Deadlines Aplenty Deadlines Aplenty July 27, 2020 Dear Friends and Neighbors, A little family time and Sunday's single-day rain records in Juneau, Haines, & Skagway washed the newsletter a few days downstream of the usual publication deadline. But hey, there's some sun in the Southeast forecasts later this week! Counting on You I may have mentioned this once or five times before, but please fill out the census! If you haven’t yet, there’s still time. A complete census is critical for Southeast Alaska, from representation to federal funding. And the US Constitution requires it. It’s quick and easy—so get counted! Vote AND Support The Postal Service There’s still time to get your ballot by mail. You can fill out this form and mail it to the Division of Elections or use the online portal to request a ballot. Everyone can vote safely, and we can thin the crowds at the polls to keep our neighbors (and poll workers) safe. Besides, your polling place may have changed! I was surprised to stumble over the fact that 1/3 of the voting locations in our district have changed. In case you'd rather figure out the new one (and wear a mask & gloves to vote) than get your ballot in the mail, here are the changes by precinct: Gustavus Old Location: Gustavus Public Library New One: Gustavus Community Center Juneau 2 Old Location: Northern Light United Church New One: Juneau Douglas High School Juneau 3 Old Location: Bartlett Regional Hospital New One: Juneau Tlingit & Haida Community Council (Salmon Creek) Lemon Creek Old Location: Alaska Electric Light & Power New One: Dzantik’I Heeni Middle School Mendenhall Valley 2 Old Location: Aldersgate Methodist Church New One: Thunder Mountain High School Mendenhall Valley 3 Old Location: Glacier Valley Baptist Church New One: Mendenhall River Community School 20,000 newsletters (weighing in at 756.6 lbs,) each with an absentee ballot form, will knock your tie askew. Timelines for Uncle Sam Our economy is in a rough spot. With rising COVID numbers, I don’t see us breaking out of it soon. I want to highlight some resources for Alaskans, but also raise an alarm about how quickly many programs are ending. I’ve talked to colleagues about getting the state legislature back into session to deal with some of them. So far, no luck. We also need to reach out to our federal representatives. Without their support, we’ll never be able to fund the programs keeping folks on their feet during these difficult days. Right now, there’s expanded Unemployment Insurance. That means people are eligible for $600/week in addition to the regular state UI. While the state UI benefits will continue as normal, it's one of the skimpiest in the country. Without federal help, it subs in for only a small fraction of most folks' wages. The federal benefit is set to expire next week, but there’s a bill in the works to extend the program. We need that bill, because the potential cut to UI comes just as evictions and foreclosures are restarting. The state paused foreclosures and evictions for three months as the pandemic began. That ended last month. The weaker federal protections for renters and homeowners expired last Friday. There’s still state and local help for businesses. You can apply for a state CARES grant, and some communities (including Juneau, Skagway, Gustavus, and Haines) have business grants, too. The state rules will soon let businesses apply that got up to $5,000 from Uncle Sam. They’ll soon let commercial fishermen apply, too. But there’s no date yet for when the new rules take effect. The federal Paycheck Protection Program’s new deadline is Aug. 8 and it’s running out of money again. That’s waiting on Congressional approval too. May I suggest reaching out to Sen. Murkowski, Sen. Sullivan, and Rep. Young? Please let them know how important these programs are to Alaskans. All my best, Did someone forward you this newsletter? Did you fall into it through the series of tubes? Want more? SUBSCRIBE Events Get Out and Play Day! Saturday was the day: in honor of Ted Stevens Day, make sure you get out and play! Miss it? It's never too late! COVID Q&A Alaska scientists. Alaska epidemiologists. Nasty virus. Your questions online. Skagway Rec Center Mural Apply to paint the new mural for the Skagway rec center! Submissions are due Friday. As You Like It Theatre in the Rough is putting on an outdoor, socially distanced As You Like It at Juneau's Savikko Park! It's running through next weekend. Is there an event in our district I should know about? Please call or email! Visit Me! Alaska State Capitol Room 419 Juneau, AK 99801 800 550 4947 907 465 4947 Email Me! ‌ ‌ ‌ Contact My Staff: Edric Carrillo 907 465 6419 [email protected] Cathy Schlingheyde 907 465 6827 [email protected] Senator Jesse Kiehl | Alaska State Capitol, Rm. 419, 4th Avenue & Main Street, Juneau, AK 99801 Unsubscribe [email protected] Update Profile | About our service provider Sent by [email protected]