The latest from Senator Bill Wielechowski March 6, 2024 Senator Bill Wielechowski State Capitol, Rm 103 Juneau, AK 99801 800-550-2435 907-465-2435 [email protected] 1500 W Benson #315 Anchorage, AK 99503 907-269-0120 Contact My Staff Mercedes Colbert Chief of Staff [email protected] David Dunsmore Senior Legislative Aide [email protected] Hunter Lottsfeldt Legislative Aide [email protected] Maxine Laberge Legislative Aide [email protected] Kaleb Callahan Intern [email protected] Contact the Governor Governor Dunleavy's Anchorage office may be reached at 269-7450, or e-mail him at [email protected] Visit the state website www.alaska.gov Track Legislation Visit the Legislature's website www.AKLeg.gov Submit a Letter to the Editor The Anchorage Daily News welcomes and publishes a broad range of viewpoints. To submit a piece for consideration, email [email protected]. Send submissions shorter than 200 words to [email protected]. ________________ Dear Friends & Neighbors, Education Funding Update A significant amount of effort and compromise was evident in the capitol during the passage of SB 140, the new education funding bill. This legislation marks the most substantial increase in funding for Alaskan schools in our state’s history. Specifically, it includes the following provisions: A $680 raise in the base student allocation. An additional $10 million allocated for the Alaska Reads Act. $14.5 million designated for correspondence education. Alaska School Broadband Assistance Grants (BAG) Program federal match to reach 100 Mbps speeds Despite our collaborative efforts yielding positive results in the legislature, Governor Michael Dunleavy has not yet acted on the bill, requesting more to be done on charter schools and other policies. The Governor has until March 14 to sign or veto the bill, or it could go into law without his signature (but take longer to go into effect). Until that deadline, my colleagues and I remain engaged in dialogues that I hope will result in this long overdue boost in funding for our neighborhood schools. Years of stagnant funding have hindered progress, and failing to increase the base student allocation would be a costly mistake that our state cannot afford to continue repeating. I hope to have news to share with you by the end of next week. Meeting with the Capitol Press corps, President Stevens, and Senate Education Chair Tobin regarding education My Response to the DOT Commissioner about Snow Plowing Last week, the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOT&PF) Commissioner, Ryan Anderson, came before the Senate Finance DOT&PF Subcommittee, which oversees the agency's budget. This is what he had to say about snow plowing in Anchorage this winter: Click here to watch video I found this answer unacceptable. We can do better. Anchorage Townhall this Sat, March 9 On Saturday, March 9, from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM, Anchorage Legislators are holding an areawide townhall meeting at UAA Cuddy Hall, 3400 Seawolf Dr in Anchorage, located on bus routes 10, 20, 25. Bring your questions, comments, and neighbors, I look forward to seeing you! You can see the most up-to-date information here. Community Survey Request Provide input on Denełchin Lab's future community programs! Denełchin Lab is working with current Leadership Anchorage participants to learn how they can expand access to community members. Please complete this anonymous community survey by March 15. Complete the community survey here. Anchorage Voting Begins Next Week Ballots will soon be in mailboxes for Anchorage voters, due back no later than Tues, April 2. To learn more about how to track your ballot, how to request a replacement ballot, and where to find drop-boxes in Anchorage, visit the Municipality's website here. Complete the East Anchorage Survey I value hearing from my neighbors! I recently sent paper newsletters to East Anchorage constituents. If you haven't already, please take one minute to complete my survey here: East Anchorage Legislative survey Please feel free to reach out to me or my staff anytime if we may be of assistance to you. Warmly, Alaska Senate Majority | Capitol Building, 4th Avenue & Main Street, Juneau, AK 99801 Unsubscribe [email protected] Constant Contact Data Notice Sent by [email protected]