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Hello!
Spring
is here, and things are really heating up in Juneau. You see it
already on the Kenai too! Construction crews out, equipment moving,
action happening. The Sterling Highway Safety Corridor east of
Soldotna is finally getting the attention it deserves. It’s long
overdue.
I’ll
be back on the Kenai this Thursday, March 26th. I’m very
excited to be in town, even if for just a bit. We’re holding a town
hall from 5 to 7 PM at the Kenai Legislative Information Office. I
hope to see you there.
Kenai
Peninsula roads in winter should be clear, safe, and reliable.
Period. If we’re serious about getting rid of brine, and many people
want that, we need to be serious about giving DOT the tools to do the
job right. In the DOT budget subcommittee, we’re pushing hard for
sound budgeting, smarter spending, better results, and real
accountability.
Hospitals
like CPH in Soldotna are being crushed by uncompensated care. These
costs are driven by government inefficiency and guess who pays? You
do. Higher insurance premiums, higher bills. It’s out of control.
We’re working on solutions to improve the performance of the guardian
program within the Department of Administration to bring those costs
down and restore some common sense.
Many
of my bills are moving and gaining traction. SB 259 will put limits
on runaway property tax assessments protecting homeowners from being
taxed out of their own homes. SB 278 stops the state from dumping
education costs onto local governments. We’re not going to let that
happen.
Last
week, we had a strong hearing on the Grand Jury bill SB 270, and the
message was clear: Alaskans want judicial accountability, and they
want their constitutional rights respected. For too long, the power
of the investigative grand jury, something that is right there in our
Constitution, has been ignored, sidelined, and frankly, denied.
That’s not right. I’ve been working on this issue for years, going
back to my time on the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly, where we
passed a resolution supporting these very principles. We’re building
on that work now.
During
the hearing on SB 270 dozens of smart, passionate Alaskans made it
clear there’s more work to doto secure the rights of citizens to
present to investigative Grand Juries . Momentum is growing, and more
of my colleagues are starting to understand just how important
investigative grand juries are. Grand Juries are about restoring that
power to the people where it belongs. They’re about transparency and
about giving citizens the ability to investigate wrongdoing when
government won’t act. People are tired of being told to sit down and
stay quiet. They want a voice, and they deserve one.
I
am honored to be your effective advocate in Juneau. Please contact my
office when you have ideas or concerns by calling 907-283-7996 or by
email at sen.jesse.bjorkman@akleg.gov
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