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Dear Friends and Neighbors,
With the last month of session here, my team and I are committed to finishing out these last few weeks strong.
Last week legislators came together to pass a $700 increase to the BSA, the largest BSA increase in a decade. This legislation came in response to Governor Dunleavy’s disappointing veto of the previous education bill. The new version includes some of the policies the governor requested and was approved through the Legislature with a 48-11 vote. Governor Dunleavy has until May 17th to decide whether he’ll allow the bill to pass into law. Each of us in the Legislature recognize this as a compromise, and in the event of a second veto the likelihood of an override is high.
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Last week, King Tech High School celebrated its 50th anniversary! That's 50 years of bringing career-focused, important education to our city and our state. From emergency medicine to carpentry, their coursework has prepared so many students for wonderful careers across all types of industries. Happy Birthday, King Tech!
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This Sunday is Mother's Day! I'd like to wish a very Happy Mother's Day to all who will be celebrating this weekend.
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SB 14, my AIDEA workforce housing development bill, has moved through Senate Labor and Commerce and had a hearing in the Finance Committee. I'm excited to share that SB 95, the childcare assistance bill that I helped shepherd as the Heath and Social Services Chair, passed through the Senate and is awaiting its first hearing in the House.
Today, we’ll have our first hearing in the House Finance Committee for SB 39, a bill to stop predatory payday lending practices throughout our state. We’re very happy with the progress of this legislation and look forward to presenting it to the committee.
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"Alaska Senate votes to curb high interest rates and fees for payday loan lenders"
The Alaska Beacon recently published a story on our payday lending legislation passing through the Senate.
Access the article here.
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We recently had our first hearing in the Senate Resources Committee for SB 174, a bill that would establish an Invasive Species Council. In Anchorage, none of us are strangers to the invasive chokecherry trees, and down here in Juneau concerns are spreading about the ways in which the European green crab could affect fisheries throughout Southeast Alaska. This bill is a companion to Representative Himschoot’s HB 191 in the other body, and our hope with this legislation is to provide coordination among and support to all of the hardworking organizations and agencies already involved in combatting invasive species.
Lastly, I just want to take a moment to share my gratitude for all those who have reached out to and stopped by my office here at the capitol. With just a few weeks left, I encourage you to reach out with any questions, concerns or comments you might have and I look forward to hearing from you.
Honored to serve you,
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