Today marks the first day of the 29th Alaska State Legislature and I am proud to be here representing the folks of Ester, Goldstream 1&2, Steese East/Gilmore, Steese West and University Hills. My priorities will be shaped by what I hear from my constituents as well as what happens as the session moves through
Today I began my service in the 29th Alaska Legislature as the returning Minority Leader by taking the following sacred oath:
“I do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of Alaska, and that I will faithfully discharge my duties as Representative to the best of my ability.”
Today, Tuesday January 20, 2015 marks the beginning of the twenty-ninth legislative session. And what a session it promises to be! I’ll be keeping you updated throughout, and I appreciate hearing from you. Here are some quick highlights from the office to kick things off.
We have a new legislature, a new governor, and a radically new $47.28 price for Alaska North Slope crude oil. We have a $3.5 billion budget deficit; we have a $55 billion LNG project (give or take $10 billion), one of the world’s largest, subject to the whims of rapidly changing global natural gas markets; and we have a proposal on the table to expand Medicaid for 40,000 Alaskans without health insurance.
I am excited to start the 29th Alaska Legislature. But like many Alaskans I am anxious about our future. We face a crisis that threatens our livelihoods and futures. The Republican leadership promoted unstainable spending and shifted the benefits of our resources to outside interests. Our situation was made worse with the sudden drop in oil prices.
