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Hello,
There
has been a lot of activity in the Capitol. Many of my bills are
advancing, the budget is taking shape, and serious discussions
continue about the future of the AKLNG project.
Last
year, you may have seen reports that Glenfarne would reach a final
investment decision (FID) by the end of 2025 and that no legislative
action was needed to get there. Today, the message has changed. Some
are now arguing that enabling legislation is essential to move the
project forward. This has been a fascinating development.
At
the center of this debate is the issue of how much property tax
authority should remain with local municipalities like the Kenai
Peninsula Borough?
The
House version of the bill preserves local control, allowing
communities to negotiate tax agreements directly with Glenfarne. So
far, the Senate version has taken a different approach, imposing a
statewide system that redistributes revenues to areas with far less
direct impact than the Kenai Peninsula.
Nikiski
alone will host 43 percent of the project’s total value. This
development will fundamentally reshape our community. It is essential
that the costs and impacts are borne by the project itself and are
not shifted to the residents of Nikiski and the broader Kenai
Peninsula.
The
outcome of these negotiations will have lasting consequences for our
region and our state.
Beyond
multigenerational megaprojects our society has shifted immensely with
the advent of smartphones and social media. Our children are
struggling with the ill effects of addictive apps, and we have a
responsibility to act.
Alaska
is facing a youth mental health crisis that is unfolding on the
screens in our kids’ pockets. Senate Bill 262 would prohibit children
under 16 from holding social media accounts and prevent platforms
from pushing algorithmically recommended content to users under 18.
It is a practical response to harms we can no longer ignore.
The
data is stark. Nearly 70 percent of teens use TikTok daily, and over
60 percent are on Instagram every day; one in five reports being
online almost constantly. This level of exposure is not harmless.
Heavy social media use is linked to higher rates of anxiety,
depression, and low self-esteem, especially among adolescent girls.
Research has tied image-based platforms to body dissatisfaction and
eating disorder risk, and the U.S. Surgeon General has found that
teens who spend more than three hours a day on social media face
double the risk of depression and anxiety.
These
platforms are not neutral. They are designed to keep children
scrolling through infinite feeds, relentless notifications, and
algorithms built to capture attention. In 2023, a coalition of state
attorneys general sued Facebook/Instagram, alleging the company
knowingly engineered products to hook young users while minimizing
the mental health risks. Meanwhile, excessive use disrupts sleep,
erodes attention, and harms academic performance.
Alaska
would not be alone. States and countries are beginning to adopt
age-based protections recognizing, as we do elsewhere in law, that
children deserve safeguards as they grow. Social media should be no
exception.
Protecting
our children must come before protecting corporate interests. SB 262
puts kids first.
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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