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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:
Hello again from Juneau on this 64th day of the 120-day legislative session. This week had a compressed schedule due to the extended "Energy Council" weekend. The nationwide energy conference in Washington D.C. was attended by a number of legislators to deal primarily with the North Slope gas line and ANWAR issues. Another group toured bush Alaska to look at education programs and facilities, which will hopefully provide a greater impetus for the adoption of the new Area Cost Differential numbers.
After many weeks of work, we have finally put together the elements of a bill dealing with revisions to the public employee and teacher retirement systems. A draft of the bill should come back from Legal and be introduced this week for hearing the following week. The State Affairs committee will have an ambitious schedule this week including a Saturday meeting to clear the decks for a large public discussion of retirement issues the following week. Please stay involved with the process at these early meetings so your comments and concerns can be incorporated.
Tina and I enjoyed the 40th anniversary of Rural Alaska Community Action Program (RurAL CAP) this week. The event featured a dance and drums celebration, and provided several interesting samples of seaweeds, seal, and herring egg salad.
District Visit
I will be returning to Homer for Easter weekend, March 24th – 28th. Charlene Ditton has offered to have an open house at the Homer LIO on Friday, March 25th
from 6:00 – 8pm, after the opening ceremony for the new animal shelter, which I will attend from 5:00 – 6 pm. If there are any issues you would like to discuss with
me, I would encourage you to stop by. If you would prefer to meet one on one, please contact Ian in my office to schedule a time.
House State Affairs
We heard three bills and a resolution last week. The resolution, , is a statement of support for the Alaska Army National Guard on active duty throughout the world. This resolution passed out of committee, as did , a bill extending the sunset date for the Alaska Seismic Hazards Safety Commission until June 20, 2010. In addition to other duties, the commission recommends goals and priorities for seismic and tsunami hazard mitigation to the public and private sectors. seeks to authorize an advisory vote by the public at the next general election on whether income from the earnings reserve account of the permanent fund should be used to fund a community dividend program. Language in the bill is being amended. It was held in committee and will be heard again at a later date. We continued work on , the omnibus elections bill. We are working through many different amendments to this bill. Contact your local Legislative Information Office, or my Committee Aide, Louie, if you would like copies of the proposed amendments. We will hear HB 94 again on Tuesday, March 15th to finalize the bill.
This week we will hear ten bills and one resolution. On Tuesday we will hear the resolution, , calling for the establishment of a voluntary public/private partnership program called "Meth Watch" to combat the methamphetamine problem in Alaska. Both , and , dealing with termination of parental rights and Child in Need of Aid cases, will be heard on Tuesday. We will also hear , a House State Affairs bill that seeks to remove the legislature’s information systems from the jurisdiction of the Department of Administration, and , a bill that seeks to preclude political parties from encouraging absentee voting, or assisting in the handling of absentee ballot requests. Thursday we will hear , relating to special motor vehicle registration plates, , making it illegal for drivers to view DVDs while driving, , allowing for the expungement of criminal conviction records on cases that have been set-aside by the court, and , creating a quarterly permanent fund dividend payment. Saturday we will hear , a bill that repeals the section of the "seat-belt statute" that prohibits peace officers from stopping or detaining a motor vehicle for the sole purpose of determining seat-belt law compliance. We will also hear , an act relating to the construction of a new state capitol.
House Resources
We did not hear any bills last week because of the extended weekend. This week we will hear a resolution, , encouraging the development of sustainable energy resources. We will also hear , an act that seeks to direct the Commissioner of the Department of Fish and Game to promote and preserve the heritage of hunting and trapping in Alaska, and a Governor’s bill that would allow the state to manage the federal Clean Water Act National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System program. The assumption of management over this program would cause an estimated $1.5 million increase in the Department of Environmental Conservation budget.
HESS
and passed out of committee this week. HB 16 establishes a stipend to pay for room and board costs for three boarding schools that provide alternate education for children from rural schools. This program has a 5-year sunset. HB 20 is my own early funding of education bill. I was pleased to see it move unchanged out of committee to House Finance. , relating to postoperative ocular care, was heard and held. HB 151 would require surgeons performing eye surgery to stay in the city or town where the procedure was preformed for 5 days in order to ensure they are available for postoperative care. Many patients currently travel to urban areas for eye surgery and have a local optometrist perform the follow up care. Opponents of HB 151 believe this bill would limit opportunities for rural patients, while proponents argue it would provide for a higher quality of postoperative care. I have had passionate testimony on both sides from District 35. I am concerned that this subject is within the jurisdiction of the State Medical Board and the legislature is being asked to address something that the Board is better prepared to deal with.
PFD Deadline
Just a reminder, all Permanent Fund Dividend (PFD) applications are due at the end of this month. Your application must be postmarked by March 31st or your application will be denied. If you need assistance with your application or have questions regarding your eligibility, please contact the Permanent Fund Division at 1-800-733-8813. You can find additional information and apply online at:
Immunizations
The Department of Health and Social Services has issued their 2005 Recommended Childhood and Adolescent Immunization Schedule. A link to the schedule can be found on the Departments' Epidemiology website at:
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
representative_paul_seaton ''@'' legis.state.ak.us # # # |
