AWG

The Coalition working for you

Rep. Kawasaki’s Juneau Note: Constituent Meeting, AWG, 1964 Earthquake Anniversary

March 27, 2014

We are sprinting towards the end of the 28th Alaska State Legislature and multiple bills are passing the House every day. As of this writing, we have more than 25 pieces of legislation that have passed out of committee and are waiting to be voted on in the House. My office has been working diligently to ensure everything is properly vetted before we vote. It is our duty as legislators to ensure we only pass legislation that is beneficial to all Alaskans and I will continue to work hard for Fairbanks and Alaskan families.

Rep. Kawasaki’s Juneau Note: Measure Twice, Cut Once, Voice Your Opinion, Water Rights Bill, Arctic Winter Games

March 7, 2014

There has been a disturbing lack of rigorous vetting of bills during this legislative session. Since 2008, the legislature shortened the session from 120 to 90 days. When the change first took place I was a strong proponent. However, experience has taught me that 90 days is simply not enough time for the legislature to thoroughly understand bills or get adequate public input. Recently, we’ve seen a concerning trend where bills only receive one committee of referral, reducing the opportunity for public input and resulting in less scrutiny on the effects to Alaskan families.