Representative Genevieve Mina

Alaska State Legislature House District 19 (East Anchorage) E-Newsletter

Proudly serving Airport Heights, Mountain View, and Russian Jack

April 24, 2023


Dear Friends and Neighbors,


Happy spring everyone! We've had a busy couple of weeks with the Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24) Operating Budget which has passed the House and sits in the Senate. Last month, I was also grateful to make two visits back to the district to visit constituents and present House Joint Resolution 4 "Honoring the Alaska-Korea Relationship" at an event hosted by the Asian Alaskan Cultural Center.


I want to thank everyone who voted in the recent Anchorage Municipal Elections. For Russian Jack neighbors, I especially want to highlight the passage of the Parks and Recreation Bond (Proposition A) which includes $300,000 in safety and ADA improvements for Russian Jack Springs Park. Congratulations to all of our leaders elected to the Anchorage Municipality, and I look forward to working with new and returning local leaders to serve Alaskans.


As always, reach out to my office any time! You can email rep.genevieve.mina@akleg.gov, call (907) 465-3424, or visit Room 420 in the Alaska State Capitol.


P.S. Have you voted in the Chugach Electric elections yet? All Chugach members have a right to vote for their board of directors, who determine the policy direction of the utility. Electronic voting for the 2023 Chugach Electric Association election is open until 5/19/2023 at 3:00 PM (Alaska Time). Click here for information about the election and click here to vote online.


All the best,

House District 19 Issues Survey


Whether it's education, the PFD, snow plowing, public assistance, or the economy, I want to know what you care about most.


Please complete this short 5-10 minute survey so that I can best serve you. You may choose to keep your responses anonymous, however there is an option to provide your contact information and/or indicate which neighborhood you live in at the end of the survey.

Complete the district survey!

Legislative Update


The House passed the FY24 operating budget (HB 39) and the mental health budget (HB 40) last week. Our top priorities in the House Minority Coalition have been increasing the Base Student Allocation (BSA) to fund public education and enacting defined benefits for all public employees.


In order to fund these priorities, we need a fiscal plan with new revenues to provide long-term budget stability for the state.


I voted with my caucus against this operating budget because it inadequately invests in Alaska and dangerously uses our savings to fund a one-time increase in education funding. The budget which passed the House still has a deficit of $584 million. I want to be clear: the budget debate is not over. This vote is one step in the broader negotiations to fund our government in a timely manner and prevent a government shutdown. Below is additional information for how we got here.

 

Fiscal Situation and Budget Background

Here's how the operating budget changed before the budget hit the floor.


House Floor Budget Debate

For over a decade, due to declining oil revenues, the Alaska Legislature has relied on using its savings to address budget deficits by drawing from the Constitutional Budget Reserve (CBR). The CBR has now dwindled to $2 billion - an amount that would risk our state's ability to respond to emergencies like natural disasters or a pandemic.


Our caucus introduced nearly 30 amendments to invest in critical state services and pushing for new revenue - all but one of our amendments failed to pass the house. However, the most contentious period of the budget debate centered on a one-time increase to education funding. Ultimately, I voted with my colleagues against this amendment because the House Majority unexpectedly changed the fund source to draw from our savings.


Initially, on the first day of budget deliberations, we voted 39-1 to fund a one-time increase to education funding of approximately $175 million, enough to increase education funding by $860 per student. Two days after this amendment, the House Majority rescinded action on the education amendment and presented an amendment that would have tied the education funding increase directly to the Constitutional Budget Reserve (CBR) instead of the operation budget.


Our caucus temporarily left in protest because of this bait-and switch tactic to pit increased education funding against long-term budget instability. Although we are committed to education funding, tying the CBR to new education funding is a bad idea. I want our schools to have sustainable, long-term funding that doesn't risk our state's fiscal situation. That is why I am committed to a fiscal plan that includes new revenues.


Here are the highlights from my speech on the vote on this budget:

  • "Flat-funding government does not mean investing in Alaska."
  • "Drawing from our savings without new revenues means we will see shrinking PFDs in the future. We need a fiscal plan now, so that we don't continue to draw on our savings next year and next year."
  • "This vote is the first step of our budget impasse."

 

Our state is in a crisis of outmigration and inadequately funded state services.

I simply can't stand for trying to balance our budget in a way where we are drawing from our savings as a first step. We can do better. We can provide reliable, long-term education funding by increasing the BSA with a fiscal plan and new revenues. As the budget is now being debated in the Senate, I will continue to push for new revenue proposals and prioritize a fiscal plan.

Watch my full speech on the budget here

HB 127 - Paid Family Caregiving

We had our first bill hearing for HB 127 - Paid Family Caregiving in House Health and Social Services. The bill proposes to establish paid family caregiving for individuals who need to take time off from work to care for their loved ones. Caregiving is a vital yet often overlooked component of our health care system, and many caregivers face significant financial and emotional challenges when caring for their loved ones.


Personal care services are commonly paid through the Medicaid 1915(k) waiver, also known as the Community First Choice (CFC) program, allowing eligible recipients to receive care in their own homes and communities rather than in institutional settings such as nursing homes. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) adopted temporary flexibilities during the COVID-19 pandemic to allow payment for personal care services by family members. HB 127 maintains pandemic-related caregiving flexibilities in Alaska by allowing legally responsible adults to receive payment for providing personal care services to Alaskans eligible for the CFC program.


Tomorrow there will be public testimony on HB 127 from 3:00-5:00PM Tuesday, April 25. If you've been impacted by unpaid family caregiving, please write a letter of support to House.HHS@akleg.gov or testify by calling 907-463-9085.

HB 127 Sponsor Statement
Send a Letter of Support

Bills of Interest

New Revenue Proposals


There are currently four new revenue bills introduced this session, as well as an incoming sales tax bill from the Governor. Each bill description includes a relevant news article about the respective bill:


HB 142 (Rep. Ben Carpenter): Enacts a 2% statewide sales tax without exemptions.


HB 153 (Rep. Cliff Groh): Increases oil and gas property tax from $2 to $3 per $100 in value.


HB 156 (Rep. Alyse Galvin): Reinstates state income tax with a $20 head tax for every Alaskan, and taxing 2% of annual income for Alaskans earning above $200,000.



SB 114 (Sen. Bill Wielechowski): Oil and gas tax reform bill which would lower the oil per barrel tax credit from $8 to $5, address the corporate tax loophole for S-corporations, and "ringfence" production tax credits to specific projects.

HB 121 - Renewable Portfolio Standard (Rep. Sumner)


My colleague Representative Jesse Sumner has introduced HB 121, which will create a Renewable Portfolio Standard. I have cosponsored this exciting piece of bipartisan legislation which will establish tangible renewable energy production goals for rail belt utilities, provide more incentives for investment, create new jobs, and keep Alaska on a path towards energy independence. Follow this bill and submit your letters of support to the House Energy Special Committee at House.Energy@akleg.gov.


The bill's next hearing will be in the House Special Committee on Energy 10:15PM Thursday, April 27.

Email testimony to House.Energy@akleg.gov

Opportunity for Public Comment


ASAA Proposed Regulation Change on Transgender Student Participation

The Alaska School Activities Association has proposed a rule change that would discriminate against trans students/athletes. Public testimony will be heard during their upcoming meeting on May 1-2 in Valdez. If you wish to testify, you must sign up in advance by contacting board@asaa.org by noon Thursday, April 27, 2023.


Additional information on next week's meeting can be found HERE.

Sign up to provide public comment by NOON Thursday, April 27

Constituent Corner


Our collection of polaroids featuring the faces of House District 19 continues! Here's an updated feature of neighbors from office meetings and out in the community.

Questions? Email me!

Community Council Meetings

Mountain View Community Council

Wednesday, April 26 at 6:00pm (Virtual Only)

Click here for Zoom (Passcode: 955872)

Click here for more information


Russian Jack Community Council

Tuesday, May 10 at 6:30pm (In-Person and Virtual)

Zion Lutheran Church

2100 Boniface Parkway

Anchorage, Alaska 99504

Click here for Zoom

Click here for more information


Airport Heights Community Council

Thursday, May 18 at 7:00pm (In-Person and Virtual)

Airport Heights Elementary School Library

1510 Alder Dr

Anchorage, AK 99508

Click here for Zoom (Passcode: 445413)

Click here for more information

Community events and resources


Anchorage City Wide Cleanup

May 5th - June 3rd, grab a group of friends or your family and participate in Anchorage Chamber Citywide Cleanup.


Two upcoming shows at Cyrano's Theater

"Dog Park"

May 12 - May 28, 2023


Pacific Island Cultural Flag Day Celebration

Saturday May 20th, Downtown Anchorage Delaney Park Strip. Registration is now open for food vendors, entertainment groups, cultural arts & crafts and beyond.


There are several upcoming events at the Mountain View Library for all-ages.

Listening Post, Homeschool Hangout, Movie Nights, and so much more!


Anchorage Parks Youth Employment

The best summer jobs in the world are open! Recruitment numbers look lower than in past years, so encourage your teens to apply. Every applicant receives an interview.


Rolling FAFSA applications for Alaska students

ACPE, US Department of Education Federal Student Aid (FSA), and professionals from postsecondary institutions and Alaska Native organizations across Alaska have teamed up to deliver one centralized location for you to access the information and resources necessary to complete the FAFSA.

Representative Genevieve Mina

House District 19


rep.genevieve.mina@akleg.gov

(907) 465-3424



Alaska State Capitol, Room 420

Juneau, Alaska 99801

Katy Giorgio

Legislative Aide

katy.giorgio@akleg.gov

(907) 465-4926

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