NEWS: Alaska Independent Democratic Coalition Disappointed Legislative Council Fails to Withdraw Medicaid Expansion Lawsuit
ANCHORAGE – Earlier today, the Alaska State Legislature’s Republican-controlled Legislative Council failed to withdraw its ill-advised lawsuit against Governor Bill Walker over his decision to accept federal funds to expand eligibility for the Medicaid program in Alaska. The Legislative Council, which only includes one member of the minority in the House and Senate, met behind closed doors in Anchorage to discuss the Council’s lawsuit. At the conclusion of the meeting, the Council took no action. The result of this inaction is that the lawsuit will continue.
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NEWS: Alaska Independent Democratic Coalition Welcomes Special Session Focused on Natural Gas Pipeline Issues
ANCHORAGE – On Thursday, Alaska Governor Bill Walker issued a proclamation calling the Alaska Legislature into a special session next month. The governor is asking the Legislature to consider legislation to move a project forward to get the natural gas on the North Slope to market.
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NEWS: Rep. Kawasaki Working to Build Better Relationships with Political and Business Leaders in Japan
FAIRBANKS – Representative Scott Kawasaki (D-Fairbanks) is in Japan as part of the 2015 Asian American Leadership Delegation (AALD) program. From September 25 to October 3, the Delegation will travel to Tokyo and Kyoto to meet with Japanese political, government, business, and non-profit leaders. AALD is funded by the Sasakawa Peace Foundation and implemented by the U.S.-Japan Council (USJC), in collaboration with the National Asian Pacific American Caucus of State Legislators.
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Rep. Kawasaki’s Newsletter: Gas Prices, UAF, and the PFD
Earlier this month, I sent a letter to Governor Walker urging him to investigate high gas prices at the pump across Alaska. We have long seen a high price of gasoline, though an oil pipeline is in our own backyard. In 2007, an investigation by Governor Sarah Palin resulted in an inconclusive correlation between the price of gasoline and the price of crude, especially since crude prices were rising so quickly and refineries were using expensive oil to make gas. However, with the price of oil dropping to the levels of the early 2000’s, it remains a strong curiosity why the price of gasoline in Alaska continues to be the highest in the nation!
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NEWS: Democrats Disappointed GOP Leadership Bypassing Budget Savings
ANCHORAGE – Tuesday, the Chairman of the Alaska Legislative Council officially signed binding legal agreements with two law firms to continue a lawsuit against Alaska Governor Bill Walker over his decision to accept federal funding to expand Medicaid eligibility in Alaska. By signing the larger of the two contracts, the Alaska Legislature must immediately pay $100,000 to a Washington D.C. advocacy law firm.
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