Protecting Your Rights: Serving Sand Lake, Spenard and Turnagain

January 21, 2022

Tools to Stay Informed

Rep. Claman Office Communications

This legislative session will be busy as we work to address the state’s ongoing financial challenges and issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic. We will strive to keep you informed as we move forward. For weekly updates on legislation and constituent issues, you can check out past e-newsletters on our website.

Rep. Claman on the House floor on the first day of session.

As always, you can follow me on social media pages (linked below) and email me at Rep.Matt.Claman@akleg.gov.

Rep. Claman's Website

Legislative Communications

Below are some additional resources for staying up-to-date and engaged:

Keep Track of Bills – Interested in tracking bills through the legislative process? You can follow along on BASIS: http://www.akleg.gov/basis/Home/BillsandLaws. Just type in a bill number in the search bar (ex: HB 60) at the top of the page.

Bill Tracking Management Facility (BTMF) – Track the status of bills as they pass through the legislative process. BTMF will display the status of bills you are interested in and can also send you email updates as the bill's status changes. BTMF is a free service and only requires you to set up an account.
SMS Bill Tracking – Text a bill number (ex: HB 60) to 559-245-2529 to enroll in text alerts. You will receive an enrollment confirmation and instructions on how to stop receiving the alerts.

Watch Committee Meetings – Most committee hearings are broadcast on Gavel Alaska at www.360north.org or through the Live Now tab on the BASIS home page. House and Senate floor sessions are also available on Gavel Alaska.

Access Budget Materials – The Governor’s Office of Management and Budget website has helpful tools and presentations relating to the budget.

Use Your Legislative Information Office (LIO) – LIOs are a great local resource. The staff at the LIO can help you research bills and issues, navigate the state computer system, and participate in hearings by providing public testimony.

Chat with Legislative Information Staff – Monday-Friday between 8:30 AM and 4:00 PM, you will find a new chat interface in the lower right corner of AKLeg.gov. The LIO staff can help answer questions about finding things on the website, answer questions relating to tracking legislation, and help you get in touch with your legislator. Let us know how we can help you!

Contact the Anchorage LIO – You can reach the LIO by phone at (907) 269-0111 or email at LIO.Anchorage@akleg.gov.

Meet Our Staff

This year, we welcome back one returning staffer to our office and two new staffers:

Lizzie Kubitz

Emma Potter

Breanna Kakaruk

Lizzie is our Chief of Staff and this is her seventh session with the legislature. She is a graduate of West Anchorage High School and received degrees in Politics and American Studies from Willamette University. She will graduate from University of Alaska Anchorage with her Master of Public Administration this year.

Emma joined our office in Spring 2021 and this is her second session with the legislature. She is a graduate of South Anchorage High School and attended the University of California, San Diego where she graduated with a degree in Political Science.

Breanna recently joined our office and is starting her first session with the legislature. She attended West Anchorage High School and recently graduated from Oregon State University with a degree in Business Management.

When you call, write, or email my office, Lizzie, Emma, and Breanna will be available and happy to assist you.

Reapportionment Anchorage

The Anchorage Reapportionment Committee has released a timeline for Reapportionment of Anchorage Assembly Districts. The timeline and public participation options can be found at: www.ReapportionANC.org. The website also features draft maps, an online public comment portal, a fact sheet, and meeting information. The Committee invites the public to submit their own maps and participate in the Reapportionment Town Halls. Maps displays are posted at all Anchorage Public Library locations and City Hall.

Background

Every ten years after the U.S. Census is complete, governments across the country update their election districts to match the new population data. In the Municipality of Anchorage, the process is called Reapportionment and is led by a Reapportionment Committee, which is charged with reviewing the State final redistricting plan, taking public input, and developing proposed maps for the Anchorage Assembly to consider for adoption. This Reapportionment will include a new 12th Assembly seat that was approved by Municipality of Anchorage voters in 2020. Due to the late completion of the U.S. Census, and therefore the State redistricting plan, the municipal reapportionment will not be completed in time for the upcoming election in April 2022, so the final adopted plan will go into effect for future elections.

Community Challenge Grant Program Launches to Improve Parks and Trails

Rep. Claman attending the Sand Lake Park Outdoor Learning Lab Ribbon Cutting Ceremony in 2018.

Community members looking to improve parks and trails in the Municipality of Anchorage can now apply for a grant through the 2022 Community Challenge Grant Program.

The grant application, grantee resources, and a list of past funded projects are available on APF’s website at https://anchorageparkfoundation.org/programs/challenge-grants/.

Who can apply? Individuals, families, neighbor groups, community councils, private businesses, organized recreation groups, and nonprofits. The project must:

Benefit the public;
Be completed by October 30, 2023;
Take place in an Anchorage municipal park, facility or trail; and
Provide 1:1 in community match. For example, a $20,000 project could be awarded $10,000 if applicant’s proposal meets guidelines to raise $10,000 in any combination of match from cash donations, volunteer time, non-federal grants or donated materials.

Since the Community Challenge Grant Program was launched in 2006, the Anchorage Park Foundation has awarded more than $2 million in grants to 117 projects that have leveraged nearly $5 million in cash, donated resources, and volunteer time. The program is administered by the Anchorage Park Foundation (APF) through generous support from Rasmuson Foundation. The APF Board expects to announce grant awards for up to 20 projects in the range of $500 to $40,000 per project in April of this year.

Community Events

Mark your calendars for this upcoming event:

Spenard Song Circle w/Emma Hill, Nick Carpenter & Zane Penny

Spenard Song Circle is a listening room series hosted by Emma Hill. The event will always feature two special guest songwriters. The songs will be shared in the round. This series is meant to showcase songs, stories, and themes from the artists inspired in the moment by sharing energy and time with each other and the audience.

When: Friday, January 21 from 7:00 – 9:00 PM

Where: The Nave, 3502 Spenard Rd.

For more information and to RSVP, visit the Facebook event page.