Sorry I’ve been out of touch for a bit. As you may know, I had to leave Juneau a few days into special session for surgery, which turned out great. I’m on my way home today - to the relief of my nephews who’ve been humoring me, and listening to me gripe about the Red Sox for two and a half weeks. They’re Yankee fans. Booo!
Read More →Due to the Governor’s announcement tonight that he is withdrawing his oil tax bill, public testimony on HB 3001 set for the morning of Thursday, April 26th, has been cancelled.
Read More →Well good news doesn’t usually come in the hospital. But that’s where I am, and where I got the good news that the Governor signed my bill seeking to maintain and enhance the cherished right of Alaskans to access our fishing streams, so public access remains for this and the next generation.
Predictions are that surgery went well, but it will be a little bit before we know for sure. What we do know is all the cancer is gone - thanks for all the well wishes. That’s the good news. It will take a little time to find out if there are any side effects.
Read More →Well, a flurry of bills passed the last 24 hours of the regular legislative session. I’ll give you the highlights and low lights, and a short preview of special session.
I’m able to write now that my blood pressure is back to normal. What caused the rise? The few legislators who pride themselves on blocking good legislation out of pure partisanship and animosity. Would anyone outside the Legislature (or Congress where the same stuff is done) really make the state a worse place just because you’re trying to block legislation by an “opponent” – or trying to make your opponent’s election chances worse? It’s a sick part of the legislative process that, I’m happy to say, most legislators don’t tolerate. But the few that do make life, and the state, worse for the rest of us.
Read More →Yesterday Alaska lost a great legislator, and a great family man. He was a friend of mine and of many. Carl Gatto, a fiercely independent Palmer Republican, fought prostate cancer for roughly a decade, and, though spry and active until very recently, passed away after bravely battling a month of rapidly declining health.
Carl and I had a running joke. We were both born in New York, and in our first year as legislators, voters, administrators who sent us our hiring packets, and many others got us mixed up. For a year I got blamed for his votes and he got blamed for mine - which we kidded about. I claimed the confusion got him votes because people thought he was me; he claimed it got me votes because it was obvious people thought I was him. He was probably right.
Read More →We have a number of priorities that have passed, may pass, or are on life support but could pass in the next 14 days. One of our priorities is NOT an extended Special Session that takes us past the voter-approved 90-day session. And when I say “special,” I mean it in the way an irritated woman in a bar calls an annoying drunk guy with unending and bad pickup lines “special.”
I think we can get our work done on time, but I’m one of sixty votes. I won’t detail these bills, but this week there will be a constitutional amendment to provide state money to private and religious schools – something I think will detract from needed support for public education, and will vote against.
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