April 4, 2014

Dear Neighbors,

There are sixteen days left in the 28th Alaska State Legislature and there is a lot of big legislation still on the table.

Bills to Follow

Numerous proposed constitutional amendments are still being hotly debated including those regarding school vouchers, the Judicial Council and enshrining the Permanent Fund Dividend in the Constitution. I am extremely wary of opening our Constitution to amendments without serious due process and deliberation on the ramifications of such an action.

Additionally, the LNG Export Bill, SB138, is still in the Resources Committee and I’ve been fighting hard to ensure Fairbanksans get their fair share of natural gas to keep their homes warm through the long winter months. We need to be careful when considering such hefty legislation and pass only those bills that will benefit all Alaskan families. I am cautious to support a bill that hasn’t addressed in-state use as a primary goal and I’m afraid that gas will pass us by to foreign markets, similar to the oil flowing down the Trans-Alaska pipeline in our backyard.

The Capital Budget will be introduced over the next two days and public testimony will be held on Saturday beginning at 12:00pm at the Fairbanks LIO. The Capital Budget contains key infrastructure items like roads, rails, runways and schools. Unlike the Operating Budget, this budget is usually for one-time, big ticket items instead of the day-to-day operations of government. In lean times, we often have to make significant cuts to this budget. After meeting with colleagues regarding key Fairbanks projects, I remain very hopeful that funds for schools, roads and the UAF power plant will be in this version of the bill. Stay tuned.

Town Hall Meeting Thanks

Thank you to everyone who was able to make my constituent meeting this past weekend. It was great to see so many friends and neighbors. I always enjoy coming back home and talking with you about important issues facing Fairbanks and the state as a whole. For those who were unable to make it, I look forward to seeing you and discussing your priorities once session has adjourned and I visit you in your neighborhood!

Education Funding Bill Needed Now!

One of the overwhelming concerns for Fairbanksans is education funding, both for classrooms and teachers. The Fairbanks North Star Borough School District is facing large teacher layoffs if funding isn’t increased. Yesterday, the House Finance Committee passed what seems like a terrible version of the Governor’s education bill.

It only contains half of the necessary education funding necessary to avoid cuts. It tinkers with education policy like district cost factors, energy funds, public funds for private schools and makes substantial changes to the retirement system for teachers and other employees. Governor Parnell even said that the part of the Finance bill dealing with the retirement system is ‘immoral.’ I will be fighting with bipartisan support to ensure that students, families, school boards and teachers get the critical funding that they need.

How to Reach Me…

As you can imagine, the last few weeks of session are among the busiest as we set to adjourn until the next Legislature. Your comments and concerns are important to me and I will be reading email, answering calls and responding as quickly as possible. My able staff are also available to answer your questions. It is an honor and a privilege to represent you in Juneau!

Working Hard for Fairbanks Families,

Scott Kawasaki
Alaska State Representative
District 4 - Fairbanks