JANUARY 22, 2015

Representing District 17:
Midtown, University, and East Anchorage

I Answer to You!

Contact my office:
State Capitol Bldg., Rm 430
Juneau, AK 99801
(907) 465-4939
(800) 465-4939
 
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EMAIL: Rep. Don Young

Back to Session
Oil Prices, and Budget Deficits, and Marijuana! Oh My!

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

Tuesday, January 20th marked the first day of the 29th Alaska Legislature and it is looking to be a very interesting first session. Our caucus has grown by 30%; we have a new governor with ambitions to expand Medicaid, providing insurance to 40,000 Alaskans. And, oil prices have dropped to $49.50 greatly reducing Alaska’s revenue stream and helping to create a $3.5 billion deficit. But before I start talking about the rough days that we will have to weather, I would like to start with some good news!

A Growing Caucus

I know I have said it before, but I am very excited to welcome three new members to our caucus! Adam Wool (D-Fairbanks), David Ortiz (I-Ketchikan), and Matt Claman (D-Anchorage) are great additions and I look forward to working with them on all the issues facing Alaska.

First caucus meeting of the year	Swearing in with Reps. Tarr, Gara, and Drummond

Budget Deficit

Alaska faces some tough times ahead. This is not a deficit that we can simply cut our way out of. There will have to be difficult discussions about other possible revenue streams. With the exception of very modest increases to fees, I will fight the imposition of new revenue sources from the people of Alaska, themselves.

To give you an idea of how difficult it would be to cut our way out of this deficit, I’ll use an example from my colleague, Representative Kreiss-Tomkins. If we were to completely cut out all the funding for the University of Alaska ($938 million), Medicaid ($693 million), and K-12 education ($1.3 billion) we would still have a budget deficit of $500 million. Think about that.

Luckily, Alaska has $11 billion in budget reserves to help us weather these bad times, but that doesn’t mean that we can just sit back on our laurels. We must come together and get a hold of wasteful spending and discuss other possible revenue streams.

Marijuana

One of those potential revenue streams comes in the form of a recently passed voter initiative legalizing the use of recreational marijuana. There will undoubtedly be a lively discussion about how that legalization process will proceed, but the people have spoken and it is our jobs as elected representatives to listen to them. Again, while I personally had concerns with the Marijuana Initiative, I intend (as I am required and out of respect for democracy) to fully support honoring the initiative.

Office News

From left to right: Ian Laing, John Church, and Richard Anderson

This year I welcome some new faces to the office. Ian Laing has served the State of Alaska in various ways for many years. Ian started as a staffer and then eventually moved his way into the executive branch (Department of Revenue) where his knowledge of oil and gas issues was invaluable. He will serve as my aide on the House Resources Committee and I could not be happier with this hire.

Former intern-turned-staffer John Church joins my office here in Juneau. Last session he served as the office intern and I hired him following the conclusion of session. He is a great worker and is always looking to learn and I welcome that enthusiasm.

Richard Anderson from Juneau is serving as our intern this session. Richard was very involved during the previous session, particularly on the Native Languages bill. He is an Alaska Native Languages and Studies major and is one of the most dedicated interns in the capitol. If you call or come by the office you are likely to be greeted by him!

VIP Visitor

My wife, Donna, visited the capital city for a long Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend. It was our pleasure to meet the Governor at the AFL-CIO reception the night of her return to Anchorage. Sadly (for me), while she was able to stay in Juneau during the 2013 legislative session, she has returned to her work as a 2nd grade teacher. I will see her when I can on weekends back home.

I Answer to You!

Sincerely,

Representative Andy Josephson
State Capitol Bldg. Room 430
Phone: 907-465-4939