The All Good News Newsletter
April 21, 2023
|
|
|
|
Dear Friends and Neighbors, |
I've been squinting when I go outside these days. Luckily we're in the Capitol longer and longer hours this time of session, so there's no need to spring for sunglasses.
The Legislature is in high gear, so we're starting to get cranky with one another. When someone stands in the way of your priorities it can be hard not to.
In an effort to keep a good attitude, this week's newsletter is 100% about good happenings and bills to like.
|
Juneau folks rallied Thursday to raise the BSA. It was a great crowd, but check out this bipartisan group of legislators who joined us in support! |
Good Bills on the Move
In recent newsletters we’ve talked about some concerning bills and issues, but this newsletter is all good news. Here are some helpful proposals that made progress this week:
In the Finance committee we moved a bill to support families caring for adults with complex needs. Today, Medicaid will pay for group homes or institutional settings. But it won’t fund family members who want to be the primary caregiver for a loved one. (Think of a medically complex foster child who becomes an adult, aging out of the foster care system.) SB 57 creates a license for family care homes so Alaskans can get the care that fits best.
We also moved a bill to make Juneteenth a state holiday. Sen. Gray-Jackson spoke powerfully to the importance of the holiday. Juneteenth celebrates freedom, commemorating the end of slavery in America—years after the Emancipation Proclamation. More Alaskans should know the story.
And the Senate passed a bill to extend postpartum Medicaid coverage to a full 12 months. Alaska' rates of maternal complications and death are way too high. Having health coverage for a full year after birth will save moms and babies. I hope this bill makes speedy progress through the House.
|
Senate Finance took public testimony on the operating and capital budgets this week. I chaired the committee while Southeast folks from our district spoke—a longstanding tradition.
|
The $880 Million Question
The PFD used to be the third rail of Alaska politics. Now it's just the issue that high-centers the legislature. Every. Single. Year. It’s not just about the size of the checks. How we use Permanent Fund earnings is a key part of a fiscal plan for Alaska's future. We fight about that every bit as much as we do about PFD size.
The 40 year-old dividend law doesn't work for today's fund. It's based on “statutory net income,” which was easy to figure out when the only investments were stocks & bonds & cash. These days the fund is invested differently, including lots of things that make great returns, but are hard to sell. When we eventually turn, say, a private equity investment into cash, the value of the fund doesn't change, but statutory net income skyrockets. That throws the old formula into disarray.
Our state already has a law capping how much of the fund's value we can use in a year. The best way to update the formula for the dividend is to set it as as a fraction of that draw.
The House budget proposes a 50/50 split this year. That costs $1.8 billion and leaves a roughly $400 million deficit to fill (that's without increasing school funding.) Plus, it's an ad hoc, one-year approach. So I don’t love it.
By contrast, the Senate Finance Committee this week moved SB 107, a bill that would set the PFD at 25% of the draw and make the rest available for state services. The checks would cost about $880 million this year and leave enough money for schools, plus a little to spend on infrastructure.
Still, many Alaskans find the notion of a 50/50 dividend appealing. So the bill has a “trigger” to get there. If Alaska raises $1.3 billion in new, recurring revenue within the next eight years and has at least $3.5 billion in our hard-to-access constitutional budget reserve, a 50/50 PFD kicks in. That way there's money for the things Alaskans need from our state, plus a savings buffer against the volatile price of oil.
The bill has a ways to go. It needs to pass the Senate floor and pick a path through House. But if we're serious about a stable fiscal future for Alaska, we have to settle this.
How essential is it to reach that stability? I could show you charts and graphs about the state's financial peril until your eyes glaze. But the best illustration is the seismic shift on the Third Floor. Governor Dunleavy is preparing to introduce a sales tax bill. When even he sees the need for new state revenues, things are serious.
|
SHAMELESS PLUG: Theater at Latitude 58's current play is definitely worth a watch. That's an objective statement, totally uninfluenced by the fact I'm married to the director. |
Long Past Time
My bill creating an address protection program for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault—along with police and correctional officers—comes up for a vote on the Senate floor Monday. In broad strokes, SB 12 sets up a state-run post office box that people can use as their address when they register to vote, get a driver's license, and register kids for school.
Think for a moment about all the things we do that create a public record. A survivor can use the program's address for all of them. It acts as a mail forwarding service so abusers and stalkers can’t track down their victims. I wrote about it a little earlier in session, and I'm pleased to say the bill has gotten better on the way to the floor.
It lost some needless pages when we learned definitively that courts don't require residential addresses. That meant we didn't need to adjust their confidentiality rules. We also incorporated an excellent suggestion from victim advocates: Protective orders are the main way survivors will qualify to enroll in the program. But it's not always safe for victims to get one. So now SB 12 has a provision letting the folks who will run the program work with shelters to create other ways to get in.
I’m excited to send this bill over to the House next week. It’s long past time for Alaska to join the 41 other states protecting survivors—and our public safety professionals—with an address protection program.
|
|
Did someone forward you this newsletter and now you want your very own copy?
Did you fall into it through the series of tubes but now you want it sent straight to you?
|
|
Events & Happenings Around District B |
|
Juneau Totem Pole Trail Dedication
On April 22, come celebrate the completion of 12 totem poles for Kootéeya Deiyí! Be sure to catch the Grand Entrance at 11am!
Juneau Alzheimer’s Association
On May 1, visit the Mendenhall Valley Library at 6:30pm to learn more about the latest in Alzheimers and Dementia research.
Juneau Stress-Free Art Night
Juneau Maritime Festival
Juneau Spring Winds
Woodwind and brass chamber music by the Taku Winds will fill Holy Trinity Episcopal church April 28 at 7:30pm.
Gustavus Talent Show
Make the most of your 10 minutes to impress the crowd at the Community Center! 6pm on May 5.
Gustavus Community Clean Up
|
|
Skagway Spring Festival
Skagway Art Show
See artist’s pieces at the annual Spring Show of Winter Work! Artists can drop off their work Thursday, April 18. The show will be held April 22 - 23 at the AB Hall.
Skagway Late Night Library
Friday nights at 6pm, come to the library for a different activity each week! Crafts, games, and more for ages 10-18!
Skagway Story Time
Remember story time with Ms. Anna! It's perfect for kids up to age 3—a fun romp with songs, books, and more. Each Wednesday at the library, 10:30am.
Haines Spring Fling
Haines Story Time
Stories and songs for children and the young-at-heart! Every Monday and Friday in the library at 11:00 am.
Haines Portable Southeast
Haines First Friday
Neighbors, galleries, museums, and artist exhibits! First Friday is May 5 starting at 5 pm!
|
|
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
|
|
Contact My Staff,
the people who power the work:
Aurora Hauke
907 465 5051
Caleb Yabes
907 465 4947
Ella Adkison
907 465 6419
Cathy Schlingheyde
907 465 6827
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
