Fairbanks: Session's a Third of the Way Through!

February 24, 2023

Dear Neighbors,

I hope this letter finds you well. We are on 1/3^rd of the way through the legislative session in Juneau and time is flying. Since I last wrote, both United States Congresswoman Mary Peltola and Senator Lisa Murkowski spoke to joint sessions of the Legislature and highlighted bipartisanship, how the “Alaska” model is causing interest in Washington, and all of the benefits the state should expect from the Biden infrastructure legislation that passed last year. It was refreshing to see the delegation working in a bipartisan fashion for the good of all Alaskans. I held a Town Hall Meeting at the Morris Thompson Center with my House counterparts Representatives Max Dibert and Will Stapp. The Governor proposed an amended budget which adds and addition $100 million dollars to increase his annual deficit budget to $400 million – which does not include a supplemental budget in which overspending occurred. While he did include some vital items, he did not increase funds to K-12 and it still remains flat funded.

Fairbanks-Home, Sweet Home

During my quick trip home, I got to see a lot of the things that I miss—but it was busy!

Saturday morning, I spoke on KJNP, then grabbed brunch with members of historically black sorority Delta Sigma Theta. I was thankful to recognize Black History Month and it is hard to think of anyone better I could do it with.

Right after, I held a Town Hall Meeting at the Morris Thompson Cultural Center with Reps. Dibert and Stapp. Attendance was high, people asked questions about everything ranging from public school funding, public safety and crime, road maintenance and the potential Mahn Cho Mine in Tetlin-south of Fairbanks. Finally, I brought my mom with me back to Juneau. As always it is great to hear from my constituents and keep in touch with neighbors on the issues facing us here in Juneau.

On Saturday, my colleagues also from the Interior Delegation will host a town hall meeting at the Fairbanks Legislative Information Office. Senator Myers and Representatives Prax and Tomaszewski will be there from 10-12 am to take the same questions and comments. Contact their offices directly for more information.

In case you missed it, here is a video from the Town Hall.

Representatives Stapp, Dibert and Sen. Kawasaki at the town hall

Dunleavy’s Updated Budget Attempt Recognition of Staffing Shortage

Governor Mike Dunleavy increased overall spending by about $100 million to a total of over $400 million. The budget includes $8.3 million to increase the hourly pay for contract attorneys at the Public Defender Agency and $9 million for the Division of Public Assistance to increase capacity as SNAP benefit applications are still backed up. Unfortunately, the budget did not increase K-12 spending, which was flat funded again after 10 years. I have always said that a budget is more than just dollars and cents, it is a moral document that speaks to our priorities as policymakers.

Other amendments to the budget include $8 million for wildfire suppression. For my part, I’ve introduced Senate Bill 35 in order to allow the participation of certain peace officers and firefighters in the defined benefit and defined contribution plans of the Public Employee Retirement System. I see this as a step toward making Alaska more attractive to public safety employees, which is crucial because we currently import firefighters from out of state. Furthermore, the nature of the jobs that peace officers and firefighters hold are unique, physically demanding and hazardous and all Alaskans pay the cost for understaffed public safety agencies.

Meet the New Legislative Staff Member Matt Longabaugh

Hello! My name’s John Maddison Longabaugh—but I go by Matt. While I am originally from Virginia, I’ve fallen in love with the Fairbanks. I came up to work for Congresswoman Mary Peltola’s Congressional Campaign in September and just loved it so I stuck around. I enjoy the beautiful sunsets and snow. Plus, I have academic tendencies and a lot of my family is military, so I feel that I fit right in.

I graduated from the College of William & Mary in 2016 with a B.A. in Philosophy and Hispanic Studies and have done a variety of things since then. In 2017, I taught English and did community organizing in Colombia through the Peace Corps and worked briefly in the U.S. Congress as a researcher; in 2018-2019 was an editorial assistant/coordinator for scientific manuscript publication at the National Academy of Sciences and finished up 2019-2020 working as an organizer for two battleground state presidential campaigns, one in New Hampshire and one in North Carolina. The past year, I led field organizing for three U.S. Congressional campaigns, in Ohio, California, and Alaska. If you’re looking for a through line in my career, it’s writing that includes researching, organizing and service.

I am proud and honored to be able to work for Senator Kawasaki—and therefore you all—in the Alaska Senate. I am the Lead Aide on the Resources Committee, as well as Press Assistant. But we all do a little of everything in the office, so please feel free to reach out about anything!

There is not much time during session that is not at work. That is by design; the session is short, Scott works very hard and it rubs off on us. But, when I do have a moment here, I jog, lift weights, go to church, play guitar, and try my hand at trivia and karaoke. I miss Fairbanks and plan on doing the dry cabin thing this summer. I have my eye on one in Goldstream but am always open to tips.

Matt Maddison Longabaugh

My Staff and I are Here for You

As always, I and my staff are are still working for you. Feel free to contact my office and we will assist you with issues important to you and your family.

Working Hard for Fairbanks Families,