Ban Signed Into Law Today
Today, thanks to legislation led by Representative Les Gara (D-Anchorage) and Representative Bill Thomas (R-Haines), Alaska’s strong anti-texting law is officially back on the books. Last year, a number of judges questioned whether the law at the time covered texting while driving, but the new law is clear—it is illegal to text while driving in Alaska.
Read More →Lots of good for schools, but not enough to prevent cuts this year or in the future
JUNEAU – Today, House Democrats claimed a partial victory in the debate over school funding as the House passed a bill that provides far more resources to Alaska’s schools than what the governor proposed. The governor flat funded education and later proposed what was effectively a $10 million one-time increase, far short of keeping up with inflation.
Read More →Rep. Gruenberg bill pays respect in time of mourning by reducing costs, easing red tape
JUNEAU – Today, the Alaska Legislature passed legislation allowing a surviving spouse, next of kin, or other relative of a deceased veteran to get up to four free certified death certificates of the deceased. Families often need a certified copies of a death certificate to process various benefits for which they are entitled as a result of their loss.
Read More →Bill protects Board of Regents from adverse actions of individual members
JUNEAU – Today, the Alaska Legislature passed legislation creating a process for the University of Alaska Board of Regents to remove a regent for cause. The bill is a carefully crafted response to the unfortunate situation in 2007 where a regent refused to step down while being prosecuted for fraud.
Read More →Bill would allow state to prosecute those who plan fires, not just those who set them
JUNEAU – Today, the Alaska House of Representatives passed bi-partisan legislation to protect Alaskans from arsonists and those who support them. The legislation (HB 56) by Representative Carl Gatto (R-Palmer), Representative Max Gruenberg (D-Anchorage) and Representative Bob Lynn (R-Anchorage) adds arson to the list of serious crimes under Alaska’s conspiracy laws. This will allow the state to prosecute people who plan arson in addition to those who actually set the fires.
Read More →Keeping up with inflation allows schools to focus on where to improve, not where to cut
JUNEAU – Today, House Democrats called on the governor to join them in an effort to prevent Alaska’s school districts from having to make more cuts in the classroom due to inflation. The legislators sent a letter to the governor earlier today requesting that he be open to meeting school district needs by increasing the per-student allocation enough to cover the costs of inflation.
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