Courts, Clays, Conveyances, & Care

November 8, 2019

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

Monday is Veterans' Day. Enjoy the heck out of the day off, if you get it, and take a minute to thank those who served. It matters.

I crashed DOT's working group on how to make the Egan-Yandukin intersection safer.

Not Better Yet

The ferry situation still isn't OK. People around our region are stranded with their cars and no way to get home. Small business owners can't meet their promises to customers. Students can't travel for school activities.

Alaskans up north were pretty upset by a proposal to pause plowing on some state roads between towns in the wee hours of the morning. I agree with them. Safe, reliable transportation between communities is essential, whether it's asphalt or steel hulls. And Alaskans are rightly ticked DOT still doesn't even have at least a stopgap plan to get people in ferry-served communities where they need to go this season.

I'm still working with other coastal legislators to get DOT to honor the schedule it published and the tickets it sold, and keep Alaskans moving.

At the Southeast Sea Otter Conference Wednesday, learning the latest on these charming & voracious weasels of the ocean.

Breaking Clays

Cade Clay is a senior at Haines High School. He just came back from the National Shooting Competition ranked 2nd in Trap. That's second in the nation.

As a guy who once broke 19 out of 25, my hat's off to Cade!

Listening to seniors at Wildflower Court

with Reps. Hannan & Story.

Appropriately Appropriated

The Superior Court ruled on pre-funding schools yesterday. A quick recap: in 2018 the legislature appropriated funding for K-12 schools for this year (Fiscal Year 2020.) The point was to let schools plan their budgets in advance to best serve Alaska students. Gov. Dunleavy doesn't think "forward funding" education is constitutional. Now the courts are deciding. The Superior Court Thursday gave a thumbs up to a year of forward funding.

The judge pointed out the Constitution has no rules against it, and noted this year's legislature could modify the funding if we wanted. And he pointed to the constitutional requirement that the Legislature provide for K-12. (He also hinted strongly that pre-funding more than one year ahead would be a different issue.) The case will go up to the Alaska Supreme Court before we have a final decision.

In the meantime the governor vetoed our attempt to forward fund for next year (FY 21.) That means schools and kids will almost certainly be a bargaining chip this coming session. And even as we fight for better funding, it's all but sure to mean another round of pink slips for teachers Alaska has no plans to fire.

This therapy bunny (who knew that was a thing?) at Wildflower Court is adorably named Honey Bunny.

Market Rate Miscue

Here's one that's been under the radar. The state helps some low-income families pay for child care. It's part of the Division of Public Assistance's mission to help people reach self-sufficiency—because without child care, parents can't work.

The amount the state pays is based on a survey. The point is to pay based on the market rate for various categories of care (child's age, full-time vs. part-time...) Some of the Juneau numbers are just wacky. They make it seem like the cost of childcare has gone way down in Juneau. It hasn't. The change will nail a bunch of families now (when kids are in school most of the day,) but it will absolutely flatten them this coming summer. Bluntly, families on public assistance don't have an extra $1000 per month. They'll have to quit their jobs or leave the kids unattended. That's no kind of hand up.

Reps. Story and Hannan and I are working with the Department of Health & Social Services—and with CBJ—to get this mess fixed. The department met with their federal partners this week to look at their options. Stay tuned!

All my best,