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jenn.gifford

Join Us: Upcoming Town Halls in Fairbanks!

Kawasaki-JuneauNote /

The midway point of the session passed last week, and the remaining two months will move very quickly. House Bills and Senate Bills are exchanged as they go through the bicameral legislative process. I will try to keep folks updated back home through social media and these e-newsletters. I am also hosting an upcoming Town Hall event in Fairbanks! If you have an immediate question, comment, or suggestion, you can always contact me directly at the office at 907.456.7423!

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NEWS: Legislature Passes Bipartisan Bill to Improve Election Integrity, Increase Transparency, and Expand Access Across Alaska

Press, Wielechowski-Press /

Juneau, Alaska — Today, the Alaska State Legislature passed Senate Bill 64, comprehensive bipartisan legislation to improve election integrity, increase transparency, and expand access to voting for Alaskans across the state. The Senate Rules Committee, chaired by Senator Bill Wielechowski, D-Anchorage, sponsored the legislation. SB 64 makes targeted updates to Alaska’s election system to ensure

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On the Kenai: Weekly Legislative Update for March 17

Bjorkman-OnTheKenai /

Hello! Under our state constitution, grand juries have always had two important jobs: deciding whether criminal charges should move forward and independently investigating issues affecting public safety and welfare. Senate Bill 270, which I sponsored, would modernize Alaska statutes and court rules to ensure that grand juries can effectively fulfill both constitutional functions.

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I’m Coming Home!

Kawasaki-JuneauNote /

The Legislature will approach the half-way mark, day 60, on Friday of this week. For now, we remain on schedule to conclude on time on May 20th, but that can change with the rise in oil prices due to the war in Iran. In fact, the recent debate in the State House has been whether to balance the budget on the war-driven oil prices or to conservatively use the state savings account or Constitutional Budget Reserve fund. As you know, oil prices can rise or fall and ‘hope’ is not a sound budget principle.

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The Supplemental Budget and the Constitutional Budget Reserve

Claman-AKMatters /

Dear Friends and Neighbors, This week, the Senate unanimously passed the Supplemental Budget to fund transportation, wildfire and Western Alaska disaster response, and the Higher Education Investment Fund. This $373 million appropriation will fill a deficit in the current fiscal year and will be paid from the Constitutional Budget Reserve with other increased expenses paid from

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