The Last Third The Last Third April 24, 2021 Dear Friends and Neighbors, This sunny weather is starting to affect my mood. Friday morning I almost smiled. Weird stuff past the 90th day of session. I hope you enjoy it! There will be dollies and kings near shore soon -- no matter what the weather. Public Eye The governor has a bill to let the Department of Law investigate people's complaints about elections. Of all the bills meant to react to claims about the 2020 elections, this one is remarkably sane. The Department of Law is trying to craft a tool that can help head off future problems. But SB 82 is a little like a length of chain: it's useful if you run an engine shop. But hand it to the Sharks or the Jets at a rumble, and the tool is a weapon. Given the way US political parties campaign these days, using these complaints and investigations to try and kill the other side is a given. In the Judiciary Committee we're working on changes - to make sure the investigations can't last forever, to give a person under investigation the chance to make sure it's not a witch hunt, and to make the results public records. We did some of that today. We'll likely finish up Monday, when you can testify, if you like. Well That's Just Perfect We’re pushing right up against (another) deadline on the disaster extension bill. We need to pass it by Friday or Alaskans lose more than $11 million in food assistance (supplemental nutrition assistance program,) plus other vital help. If we don't move soon, hospitals will start having a hard time screening people for COVID before they come in the door, and the vaccination work will get harder. The bill to fix all that left the Senate Finance Committee in mostly great shape. It lets Alaskans who need food help and other federal aid get it. It fixes the problems above, plus it restores the expanded telehealth access we've had through the pandemic. The bill also has some issues. In trying to protect businesses from going bankrupt if a customer catches COVID, it goes to a weird place. Don't get me wrong: our neighbors who own businesses deserve clear guidance, and while I'm not sure it's necessary, I can support protecting those who act responsibly. But the bill now lets a business owner off the hook even if they’re grossly negligent. That's defined as an "extreme deviation" from how a reasonable person would act. If you're that far from responsible, you should be accountable for getting someone sick. The bill also tries to ban any federal health care help from paying for an abortion. The federal government has its own restrictions on that. But subject to those, Alaska's constitution protects equal access to safe, legal health care. If that doesn't come out, the state will spend a lot of money to lose in court. Again. (My colleague Sen. Wielechowski recently catalogued the multi-millions Alaska has spent losing fights against the constitution on this subject. It's a lot.) I expect we'll finally have the bill on the Senate floor next week. I also expect a lot of amendments, including hoopla over whether we do or don’t call it a ‘disaster’ or 'emergency.' As long as we fix the problems and avoid too many new ones, I don't care if we call it a 'calamity,' a 'series of hazards,' or 'hard cheese.' We just need to get it through before May 1. Too many notions of perfect have stalled this bill from doing good for too long already. Wednesday's special hearing on barriers to the global seafood trade was a joint meeting of Resources & the World Trade committee. It turns out trade wars are neither good, nor easy to win. With me from left to right: Sens. Hoffman, Revak, Micciche, Begich, & Stevens. Following the Money This week we got a look at the governor’s initial plan for the Biden Bucks. (Er, I mean the American Rescue Act funds.) That’s the latest round of federal COVID relief money. Of course there’s funding for testing and vaccines. Some important programs like unemployment help, community assistance, behavioral health, and child care get dedicated funding because Congress said so. The parts of the bill where the state has discretion to spend the money is where the legislature will focus our work. The governor proposed $150 million for the tourism industry, which needs the help. So far he hasn't proposed how much of that might be grants to affected businesses vs. advertising to promote tourism this summer. There’s also money for unknown capital and infrastructure projects in unspecified locations (more than $430 million,) filling unidentified gaps in the state operating budget and making up for lost revenue (around $130 million,) and the incredibly generic “economic recovery and investment” ($325 million.) Getting specific on what goes in these categories will probably consume the rest of the session. We also need to think hard about our priorities. In a tough economy, this bill’s got the very minimum of funding for job training at just $441,000 statewide. There’s nothing at all for rental relief for jobless Alaskans to stay in their homes. We need to take care of our struggling neighbors so we can rebuild and recover together. Friday afternoon the House Finance Committee introduced a giant bill that combines the state’s operating budget with these federal funds. Once they're done, the Senate will take a stab at it. Please let me know what you want to see us prioritize! All my best, Did someone forward you this newsletter? Did you fall into it through the series of tubes? Want more? SUBSCRIBE Events & Happenings Around District Q New Worlds Wearable Arts 2021 is huge! The theme is "Intergalactic," and it’s so big, with so many parts, it'll encompass most of May – scavenger hunts, online trivia, and of course, the art pieces. Don’t miss out! Juneau Walking Challenge A friendly challenge is on among Juneau, Petersburg, and Wrangell to see which community can walk the most (on average) from May 1 – September 1. This is perfect timing with the weather taking a bright turn, so walk it out! Juneau Community Cleanup Earth day is behind us. My high schooler cleaned up trash around the school. Now it’s our turn: May 1st Join CBJ, Litter Free, and Trout Unlimited in this Litter Free event! Juneau Gardens Abound Gardening in the rainforest? The struggle is real. Juneau Public Libraries and master gardener Corinne Conlon can make it easier: May 1st they'll host a free talk online! Listening to your Elders May 6th Tlingit and Haida will host a talking circle with Elder Gene Tagaban – the circle will be led by Lyle and Kolene James. Listen, learn, and share! Haines Spring Fling Haines’ annual party will be outdoors this year! We left the snow behind, now come have some fun! Haines Trash to Treasure Reimagined, repurposed and refinished creations from some amazing local artists! The May 15th event has food trucks, a dessert auction, & more. We’re raising money to improve the Fort Seward sculpture garden! Skagway Street Scene Kick off the summer season May 8th with some Skagway fun, food, and sound! It’s a fundraiser for Aric Baldwin, so come on out and help him beat those medical costs. Gustavus Wisewomen May 6th - Mobile Mammograms are coming to Gustavus. SEARHC's Wisewoman Women's Health Program is partnering with Breast Cancer Detection Center to bring the latest in digital tech. Early detection saves lives! Is there an event in our district I should know about? Please call or email! Snail Mail? Alaska State Capitol Room 419 Juneau, AK 99801 Call: 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] CJ Harrell 907 465 4947 [email protected] Senator Jesse Kiehl | Alaska State Capitol, Rm. 419, 4th Avenue & Main Street, Juneau, AK 99801 Unsubscribe [email protected] Update Profile | Customer Contact Data Notice Sent by [email protected]