Up now, on deck, and in the hole.
This week is shaping up to be a very busy one in the Alaska State Legislature.
Dear Neighbors and Friends,
Thank you to everyone who came out to the Anchorage Delegation Town Hall meeting on Saturday and shared your input, insight, and concerns. I deeply appreciate the presence and comments from our friends and neighbors. It is a scary thing, standing up in a room full of people, many of whom you don’t know. I am especially thankful for our Senate District I neighbor who took part of their two minutes to plead with Anchorage legislators to stop introducing policy bills that target our LGBTQIA+ students. I hope my colleagues heard the same impassioned plea I heard to allow kids to be kids, safely and authentically.
Looking ahead, this week promises to be quite a doozy. Below are details of what’s in store for the Alaska State Legislature. As always, please do not hesitate to reach out to our office, and be sure to subscribe to my Instagram and official Senate Facebook page for last-minute updates happening in our state capital.
With gratitude,
LGT
Up Now: Public Testimony on Teacher Bonuses
On Monday, March 11th from 3:30 pm to 5:00 pm, the Senate Education Committee will continue hearing public testimony on SB 97, an act to authorize lump sum payments to certain teachers as retention and recruitment incentives. I strongly encourage you to watch the recordings from previous hearings (accessible through the link above) as we’ve heard from the Department of Education and Early Development as well as from invited testifiers. As always, you can email your comments to Senate.Education@akleg.gov as well.
On Deck: Joint Session on Tuesday, March 12.
On Tuesday, March 12, the Alaska State Legislature will meet in a joint session to consider the Governor’s executive orders (EOs) repealing several state boards and commissions. Under the Executive Article of the Alaska Constitution (Article 3), the Governor has the constitutional right to “make changes in the organization of the executive branch or in the assignment of functions among its units which he considers necessary for efficient administration. Where these changes require the force of law, they shall be set forth in executive orders;” however, there is debate as to whether these set of executive orders are permitted under this constitutional provision. Below is a brief introduction to each EO and links to associated documents from the Senate committee hearings which considered each Senate Joint Resolution (SJR) disapproving the EO. Please reach out to legislators to let them know your opinions and thoughts before the joint session commences.
Executive Order 124: Transfers the duties of the Board of Game to the Commissioner of Fish and Game. Review all the documents related to disapproving this EO, including the minutes and audio from the Senate Resources Committee.
Executive Order 125: Transfers the duties of the Alaska Council of Emergency Medical Services to the Department of Health. Review all the documents related to disapproving this EO, including the minutes and audio from the Senate Health & Social Services Committee.
Executive Order 126: Transfers the duties of the Wood-Tikchik State Park Management Council to the Department of Natural Resources. Review all the documents related to disapproving this EO, including the minutes and audio from the Senate Resources Committee.
Executive Order 127: Transfers the duties of the Board of Massage Therapists to the Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development. Review all the documents related to disapproving this EO, including the minutes and audio from the Senate Labor & Commerce Committee.
Executive Order 128: Separate the board of the Alaska Energy Authority from the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority. Review all the documents related to disapproving this EO, including the minutes and audio from the Senate State Affairs Committee.
Executive Order 129: Transfers the duties of the Board of Barbers and Hairdressers to the Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development. Review all the documents related to disapproving this EO, including the minutes and audio from the Senate Labor & Commerce Committee.
Executive Order 130: Transfers the duties of the Board of Certified Direct-Entry Midwives to the Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development. Review all the documents related to disapproving this EO, including the minutes and audio from the Senate Labor & Commerce Committee.
Executive Order 131: Reorganization of the Alaska Marine Highway Operations Board. Review all the documents related to disapproving this EO, including the minutes and audio from the Senate Transportation Committee.
Executive Order 132: Transfers the duties of the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve Council to the Department of Natural Resources. Review all the documents related to disapproving this EO, including the minutes and audio from the Senate Resources Committee.
Executive Order 133: Transfers the duties of the Criminal Justice Information Advisory Board to the Department of Public Safety. Review all the documents related to disapproving this EO, including the minutes and audio from the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Executive Order 134: Transfers all the duties of the Recreation Rivers Advisory Board to the Department of Natural Resources. Review all the documents related to disapproving this EO, including the minutes and audio from the Senate Resources Committee.
Executive Order 135: Transfers all the duties of the Alaska Safety Advisory Council to the Department of Labor and Workforce Development. Review all the documents related to disapproving this EO, including the minutes and audio from the Senate Judiciary Committee.
In the Hole: Veto Deadline for Senate Bill 140
Early last week, the Senate negotiating team (comprised of Senator Hoffman, Senator Wielechowski, and myself) worked with our colleagues in the other body and with representatives from the Governor’s office to find a pathway forward after the Governor threatened to veto legislation to significantly increase the Base Student Allocation unless some additional education policy provisions were put forth. It took some late nights (special shout-out to this week’s podcast guest Andy Ratliff for accommodating my erratic recording schedule), but I feel good about where things are at regarding Senate Bill 140.
If you are curious to hear more about charter schools and the Governor’s proposal to provide bonus payments to teachers, please watch the recordings from last week’s Senate Education Committee (links are in-text). Good policy ideas are often neither right nor left and I am committed to hearing, in good faith, all education legislation that comes before my committee.
Nevertheless, this doesn’t mean I have a crystal ball and can dictate what is going to happen. This week will be a rollercoaster as we wait to hear what the Governor decides to do. I’ll be busy preparing for a bill hearing in Senate Health & Social Services for Senate Bill 27, allowing insurers to provide up to 12 months of birth control. Working in the legislature means being able to chew gum, walk, and advocate for good public policy, all at the same time.
