JANUARY 22, 2016  

Legislative Session Begins

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

We’re set up in Juneau and ready to go!  All eyes are on the legislature this session as we address the need for a fiscal plan.  The good news is we did plan for this day with savings and we have assets.  No one predicted oil would drop to recent record lows of $26 so there is a reasonable sense of urgency.  I believe that if the Legislature works together we can come up with proposals that work for Alaska.  I want to reassure you that I will be working overtime with my colleagues to come up with a solution that is fair to all Alaskans.

Our area is a moderate to low income area and some are barely making ends meet now, working two and three jobs to get by.  What compounds the problem for some in our area is that other suggested budget cuts to important social safety net programs like heating assistance, Senior Benefits or Medicaid will affect their everyday lives.   I have to make sure that any proposals don’t put people out on the streets.  When considering any proposal, I remind myself that the last census in Mountain View counted 39% of households as earning less than $25,000 with 19% falling below the poverty line.

My commitment to you is that I will do everything I can to keep you in the know about all proposals.  I will be eager to hear from you as we move through the session.  Next week’s enews will have a summary of all of the bills introduced by the Governor, what he’s calling the New Sustainable Alaska Plan (NSAP).  If you want to review the legislation before then, take a look at this web page. 

Top and bottom: Mt. View neighbors and volunteers work together to shovel snow and ice.

Martin Luther King Day of Service Outing in Mountain View

On Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (MLK Day), the Anchorage NAACP Youth Council and the Alaska Chapter of the Sierra Club partnered together to initiate a joint outing program in Mountain View. The objective of the outing program is to strengthen the unity of the community, educate the young people about climate change, bridge barriers, and move closer to equality and justice.

Local neighbors gathered together along the Mt. View streets to help clear many winter walkways that resulted in safer environments for our neighbors. Though the weather was cold and the workload was quite rough, volunteers were able to shovel and de-ice two roads over eight blocks.  Neighbors were involved in helping clear the streets and gave a sense of how a diverse community came together for a greater cause.

Team Tarr 2016!

Clockwise from top: Thatcher Brouwer, Representative Geran Tarr, Ray Friedlander, Bernice Nisbett, and Seng Her

Introducing:

Thatcher Brouwer – It is an honor to be working for Representative Tarr and the residents of District 19 again this year on issues I care so much about.  I fish commercially for salmon in the summer on my power troller and work for Rep. Tarr during the legislative session.  Work areas: Resources committee, scheduling, Food Waste Resolution, Anti-GMO Salmon bills.

Bernice Nisbett – Alaska has been my home for over 20 years; some of my favorite places are Kodiak, Anchorage, Kotzebue, and Juneau.  I recently completed my master’s in Intercultural Relations and hope to contribute my academic research and communication skills to Representative Tarr’s office. Work areas: Health & Social Services committee, Equal Pay, Paid Sick Leave, and GMO Labeling.

Seng Her – I deeply enjoy conversing with people in many areas of life.  Currently, I’ve been given the opportunity to engage with people of Representative Tarr’s district while exercising the new knowledge I’ve gained in her office.  Work areas:  Community projects and Community Councils.

Hiring Opportunities

Crowley Marine Services, Inc. and the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation are seeking qualified Alaskans to take part in the Alaska Ocean Ranger Program during the summer of 2016. Alaska Ocean Rangers are U.S. Coast Guard Licensed Marine Engineers or individuals with a degree in marine safety and environmental protection or equivalent degree approved by the Alaska DEC, who travel on cruise ships throughout the summer as independent observers monitoring State environmental and marine discharge requirements.  They also check that passengers and crew are protected from improper sanitation, health, and safety practices.  For more details, click here.

How to Stay Connected

We hope that you will stay in touch with us throughout the session, and there are certainly a few ways to do so.  Below are several links to keep you in the loop!

Here are links to the Alaska Legislature and my personal legislation where you can find information on legislators, committees, and bills.

Gavel to Gavel and Alaska Legislative Television are two ways for you to tune into the discussions and see the committee meetings in action.

There is also a way to follow the schedule every week.

Sincerely,

Representative Geran Tarr