Dear Friends,
Summer continues to move along! I hope that you, your family and friends have found time to get outside and enjoy some of what this beautiful state has to offer!
This summer, my staff and I have been attending events (see previous issues), holding constituent meetings, and working to prepare ourselves for the next session that begins on January 16th. We also have a few tours happening soon! We will be stopping in Eagle River to visit the Volunteers of America Youth Residential facility, going to Palmer for a plant material tour, and then to Chugach Electric for a tour of the facility. Outside of Alaska, I was invited to the White House for a convening on child care to discuss childcare policies throughout the nation. The meeting will help support legislators’ work to make child care more affordable and accessible for working families, increase childcare employment, and improve job quality for childcare workers. This month, I am headed to the National Conference of State Legislatures where I will be serving on a panel and discussing Defined Retirement Benefits as opposed to Defined Contribution Retirement Benefits. I will also have the opportunity to present information on Senator Giessel's bill (SB88) which moves public employees back to a Defined Benefit Pension plan.
During the next session, I will continue to work on bills previously introduced with the goal of making it to the finish line. I will also introduce a few new bills to address some of the issues brought to my attention that will benefit our state. Look for a list of those bills in a future newsletter.
Lastly, I look forward to seeing you at the Community Council meetings - as most will start reconvening next month!
