Fairbanks: Executive Order, Bycatch, SB 129, Women's History Month

April 4, 2025

Dear Neighbors,

Today is day 74 of the 120-day Alaska Legislative session. Now that it is April, we are in our penultimate month of this session, so we are really starting to focus on getting things buttoned up. My office had two bill hearings this week. One for SB129, which is discussed later in this newsletter and the other for SB110 which establishes a museum construction grant fund. Both bill hearings were successful, and I expect to have these bills heard again in committee soon. The bill hearing process may seem overly long and onerous, but it is essential to ensure that good policy is leaving the legislature, and my office is dedicated to shepherding these bills through.

We also had a lot of meetings this week, including people working in education such as the NEA Board of Directors, Bill Burr who is the superintendent of the Wrangell School District and the principals of West Valley High School, Hutchinson High School and Pearl Creek Elementary. It is my pleasure to meet with these groups especially since I firmly believe that a strong education system is in the best interest for the future of Alaska. We discussed several issues, but mostly the main piece of legislation concerning education this session HB69.

My office also sponsored two guest lectures, known in the Capitol building as “Lunch & Learns.” On Tuesday, Dr. Robert McCoy, the Director of the Geophysical Institute, gave us a lecture on why Alaska is the perfect state to pursue advancements in Aerospace Technology. He spoke to a crowded room including Senator Stevens and Representative Carrick about the different facilities already in Alaska dedicated to Aerospace such as Fairbank's own Poker Flat Research Range and HAARP. On Wednesday, Leah Winters, the Public Policy Fellow for the Cold Climate Housing Research Center and Mindy O'Neall, the director of CCHRC gave a lecture on the history of Alaska Housing and Cold Climate Solutions. This talk was given to a standing room only audience that included Representative Prax, Representative Galvin and Senator Yundt. Lunch & Learns are vehicle to get important information out to the legislature in a relaxed setting and I was proud to sponsor these two Fairbanks based organizations in their mission to make the legislature more knowledgeable.

How Will the Voting Executive Order Affect our Elections?

A few weeks ago, I wrote about SB64, our better elections bill, that seeks to improve our elections process. Included in this bill are measures to improve our mail in voting system: postage-paid mail in ballots and creating a rural liaison to help ensure voting access in remote Alaska. The bill was heard in Senate State Affairs last week and has now been referred to Finance Committee.

Meanwhile, there has also been talk of elections in the news. Last week, President Donald Trump issued Executive Order 14248 titled "Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections" that deals with Federal Elections. This EO puts forth several measures that would make it more difficult of the average citizen to vote such as a "Show-your-papers" requirement which would require a citizen to show their passport or birth certificate in order to vote. According to the Government Accountability Office, a nonpartisan agency that works for congress, only 46% of Americans currently hold a passport. Also, the Brennan Center has conducted studies that found more than 9% of American citizens don't have ready access to their birth certificates due to numerous reasons. Such as it is with a family member or in a safety deposit box. This measure would make it difficult for these citizens to participate in elections. I also find it remarkable that Alaska natives whose indigenous lands we now live on would have to produce proof of citizenship since they have been Alaskan and thus American for centuries.

It is unclear what effects this will have on state elections, and here in the Alaska state legislature, we have concerns. Currently, the state of Alaska counts absentee ballots that arrive after Election Day if they were postmarked on or before Election Day. Trump’s Executive Order would require ballots to arrive on or before Election Day in order to be counted. This measure would also affect military personal voting overseas. Often, their ballots arrive at the Division of Elections after election due to the nature of "Snail Mail". This EO would put an unfair burden on our military personnel who are serving their country overseas. As the Senator representing Fort Wainwright, I am troubled by this measure in the president's EO.

Senator Bill Wielechowski, who I have been working with on SB64, suspects the Executive Order is unconstitutional and has requested that legislative attorneys perform analysis of the document. I will continue to update you as we hear more on this analysis. Meanwhile, we will continue to work on our better elections in the Alaska State Legislature.

Trawler Bycatch: What Can We Do About It?

Last week in the Arctic Affairs Committee meeting, we had a presentation from the Pacific Seafood Processors Association and the United Fishermen of Alaska. This presentation gave an overview of the fishing industry in Alaska as a whole, the current challenges the industry is facing and some solutions these groups feel would benefit the industry going into the future. Overall, it was an informative presentation, but I still had questions by the end of it.

To be clear, I am very supportive of our commercial fishing industry, but I am concerned about trawling and how the bycatch from trawlers has had a negative impact on both other commercial fisheries as well as subsistence fisheries. I asked the presenters what is being done to reduce the bycatch numbers. The response was that trawler bycatch is being monitored and has been decreasing.

I didn’t find that response entirely satisfactory, because this suggests that the problem is being resolved, and it really isn’t. There are Alaskan communities that have been depending on salmon as part of their subsistence diets where the salmon runs are disappearing, perhaps most notably the communities on the Yukon and Kuskokwim rivers.

In our Food and Farm Caucus meeting that same day, we heard from SeaShare, a nonprofit organization that distributes seafood to food banks and other anti-hunger organizations. One of SeaShare's sources of fish is bycatch that is donated by the companies that own the trawlers. While this is a good use for this bycatch, unfortunately, less than half of these fish are donated; most are still off-boarded, because the donations are not mandatory. Even if all of the bycatch was donated, this still would not solve the problem of the harm it is doing to other fisheries.

SB 129 Prompt Payments

For years Non-profits, Municipalities and Alaska Native organizations haven't been receiving grant money in a timely manner from the state of Alaska. According to a survey conducted by the Foraker Group, these groups deal with delayed payments for 3-6 months and in some cases, organizations wait for over a year for money that was promised to them through various governmental grants. This issue has become a longstanding problem and isn't the fault of any specific administration but is a matter that needs attention.

In Alaska, there is current law that requires state government to pay for-profit construction companies in a prompt and timely manner. There is no such legislation, however, for Alaska Native organizations, municipalities, and nonprofits, who face the same operational challenges as for-profit businesses. Senate Bill 129 seeks to rectify this disparity by legislating the need for prompt payment to these essential organizations. This bill is seeking to set a standard for the state of Alaska to honor their good faith dealings with organizations whose only goal is to provide essential services to the citizens of Alaska.

I am working across the aisle with Representative Himshoot to enact this legislation. By having the same piece of legislation go through the House and the Senate at the same time it shortens the amount of time it takes to for good legislation to be enacted. I always strive to be proponent for collaboration in the legislature and carrying companion bills is one of the ways I show my commitment to synergy in the Capitol.

I presented this bill for the first time on Tuesday in the Senate Community & Regional Affairs Committee. The bill will be heard again on April 8th at 1:30 pm. If you would like to present public testimony about SB129 please call 844.586.9085 on that day to let your voice be heard about paying Alaska's non-profits, municipalities, and Native organizations promptly so they can better serve the communities that rely on them.

Data from the Foraker Group survey

Womens History Month Closes

Monday was the last day of March, which is National Women’s History Month. Last week, the House passed Senate Bill 43, which would make March women’s history month in Alaska as well. The bill seeks to honor the women in Alaska’s history and future. During the month of March, there were several speeches given by the impressive women of the legislature about prestigious Alaskan women in our past such as Elizabeth Peratrovich, Susan Butcher, and Effie Kokrine. Governor Dunleavy signed the bill recognizing Women's History Month in Alaska law yesterday afternoon.

Local Update: Borough Mayor Proposed Budget

At the end of last week, Fairbanks North Star Borough Mayor Grier Hopkins rolled out his proposed budget. This budget would be a $3.6 million increase over our last proposed budget. According to Mayor Hopkins, this increase is actually simply maintaining the status quo when you account for inflation and increased costs.

The proposed budget allocates $60 million to education, which is a $2 million increase over the last budget. Given the FNSB School District’s recent budget cuts and school closures, this increase seems necessary. Mayor Hopkins will present his budget to the Assembly Finance Committee tonight at 5:30. For information on this meeting go to https://fnsb.portal.civicclerk.com/

Potholes

Summer not only brings the sunshine, but it also brings the potholes! Depending upon what part of town you are driving and whether the roadway is a state or local one matters when it comes to having them repaired in a timely manner. The Interior Region of the Department of Transportation has thousands of lane miles, hundreds of airports and stretches south of Fairbanks all the way to the northern coast and across the state to Canada.

While our roads have been upgraded over the last 20 years, they also need constant repair and budgets for simple maintenance have been constantly cut-meaning slower response to potholes and some substandard roads. In order to help identify the worst areas, the DOT has created an online portal to identify and report potholes you see during your daily drives. So, if your ride to work has been overly bumpy, please let DOT know by following this link.

Public Testimony Opportunites

Public Testimony Opportunities

Next week, many bill hearings will be taking public testimony. You can check out the full week’s schedule here: https://w3.akleg.gov/index.php#tab2

Below is a list of bills that I think you might be most interested in testifying for:

SB 114: Gas Pipeline Fairbanks Spur

Monday April 7 at 3:30 pm

This bill seeks to require in-state gas pipelines to include a direct spur line to the City of Fairbanks and the Fairbanks North Star Borough

SB 129: Payment of Contracts

Tuesday April 8 at 1:30 pm

This bill seeks to require the state of Alaska to pay contracts with nonprofit organizations, municipalities, and Alaska Native organization promptly.

SB 64: Elections Registration and Voting

Wednesday April 9 at 9am

This bill calls for election reform to make for fairer elections

HB 111: Fish Farms in Alaska

Thursday April 10 at 10:00 am

Here is your opportunity to testify against (or for) farmed fish!

SB 104: Transfer on Death Titles

Thursday April 10 at 1:30 pm

This bill would make it easier to transfer titles after the death of a loved one.

Anchorage Caucus Listening Session

Saturday April 5 at 2-4pm

Cuddy Hall at the UAA Campus 3400 Seawolf Drive in Anchorage

The Anchorage Delegation of state legislators will be returning back home to host this listening session and many members are also hosting their own small district events. (I will be up the following two weekends with my House Colleagues Rep. Maxine Dibert and Rep. Will Stapp! Details are forthcoming)

My Staff and I are Here for You

As always, I will continue to keep you updated on what I’m working on in Juneau throughout the session. If you have any questions about anything going on in the Capitol or at home, feel free to give me a call or shoot me an email – as always, my staff and I are working for you. We will assist you with the issues important to you and your family.

Working Hard for Fairbanks Families,