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Contact Information:
Toll Free:(800) 665-2689
In the Homer Area:(907) 235-2921
Via Mail or in Person: 345 W. Sterling Hwy., Suite 102B
Homer, Alaska 99603
Fax:(907) 235-4008
Website:
Email:
Greetings from Juneau. We are into the 15th day of the legislative session and have been quite busy at the office preparing and revising bills, as well as attending overviews for the state’s various departments and projects. Committees are just beginning to hear bills. It was very nice to meet with residents from District 35 this week, including Arthur Walters of Seward who was concerned about disability services and Rick Eckert from HEA. We have also been meeting regularly with education representatives, including those from the Alaska School Board Association, and NEA.
If any of our youth are planning to come visit Juneau they should let me know ahead of time and I will try to arrange for them to be a ‘guest page’ during a House Floor Session. Pages are the only people other than Representatives allowed on the Floor.
State Affairs Committee
This week in State Affairs we heard overviews of Public Facilities and the Alaska Marine Highway System in the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOT/PF), as well as an overview of the Alaska Public Offices Commission (APOC) in the Department of Administration.
According to DOT/PF Commissioner Mike Barton, the state owns and operates 84 road equipment maintenance stations, 258 airports, and 1,500 “buildings” including Fish and Game bunkhouses, Public Safety crime labs, and an assortment of offices, courthouses, airplane hangars and correctional facilities. The state owns 73 harbors, though it has transferred the operating responsibility on 51 of them to local governments.
For the Central Region, which includes the Kenai Peninsula, Anchorage, the Aleutians, and most of Southwest Alaska, DOT/PF is requesting an appropriation of $5 million in the governor’s budget to cover the general maintenance of public facilities. In its capital budget request DOT/PF is seeking $8 million for deferred maintenance statewide. DOT estimates a total of $15 million maintenance is currently deferred from past years, so this $8 million would be a good start toward protecting our state’s assets.
The major issue facing the Alaska Marine Highway System is the dispute between the state and unions representing the workers aboard the Fast Vehicle Ferry, Fairweather. Basically, the state wants to go to a winter schedule with 1 crew working only 4 days a week. The union, however, wants to continue the summer schedule with 2 crews working 7 days a week. Negotiations have reached an impasse and the Fairweather will be laid up until a contract agreement can be reached.
A result of the APOC overview will be the State Affairs’ committee participation in testing a new user-friendly version of the electronic reporting system for campaign finance disclosures. The new system should allow the public quicker access to these disclosure reports.
Next week in State Affairs we will be hearing House Bill 21 sponsored by Fairbanks Representative, Jay Ramras (R) Fairbanks. According to the bill’s sponsor statement, HB 21 will allow a candidate or group victimized by false advertising to file a complaint with APOC.
We will also hear overviews from the Divisions of Personnel, Retirement and Benefits, Risk, Finance, and General Services in the Department of Administration. All overviews will be teleconferenced on a listen only basis. If you would like to listen in on these, please contact your local Legislative Information Office.
HB 25: Sharing of exported unprocessed fish tax revenues with municipalities where the fish are landed.
HB 25 had its first hearing in House Community and Regional Affairs (CRA) on Thursday morning. The committee is Co-Chaired by Bill Thomas (R) Haines, and Rep. Kurt Olsen (R) Kenai. Two minor revisions were adopted so the bill becomes a ‘Committee Substitute’ and will be known as CSHB25 (CRA).
Data from the Dept. of Revenue shows that Southern Southeast, Northern Southeast, Kenai Peninsula, and Kodiak regions will all gain from the tax revenue distribution.
HB 25 was held in the Community and Regional Affairs Committee and will most likely be rescheduled for further action soon.
HB 20: Early funding of Education
HB 20 will be heard for the first time in the Education Committee on Tuesday at 11am. Please contact us if you are interested in testifying.
Governor’s Capital Budget
With the unanticipated increase in oil prices this year, the governor has been able to include a number of capital projects on his Capital Budget for FY06.
Among those capital projects, District 35 is slotted for a total of $12,569,500.
This includes $336,000 for water improvements in Homer, and $4,175,000 secured through federal funds for airport improvements, rescue and firefighting, and snow removal equipment. Anchor Point will receive $150,000 for the rehabilitation of the Anchor Point campgrounds. Seward would be allocated $5,500,000 to expand the Alaska Vocational Technical welding program, in addition to $2,500,000 for the deferred maintenance of AVTEC. Seldovia, Nanwalek, and Voznesenka will receive funds for water and sewer design improvements, $385,800, $1,472,700 and $100,000 respectively. An additional $450,000 will go to the Nanwalek Airport. Legislators of the Kenai Peninsula and Kodiak will be working together to secure funding for additional projects.
To check out the governor’s entire capital budget, link to
HESS
This week in HESS we heard overviews from the Department of Health and Social Services and the Department of Disabilities and Special Education. Next week we will continue hearing overviews from the Division of Public Health. Thursday we will hear from the Department of Health and Social Services on the Bring the Kids Home program. If you would like to listen in on any of these overviews, you can go to Gavel to Gavel online at .
Alaska Office of the Ombudsman
The office of the Ombudsman was created by the Alaska Legislature to ensure that the state government follows the rules and treats all citizens fairly and reasonably. The office is a non-partisan, neutral fact-finder. The Ombudsman takes no sides in a dispute, but if she finds a problem, will confront the agency and recommend a
solution. To reach the Ombudsman by phone, call 1-800-478-2624 toll-free anywhere in Alaska. You can also contact the office via the Internet at or by writing to P.O. Box 102636, Anchorage, 99510.
Communicating Effectively with Legislators
In my experience both as a Legislator and a constituent, I have seen people pursue a variety of strategies to gain the attention of their representatives. The following section describes what I have found to work best.
I suggest writing a short e-mail or letter covering the two or three most important points of the issue you are addressing. Specifics on how the issue affects you personally are likely to get more attention. State the bill number in the subject line of the email, or include it in the beginning of your letter. Be sure to include your
address and phone number on any correspondence you submit. It is helpful to know whose district you are from. If you want particular legislators to pay attention, do not send mass emails to every office, or each office will assume someone else is dealing with it. If you know which staff is dealing with the issue, write to them directly.
The staff person will make sure the legislator is aware of your important issue when they have gathered the necessary information on the subject. If you cannot email, it is best to fax your written letter to the office for issues that are time sensitive. Phone calls are more effective when following-up on written material you have sent in.
Prior to testifying at a teleconference, I suggest submitting an outline of your key points to my office or to the committee you are addressing so we can follow along more easily as you are speaking. Submitting written testimony also makes it easier for us to remember your thoughts later on. In-person visits are especially effective if you
provide written outlines or proposals. This allows us to focus on your ideas rather than concentrating on taking notes. It is often beneficial for you to know the committee members before testifying so I am including the following links to committees and finance subcommittees for each agency. Finance subcommittee meetings
are work sessions so are not teleconferenced but your input to those members can be very important as they are constructing the budget.
Committee Member Information
House Finance Subcommittee Information
I use an "auto reply" on my email, so you will know that I received your email and who in my office would be best to communicate with. We try to follow up with a phone call or email within a few days of receiving your correspondence in order to address any substantive issues. Calling me at 1-800-665-2689 provides you with easy access to my office.
Public Opinion Messages (POMS) are the lease effective way to relay important ideas. "Carbon Copy" communications are viewed like signatures on a petition and are not always read.
Following Bills
All bills can be found on the State's Bill Action and Status Inquiry System (BASIS). You can see what committee a bill is in, when it will be heard, how committee members voted, and much more. Don't forget that you can view all bills relating to your areas of interest by selecting "Subject Summary" from the menu on the right. You can access BASIS through the link below.
Live on the Web
Most committee hearings can be seen and heard on Gavel to Gavel, which is broadcast on both local access TV and on the internet. You can also access online archives from their website. .
Contact Us
If you would like to speak to me regarding a specific issue, it is helpful to first get in touch with the member of my staff handling related issues. You can click on their email addresses to send them a note, or just give us a call at the office. Please provide your full name, address and phone number on any correspondence with the office. Your time and effort are much appreciated.
Louie Flora
State Affairs, Resources, Fisheries, HB 25
(907) 465-4963
louie_flora ''@'' legis.state.ak.us
Katie Shows
Health Education and Social Services, HB 20, HB 24
(907) 465-2028
katie_shows ''@'' legis.state.ak.us
Ian Laing
Ways and Means, HB 50
(907) 465-2689
ian_laing ''@'' legis.state.ak.us
Rep. Paul Seaton
House District 35
(800) 665-2689
rep_paul_seaton ''@'' legis.state.ak.us
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