Kawasaki-JuneauNote

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

Today is a big day in Fairbanks. It’s Primary Election Day, and it’s the first day of school! To all the students, parents, teachers, support staff and stakeholders, I wish you a successful school year. To everyone who has not yet voted in the ‘pick one’ primary, I encourage you to do so before 8:00 pm tonight.

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

With the start of school in Fairbanks, the nearing Primary Election and with the annual Tanana Valley State Fair in the rear-view mirror Autumn is right around the corner. I hope you and your family have been having a great summer. Continue reading for updates about back to school, upcoming elections and more bills that have become laws as we end the summer.

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

I hope you have been having a great summer! The 102nd annual Tanana Valley State Fair is underway and for long-time Fairbanksans that means a few things: the rain is here; school is right around the corner and the Primary Election is approaching! Since we returned from the legislative session, the office has been busy connecting with the community and preparing for the next regular legislative session which starts in January 2027. My office has also been talking to constituents about the pending Special Session and the Dunleavy tax cut for Glenfarne. Continue reading for additional information about how to vote in the upcoming primary election, the status of the ongoing special session and more!

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

Over the weekend, I drove home from Juneau after the completion of the 2nd Special Session called by Governor Dunleavy. The AKLNG project, which took up two months of the regular session, has entered its final stages and the legislature has been called in for a 3rd Special Session. Continue reading for additional information about the recently adjourned special session, the ongoing special session and bills that the Governor has vetoed in recent days.

Today, I am in Juneau for the special session focused on the gas line. On Friday the House passed its version of the gas line bill and that bill is now under consideration in the Senate Finance Committee and will soon be under consideration on the Senate Floor. The special session is scheduled to end on Friday June 19 after which I will fully relocate back to Fairbanks for the summer.

Today, Tuesday, is the penultimate day of the 34th Alaska Legislature. The House and Senate are expected to adjourn before midnight on Wednesday, leaving only about 30 hours to complete much work. The edition will cover the last few major items expected to be voted on before the end of the session.

The 34th Alaska Legislature is in the final 7 days before the scheduled end of session by the constitutional provision. The legislature can end early, vote to extend up to ten days, adjourn and call ourselves back in to a special session or adjourn at which time the Governor can call us back to a special session of his choosing. It is hard to say what will happen at this point in the process, but I know a lot of lawmakers and staff who temporarily live in Juneau will be evicted by the end of the month!

The Legislature has begun the official springtime in the Capitol with the onslaught of cruise ship visitors sailing up the Inside Passage. In fact, Alaska is going to receive a record number of passengers in 2026 because of an extended season that starts early and ends late and a high demand to visit this place of beauty. As I have said, Alaskans are lucky because we literally live in a postcard!

The Legislature is rounding out the 30 days of the 121-day session here in the State Capitol. As the final month begins to wind down, the committee process does too as only a few bills will continue on their approach to passage. There are many bills that remain in either the House or Senate Finance Committees or are awaiting final passage on the floor or which would be considered ‘dead’ and likely not to pass this year. Of the roughly 700 bills that are introduced in a Legislature, only 100 will end up passing both chambers and then go on to the desk of the Governor for his signature or veto.

The long, Easter weekend allowed me time to meet with constituents at a Town Hall Meeting, the Alaska Children’s Trust Celebration and the Mush for Kids, the Fabulous Feminist Auction and Open Office Hours on Thursday through Monday! The weather has finally turned for the better with sunny skies, chilly mornings and hot days reaching the 40’s! Thanks for making all of my events and meeting with me as the legislature approaches the remaining 36 days of the session that will end on May 21st