Rep. Chris Tuck

The Governor’s budget finally came out yesterday. During the campaign, the Governor claimed he would only need to cut about $500 million, but since taking office, that number has inflated to $1.6 billion.

Governor Dunleavy gave his first State of the State Address on January 22. This is the eleventh State of the State I’ve been privileged to witness from the floor. I was struck by how short it was, at just under 25 minutes, and how short it was on actual information. It also differed from other speeches in that instead of an electronic copy, I got an expensive printed souvenir booklet.

Tuesday, January 15, was the official beginning of the 31st Alaska State Legislature. My colleagues and I in the House are still working hard to establish the best possible coalition of Republican, Independent, and Democratic representatives to represent Alaskans. I am confident that in the near future, the House of Representatives will be able to organize and get to work tackling these issues. Here are some pictures from the day.

It has been an honor and a privilege to serve as your Majority Leader in the House of Representatives for the past two years. My commitment to you is to continue working across party lines and to restore faith in government. When we work together as neighbors and Alaskans, we can accomplish great things in 2019!

Today, thousands of Alaskans from Homer to Fairbanks felt the major 7.0 earthquake and dozens of aftershocks, centered very close to us here in Anchorage. Like many of you, I was shaken—my office and home are a complete mess and we are inspecting possible structural damages. But the most important thing is that we are safe! And I hope you are, too.

Yesterday, thousands of Alaskans received $1,600 in their bank accounts for their Permanent Fund Dividend, and thousands more will soon get a check in the mail. This year, I introduced an amendment to the budget to restore the full PFD to all eligible Alaskans, and the amendment passed 21 to 19. The full PFD for this year would have been $2,982. The amendment only stood for a couple of days and it was eventually rescinded over my strong objection.

In my last E-News, I invited you to a community meeting to focus on public safety in our neighborhoods. This has been rescheduled to MONDAY, October 1, 5:30-7pm at Taku Elementary School in the Multi-Purpose Room. Refreshments will be provided.

It’s been a busy month for the whole community as Anchorage schools begin a new year and UAA classes began. Luckily, the continued stretch of summer weather has made it a great time to talk to friends and neighbors—and for road construction to wind down after a rainy August. See Tuck’s Tips below for road construction updates!