It's a Photo Dump (plus some other stuff)
Read more about the state of public education in Alaska, find out what the heck is happening with the STIP, and check out some very fun photos.
Dear Neighbors and Friends,
Day 30 of the legislative session has come and gone. Things are gaining steam as we head into the final months of the Second Session of the 33rd Alaska State Legislature. The last day to introduce personal legislation is Monday, February 19th and I anticipate we will see a few more bills introduced.
I am elated to share that my legislation to permanently recognize March as Traumatic Brain Injury Month passed out of its last committee of referral and could soon be headed to the floor of the Alaska House of Representatives. Also, my legislation to increase patient access and improve healthcare outcomes by untethering physician’s assistants with robust clinical experience has moved out of its first committee of referral.
I also introduced legislation on extreme risk protective orders, which have been shown to reduce death by suicide and prevent self-harm. Twenty-one states, including Florida, Colorado, and Indiana have passed similar legislation after major gun violence events. As I shared in my floor speech after introducing the legislation on the 6th Anniversary of the Parkland School Shooting, I grew up in rural Alaska and experienced losing many close classmates and friends to death by suicide with a firearm. It is my obligation as a legislator and a policymaker to have difficult conversations and bring good policy to the table for robust and honest discussions about responsible public health measures to reduce harm in our communities.
Finally, I’ve been spending quite a bit of time ruminating on the history of public education in the United States. If you haven’t had a chance to listen to my 12-minute speech to the Alaska Council of School Administrators, please take a moment as it highlights how public education wouldn’t have happened without emancipation and the abolitionists who fought for equitable funding and access to public schools. I also recommend watching this week’s Senate Education Committee hearings, which feature students from across the state and insights from current classroom educators about the state of teaching in Alaska.
The situation our kids and our teachers paint is dire and I cannot stress enough: our public schools need you now more than ever before. We’ve heard that the House of Representatives plans to take up Senate Bill 140, the omnibus education bill that has been turduckened to include parts of SB 52, which provides a substantial increase to the BSA, as well as several other education policy bills, many of which have not been vetted through the legislative process. A few weeks ago, I provided an analysis of what is included in SB 140, and I cannot stress enough: call your friends and talk to your colleagues. Encourage everyone you know to reach out to their representatives to advocate for the highest BSA increase our state can afford. Our schools need our support now more than ever before. Let’s show up for our students and our teachers.
As always, thank you again to all those who have reached out and shared your lived experience, insight, and perspectives. Please keep the emails and letters coming. And of course, please visit us in Juneau anytime!
With gratitude,
What’s going on with the STIP?
My office has been following the process to develop a Statewide Transportation Improvement Plan (STIP) and I submitted substantial public comments to ensure the 2024-2027 STIP incorporated our community’s interests and needs.
Over the past few months, our municipal transportation partners, as well as tribal entities and community transportation advocates, have been vocal about their concern that the STIP process did not follow federal regulatory processes.
This week, their fears were realized as we received word that our state’s STIP was not approved by the federal government. The Dunleavy Administration now has exactly two weeks to correct the first tier of errors and resubmit the STIP. The Senate Majority is monitoring the process and preparing to hold public hearings after the March 1st deadline. This is a fast-moving situation so please reach out to our office at any time for an update.
For more information about the STIP, the House Transportation Committee held an informational hearing on Thursday, February 15th. Watch the KTOO Gavel to Gavel coverage online.
Photo Dump from the first 30 days.
