Back in Juneau!
January 26, 2010
Dear Neighbor,
I am back in Juneau for the final session of the 26th Alaska Legislature. Here is a brief update on some recent developments affecting our area and issues I have been working on this session.
Protecting Our Neighborhoods
I am pleased to report that the Highway 2 Highway Project, which seeks to reduce congestion between the Seward and Glenn Highways, has decided against recommending either the “East City Alternative” or building a highway through Russian Jack Springs Park. These alternatives would have put a major freeway in our backyards and put major access roads through our neighborhoods.
Although reducing congestion is necessary, these alternatives would not have solved the pressing traffic problem, and instead would have been very damaging to our neighborhoods. The decision to eliminate these alternatives is great news for East Anchorage.
I would like to thank everyone who joined me and Representative Pete Petersen in opposition to this plan. It is because of your efforts that our East Anchorage neighborhoods will remain intact.
 On Wednesday I met with Lieutenant Colonel Marc F. Hoffmeister, who was wounded by a roadside bomb while serving in Iraq. Marc lost partial use of his left arm and hand but continues to serve his country in the U.S. Army. 1n 2009, Marc was named National Geographic Adventurer of the Year for leading a team of veterans and amputees to the summit of Denali. He is an inspiration to all of us.
My 2010 Committee Assignments
Co-Chair, Senate Resources Committee
Co-chair, Joint Armed Services Committee
Vice Chair, Senate Judiciary Committee
Member, Senate Special Committee on Energy
Member Senate Special Committee on World Trade, Technology and Innovations
Alternate, Legislative Ethics Committee
New Legislation Will Benefit Alaskans
I have introduced several new pieces of legislation that I believe will benefit Alaskans in many ways.
Senate Bill 232 is designed to help lower your property taxes. It will give local governments greater ability to lower taxes by increasing the allowable municipal property tax exemption from $20,000 to $50,000 for owner-occupied primary residences and expanding the program to apply to residential rental properties. This bill will allow the average Anchorage property taxpayer to save more than $450. Any increase in the exemption would be subject to final approval of the voters at public election.
I have also introduced a bill to help ensure that Anchorage has a reliable year-round source of natural gas for home heating. Senate Bill 203 creates economic incentives for companies to develop storage facilities for natural gas to prevent winter shortages.
I have also introduced Senate Bill 228 to provide incentives for the in-state use of natural gas in a gas-to-liquids plant or other petrochemical process. My hope is that this bill will spur new industries in Alaska, create thousands of good-paying jobs, and bring in billions in new state revenue.
Senate Bill 208 will require the state to undertake a review of State laws and policies designed to promote more natural gas production in Cook Inlet.
Through the Resources Committee, I have introduced Senate Bill 220, the Alaska Sustainable Energy Act creating a statewide energy policy. This legislation calls for the state to meet 50 percent of Alaska’s electrical needs through renewable energy by 2025. The bill has multiple provisions including requiring the State to make public buildings more energy efficient, creating a tax credit to encourage more renewable energy production, establishing a fund to promote new energy technologies, and developing a statewide fuel buying cooperative to lower costs for all Alaskans.
I am sponsoring Senate Bill 213, which will provide a state match for schools participating in the federal Free and Reduced Price School Breakfast and Lunch Program. This legislation will encourage more schools to provide nutritious meals for underprivileged children and allow schools that already do so to improve their programs. For many children, these are the only nutritious meals they will get on a regular basis. Alaska is one of the only states that doesn’t help supplement the program.
Senate Bill 205 will prevent utilities from charging their customers to recover costs associated with their own mistakes or negligence. I was motivated to introduce this bill after Enstar was made to repay a $5.7 million overcharge to the U.S. Military and is now seeking reimbursement from their customers rather than taking responsibility for their own error.
I have introduced legislation to prevent cruelty to animals. Senate Bill 214 expands upon legislation passed 2 years ago by making the most heinous acts of cruelty a felony on the first offense. People who victimize helpless pets often go on to commit similar crimes against humans, and I believe we need to take corrective action before this happens.
Finally, Senate Bill 215 will ensure that elderly veterans living in Pioneer Homes will receive the prescription medicines they are entitled to under federal law. I recently worked with other legislators to resolve a frustrating problem in which veterans living at the Pioneer Homes were not allowed to receive their free prescription benefits because of a bureaucratic mix up. This bill will ensure that the steps that the Alaska Pioneers Home are taking to fix the problem will be maintained.
Thank you for taking the time to read this update. I look forward to working on these and other issues throughout the legislative session as I represent you in the Alaska Senate. As always, please feel to send me an email anytime or call my office toll free in Juneau at 800-550-2435 if you have any thoughts and opinions you would like to share, or if I can assist you in any way.
Until next time,
![[signed]](http://www.aksenate.org/images/signatures/32.jpg)
Bill Wielechowski
Alaska State Senator
District J - Anchorage
P.S. if you would like to get more regular updates about what I am doing you can follow me on Twitter using the link below.
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