March 31,
2015
Taber and Joy with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Alaska came out for my birthday. In lieu of gifts, donations were made to BBBS of Alaska. |
Dear Neighbors,
Thank you to everyone who attended my Birthday Fundraiser at HooDoo Brewing Company and legislative update at Raven Landing. It was great to reconnect with many Fairbanks friends and contribute to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Alaska.
With 19 days left in the 90 day legislative session, we have lots of work ahead. The conversations from last weekend will help guide many of my decisions as your representative in the weeks ahead.
Working in my Kuspuk! |
The Senate Finance Subcommittees closed out at the end of last week and they are a mixed blessing. The University of Alaska budget was increased slightly and the WWAMI medical school is restored. However, that’s where the good news stops. The Senate Majority eliminated all state funding to public radio essentially decimating the main news source for numerous rural communities and a favorite in Fairbanks. Additionally, the Senate undid some of the work we did in House Finance by eliminating the funding for broadband service to all corners of the state. This is an essential service that decreases costs of education, health care and most other state services.
Voice your Opinion! |
Last week, Legislative Finance Director David Teal gave a presentation called “Fiscal Reality - Exploring Scenarios to Reclaim Budget Solvency."
His presentation included a review of various “tools” the Legislature has to attain a sustainable budget. An interesting fact he shared: If the state chose to eliminate all governmental departments, we would still be operating under a $1 billion deficit.
Under our low oil production and price, other sources of revenue have been discussed including increasing fees, motor fuels taxes and reducing state support to local communities.
Watch the presentation here.
Voice Your Opinion: How to Offer Public Testimony
The laws we write in a committee room will be felt far and wide and that is why an important part of governance is ensuring the public weighs in on critical legislative issues. With a short 90-day session, bills move quickly through committees. It concerns me that the public doesn’t have much notice of opportunities to testify. Here are some tips on how you can stay on top of the issues that matter to you and provide your testimony:
1. Track Bills: You can sign up to receive email updates when bills you are interested in have a status change.
2. Contact Committee Chairs: This is a great way to encourage the committee chairs to hear specific bills you are interested in. You can also submit written testimony to the committee chairs as well as sign up to provide verbal testimony via phone or in-person.
3. Call Me! My staff and I can always help you connect with the right people at the right time. Or, I can personally carry your personal testimony to committees.
I encourage you to watch the hearings on television on Gavel to Gavel or on the internet at http://w3.legis.state.ak.us/.
Please stay tuned for further updates!
Working Hard for Fairbanks Families,
![[SIGNED]](../../images/signatures/31.gif)
Representative Scott Kawasaki
Alaska State Representative
City of Fairbanks |
