Hello! I will be hosting my second constituent Town Hall Meetings on Saturday, March 4th. The two events on Saturday, March 4th, will be held at Subway on Government Hill (751 East Loop Road) from 12 noon to 2:00 pm and at Kava's Pancake House (100 Muldoon Road) from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm.
I also invite you to the Anchorage legislative delegation's event on Sunday, March 5th at Rasmuson Hall at UAA (3416 Seawolf Dr.) from 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm. This event will be a legislative update where other legislators and I will hear and listen to people about their concerns and the best ways to address them. These three events--the two on Saturday and the one on Sunday--are all open to the public, and everyone is invited to attend the meetings. I look forward to seeing you there.
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Meeting with Judy Jessen, a constituent and Vice-President of the Northeast Community Council
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Meeting with Government Officials
I had a good discussion with Kim Kovol, Commissioner for the Alaska Department of Family and Community Services, about that agency's critical work. I also had the opportunity to talk about improving public safety and providing assistance to victims and witnesses of crimes with John Skidmore, Deputy Attorney General of the Criminal Division for the State of Alaska Department of Law. I focused with Mr. Skidmore on my concerns regarding Alaska's shockingly high rates of domestic violence, child abuse, and sexual assault. I thank them for all the work they do in keeping our community safe. I spoke with Art Delaune and Elizabeth Joseph, members of the Governor's Council on Disabilities, about the importance of improving the lives of Alaskans with disabilities.
I also got the opportunity to talk with Nelta Edwards, Professor of Sociology at UAA, about different ways the Legislature can help UAA. I discussed Alaska's food security with Jason Dinneen, Mel Buhr, and Katie Pesznecker of the Food Bank of Alaska. I encourage everyone to donate food in order for it to be shipped statewide to food pantries, soup kitchens, senior centers, and children's programs to help Alaskans struggling with hunger. Lastly, I talked with Kevin Swanson, Legislative Assistant for Senator Lisa Murkowski, on the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) that would help repair and rebuild our roads and bridges with a focus on climate change mitigation. We discussed how future large appropriations like IIJA are are unlikely to come again anytime soon, meaning that Alaska's structural deficit needs to be filled without the hope of the federal government coming in to bail out the State of Alaska.
Boards and Commissions:
- Are you interested in serving on a board or commission of the State of Alaska? There are dozens of seats that come open from time to time. Let me know if you are interested in serving, and I will contact Jordan Shilling, Director of Boards and Commissions.
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Kim Kovol, Commissioner for the Alaska Department of Family and Community Services
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Kaci Schroeder, Criminal Division Liaison; Kathe Tallmadge, Legal Intern at the State of Alaska Department of Law; and John Skidmore, Deputy Attorney General of the Criminal Division, State of Alaska Department of Law
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Art Delaune and Elizabeth Joseph, Governor's Council Members on Disabilities
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Nelta Edwards, Professor of Sociology at UAA
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Jason Dinneen, Major Giving Officer for Food Bank of Alaska; Mel Buhr, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Outreach Specialist; Katie Pesznecker, Board Member at the Food Bank of Alaska
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Kevin Swanson, Legislative Assistant for Senator Lisa Murkowski
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Meeting with Non-Profit Organizations and Unions
Earlier this week, I got to talk with a delegation from the Fairbanks Chamber of Commerce--Chris Darrah, Grier Hopkins, and Mike Davis--about how getting getting public employees better compensation could improve our economy by reducing the heavy turnover that makes it more difficult for businesses to operate. I had the pleasure of talking with Jamie Morgan and David Parish, representatives of the American Heart Association, about that organization's fine work. It was great talking with Dennis Knebel and George McGuan, both strong union men, about our joint efforts to return to a Defined Benefits system for public employees.
I got to talk with Gordon Glaser and Rebecca Parker of AGEnet about the importance of strong services for senior citizens, one of the fastest-growing groups in Alaska. People from the Future Farmers of America (FFA) Kids Program and Alaska Farm Bureau talked with me about supporting agriculture in our state. Jesse Young, a representative for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), and I discussed the importance of unions in Alaska as well as a return to a Defined Benefits system. I appreciated the opportunity to meet with Renae Thode, Michele Girault, Sage DeMallie, representatives of the Key Coalition of Alaska. We talked about the importance of increasing the pay for direct support professionals/disability support workers and how two facilities pressed by low funding from the State of Alaska had to close down recently. I also got to talk with Jeff Samuels, Craig Jennison, and Mandy Garcia, about of the Alaska Travel Industry Association and how we can increase the economic impact of tourism in Alaska.
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Chris Darrah, Vice President of Shannon & Wilson, Grier Hopkins, A Former Representative at the Alaska State Legislature, Mike Davis, Vice President at GHEMM Company
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Jamie Morgan, Government Relations Regional Lead for the American Heart Association, David Parish, Strategic Advisor, Lobbyist, and author at David Parish & Associates LLC
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Dennis Knebel, President of Anchorage Labor Council, George McGuan, South Central Building Trades AFL-CIO
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Gordon Glaser, Former President of Anchorage Senior Activity Center, and Rebecca Parker, Executive Director of Anchorage Senior Activity Center
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Jacob Beospy, Future Farmers of America (FFA) Kids Program, Michelle Pages, Member of the Alaska Farm Bureau, Cody Beus, Assistant for FFA, Kail Beus, FFA Kids Program, Rita Jo Shoultz, Member of the Alaska Farm Bureau
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Jesse Young, Representative for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW)
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Renae Thode, Michele Girault, and Sage DeMallie of the Key Coalition of Alaska
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Jeff Samuels, Craig Jennison, and Mandy Garcia, Members of the Alaska Travel Industry Association (ATIA)
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Meeting with Legislators
I have had many productive conversations with other legislators about important issues like increasing funding for K-12 education (also called raising the Base Student Allocation or BSA) and making a comprehensive plan to fix our structural deficit and maintain funding for critical state services. I look forward to continue to speak with them about your concerns and issues to be able to help improve your life.
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Freshmen Legislators
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Freshmen Legislators
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