Dear Friends and Neighbors,

We don't take holidays off during session, but I sure didn't forget Presidents Day this year. Hundreds of people came to the Capitol to rally for our democracy and our constitution.

We need Alaskans' energy. We need Alaskans to show up. There's a lot of work ahead the next few years. Together, we won't give up.

At the state level we have bills on the move, budgets on the table, and lawsuits in the courts. Read on for more!

Thank you to the hundreds who showed up at the Capitol on Monday!

We heard updates on construction funding timelines in the Senate Transportation Committee.

Money Talks

I've written a lot about the budget. It's time to share your ideas! You can testify to the Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday, Feb. 26 from 9 am-10:45 am. Be sure you sign up by 10:15 am.

To testify:

-Come in person to Capitol Rm. 532

-Call from Juneau: 907-586-9085

-Call from everywhere else: 877-586-9085

-Or do it in writing: finance.committee@akleg.gov.

Longshoremen from around the state came to the Capitol this week!

I hosted "Dock Talk," a briefing and conversation with the International Longshore and Warehouse Union. Alaska Longshoremen do great work and play a critical role in our economy!

Thanks to the folks at the Alaska Community Foundation! This organization helps small communities and nonprofits around the state. I particularly appreciated their updates on their partnerships in the Chilkat Valley.

A whale of a good time

At just five years old, Juneau's Leo Ellis grabbed a little fame. He won the mascot naming contest and gave UAS Spike the Whale. Last I heard, Leo still lives in Juneau—and Spike is an icon.

Our university is critical for Southeast Alaska. UAS keeps young people in state, builds our workforce, advances human knowledge about everything from glaciers to zooplankton, and makes our communities better places to live. The same is true around the state.

I’m chairing the budget subcommittee this year charged with diving deep into the University’s budget. (I’m also chairing three other departments' subcommittees. More on that in a future newsletter!)

As we start our work, I see three obvious issues we'll need to tackle.

The first is recruiting and keeping students. Statewide, the university has been doing better at this, but we still have a lot more capacity than we have students. The University is proposing a pilot program to market UAS to students in other states and countries. It could work, but with declines in the number of high-school-age Americans, the competition will be stiff domestically. I see a lot more potential overseas (as long as the federal government keeps issuing student visas.)

The second is deferred maintenance. The University owns a lot of buildings and has never spent enough on annual maintenance to avoid today's roughly $1 billion backlog. (They’re not alone. The Executive Branch has a problem roughly three times that.) I used to brag about how UAS kept up with maintenance, but even Southeast's three campuses are behind the curve now.

The third is federal chaos. UA relies on a lot of federal funding. That's not just Pell grants helping with tuition, it's vast sums for research on oceans and drones and rockets and the Arctic. And that research funding doesn't just pay salaries. It covers the costs of labs and offices and a share of IT and accounting and... The word from D.C. is confusing, contradictory, and ever changing. Suffice it to say, if all research related to the natural world is deemed "climate science" and defunded the dollar impact will be big.

Apart from the budget impact, if more recent, downright unconstitutional anti-diversity rules from Washington go unchallenged (as the craven lickspittles on the Board of Regents seem to want,) highly successful programs like the Alaska Native Science and Engineering Program (ANSEP) and Preparing Indigenous Teachers & Administrators for Alaska Schools (PITAAS) will stop their crucial work helping Alaskans achieve to their potential. Same goes for the Native and Rural Student Center at UAS and countless other programs around the UA system.

The University's budget is one of the state's biggest and most complex. UA plays a crucial role in our communities. I'm going to dig in and try to find ways to support students and those who teach them, in spite of the challenges.

I was honored to present a legislative citation to United Fisherman of Alaska this week. UFA just celebrated its 50th anniversary!

Advocates from the Alaska Children's Trust met with me to talk about preventing child abuse and neglect.

See you in court?

A law firm called “A Better Childhood” is suing the state on behalf of kids in foster care. They claim Alaska doesn’t have enough caseworkers in the Office of Children's Services, enough foster families, or enough services to support kids in foster care. All those things are true.

The plaintiffs don’t want penalties or damages from the state. They want Alaska to invest in more services for kids. Apparently they've done this in other states. If the pattern holds here, if the administration settles the case or loses at trial, a court-appointed monitor will get a lot to say about spending and procedures for Alaska’s Office of Children’s Services.

We heard about the suit in the Finance Committee because the administration decided to go the trial route. A trial is still months away from starting and the Department of Law needs another $4 million (on top of a little over $1 million they already spent.)

The Department of Law's primary argument seems to be that no court should decide the changes we need. That should fall to the Executive and Legislative branches of government. Philosophically, I tend to agree.

So what is the governor proposing to fix OCS? Nothing this year. No investment. No restructuring. No added training. His budget moves a couple of vacant positions out of OCS, though not enough to make much difference. While in recent years Alaska has invested some in the Tribal Child Welfare Compact and raised foster care base rates to account for the cost of living, that little bit doesn’t come close to matching the scope of the problem.

It makes you think the plaintiffs might have a point.

In the late 1990s things had gotten so bad in Alaska's prisons that our state courts appointed a monitor to make sure some basic reforms were made. It was expensive and a real pain in the nuisance for correctional professionals who have a tough job no matter what. It also worked. Conditions in Alaska prisons improved. A lot.

Maybe fighting this case isn't the right call after all?

MEBA represents the folks in the engine room on the Alaska Marine Highway System. They stopped by to talk about recruiting and retaining engineers. We still have a lot of work to do.

Rep. Story & I held virtual town halls with Haines & Klukwan last Saturday. Thanks to everyone who helped make the events work technically, and to all the people who came with great questions!

Doing Good for Less

On Tuesday, my Address Protection bill, SB 31, moved from the Senate State Affairs Committee. It’s now on to Senate Finance—and with good news.

We worked with the Division of Shared Services to do a new, deeper dive into what other states spend on programs like the ones my bill creates. The conversations went well, and they agency folks sharpened their pencils. I'm expecting a new, lower fiscal note soon!

It's great news for getting this life-saving bill passed.

I had a good conversation with the team from Alaska Community Action on Toxics. They've been great partners in our work against PFAS contamination. ACAT is helping let Alaska's smallest communities know there's now state help to safely dispose of PFAS-contaminated equipment, under my bill passed last year.

Juneau's port director and harbor master talked with me this week about state harbor funding and their great new paid internships for UAS students.

Juneau Peratrovich

It’s the time of year to honor an incredible Alaskan: visit the city museum to learn more about Elizabeth Peratrovich from February 14^th-22^nd.

Juneau Barn Dance

Swing your partner 'round with the Juneau Contra dancers: Feb. 22 with the Stinging Nettles and Mar. 15 with Full Circle.

Skagway Gamers

Do you enjoy a night of D&D, MTG, or other geeky acronyms? Lumberchaun Axe Throwing is hosting the night for Saturdays throughout the winter.

Skagway Music

There are instruments waiting for you to play at the library every Saturday afternoon!

Gustavus Fiberpalooza

Are you crafty? Want to make some art with like-minded community members? Head to the Community Center on February 28!

Klukwan Art

Head to the library every Monday night in February for arts and crafts!

Skagway Skiing

Know your way around a pair of skis? Want to ski race wearing a costume? The Buckwheat International Ski Classic is coming up March 15!

Haines Tacos

Who doesn’t love a taco? Join folks at Taco Tuesday at the American Legion!

Haines Gardening

Dig in with the Chilkat Valley Gardening Conference Mar. 14-16! Expand your knowledge and get inspired for the coming planting season!

Haines First Friday

Local artists show their best on March 7^th. Enjoy the talent of the Haines community! 

Juneau Snowmobile Film

Support the Home Builders Club and watch One Track Minds Saturday the 22^nd

Klukwan Tlingit

There's Tlingit language practice at the library every Thursday afternoon this February!

Is there an event in our district I should know about? Please call or email!

Want to Send Snail Mail?

Alaska State Capitol

Room 514

Juneau, AK 99801

You Can Call:

800 550 4947

907 465 4947

Or Email Me!

Contact My Staff,

the people who power the work:

Aurora Hauke

907 465 5051

aurora.hauke@akleg.gov

Ella Adkison

907 465 6419

ella.adkison@akleg.gov

Cathy Schlingheyde

907 465 6827

cathy.schlingheyde@akleg.gov

Cole Osowski

907 465 4947

cole.osowski@akleg.gov