Bill would establish day to recognize unique role of public gardens in Alaska
JUNEAU – Today, the Alaska Legislature established Alaska Public Gardens Day on the Saturday immediately preceding Memorial Day each year. In doing so, the Legislature recognized the role gardens play in promoting environmental stewardship, the economy, education, plant conservation, recreation and research in Alaska.
Rep. Petersen’s resolution will raise awareness of deadly disease
JUNEAU – Today, the Alaska Legislature passed a resolution naming November 2011 Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month. Rep. Pete Petersen introduced the legislation to raise awareness of the deadly disease after a constituent told him of her father’s difficult battle with pancreatic cancer and the relative lack of research and attention the disease gets.
A big thanks to Senators Bettye Davis and Hollis French! This year we teamed up with them on our foster care and Medicare legislation. We filed our version on the House side, and they worked hard with us agreeing to file parallel pieces of legislation on the Senate side. Senator Davis has been a leader on children’s issues for a long time, and Senator French has emerged as a leader on getting more Alaskans health coverage. Oh. And thanks to my summer aide, and Facing Foster Care in Alaska Coordinator Amanda Metivier, for writing much of the foster care legislation; and to my aide Rose Foley for working hand in hand with me on this.
Proposal would set development and production benchmarks, help those who reach them
JUNEAU – Today, Representative Les Gara (D-Anchorage) filed the Alaska Oil Production Enhancement Act designed to set production and development benchmarks and provide incentives for industry to meet them. The bill would extend the successful Cook Inlet exploration credits to the North Slope, add tax credits for developing new facilities to get oil from the well into the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System, and provide new credits that only apply to development work done that is more than what a company did the previous year.
