Protecting Your Rights: Serving West Anchorage

May 16, 2025

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

There are five days left in this year's legislative session and we're working hard in the Capitol. Negotiating a compromise budget between the House and Senate is a priority.

The House recently passed House Bill 78, establishing a defined benefit pension option for state employees. The Senate passed Senate Bill 64, a comprehensive elections reform bill. And on Wednesday, the legislature met in joint session to confirm almost one hundred appointees to state boards and commissions.

Confirmations, Pensions, and Elections

Senators and Representatives together in Joint Session on May 14th

On Wednesday, the Legislature met in Joint Session to consider 99 appointees to various state boards and commissions. The Legislature confirmed 97 appointees and rejected two. In what appears to be the first time in state history, the legislature rejected one nominee to the State Board of Medical Examiners by a unanimous 0-60 vote. The Governor's appointments included nominations to various boards and commissions including the Board of Fish, the Board of Game, the Marijuana Control Board, the Board of Parole, and many more.

Confirmation of the Governor's appointees is an important part of the balance of power between the executive and legislative branches.

Senate Bill 57 and House Bill 53: Capital and operating budgets

The Senate has passed its amended operating budget and the House has passed its amended capital budget. Earlier today, the Senate approved the House changes to the capital budget, Senate Bill 57. Because each body adopted an operating budget with significant differences, the operating budget is under consideration by a Conference Committee. The Conference Committee, made up of legislators from the majority and minority from both chambers, will negotiate a compromise to the operating budget.

The funding items up for negotiation include the size of the dividend and funding for childcare. Because of fiscal constraints, including lower oil prices, there is limited funding available for discretionary spending.

House Bill 78: Defined benefit retirement system

House Bill 78 establishes a defined benefit pension for state employees in Alaska. Currently, public employees use a 401-K style defined contribution plan that does not guarantee retirement income. Analysis has shown that the current plan does not guarantee enough funds for public sector employees to retire securely.

House Bill 78 and Senate Bill 28 will help address the workforce shortages that a damaging all state departments. With high turnover rates and high job vacancies, the state spends millions of dollars to recruit and retain employees in order to deliver essential state services, including public education, public safety, and public health. The lack of retirement plan is particularly difficult on our teachers, who do not pay into Social Security.

House Bill 78 passed the House 21-19.

Senate Bill 64: Elections reform

Senate Bill 64 reforms Alaska's election systems to ensure accessibility, transparency, and security. The bill is the product of negotiations and collaborations between the Senate majority, minority, and the Governor's office. Measures in the bill include:

Establishing a process for voters to fix mistakes on their absentee ballots, called "ballot curing."
Removing the requirement for a witness signature on absentee ballots. Voters forgetting to include a witness signature is the primary reason for the Division of Elections to reject absentee ballots.
Requires faster publication of election results by establishing absentee ballots to be received within 10 days of an election and allowing absentee ballot counting to begin 12 days before election day.
Establishes cybersecurity protocols and bans the use of artificial intelligence to create "deep fakes" to influence elections.
Cleans up the voter rolls by streamlining the process for removing ineligible voters.

These changes make good progress towards securing Alaska's elections and ensuring every legal vote is counted.

Senate Bill 64 passed the Senate 14-6. It now awaits action in the House.

Community Events

Anchorage Flotilla - Lake Cleanup

When: Saturday, May 17th, 9am-1pm

Where: Cuddy Family Midtown Park

Grab your canoe, kayak, raft, inflatable tube, or waders and join Anchorage Parks and Recreation, Anchorage Park Foundation, Anchorage Waterways Council, and Team Orange for a one-of-a-kind cleanup. Teams will meet at the parking circle for Cuddy Park at the end of 40th Ave. (west side of Cuddy) between 9 and 10 a.m. to pick up maps and supplies and then head out with their boats to clean up the assigned lake.

Sign-up to claim your lake! All registered volunteers will receive a t-shirt when picking up your cleanup supplies!

Learn more and sign up for your lake at https://dash.pointapp.org/events/311331

Ship Creek Clean Up

When: Saturday, May 17th 11:30 am - 1:00 pm

Where: The Bait Shack, 212 W Whitney Road

Join us once again for the 13th Annual Ship Creek Cleanup!

Help preserve the cleanliness and beauty of Ship Creek, and get the banks ready for the 2025 salmon season.

Last year we removed roughly 1500 pounds of trash from the banks of Ship Creek!! Thank you to everyone that came out and pitched in and to those who are coming out to make the 2025 Spring Cleanup even bigger.

What to bring:

- Please dress in layers and dress warm; the temperature is often cooler along the creek.

- Bring rubber boots or waders.

- Wear gloves, such as latex or nitrile gloves.

- Wear an orange safety vest if cleaning roadways or intersections near the creek.

After the cleanup, volunteers are invited to gather for giveaways.

The Ship Creek Cleanup event is organized in conjunction with the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce Citywide Cleanup presented by Matson, and is part of The Bait Shack Community Events, a series of community fishing events in Anchorage.

We want to express our appreciation for our friends at Matson, our headline sponsor of the 2025 Bait Shack Community Events.

Many thanks to all of this year's sponsors, which in addition to Matson, include IMA Financial Group, Cadence General LLC, Bristol Bay Native Corporation, Double Shovel Cider Co., Alaska Sport Fishing Association, The Bridge Co., Alaska Discount Outfitters and Pautzke Bait Company.

This event will be the first of two Ship Creek Cleanup events for the 2025 fishing season; a second cleanup event will be held after the fishing season wraps up in the fall.

For more information, click here.

Thank you!