Dear Colleagues:

Thank you for your dedication, determination, and hard work in making the First Session of the Twenty-Third Alaska State Legislature smooth and successful. I am honored to work with you and am grateful for the opportunity to represent you as the Speaker of the House.

We have much to be proud of this first session. We went to Juneau facing many challenges - an unusually large number of first-time legislators, a new Administration, and the necessity to deal with a mounting fiscal crisis. We stood up to the challenge, and we made great progress on the critical issues facing our state. We successfully worked as an independent body with respect for the legislative process, and we were able to find compromises and common ground with the new Governor and with Minority members. Despite our sometimes-vast differences of opinion, we came together to make important decisions that balance the goals of the new Administration with the desires of our constituents and the force of our individual consciences.

Together we made great progress on accomplishing the goals we set for ourselves in January. We helped streamline the permitting process for natural resource development and created responsible incentives for companies to explore for and develop our oil and natural gas. We created a Ways & Means Committee that worked exhaustively on finding ways to balance the budget and increase revenue to the state. Our committees thoroughly reviewed the legislation introduced by the Governor and made appropriate and knowledgeable changes and decisions regarding the ensuing impacts on our state.

The State of Alaska is better for the work accomplished in the First Session of Twenty-Third Alaska State Legislature. We laid an important foundation for the revitalization of our economy, the balancing of our state's budget, and the renewal of hope for the future of Alaska.

Warm Regards,

Rep. Pete Kott Speaker of the House

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