Email from Alaska Senate Majority Trick-or-Legislative Update Trick-or-Legislative Update November 1, 2025 Dear Friends and Neighbors, Happy Halloween! I hope you have a safe and spooky weekend. This week’s newsletter comes with a big change in our office. After almost seven years on my staff—eight in the legislature—Cathy Schlingheyde is leaving state service. She has been the epitome of diligence, dedication, and drive. Her incisive mind, its sharp edge tempered by indefatigable kindness, was an asset to the legislature and to our district. Whether you worked with her directly or not, we all owe her our gratitude—none more than I. Our loss is Alaska Legal Services’ gain as Cathy heads off to at last make official use of her law degree. (I’ve been borrowing it for years without really paying her accordingly...) Please join me in wishing her well. Harbormasters from around Alaska gathered in Juneau for their annual conference. I had the privilege of giving them a tour of their Capitol! Haunted Harbors Juneau hosted harbormasters from all over the state last week. Few people in Southeast will need reminders of how critical harbor infrastructure is. Commerce, fishing, transportation, and communities operate and connect on the water. Our harbors are largely fee supported, which keeps them sustainable. But the kind of facilities that stand the test of time in harsh marine environments still need a hand here and there. I joined other state and local representatives to talk with the harbormasters about advocating for state and federal funding. I bet you know what’s coming next. With minimal savings, low oil prices, and a structural deficit, we’re pinching pennies. I don’t expect the state to catch up on its own deferred maintenance, much less add significant new infrastructure projects in the coming session. That’s one of the many reasons we need new revenues to keep both essential services and essential infrastructure afloat. I had a great conversation with Ariel Hasse-Zamudio on renewable energy in our community and statewide. Good Bones Two weeks ago the Juneau Chamber of Commerce’s weekly luncheon speaker set the paddles on our chests and zapped us all awake. Jennifer Twito, Bartlett Regional Hospital’s Director of Staff Development talked about the tremendous workforce development efforts underway at the biggest healthcare facility in the region. If every Alaska institution put as much work into growing our own as Bartlett, we’d be in a better place. For decades, health care providers in Southeast struggled to find staff. In a world where traveling nurses cost twice as much as hiring a local, those struggles raise our health care costs. So Bartlett went from its longtime practice of investing in nurse training at the University of Alaska to a whole new level. The outreach to find and train future health care workers starts as early as fifth grade, and includes seventh grade CPR certifications and safe babysitter training. It keeps going with job shadows for high schoolers and EMT classes. The hospital had added clinical rotations for nursing students, full training programs for certified nurse aides, partnerships to spin up licensed practical nurses, and help for LPNs to earn two-year registered nursing degrees. Add in both high school and college summer internships, med student rotations, and hosting practicums for some masters-level nurse specialties, and you start to see how far they’re going to tackle our workforce shortages. The better news is: it’s working. The programs average an 80 percent retention rate measured two years after the students finish their programs. Each one of those is a Juneauite that stays in the capital city, and reduced healthcare costs for our region. It sure is nice to get shocked by good news! Rep. Story & I enjoyed a short hike to Reid Falls when we were in Skagway. It wasn't raining, so we needed to find some falling water! Spirit Week This week we had a thorough (almost five hours!) education taskforce meeting. It was the first meeting we really delved into some of the issues, and the agenda may have been a little ambitious. Several groups of stakeholders did a nice job describing some of the trials and opportunities of educating in Alaska. One that stuck out more than others was during the Alaska Municipal League’s presentation, where their executive director brought up the issue of funding equity between rural and urban school districts. The age-old tension comes from the fact that the most rural districts are fully state funded (with varying amounts of help from the feds,) and city/borough districts are roughly half state funded, with most of the rest coming from local taxpayers. The issue isn’t simple, and it doesn’t have a clean solution. Some Alaskans argue it’s fine for rural schools to be state funded, but fairness means municipal school districts shouldn’t have to kick in either. I assure you the state can’t pick up the roughly $250 million price tag for that. Others say rural districts (whose boundaries often include a city or two, but never line up with a whole borough) should fund part of their budgets. In that case, do we give school districts the independent power to levy taxes? That brings its own complications, not least of which is the shortage of private property or cash economy in some of Alaska’s most remote regions. Fairness in how we fund schools statewide is an intriguing set of quandaries. Look for a lot more discussion on how we do that as the taskforce keeps working. All my best, Did someone forward you this newsletter and you want your very own copy? Did you fall into it through the series of tubes and now want it sent straight to you? SUBSCRIBE Events & Happenings Around District B Juneau Chamber Music Enjoy a special candlelight performance of The Icefield Quartet at the Shrine of St. Therese Nov. 16! Juneau Plucky Lady On Nov. 20, check out this one-night, one-woman performance on the story of Mary Joyce who came to Southeast in the 1920s and lived a life of adventure! Juneau Skate with Santa Bring the kids to ice skate with Santa Nov. 28! Juneau Holiday Book Fair Nov. 23, find books and bookish holiday gifts (with free gift wrapping!) enjoy hot cocoa, and support local libraries! Haines River Talk Come enjoy a special edition of River Talk Nov. 8! The theme: The Bird is the Word. Haines First Friday Nov. 7 is a special bald eagle themed first Friday! Shop, eat, and admire local art during extended hours. Haines Afternoon Art On Nov. 19, bring the kids for a cute (and yummy) Thanksgiving-themed art project making edible tiny turkeys! Haines Holiday Fun Nov. 29, get ready for a Saturday of holiday fun! Pictures with Santa, a holiday piano recital, and stories and songs with Mrs. Claus! Gustavus Craft Closet Cleanout Clear out your closet and find new treasures at the swap and sale Nov. 15! Gustavus Town Hall Rep. Story and I will host a Town Hall: Tues. Nov. 4, 5:30-7pm at the library. We'll hold Office Hours: Tues. Nov. 4, 9-11am at the Fireweed. Gustavus Maker’s Meeting Want to create some homemade gifts for the holidays? Make art with company—and inspiration—at the Maker’s Meeting Nov. 19! Gustavus Open Mic Night On Nov. 15, share your talents and cheer on your neighbors at open mic night! Gustavus Books for Babes Don’t let colder weather keep you home! On Nov. 20, bring the littles for stories, snacks, activities, and more. Skagway Skate & Celebrate Put on your festive outfits and join the fun at the holiday skate party Dec. 12! Skagway Shop Small Saturday: Elf Hunt On Nov. 29, get a jump on your holiday shopping with Shop Small Saturday. Plus you can win a gift card by finding the elves hidden in participating local shops! Skagway Book Club Join the discussion Nov. 23 at the Library! This month’s book club read is the “The Kindest Lie” by Nancy Johnson. Skagway Yuletide Makers Market Start your holiday shopping at the Yuletide Makers Market Dec. 6. You’ll find great gifts (plus baked goods,) all locally made! Is there an event in our district I should know about? Please call or email! Want to Send Snail Mail? Alaska State Capitol Room 514 Juneau, AK 99801 You Can Call: 800 550 4947 907 465 4947 Or Email Me! Contact My Staff, the people who power the work: Aurora Hauke 907 465 5051 [email protected] Ella Adkison 907 465 6419 [email protected] Senator Jesse Kiehl | Alaska State Capitol Rm. 514, 4th Avenue & Main Street | Juneau, AK 99801 US Unsubscribe | Constant Contact Data Notice