The second week of the 2018 Legislative Session has started and business is in full swing. This week I will hold House Finance Budget Subcommittee hearings for the Department of Public Safety, the Department of Corrections and the Department of Military and Veteran Affairs.
Veterans Day originated as “Armistice Day” on Nov. 11, 1919, the first anniversary of the signing of the armistice between the Allied nations and Germany in 1918, marking the end of World War I. Congress passed a resolution in 1926 for an annual observance, and Nov. 11 became a national holiday beginning in 1938. In 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed legislation to change the name to Veterans Day to honor those who served in all American wars.
Late last night, my colleagues and I in the Alaska State House passed SB 54 after 3 days of amendments, 13 hours of public testimony and six days of work in Finance Committee. The legislation, sponsored by Sen. Coghill, now returns to the Alaska State Senate to agree on the changes.
Alaskans have been impacted in different ways by the increase of crime in our communities. Naturally, there are lots of questions about public safety, criminal justice reform, and how we can make our neighborhoods safer moving forward.
Anchorage – Representative Matt Claman (D-Anchorage) and Representative Jason Grenn (I-Anchorage) will hold a public safety town hall and resource fair on Thursday evening to continue conversations about public safety concerns, share available resources, and discuss how to work together to improve safety in West Anchorage.
Juneau – The Juneau delegation in the Alaska House and Senate will hold a town hall on Wednesday to discuss legislative issues, including the ongoing fiscal crisis and efforts to reform Alaska’s criminal justice statutes. The public meeting will include Senator Dennis Egan (D-Juneau), Representative Sam Kito III (D-Juneau), and Representative Justin Parish (D-Juneau).
We’ve been talking about neighborhood crime and how to address the crime. I think by now many have heard about Senate Bill 54, a measure that has passed the Senate and now awaits action in the House, which will make some changes to Senate Bill 91, including allowing judges to use jail time in sentencing for first time C-felonies, changes in misdemeanor penalties, and violations of conditions of release. This bill addresses sentencing for both first time and repeat
Join me for a town hall meeting with visiting guests: Speaker of the House Bryce Edgmon (Dillingham); Majority Whip Rep. Louise Stutes (Kodiak); House Resources Committee Co-Chair Rep. Andy Josephson (Anchorage); and Office of Management and Budget Director Pat Pitney.
