AUGUST 28, 2015

Representing District 17:
Midtown, University, and East Anchorage

I Answer to You!

Contact my office:
716 W 4th Ave, Room 412
Anchorage, AK 99501
(907) 269-0265
 
Click here to write me an email
 
Click here to visit my website
 

  

Write a Letter to the Editor
submit your 175 word letter to the Alaska Dispatch News via e-mail letters@alaskadispatch.com or fax them to 258-2157, attn: letters to the editor.

Contact other elected officials

Governor Bill Walker
907-269-7450
EMAIL: Gov. Bill Walker

Senator Dan Sullivan
907-271-5915
EMAIL: Sen. Dan Sullivan

Senator Lisa Murkowski
907-271-3735
EMAIL: Sen. Lisa Murkowski

Congressman Don Young
907-271-5978
EMAIL: Rep. Don Young

Legislative Update
Around the District & Anchorage Update

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

I hope you are enjoying the last weeks of summer and have found time to explore our wonderful mountains, rivers, beaches, and trails. Good luck to all of the students returning to school! I have been walking around the district lately talking to constituents and “taking the temperature” of the district. If there is something on your mind and you want to talk before I make it to your neighborhood please feel free to reach out to me!

Around the District

During the past week I attended two events that I want to give attention to, as well as bring your attention to an upcoming University Lake event. The first was the community cleanup and renovation of David Green Park. The newly installed playground equipment is child friendly, very safe, and contemporary with a unique walrus motif. It is a great improvement to the community and I hope you can all take the time to visit it at 36th Avenue and MacInnes.

Also this week Senator Gardner and I presented the UAA Women’s Basketball team with a state citation commemorating their amazing season last year. In case you didn’t know, last season the UAA Women’s team put together a 17 game winning streak, set a school record with only two losses, compiled the third most wins in program history (29); and set the program record for highest win percentage. Sadly, their season was cut short in the first round of the NCAA Division II West Regional Championships, but they will be back again. You can count on that!

***

On September 10th, the Municipality will be holding an open house for the University Lake Park Master Plan. The open house will be held at the BP Energy Center (900 E Benson Blvd) from 5:30-7:30pm. You can view the flyer here and an overview of the master plan here.

Legislative Council v Governor Walker

Yesterday, Judge Pfiffner heard oral arguments from both parties and their lawyers but declined to give a ruling from the bench. The Legislature was seeking a court order that would stop Walker’s administration from acting unilaterally to expand Medicaid under provisions of Obamacare to newly cover up to 40,000 low-income Alaskans.  If the order is not granted, expansion is set to take effect Sept. 1. Today, Judge Pfiffner ruled against the order allowing Governor Walker and his administration to move forward with enrollment starting Tuesday. It is a small victory on the way to making sure that all Alaskans have access to affordable healthcare!  Expansion will cost the people of Alaska zero dollars through January 1, 2017.

Over the past few weeks there have been multiple commentaries submitted to the various newspapers about whether the Governor can unilaterally expand Medicaid. I recently put in my two cents on the topic in a commentary piece to the ADN. You can read it here.

Closures Around Anchorage

President Obama and many other VIP’s are in town to attend the GLACIER Conference at the Dena’ina Civic and Convention and with that comes some increased security measures. The ADN provided a list of closures that will start August 31. You can read that list here and view Municipality maps of the closures around the Captain Cook Hotel and the Dena’ina Center.

As always, please call or email with any thoughts, ideas, or concerns.

I Answer to You!

Sincerely,

Representative Andy Josephson
Anchorage LIO Room 412
Phone: 907-269-0265