The Governor recently suggested an approach to Alaska’s financial challenges that uses parts of the House and Senate budget plans. One element of his proposal is a school head tax. The main question Alaskans are asking is how to reduce the deficit in the future.
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Thank you to all that attended the West Anchorage Town Hall last week. I co-hosted the event with Representative Jason Grenn, and we were pleased that over 60 friends and neighbors attended.
Read More →Juneau – Today, around 18,000 State of Alaska employees will receive pink slips. Unless the Alaska Legislature passes a budget in the next month, all non-essential state services will shut down July 1st.
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On Monday, we celebrate Memorial Day and pause to honor and remember the brave men and women who gave their lives in service to our nation.
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Anchorage – Representative Matt Claman (D-Anchorage) and Representative Jason Grenn (I-Anchorage) are holding a town hall meeting Thursday evening to discuss the legislative session, Alaska’s budget challenges, and listen and gather input from their constituents.
Read More →Juneau – The leadership of the Alaska House Majority Coalition has decided to hold a limited number of technical floor sessions for the remainder of the week to allow House members to travel back to their home districts for the Memorial Day Holiday. This will allow members to engage with constituents about the important issues under consideration during the Special Session called by Alaska Governor Bill Walker. Allowing lawmakers to go home also saves the state money since lawmakers will not be collecting per diem in their home districts.
Read More →Juneau – On Monday, Speaker of the House Rep. Bryce Edgmon (D-Dillingham) appointed House members to negotiate a compromise on legislation to reform Alaska’s unsustainable oil tax credit system that passed both the House and Senate. House Resources Committee Co-chairs Rep. Geran Tarr (D-Anchorage) and Rep. Andy Josephson (D-Anchorage) will represent the House Majority on the conference committee. The House Minority will be represented by Rep. Dave Talerico (R-Healy). The State Senate is expected to appoint their members to the conference committee on Wednesday.
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On Wednesday evening, the legislature adjourned without an agreement on a budget, a restructuring of the Permanent Fund, or revenue measures to address the state’s $2.7 billion deficit. Shortly after adjourning, the Governor called the legislature into a special session to continue our work.
Read More →Juneau – The First Regular Session of the 30th Alaska State Legislature ended tonight with clear differences between the Alaska House Majority Coalition and the Alaska Senate Majority on the need for a comprehensive fiscal plan to address the ongoing recession and the $2.7 billion budget gap. Both majority organizations wanted the ten-day extension allowed for in the Alaska Constitution, but the House Republican Caucus refused to provide enough votes in favor. In response, Governor Bill Walker is calling the Alaska Legislature into a Special Session to start on Thursday.
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Juneau – Today, the Alaska Legislature continued ongoing criminal justice reform efforts by passing a bill containing vital improvements and clarifications to recent statutes. Senate Bill 55, carried in the House by Representative Matt Claman (D-Anchorage), is the next step in a process that began four years ago during the Parnell administration when Alaska began actively reevaluating the way we handle crime.
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