February 25, 2016 Voice Your Opinions! Letters to the editor make a difference. You can send a letter of up to 200 words (shorter letters are more likely to be accepted) to the Alaska Dispatch News by email (letters@alaskadispatch.com); or by fax or mail (call them at 257-4308). Send letters to the Anchorage Press via e-mail editor@anchoragepress.com or by mail to 540 E. Fifth Ave, Anchorage, 99501. Feel free to call us if you need factual information to help you write a letter. Contact the Governor. The Governor can be reached at 269-7450; or www.alaska.gov. Contact us. My office can be reached at: 716 W. 4th Ave, Anchorage, AK 99501; by phone: 269-0106; visit my website at http://gara.akdemocrats.org; or email: Rep.Les.Gara@akleg.gov

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

I’m a little frazzled from having way less fun than you might think legislators have. (prompt: eye roll because you all work hard too!). But I wanted to get you some information between hearings and meetings, and well, work.

There will be two opportunities to share your thoughts with legislators this week. Tomorrow I will write an update to give you more facts and thoughts about the issues legislators are grappling, or fumbling with (you get to decide which adjective to use!).

This Saturday, while I’m in Juneau working on trying to achieve a fair budget, most Anchorage area legislators will be at the Assembly Chambers at the Loussac Library from 11am to 2pm. I will try to call in to listen.

Next week there will be public testimony on the operating budget (and what I expect to be cuts that go way deeper than just to government waste and unnecessary services). I will give you more information so you can be armed with needed facts when you testify.

Public testimony for people from various regions of the state will occur at your local legislative office buildings on the following schedule:

Monday, February 29, 2016
Public Testimony:
4:00 – 6:00 p.m.* Juneau

Tuesday, March 1, 2016
Public Testimony:
1:00 – 3:30 p.m.* Homer, Kenai, Ketchikan, Kodiak, Mat-Su & Seward
3:45 – 6:00 p.m.* Barrow, Dillingham & Fairbanks
6:15 – 7:30 p.m.* Off Net sites

Wednesday, March 2, 2016
Public Testimony:
1:00 – 4:30 p.m.* Anchorage
4:45 – 6:45 p.m.* Sitka, Petersburg, Delta Junction, Unalaska, Glennallen & Tok
7:00 – 8:00 p.m.* Off Net sites

Thursday, March 3, 2016
Public Testimony:
1:00 – 4:00 p.m.* Bethel, Cordova, Kotzebue, Nome, Valdez, Wrangell
4:15 – 6:00 p.m.* Off Net sites

If you are calling from a community without a legislative information office, i.e., an “Off Net” caller, only call during the designated Off Net time period March 1st, 2nd, or 3rd. Please call 465-4648 by 5:00 p.m. on Monday through Thursday to obtain the call-in phone number.

All Off Net callers are required to hang up immediately after your testimony is taken to keep as many lines open as possible for other callers.  Testifiers can continue to access the meeting on your computer through akleg.gov, click on Alaska State Legislature and then choose the “Live Now” button.  The hearing may be televised on Gavel to Gavel (360 ° North), please check listings.

More to come tomorrow!

My best,