After nearly 6 full months in Juneau this year, it’s great to be home in the district and see many of you around town. Here’s a quick update about my upcoming constituent meeting, the municipal election on October 3, and other entertaining events around town.
Juneau – Today, the Alaska House of Representatives passed House Bill 275 to designate October 18th as Indigenous Peoples Day to coincide with Alaska Day. HB 275 is sponsored by Representative Harriet Drummond (D-Anchorage).h
FAIRBANKS – Representative Scott Kawasaki (D-Fairbanks) will welcome athletes to Fairbanks during the opening ceremonies of the 53rd World Eskimo-Indian Olympics (WEIO) on Wednesday, July 16, at 6:00pm at the Carlson Center.
JUNEAU – Just after 3:00 a.m. this morning, the Alaska Legislature approved legislation (HB 216) making each of the Native languages in Alaska an official language of the state. The Alaska Senate voted 18-2 to approve the measure today in front of dozens of supporters. A spontaneous grassroots sit-in involving well over 100 people started at noon in the Capitol and lasted until 3 a.m. The measure has had tremendous public support throughout the process, including rare applause from supporters in both the Senate and House galleries and impromptu celebrations in the Capitol hallways as the bill moved through the committee process.
Day honors Tlingit Elder, Minister, storyteller, scholar, businessman. Today, the Alaska state House of Representatives voted unanimously to set aside November 14 of each year to honor the life and work of Dr. Walter A Soboleff, a revered Tlingit elder who passed away in 2011 at the age of 102.
