Hello! Spring is here, and things are really heating up in Juneau. You see it already on the Kenai too! Construction crews out, equipment moving, action happening. The Sterling Highway Safety Corridor east of Soldotna is finally getting the attention it deserves. It’s long overdue.
On the Kenai: Weekly Legislative Update for March 23 Read More »
Juneau, Alaska — Today, the Alaska State Legislature passed Senate Bill 64, comprehensive bipartisan legislation to improve election integrity, increase transparency, and expand access to voting for Alaskans across the state. The Senate Rules Committee, chaired by Senator Bill Wielechowski, D-Anchorage, sponsored the legislation. SB 64 makes targeted updates to Alaska’s election system to ensure
The team from the Alaska Public Interest Research Group (AKPIRG) visited the Capitol to speak with lawmakers. Sen. Tobin turned the tables by talking to them for this week’s podcast episode.
The Empty Office Podcast – Season 4, Episode 9 Read More »
Dear Friends and Neighbors, This week, the Municipality of Anchorage sent vote-by-mail ballots to all registered voters. Election Day is Tuesday, April 7th. Make sure you know how to cast your ballot!
Anchorage Municipal Elections Read More »
Dear friends and neighbors, See you this Saturday… Catch up with Cathy March 21, 9:00am – 10am Kaladi Brothers on Tudor Rd This is informal coffee conversation in which folks attending bring topics of interest and concerns.
Revenue Forecast, Education Bill, Gas Pipeline, and lots more! Read More »
Hello! Under our state constitution, grand juries have always had two important jobs: deciding whether criminal charges should move forward and independently investigating issues affecting public safety and welfare. Senate Bill 270, which I sponsored, would modernize Alaska statutes and court rules to ensure that grand juries can effectively fulfill both constitutional functions.
On the Kenai: Weekly Legislative Update for March 17 Read More »
The Legislature will approach the half-way mark, day 60, on Friday of this week. For now, we remain on schedule to conclude on time on May 20th, but that can change with the rise in oil prices due to the war in Iran. In fact, the recent debate in the State House has been whether to balance the budget on the war-driven oil prices or to conservatively use the state savings account or Constitutional Budget Reserve fund. As you know, oil prices can rise or fall and ‘hope’ is not a sound budget principle.
The Latest with Senator Löki Gale Tobin tries to unpack what’s happening in the Alaska State Legislature by shedding light on why things are the way they are.
The Empty Office Podcast – Season 4, Episode 10 Read More »
Dear Friends and Neighbors, This week, the Senate unanimously passed the Supplemental Budget to fund transportation, wildfire and Western Alaska disaster response, and the Higher Education Investment Fund. This $373 million appropriation will fill a deficit in the current fiscal year and will be paid from the Constitutional Budget Reserve with other increased expenses paid from
The Supplemental Budget and the Constitutional Budget Reserve Read More »
Greetings from the second session of the 34th Alaska Legislature! My staff and I are in our third week in Juneau, and the Legislature is picking up right where we left off last May. We began by attempting an override of Governor Dunleavy’s veto of SB 113, a bill which would have reapportioned taxes collected from internet companies like Amazon and Netflix by other states to Alaska. It would have brought in $20-60 million of revenue per year and passed with near-unanimous support last spring. Unfortunately, legislators that voted for the bill, but are aligned with the governor, were not willing to vote for the veto override.
The Anchorage Delegation Townhall is this Weekend! Read More »
