Fairbanks: Session Adjourned 'Sine Die:' a Finalized Budget Early?!

May 17, 2024

Dear Neighbors,

The second session of the 33^rd Alaska Legislature adjourned ‘sine die’ which in Latin means ‘without a day’ to come back. My Lathrop Latin teacher Mr. Strange would be so thrilled of the skills I still used frequently. The session was productive as the Legislature was able to tackle several issues—education, energy, crime, childcare, mental health assistance and more. I enjoy representing the people of the City of Fairbanks, Fort Wainwright and Badger down in Juneau, but I am eager to return home and work from within our community. I will be back in the Fairbanks office starting May 20, so please feel free to stop by anytime. In this edition, I will briefly discuss some highlights of the budget, personal legislation that passed this session and touching on my legislation that needs further work. I would like to extend a sincere thank you to all who called, emailed and visited my office throughout the session. Your participation is much appreciated and needed for a functioning government.

Budget Finalized Early!?

Sen. Kawasaki speaking with students from Academy Charter School in the House Finance Room of the Capitol Building.

After making its way through the House and the Senate and a Conference Committee to address specific disagreements between the two bodies, the capital and operating budgets were completed. In a normal year, there might be squabbles and disagreements on the budget until the last minutes of session. Instead, the Republican-led House and the bipartisan Senate majority had already deliberated and settled on a final budget that was bipartisan, balanced, did not dip in to savings and funded most of the items our office pushed.

A $1,655 PFD per resident; the third highest PFD in 10 years
One-time $680 increase to the Base Student Allocation (BSA), or $175 million in bonus funding for K-12 education; the largest increase of school funding in one year
$6 million for childcare to help working families
HB400 language to address correspondence family expectations for education allotments
$23 million allocated for senior benefits
$552 million in funding for construction/maintenance statewide

Legislation Requested by Fairbanks Families

Senator Kawasaki alongside Representatives Dibert, Carrick and Cronk at an Advocates for Safe Alaska Highways (ASAH) meeting.

Throughout my career, I have set the goal of working hard for Fairbanks families, our military, seniors and children. To work toward this goal, I introduced and carried many bills this session that aim to improve the lives of all that I represent. Multiple bills were passed this session and await the signature of the Governor. Others, while they did not pass this session, will continue to be worked on throughout the interim and will be reintroduced next session.

Needs Further Work:

Museum Construction Grant Fund – Museums house and share Alaska’s rich cultures with both residents and visitors and provide educational opportunities to our children. Many museums, however, face a backlog of maintenance issues. My bill would establish a grant application process for museums.
Keep Permanent Standard Time – The bill would end the silly clock changes made twice a year and would help health, sleep and continuity in a state that has 24 hours of sunlight. It made it on final approach to be voted on in the Senate but had a wave of strong opposition, particularly by the Chamber of Commerce and the banking industry.
Electronic Driver Licenses and IDs – Have you ever forgotten your ID at home? Do you ever wish you could pull your ID up on your smartphone like you can with fishing licenses and insurance cards? If my bill passes, you can!
Heavy Truck Weight Permitting Process – Alaska has the worst roads in the country especially due to high costs of road maintenance, extreme weather and geography. My bill aimed to establish a permitting process for heavy vehicles weighing over 140,000 pounds to collect revenue to put toward road repairs. The bill received many comments in opposition by mining, oil and gas and other industry advocates and did not get a second hearing in the Transportation Committee.
Consumer Fee Transparency – Have you ever wondered what the ‘miscellaneous fees’ tacked on to your lodging reservation, concert tickets and grocery bills? My bill would require vendors to be transparent about these fees up front.

Legislation Passed this Session

Senator Kawasaki pictured with Brooke Lavender, ALS Care Services Manager and Healthcare Access and Policy Advocate

SB 207 Military Help Desk – Alaska is a unique state and transitioning here can be daunting. We want our service members to be able to call Alaska their home away from home and perhaps even place their roots here. This bill establishes a one-stop-shop for military personnel to acquire any information they might need for their transition to our state. My legislation, which was inserted into SB 154 Military Bidder Preference Program and Help Desk, passed both the House and the Senate and is on its way to the Governor’s desk.
SB 185 Establish a Alaska Military Affairs Commission – The military plays a vital role in Alaska’s economy and is the topic of many policies. For these reasons, it is necessary to establish an Alaska Military Affairs Commission to address economic and political military affairs. HB155, the companion to SB185, has passed the House and Senate and is on its way to the Governor’s desk.
SB 170 Extend Senior Benefits – Our seniors have pioneered our community and deserve the assistance provided by the senior benefits payment program. Many of our seniors need this financial assistance to help cover costs of vital commodities, such as food and fuel. The senior benefits program was successfully integrated into SB147 in addition to reemployment benefits, workers compensation stay-at-work programs, workers’ compensation benefits guaranty fund and workers’ compensation and post-traumatic stress.
SB 189 Extend the Alaska Commission on Aging – The Alaska Commission on Aging exists to aid seniors by providing them with important information and resources. SB189 was amended to include an extension of the Big Game Commercial Services Board, the Board of Massage Therapists, the Marijuana Control Board and the important childcare tax credits and assistance grants in the amount of almost $6 million! The childcare credits will go a long way in helping working families and childcare providers in Fairbanks.
SB 256 ALS Awareness Month – My bill establishes May as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Awareness Month. ALS is a rare disease, affecting approximately 5 in 100,000 people; about 60 people in Alaska are currently living with ALS. Alaska does not currently have a clinic or any doctors that specialize in ALS treatment. My bill will bring awareness to the need for more research on this disease by dedicating the month of May to it.

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,