Alaska Matters: Pre-Session Constituent Meeting

Protecting Your Rights: Serving West Anchorage

January 3, 2024

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

Happy New Year! As we enter 2024, the light is returning and our office is gearing up for the legislative session. Our priorities include improving public safety, increasing public education funding, fiscal responsibility, and more. We hope to see you at our pre-session constituent meeting on January 9th to hear your concerns and priorities for the New Year.

Tuesday, January 9th: Pre-Constituent Meeting

Community values are the foundation of our democracy, and constituent participation is essential to our state legislature. Please join me along with Representative McKay (HD 15) and Representative Armstrong (HD 16) for our Pre-Session Constituent Meeting to discuss the upcoming legislative session. Please bring your questions and concerns. We'll be ready to listen and work with you. We'll also be ready to share our perspective on some of the issues we'll address during the session and how you can stay involved. For more information on the event, click here.

When: Tuesday, January 9th, 5:30 to 6:30pm

Where: Anchorage Legislative Information Office (1500 W Benson Blvd), Denali Room

Senate Majority Priorities for 2024

Last week, the bipartisan Senate Majority highlighted our legislative priories for the 2024 session. With Legislative Session set to begin on January 16th, here are a few priorities to keep an eye on.

A Balanced Budget and Fiscal Responsibility: The Governor has proposed a budget with a $1 billion deficit and suggests closing the gap with a $1 billion withdrawal from the State's Constitutional Budget Reserve. The Senate Majority will likely make significant changes to the Governor's proposal to avoid drawing from our state's savings reserves.

Education Funding: Alaska hasn't approved any substantial funding increase for our schools in years. As the costs of maintaining and running our schools continue to rise, we need to raise the base student allocation and invest in students and families.

Energy Transmission, Affordability, and Sustainability: As Cook Inlet Gas supplies dwindle, Anchorage and the Railbelt are facing significant change. The way we legislate for new energy sources and regulate utilities will pave the way for ratepayers far into the future.

Crime Rates are Down

In 2023, national crime rates saw a historic reduction. Across the country, murder rates went down nearly 13% compared to 2022. Analysts say this reduction is the largest single-year decline in violent crime ever recorded.

Experts believe that local increases to police forces, as well as more community partnerships and volunteer programs, may have contributed to the decline. Many also cite the bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which passed Congress in 2022 and was the first legislation addressing gun control in nearly 30 years. The bill provided funds to stop dangerous people from accessing guns across the country, as well as enhanced background checks for gun buyers under the age of 21.

The decline in violent crime comes in sharp contrast to a recently released Gallup poll showing that 63% of Americans believe crime is on the rise.

The 2023 crime rates for Alaska will be released later this year, probably in the fall. Last October, the Department of Public Safety released the 2022 Annual Crime Report. While overall crime rates in Alaska dropped, violent crime, including murder, increased in 2022. We're looking forward to learning whether Alaska experienced a reduction in crime in 2023 that is similar to the national trend.

Improving public safety is important to all Alaskans and is one of my legislative priorities.

Community Events

Mark your calendar for these upcoming events:

Anchorage First Friday

Enjoy the First Friday of every month in Downtown Anchorage! Support local businesses bringing you art, food, music, fashion, and fun! ANCFirstFriday.com helps spread the word about events and publishes a map for each First Friday.

When: Friday, January 5th, 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM

Where: In person at participating stores downtown. For a full map of events, click here for more information.

Spenard Community Council

When: Wednesday, January 3rd from 7:00 to 8:00 PM

Where: In person at Spenard Recreation Center (2020 W 48th Ave). Click here for more information.

Sand Lake Community Council

When: Monday, January 8th from 6:30 - 8:30 PM

Where: In person at Sand Lake Elementary School (7500 Jewel Lake Rd). Click here for details.

Turnagain Community Council

When: Thursday, January 11th, from 6:30 to 9:00 PM

Where: Online only via Zoom. Click here for more information.

Please note a correction from last week: Turnagain Community Council will be meeting on January 11th, not January 4th.