Giessel-Newsletter

Dear friends and neighbors, I’m wishing Diane Holmes all the best as she transitions temporarily to PA. Great community picnic celebrating Diane’s huge contributions to the policies for Hillside Anchorage. Former Assemblyman John Weddleton and community member Joan Diamond led the event. Diane’s input will be missed while she’s away in PA!

Dear friends and neighbors, The Farmers Markets are open and chock full of delicious, fresh produce! Markets provide access to healthy foods, produced right here in Alaska, by Alaskans. Produce freshly picked here is more nutritious than the already weeks-old food shipped in to our grocery stores. Alaska Grown food cost is competitive with our various

Dear friends and neighbors, Tim Bradner (Alaska Economic Report) reports steel prices are 60% higher than estimated for 10-mile segment of Kenai power transmission line upgrade, equaling $1.5 million increase cost. What will the remaining 31-mile segment cost (original estimate $55.3 million).

Dear friends and neighbors, The Legislature will be meeting in Special Session beginning August 2, based on a “call” by the Governor.

Dear friends and neighbors, It’s so great to get out in our trails, lakes, and rivers on these sunny days! Fortunately one of the sunny days was on Juneteenth holiday. (Photo: Rabbit Lake with my 2 fur children.)

Dear friends and neighbors, Education Funding and a Veto Override Clearly, the biggest recent news is Governor Dunleavy’s unprecedented veto of education funding. The veto is not unexpected but its still dumbfounding to see this attack on our children and our future.

Dear friends and neighbors, I really wasn’t expecting an “every 2 week newsletter” to be this long but I keep seeing things that it seems you would want to know!

Dear friends and neighbors, At 9 AM this morning, the Joint Session of the 34th Legislature voted (46-14) to override the Governor’s Veto of the Education Bill (SB 57). The last time a Governor’s veto was overriden was under Governor Sarah Palin in 2009.

Dear friends and neighbors, Budget work is a mystery unless you know the system. Here is “Budget Conference Committee 101”

Dear friends and neighbors, I will be sending out a couple newsletters as things happen fast in the remaining 6 days: Budgets. Bills. Vetoes.