Dear Friends,
The 4th Special Session will end on November 2nd and it's unfortunate that we didn't get much done after gaveling in on October 4th. As you may remember from my previous newsletter, the Governor called legislators back into a special session to discuss a plethora of items with the main item being a supplemental PFD. There were several bills introduced from both the Senate and House to address new revenue, constitutionally protecting the PFD, and more. You can find additional information at www.akleg.gov. Special Sessions are expensive especially when nothing gets done so I was pleased to hear that the Governor said he will not call another special session.
Outside of Juneau, plenty is happening here in Anchorage. I'm busy responding to emails, attending community council meetings, and more. I was honored to be selected to attend the Council of State Governments West's legislative training in September and was also selected to attend the Legislative Horizon Institute's training on energy issues to include climate change. LEHI held a graduation ceremony for 28 West Coast legislators and the event was held at a venue where you could see the Capitol from the balcony. It was inspiring to see our Capitol from that view. We were also given actual graduation certificates from the University of Idaho. Learning is forever, and I'm honored to be selected to participate in providing solutions that will not only benefit me but also my constituents and the people of Alaska.
Anchorage midtown voters voted to retain Assemblywoman Meg Zaletel who represents a portion of my Senate District. She is doing an amazing job on behalf of "our" constituents and I'm so pleased the people have recognized and appreciated her efforts. I'd also like to thank the entirety of our Assembly for their efforts to keep our community safe.
As we quickly approach the next legislative session which begins on January 18th, you can expect more activity in the Legislature especially as legislators begin to pre-file bills. In my December newsletter, I will be sharing my list of pre-filed bills.
