NEWS: Rep. Gara and Rep.-Elect Ortiz Seek to End Excessive Alaska Student Loan Rates
Juneau – Rep. Les Gara (D-Anchorage) and Rep.-Elect Dan Ortiz (I-Ketchikan) are pre-filing legislation to lower Alaska’s exorbitant student loan rate, which negatively impacts students chances for higher education and job training.
“We want to give Alaskans an incentive to bring needed job skills back to the state,” said Rep. Gara, who made it through college thanks, in part, to scholarships, work, and low interest loans. “We don’t want high student loan debt to discourage students from staying or returning to Alaska to work.”
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NEWS: House Lawmakers Seek to Establish Statewide Pre-Kindergarten Program
Juneau – Representative’s Scott Kawasaki (D-Fairbanks), Les Gara (D-Anchorage), Andy Josephson (D-Anchorage), Harriet Drummond (D-Anchorage), Sam Kito III (D-Juneau) and Dan Ortiz (I-Ketchikan) have pre-filed legislation to create a statewide, voluntary pre-kindergarten program to prepare Alaska’s children for entry into the education system.
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Press Conference: Holiday Laptop Drive Launched to Help the Growing Number of Foster Youth in Alaska
(ANCHORAGE) – Today, Representative Les Gara (D-Anchorage) and Facing Foster Care in Alaska (FFCA) are launching a Laptops for Foster Youth Holiday Drive with a press conference at 11 a.m. They will announce the drive, which will be augmented by a recent $20,000 donation, at the Dimond Center in Anchorage. The press conference will take place at the entrance just west of Best Buy. Following the press conference Rep. Gara and Facing Foster Care in Alaska co-founder Amanda Metivier will purchase discounted computers at local stores.
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News: Foster Youth Jail, Homeless, Education Numbers: A Call for Attention
Anchorage – Today, two former foster youth, Representative Les Gara (D-Anchorage) and foster care advocate Amanda Metivier, released sobering numbers for the growing number of Alaska youth in foster care. They are also calling for attention to the over 2,400 foster youth for which the state is the legal guardian.
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News: Rep. Gara’s Public Comments Detail Potentially Excessive Tax Breaks for a Company Seeking “Royalty Relief”
Anchorage - On Monday, Rep. Les Gara (D-Anchorage) filed detailed public comments showing the Nuna oilfield will receive significant, and possibly excessive, tax breaks under little-known provisions in S.B. 21. The Parnell Administration, in its waning two weeks, proposed a roughly $40 million reduction in the royalties Nuna’s current owner, Caelus Energy, would owe Alaskans. The Parnell Administration proposed to change the field’s existing lease terms to include additional revenue reductions at a time Alaska is facing a $3 billion budget deficit.
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NEWS: House Democratic Caucus Celebrates New Administration of Bill Walker and Byron Mallott
Anchorage – Earlier today Bill Walker was sworn in as the Governor of Alaska during a ceremony in Juneau. During that same ceremony Byron Mallott was sworn in as Alaska’s Lieutenant Governor. The 13 members of the House Democratic Caucus send congratulations to the new Governor and Lt. Governor and pledge to work with the Administration to solve the pressing problems facing Alaska.
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