Dear Neighbor,

First Bill Passed!

I am pleased to announce that my first bill, SB 77: Muni Property Tax Exemption/Tax Blighted Property, has passed the Senate! It is now being heard in House Community and Regional Affairs. Thank you to Rep. Sumner for cross-sponsoring! If you have any comments or questions about this bill, feel free to reach out to my staff.

Constituent Meetings

My Legislation

Last month, I introduced 3 new bills:

SB 103: Peer Support Counseling Program

This bill would give agencies the ability to establish a peer counseling program to increase access to mental health care for first responders and law enforcement. The availability of a trained peer counselor would provide a safe and confidential way for these public servants to seek mental health care regarding classified information without jeopardizing an ongoing investigation. This bill has been cosponsored by Sen. Gray-Jackson and has the support of the Alaska Chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention the Anchorage Police Department Employees Association; it was heard and passed out of Community & Regional Affairs and awaits a vote on the floor.

SB 104 Civil Legal Services Fund

The Alaska Legal Services Corporation (ALSC) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that provides legal aid to low-income Alaskans. In 2018, legislation was passed allowing the legislature to appropriate money from the general fund; ALSC initially asked for up to 25% of filing fees to be made available, but that amount was reduced to 10% with the intention to reassess for higher need in the future; with over 128,000 Alaskans eligible for services, it is now necessary to increase the amount of funding available to the ALSC. This bill is cosponsored by Sen. Giessel; it has moved out of Judiciary and is being heard this morning in Finance.

SB 112 Digital Product Repair

Alaskans deserve to have full ownership over their digital devices. This bill would require manufacturers to make available the information, parts, and tools required for Alaskans to repair their own devices at a reasonable cost. Attorneys General from 28 states, including Alaska, recently cosigned a letter to US Congress urging them to pass expansive Right to Repair legislation, and I'm honored to bring this fight closer to home. SB 112 is cosponsored by Senators Giessel, Gray-Jackson, and Bjorkman, and has been referred Labor & Commerce and Judiciary.

Updates on Co-sponsored Legislation

·     SB 10 Hunting/Trapping/Fishing: Disabled Vets by Sen. Kiehl has passed both bodies and awaits the governor's signature.

·     HJR 5: Alaska Fisheries; Troll Fisheries by Rep Himschoot has passed both bodies and awaits the governor's signature.

·     SB 13: University: Textbooks/Materials Cost by Sen. Myers has passed Education and awaits a floor vote.

·     HJR 4: Honoring the Alaska-Korea Relationship by Rep. Mina has passed both bodies and has been sent to the lieutenant governor for filing.

·     HB 78: AK Community Health Aide Appreciation Day by Rep. McCormick has passed the House and is scheduled for a Senate vote tomorrow.

·     SB 46: Brain Injury Awareness Month by Sen. Tobin has passed the Senate and been referred to House State Affairs.

·     SB 106: Home & Community-Based Waiver Services by Sen. Giessel was passed out of Health & Social Services on Tuesday and awaits a floor vote.

·     SJR 10: Medicare Reimbursement by Sen. Giessel passed the Senate and is being heard this week in House Health & Social Service

Bookmark my AKLeg.gov homepage to stay up-to-date on these and other bills from my office.

Committee Updates

Community & Regional Affairs: Over the last month, we've heard and voted out bills regarding law enforcement, firearms restrictions, peer counseling, property taxes, and community health aides. I look forward to seeing what comes to Community & Regional Affairs next!

Health & Social Services: In March, we heard the governor's SB 57: Adult Home Care; Med Assistance, which would provide compensation and licensing for adult care homes for elderly and disabled Medicaid enrollees, addressing service shortages and allowing adult foster children to stay with their families through streamlined license transfers. It was passed out of Health & Social Services and is now being heard in Finance. We also moved out Sen. Tobin's SB 51: Controlled Sub Data: Exempt Veterinarian, which I've cosponsored. SB 51 would exempt veterinarians from the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) in Alaska, which was created in response to the opioid epidemic, to ensure continued access to veterinary care; it is now being heard in Labor & Commerce.

Resources: On March 31st, we voted out Sen. Kiehl's SB 67: PFAS Use Firefighting and Sen. Bjorkman's SB 87: Lumber Grading Program. SB 67 aims to protect Alaskans' health by banning PFAS foams, harmful chemicals linked to serious health conditions, and requires the state to take back small quantities of PFAS foam to ensure safe disposal. SB 87 proposes a local lumber grading program to allow Alaskans to grade and sell locally milled dimensional lumber, which can create economic opportunities, address housing shortages, and boost investment in forest management. I am a cosponsor on both bills, which are now being heard in Finance.

Labor & Commerce: In late March, we voted out Sen. Wilson's SB 74: Physical Therapy Licensure Compact and SB 75: Audiology & Speech-Language Interstate Compact. These bills would allow eligible professionals in member states to easily obtain licensing in Alaska, improving healthcare availability to Alaskans while ensuring services are provided at the highest standard; it is now being heard in Finance.

Public Testimony Opportunities

An updated list of public testimony opportunities is available at akleg.gov/pages/testify.php.

Anchorage 907-563-9085 | Juneau 907-586-9085 | Anywhere else 844-586-9085

Honored to serve you,