Greetings!
It’s been a few weeks since the Legislature recessed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but work continues. Representative Tarr, Representative Fields, and I have hosted constituent meetings, and I have managed to get to many community council meetings through Zoom. The Senate Democrats continue to meet telephonically to understand our evolving situation to help each of you better understand the economic relief that is out there and how best to access it.
The Senate Democrats web page has a number of easy to follow documents that help underscore what both the state and federal approaches are offering to Alaskans. Meanwhile, great feedback from the constituent meetings has underscored the need for us to be in regular communication with our federal delegation to ensure the relief from Washington actually reaches Alaskans who need it. We are troubleshooting several unintended consequences of the Federal CARES Act for constituents and encourage you to reach out to my office if you are encountering difficulties in accessing resources you believe you are qualified for.
On another note, I have continued to advocate to members in the Legislature that we must reconvene and finish our work to ensure relief comes to everyone as quickly and efficiently as possible. Unfortunately, reconvening seems like an uphill battle right now. The Legislature has a constitutional duty to appropriate the funding coming from the federal government, a Capitol budget to complete, and many pieces of legislation were left in limbo when we recessed.
Further, we must work now to plan our economic recovery after the shock of the dramatic collapse in oil prices, the volatility of the stock market affecting the Permanent Fund, and the collapse of our service industry that fuels so much of our economy. We were all elected to do a job, and the Senate Democrats stand ready to return to Juneau to do ours.
Regardless, my staff and I, along with our House colleagues Reps. Tarr and Fields, will continue to keep working for you every day.
Stay healthy, keep up your good health practices of social distancing, and face covering, and let’s help make a troubling spring become a wonderful summer.
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Senator Tom Begich
Senate District J
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Community Resources & FAQs |
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Wear your face mask! Wash your hands. Stand six feet away from anyone not in your household—and not an inch closer!
You know, we know, and by this time even your dog and house plants know our new normal...So let’s take a moment to talk about what we can actually do and where we can safely and physically go at this point in the pandemic.
Here are some of my office’s most frequently asked questions, now answered:
Will there be summer lunch programs for kids?
Yes! Here are a couple resources:
Where is the Food Bank making deliveries now that Fairview Rec Center is closed?
How can I log into Zoom meetings for community councils?
It’s easier than you may think! First, click on your neighborhood:
Then, there will be a link for step by step instructions for how to set up Zoom and join a meeting!
Is People Mover still offering rides?
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Not currently. People Mover has suspended rides until further notice. Please see here.
When will 5th Avenue Mall open?
When is homeless camp abatement starting?
Will there be park/trail restoration this summer?
- Parks and Rec has renovated a playground at Frontierland Park and is currently refining a design for Elderberry Park.
Can we go back to playgrounds yet?
- This week! Currently Anchorage parks are open, as well as all of Anchorage’s trails. The tape on the playgrounds will come down very soon. The parks will also be posting guidelines for how to safely enjoy playgrounds.
How is the Downtown Farmers Market and 15th Ave Farmers Market going to operate?
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Very carefully! They have already organized a plan for how they will operate this summer, please see their new guidelines for how to safely attend, here.
Will PrideFest be happening in June?
Are kid summer camps (like CampFire) happening this summer?
- Yes and no. We’ve heard from several different camps that they will not operate this summer, and a couple have still yet to make up their mind. The best way to get the most updated information is to contact camps directly.
Can I make and donate face masks?
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Yes, absolutely and thank you in advance for any contribution you can make! Here is a great resource for making and donating masks: Alaska Mask Makers
Updated May 5, 2020 at noon.
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Serving as an intern in the Office of Senator Tom Begich has been the highlight of my college career. Seeing the political process happen right before my eyes has been far more enriching that reading pages in a textbook. Having the ability to apply skills I’ve learned in the classroom while being surrounded by a brilliant team of compassionate individuals is something I wouldn’t trade for the world. While the political process can be full of thorns, every member of the Begich team came to work every day with kindness, respect, and the drive for bettering the lives of ALL Alaskans. These are the values that I hope to take with me as I begin to establish myself in the professional world. The residents of District J are lucky to have this amazing group of individuals representing them.
I would like to take this time to share one of my favorite memories of my internship. It was about 1:30 a.m. on Sunday March 29th and we were all huddled up in Senator Begich’s office, our eyes glued to the TV. The House had finally reconvened with the goal of making its final votes on state budget, the critical one being the ¾ Constitutional Budget Reserve vote. No one in our office was certain how things would shake out. Some believe they had the votes, but others were doubtful. A lot was riding on this vote. Among the various government services was the Alaska Performance Scholarship, something I had not only received for the past 4 years but spent the majority of my college career fighting to protect. If the vote failed, scholarships that were rightfully earned by Alaskans across the state would be in jeopardy. The vote was called to question and the board started to light up red and green, almost as if it was Christmas. There were 29 green names up on the board (the vote needs 30 to pass) and one person left to vote, a member of the house minority. Everyone had voted except for her. The Speaker of the House asked her to cast her vote to which she responded by saying “I’m thinking.” The fate of the Alaska Performance Scholarship lied in her hands. Time seemed to stretch, seconds turning into what felt like minutes. All of a sudden the number of green names on the board turned to 30, it had passed. You could almost hear a collective sigh of relief throughout the Capitol building. And just like that, my time in Juneau ended with a moment of relief, the future of our state had just gotten a little brighter.
Alex Jorgensen
Spring 2020 Legislative Intern
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Hi Friends and Neighbors,
Here’s a social distancing hello from the team.
Kayla
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We’re spending time putting together puzzles, organizing closets, rearranging pictures, and coloring and cutting our hair. These activities are either fun, were on the bottom of our ‘to-do’ lists, or were a ‘never-had-the-nerve-to-do-before’ challenge. Hope you’ve found fun, productive, and/or challenging things to make your time well spent.
Be safe,
Kayla
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(907) 465-3704 (Juneau // session)
(907) 269-0169 (Anchorage // interim)
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