Rep. Kawasaki’s Juneau Note: Alaska’s Nest Egg, PFD to PCG, and Weekend Visit

The Permanent Fund, Alaska’s Nest Egg

The Permanent Fund has been accurately described as Alaska’s Nest Egg. It took our limited natural resource of oil and has turned it into a $45 billion fund that provides annual dividends and helps to build schools and hire police officers. The ‘permanent funds’ of all other states combined is still smaller than ours! And legislators must protect the permanent fund for future generations of Alaskans. Less money from oil revenue and massive tax breaks for big oil corporations will put the permanent fund and PFD’s in jeopardy in the future. I hope legislators and the public are wise about how we preserve our Nest Egg for generations of Alaskans yet to come.

NEWS: Rep. Kawasaki to Host Constituent Meeting March 30

JUNEAU – Representative Scott Kawasaki will host a final town hall meeting of this session in Fairbanks on Saturday, March 30th. The meeting will be held at the Noel Wien Library Conference Room from 11:00 am until 1:00 pm. Representative Kawasaki invites Fairbanksans to a discussion on issues like the budget, oil taxes, education, and energy for the Interior.

Rep. Kawasaki’s Juneau Note: The 3 E’s, SOS!, and Oil Taxes

Dear Neighbors,

My priorities are no secret. Keep Education strong with adequate funding; continue working to advance the Economy through smart policy and good projects that create jobs; and always work towards sustainable and affordable Energy solutions. Education funding in the House operating budget left gaping holes in our curriculum and support of Pre-K to UA. My call continues that the Senate restore this funding as part of their operating budget.

Rep. Kawasaki’s Juneau Note: Big Budget Lacks Direction

Dear Neighbors,

The Operating Budget was on the House Floor this week after rigorous debate before the full body and in the House Finance committee. It passed without my vote. The House Majority chose to leave money on the table that provides real meaningful investments in Alaska: investments in her people.

NEWS: Democratic Amendments: Invest in Education Now, Proven Payoff Later

Even with amendments, total budget would still be less than governor’s

JUNEAU – Today on the floor of the Alaska House of Representatives, Democratic legislators offered a series of amendments to the state operating budget to save Alaska money by investing wisely in its human resources today. If each amendment passed, the total budget would still be smaller than that proposed by the governor.

NEWS: Democrats Move to Restore Education Opportunities for Alaska Students

Budget amendments would stave off teacher layoffs, pre-K cuts, and University class wait-lists

JUNEAU – Today, House Democrats offered a series of amendments to the state operating budget to stave off teacher layoffs, restore preschool funding, and help the University of Alaska meet the demand for its most popular classes.

House Bill 159 Sponsor Statement “Unlawful Use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles”

Link to the HB159 Sponsor Statement from the office of Representative Scott Kawasaki.

NEWS: Rep. Kawasaki Files Bill to Protect Privacy Rights from Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Searches

JUNEAU – Representative Scott Kawasaki (D-Fairbanks) filed legislation today to protect Alaskans from private invasion by unmanned aerial vehicles. The legislation (HB 159) would require that a judicial warrant be obtained before using an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), commonly referred to as “drones” to gather information similar to warrants obtained currently by law enforcement. It would also make it illegal to operate a drone on the premises of another person without the aforementioned warrant.

Rep. Kawasaki’s Juneau Note: TODAY: Operating Budget Testimony Begins

The Budget is a Moral Document

For the first half of the 90-day session, the House has been working diligently in budget subcommittees to learn the needs, challenges and areas for reductions and investments in the state Operating Budget. This budget funds stuff like troopers, parks and recreation, schools and the general, daily operations for our state. We will tackle the issue of a capital budget for roads, rails, runways and energy projects at a later time. Education, protecting our oil wealth, and ensuring adequate health and human services were some of the critical operating budget issues we have been studying.

NEWS: Rep. Kawasaki to Host Constituent Meeting

Fairbanks – Representative Scott Kawasaki will host a town hall meeting in Fairbanks on Saturday, March 2nd. The meeting will be held at the Noel Wein Library Conference Room from 10:30 am until 12:30 pm. Representative Kawasaki invites Fairbanksans to a discussion on issues like the budget, oil tax breaks for big oil companies, education and the rising price of energy.