Rep. Kerttula’s Juneau Newsletter: Catch the Wave – Responsible Stewardship of the Oceans

Living in Juneau, I am reminded every day how important the health of the ocean is to our community and our state. The ocean contributes to Juneau’s spectacular beauty and amazing recreational opportunities and supports commercial fishing and tourism, which are both important parts of our economy.

I’m proud to be able to dedicate this newsletter to recent advancements in our responsible stewardship of the oceans.

Thank you for reading my newsletter. I enjoy hearing from you, so please stop by the office, call, write or email.

House Joint Resolution 10 “Ocean Acidification Research”

“Supporting expanded research concerning the detrimental effects of ocean acidification.”

House Joint Resolution 10 recognizes the threat ocean acidification poses to Alaska’s marine ecosystems, tourism industry and fisheries. The resolution supports research of ocean acidification to understand the effect ocean acidification would have on Alaska’s economy.

Democrats Call on Governor to Make Stronger Commitment to Education

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.

Rep. Kerttula’s Juneau Newsletter: Coastal Management Hearing Scheduled

I’m excited to announce a hearing on the coastal management initiative. Read below for more information.

I’m also including links to a couple of guides for you – one for citizen participation in government and another of frequently called numbers.

Thank you for reading my newsletter. I enjoy hearing from you, so please stop by the office, call, write or email.

Democrats Push for Hearing on Oil Tax Credit Accountability

“Alaskans need to know what we got for our four billion dollar North Slope investment”

JUNEAU – Today, House Democratic Whip Berta Gardner (D-Anchorage) called for a hearing on two bills designed to provide Alaskans more information on the State’s North Slope investments. The bills will help Alaskans know if our massive investments are meeting our twin goals of more oil in the pipeline and more jobs for Alaskans. Recent testimony puts the state’s investment at over $4 billion over the last five years.

Democrats Work to End Unlimited Campaign Spending

Legislation would make Alaska a leader in national effort to rein in big-money politics

(JUNEAU) – Today, 13 House and Senate Democrats introduced legislation aimed at scaling back rules allowing corporations, wealthy donors, and unions to spend unlimited amounts of money, sometimes in the millions, to get candidates elected. Companion resolutions (HJR 33 and SJR 13) introduced today in the Alaska House and Senate call for a federal constitutional amendment to reverse the Citizens United case that opened the corporate and union campaign spending floodgates. A separate House bill would return Alaska’s right to limit corporate contributions by making corporations not considered “persons” for purposes of Alaska election law.

Rep. Kerttula’s Juneau News: Education is Our Future

I was disappointed when the governor listed education sixth in his State of the State address.

Alaska must make education a top priority. This really came home to Juneau last week with the announcement that 66 positions would be cut from our Juneau School District. The House Democratic Caucus is working hard to stop cuts like this.

Education and vocational training are the keys to opportunity, and I’m excited about the legislative package the House Democratic Caucus has this year. We are working to improve Alaskans’ education opportunities from their preschool years until they join the workforce and beyond.

Democrats: Today’s Resources Build Tomorrow’s Opportunity; Democratic Response to the State of the State shows vision for Alaska

JUNEAU – In her response to the governor’s state of the state speech tonight, House Democratic Leader Beth Kerttula (Juneau) told Alaskans that Alaska must use today’s resources to build tomorrow’s future.

“You’ve elected us to lead, and it’s our job to lead in a way that honors Alaska’s courageous spirit by using today’s resources to build tomorrow’s opportunities,” said Rep. Kerttula.

Rep. Kerttula’s Juneau News: First Day of Session Pictures

Here are some pictures from the first day of session – a busy but fun day!

I enjoy hearing from you, so please stop by the office, call, write or email.

Rep. Kerttula’s Juneau News: Capitol Shows Signs of Life as Session Approaches

Taku Task Force Meetings, Prefiled Legislation Released

We’re just 11 days away from the beginning of the second session of the 27th Alaska State Legislature. Today the cross-gulf ferry arrived with several legislators and staff aboard, the first wave of “leggies” that will soon fill the halls of the capitol building. What was yesterday a sleepy building with only a few offices open on each floor is now buzzing. Boxes of computers and office files will soon fill the halls as everyone unpacks for the session. It is an exciting time of year and I’m looking forward to seeing everyone and getting to work!

Last night, the Taku River Fact Finding Task Force formed by the Juneau Legislative Delegation met for the first time and I’ll share a little about that and future meetings with you in this newsletter.

Today, the first batch of prefiled legislation was released for review and I’ll give you a link and some highlights.