January 28th, 2010

Greetings from Juneau!

The second session of the 26th Alaska Legislature is off to a productive beginning.  I started this newsletter in an effort to keep you better informed about major issues affecting our district and to let you know how I was spending my time. My staff and I will continue to send you regular updates from Juneau and as always, I encourage you to contact me with any comments or questions.

Meet the Staff

We are fortunate to have an excellent staff returning to work on your behalf this session. I know many of you may have already had occasion to meet them, but here is a brief introduction:

Miles Baker returns for his seventh year as Chief of Staff. Miles’ business education and extensive private sector experience is a great asset to the team.  He will be coordinating all appropriation bills for the Finance Committee and is lead staff on the Capital Budget in the Senate.

Darwin Peterson returns for his third session. Darwin has years of legislative experience and possesses an excellent understanding of the legislative process. He will be organizing legislation for the Senate Finance Committee.

Linda Hay has a wealth of experience in Southeast.  Previously, she worked as a Special Staff Assistant and Deputy Legislative Director for Governor Frank Murkowski, and as the Legislative Liaison for the Department of Environmental Conservation.  Linda has been heavily involved in oil & gas legislation during the past two years and is well versed in a variety of critical resource issues. She will be my principal committee aide for natural resources, energy and related policy areas.

Weston Eiler was born and raised in Southeast Alaska, and returns for his third session in my office. Weston has traveled extensively in the district and has a variety of responsibilities including personal legislation, constituent correspondence, and coordinating district requests for the Capital Budget.

Julie Isom hails from Thorne Bay where she worked for the South Island School District and served as City Mayor. Julie possesses great insight into our district and has been providing valuable constituent support in Juneau and Ketchikan for the last three years. If you call or stop by the office in Juneau, she is more than likely the first one you’ll be speaking with.

Committee Assignments

This session I will continue as Co-Chairman of the Finance Committee. In that role, I serve as one of five members of the Senate leadership. I will be focused on instituting sound fiscal policies and on ensuring the State's financial resources are properly managed. My responsibilities include setting the calendar of bills before the Committee and drafting the State's FY2011 Capital Appropriations Bill.  

I will also serve on several other committees that will allow me to influence policy that impacts our district.  These include the Resources Committee, Legislative Budget & Audit Committee, Special Energy Committee, Rules Committee, Legislative Council and Vice-Chair of the Renewable Energy Task Force.  No issue is more important to Alaska’s future than the commercialization of our North Slope gas reserves.  The legislature will be considering a variety of proposed changes to oil & gas taxes, and awaiting the results of the producer’s open season for development of a natural gas pipeline later this spring.  High energy costs continue to be one of the toughest economic challenges facing our state. I plan to take a comprehensive approach to finding solutions and examine all potential energy resources.  In the coming weeks, I will be engaged in these and other issues to represent you in legislature and get results for Alaskans.

Committee Work

The Finance Committee began examining the Governor’s proposed FY2011 Budget this week.  The committee received a forecast of state revenue in the coming year, and a budget summary from the Office of Management & Budget.  Today the Legislative Finance Division presented their analysis of the budget to the committee.        

I was pleased to welcome a new member to the Finance Committee, Senator Dennis Egan of Juneau.  Senator Egan brings years of experience as a mayor and municipal leader, and I look forward to working with him on issues important to Southeast Alaska.   

Personal Legislation

The Legislature passed Senate Bill 59 this week.  The bill expands road access for low-speed vehicles on Alaska roads.  In recent years, electric car technology has advanced, providing effective and sustainable transportation options for small communities. Low-speed vehicles can help reduce our carbon dioxide emissions and provide cheaper transportation options for Alaskans.  There are currently over a dozen of these vehicles operating in Southeast communities.   Data from the Department of Transportation & Public Facilities suggests this bill will open an additional 30 miles of road throughout our region to these vehicles.  I’m pleased the legislature enacted this bill, and hope it will improve sustainable transportation in our region.

Happenings

I’m pleased to announce my new website and blog for Alaskans and others interested in my activities in the Alaska State Senate.  I will post regular updates on happenings in Juneau and major issues affecting Southeast Alaska.

This weekend the Southeast Alaska Power Association (SEAPA) will hold a throw-the-breaker party to celebrate the completion of the Swan-Tyee Intertie in Ketchikan.  I’m excited to attend the celebration and welcome fellow legislators to our district.

Reminders

Applications for the 2010 Alaska Permanent Fund Dividend are due by March 31, 2010

If you haven't before, I strongly encourage you to apply online this year. It's simple, fast and the best way to get an immediate digital confirmation of your application from the Permanent Fund Dividend Division.   New to the on-line application is a feature which allows Alaskans to donate part of their dividend to charity.  Some of the charities in our district participating in the program include:

• Ketchikan Youth Initiatives
• Sitka Maritime Heritage Society
• Alaska Native Sisterhood Association
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Alaska

You can see the complete list and find out more about the program at http://www.pickclickgive.org/ 

Whether you use the online application process or not, please don't forget that you MUST apply for the 2010 Dividend by March 31st. My office gets calls every year from folks who have been denied their PFD simply because they didn’t complete their application on time. The state has tightened the rules up significantly over the past several years and late applications will almost certainly be denied.

If you have any questions about the Permanent Fund Dividend application, contact them online at www.pfd.alaska.gov or by phone at (907) 465-2326 or (907) 269-0370.

Regards,