Giessel-Newsletter

Dear Friends and Neighbors, I spent Monday through Wednesday at the Alaska Sustainable Energy Conference, 3rd annual, here in Anchorage. Really great presentations on all topics from carbon capture to nuclear. Lots of renewable information. I especially enjoyed the hydrogen topics. Today (Thursday) is the last day.

Dear Friends and Neighbors, This newsletter is later than usual because…my team and I have had a “recovery” day today. Senate floor adjourned at 11:50 PM last night on Day 121 of session. We are pretty tired today as we clean up the office, preparing to close here in Juneau.

Dear Friends and Neighbors, It was an honor for me to carry SB 123, which passed in 2011 with Bipartisan cosponsors and support. It was the first bill that I sponsored and saw passed as a state senator.

Dear Friends and Neighbors, Spring in Juneau means crocus blossoms, buds forming on the rhododendron, street sweeping, and most of all–cruise ship arrivals! Tourists wandering the halls of our Capitol building, admiring the historic materials. The cruise ships are here! The true sign of Juneau Spring. The other day, the population of Juneau increased by

Dear Friends and Neighbors, The Budget – look at the Finance Committee meeting from April 24, when the Senate’s Operating Budget rolled out: HB 268: Appropriation: Operating Budget; HB 270: Appropriation: Mental Health Budget; Presentation: Fiscal Update by Legislative Finance Division

Dear Friends and Neighbors, Last Friday, Alaska Superior Court ruled that provisions of Alaska’s correspondence education law was unconstitutional. The judge declared the unconstitutional elements to be the individual learning plan (ILP); and the allotments of 90% of the Base Student Allocation (BSA) funding to each correspondence student. In the ruling you can read the

Dear Friends and Neighbors, Budget numbers are flying in the House this week, as they debate and amend the Operating Budget on the floor.

Dear Friends and Neighbors, Budgets The House Finance committee continues work on the Operating Budget. The Senate Finance committee puts together the Capital Budget with the very limited remaining funds.

Dear Friends and Neighbors, There’s a large variety of stuff in this newsletter, from education to voting in Anchorage, to Cook Inlet Gas!

Dear Friends and Neighbors, Education Funding I voted to override the Governor’s veto of SB 140 (increase of education funding, additional Reads Act funding, and broadband upgrade with Federal grant funding).