by the Finance committee on Tuesday and Wednesday next week.  Following consideration of the budget amendments the bill will be moved to the floor.  The present thinking is that it will be on the floor for a House vote early the week of March 27th.

Upcoming Events-

Monday, March 13th – Friday, March 17th

Representative Woodie Salmon will be in Fairbanks where he will attend the Tanana Chief's Conference, March 14 to 16 at the Chena River Convention Center. For questions or comments, please call Rep. Salmon at 907-465-4527.

Senator Albert Kookesh will address Tanana Chiefs Conference and Doyon Shareholder's meeting. He and legislative aide Dorothy Shockley will attend the Tanana Chiefs Subregional and Annual Convention, March 13 – 16, where they will meet with 42 of the 127 communities in Senate District C. Senator Kookesh will give the Senate Legislative & Bush Caucus reports to the full Board of Tanana Chiefs Conference and also chair the Resolution Committee. He will then attend Doyon Limited's Annual Shareholders meeting March 17 where he will give the Senate Legislative Report. Both events are being held in Fairbanks. For more information, please call 465-3473.