Dear Friends and Neighbors,
Happy Solstice! As we celebrate and recognize this longest night of the year, I’m rejoicing in our community’s efforts to “bring back the light,” and to collectively look forward to a brighter and more positive tomorrow. In this newsletter, I highlight a few of the activities happening in our district, and I invite you to join me in safety participating in these moments of celebration.
Continuing with the theme of celebration, I’m elated to see the much-needed replacement of our Inlet View neighborhood school on the FY22 school bond proposal, in addition to safety updates at Bettye Davis East Anchorage High School. With the Governor’s recent decision to fully fund school bond debt reimbursement, there’s much to celebrate with this school bond proposal.
Of course, not everything is celebratory. I continue to be concerned about our economy and the increasingly prevalent Omicron variant. We’ve all had a really rough couple of years dealing with the COVID virus and its mutations. There is still so much that’s unknown, but what we do know can save lives. Wash your hands, wear a mask, and consider getting your booster shot if you haven’t already.
Like many of you my office will be taking some time off over the next few weeks. This may result in emails or calls taking a bit longer to receive a response back. I ask for patience and grace as we recharge and prepare ourselves to head into the new year - a year I hope will have much more cause for celebrations.
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Senator Tom Begich
Senate District J
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On December 15, the Governor unveiled his budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2023. At face value, the Governor’s budget looks balanced. Obviously, this is clearly due to the fact that the legislature has yet to appropriate remaining federal COVID relief funds, and Alaska is about to receive more than $3.2 billion in federal monies from the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
Unfortunately, the Governor’s budget fails to use these federal dollars as the bridge they could well be to our future. It’s highly unlikely any more federal dollars are coming down the proverbial pipeline, and without new state revenues or a significant change in oil prices, it’s almost guaranteed that Alaska will continue to experience budget gaps that threaten everything from plowing our roads to teacher retention.
The good news is that the legislature is well aware of this reality and we are prepared to do the work you sent us to Juneau to do. The work it requires to ensure Alaska finds itself on stable fiscal footing. I’ll be working with my colleagues to identify the best path forward and provide a clear long-term vision for our state.
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Push Back the Darkness
The Fairview Community Council and the Fairview Business Association are co-sponsoring a winter lighting contest to help bring the light into our Fairview neighborhoods. If you want your winter lighting creation to be considered for the $500 grand prize, please let us know by filling out the form here: https://forms.gle/bin6z2TE3zWTwUjz9.
Downtown New Year's Eve Celebration
Anchorage's New Year's Eve celebration is a fun, family friendly and free event capped with a fireworks spectacular. Anchorage's New Year's Eve celebrations are an Anchorage Downtown Partnership, Ltd. production.
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With the second session of the 32nd Legislature less than a month away, my office is gearing up for a concerted and sustained push for policies that build back a better Alaska. Throughout session, I’ll be hosting a series of constituent updates on my priority legislation. I look forward to keeping you informed as to what’s happening in Juneau.
High-Quality Early Education
I’ve received confirmation that the House companion bill for The Alaska Reads Act will continue to be a priority for the House Education Committee, and I’m committed to helping a similar reading/pre-K bill, SB 111, move out of Senate Finance and into the full Senate for a vote.
Nursing
The pandemic has significantly highlighted our underinvestment in our medical infrastructure, and I’m committed to promoting policy that not only shores up UAA’s School of Nursing, but expands statewide support programs for certified nursing assistants.
Renewable Energy
Inside the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act is significant resources to help provide energy retrofits for our neighborhood schools, making bold strides in building up our renewable energy infrastructure, and support local communities in diversifying their energy resources. I’m committed to leveraging these federal dollars for the maximum benefit of all Alaskans.
Fiscal Stability
As noted above, the Governor’s FY2023 budget fails to provide a clear roadmap to get Alaska onto stable fiscal footing. I’m committed to working with my colleagues to address our future fiscal gaps in a way that provides structure and predictable funding for our state programs.
As always, I and my staff are here for any questions or concerns you might have. Just contact my Policy Director, Löki Gale Tobin at [email protected] or call our office at (907) 465-3704.
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Seasons Greetings,
I hope your holidays are all that you want. This year I spent Thanksgiving with my husband’s family which has become my family. Twelve people in all, ages 10 to 85, spent a weekend in Denver. Sometimes warm, sometimes chaotic, but it was all wonderful. But maybe that isn’t your holiday this year. I’ve spent many holidays without family or friends. So, if you’re alone, this year make a plan for what would make you happiest, and maybe next year there will be your dream come true.
Happy Holidays,
Kayla
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(907) 465-3704 (Juneau / session)
(907) 269-0169 (Anchorage / interim)
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