Dear Neighbors,
As a new member this session of the Alaska House Committee on Military and Veterans Affairs, I take very seriously my responsibility to protect and assist all members of our armed services. Particularly those who are vulnerable to abuses of power because of their duty to follow orders.
Dear Friends and Neighbors,
As many of you know, I have strong feelings about Alaska and protecting its natural beauty, where this can be achieved. It is for that reason that I have introduced House Bill 119, which takes the requirements passed by the Bristol Bay Forever Initiative and adds another layer of protection for Bristol Bay.
Welcome to the second edition of Claman’s Alaska Matters newsletter. This newsletter will be one of the many ways you can find out what is going on in our State Legislature, how pending legislation may affect our district, and my thoughts on various subjects. Feel free to follow my office on social media with the links above for day-to-day happenings in the Alaska State Legislature. Enjoy!
JUNEAU – Today, Representative Andy Josephson (D-Anchorage) introduced a resolution supporting an innovative solution to protecting valuable tourism assets in Denali National Park. The resolution (HCR17) asks the state and federal government to enter in to negotiations over a wildlife buffer conservation easement east of Denali National Park. The easement includes an exchange of state land for federal land of equal value.
Bush Caucus is Back
I’ve joined the Bush Caucus. The Bush Caucus has evolved into more of a coastal caucus in recent years, and includes lawmakers from urban communities such as Juneau. But the spirit is the same: advocate the needs of rural and coastal Alaska. Goodness knows it’s a voice that needs to be heard.
Guv’s Oil & Gas Tax Bill is Bad for Alaska
It seems like every year, the Legislature is largely consumed with oil and gas taxes. There’s a very good reason for that – those taxes provide for over 90% of Alaska’s general fund. This year is no exception. The governor has once again introduced legislation to give away our resources.
I enjoy hearing from you, so please stop by the office, call, write or email.
There are nine days left in the 90-day legislative session. In this newsletter, I’ll give you an update on the budget and some information about a great bill banning texting while driving. I’ll also share my thoughts on some unfounded concerns about the Girl Scouts.
Thank you for reading my newsletter. I appreciate hearing from you, so please stop by my office, call, write or email.
Last night the house passed the operating budget for 2013. Although there were several changes I would have liked, I ultimately supported this budget because of the many positive benefits it will bring to all Alaskan families.
Budget highlights
We have expanded pre-kindergarten by adding courses at the university of Alaska to train pre-kindergarten teachers and adding funds for Best Beginnings and Alaska’s Parents as Teachers program (PAT).
