From Juneau to You! Dear Friends, We have officially surpassed the halfway mark for the 121-day session! On March 11th, I introduced a Sense of the Senate supporting a one-year suspension of the motor fuel tax. The Sense of the Senate garnered bipartisan support and passed unanimously. I genuinely believe we should take advantage of any opportunity we have as lawmakers to help the citizens of Alaska. Allowing Alaskans to save at the pump is one of the many ways that I, as a legislator, intend to continue helping the citizens of our great state. My Bill Updates I was honored to have Senate Bill 7 (SB 7) “An Act requiring the Department of Public Safety to publish certain policies and procedures on the department’s Internet website,” passed the Senate a few weeks ago. On March 31st, it moved out of the House State Affairs Committee and is headed to the Judicial Committee. This means SB 7 is very close to becoming law. Additionally, Senate Bill 80 (SB 80) is on the Senate Floor for a vote on Monday, April 4th. After the vote, the Bill heads to the next three committees of referral: House Education, House Health and Social Services, and House Finance. The companion bill, HB60 has already been heard in all three House Committees so we'll see which bill gets to the finish line first! Senate Bill 157 (SB 157) will be heard for the first time in the Senate Education Committee on April 8th. SB 157 is an act relating to health and personal safety education (adding sex education to school curriculum). Lastly, Senate Bill 222 (SB 222) which extends the Board of Occupational and Physical Therapy until 2030, will head to the floor for a vote in the near future. DHSS Split Executive Order 121 to split the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services into two Departments has taken effect. · The split will occur on July 1st. · The cost to implement the split is estimated at around $2 million. The proposed Department of Family and Community Services would contain: · Division of Juvenile Justice · Office of Children’s Services · Alaska Pioneer Homes · Alaska Psychiatric Institute The proposed Department of Health would contain: · Division of Public Health · Division of Behavioral Health · Division of Healthcare Services · Division of Senior and Disabilities Services Voting The Municipal Clerk’s Office reminds voters that voting at Home/Voting by Mail is as easy as 1-2-3: 1. Vote your ballot, filling in the ovals completely, place the ballot in the secrecy sleeve, then place the ballot in the return envelope. 2. Sign the declaration on the back of the ballot return envelope. 3. Save postage by returning your ballot to a Secure Drop Box or an Anchorage Vote Center, or mail your ballot with first-class postage through the United States Postal Service. Additionally, Voters may sign up at anchoragevotes.com to receive text, email, or voicemail alerts regarding the status of their ballot at various phases of the election process, or may check their ballot status at that site without signing up for alerts. More information about ballot tracking can be found on the Elections website. Join Me Join Representative Spohnholz and me on Friday at 5:30 PM for the unveiling of a portrait of the late Senator Bettye Davis in Davis room 106. In 2020 we renamed Capitol room 106, the Education and Health and Social Services Committee room, in Senator Davis' honor. Unfortunately, the celebration was postponed due to COVID-19. We are excited to announce that a renowned painter has completed a portrait of Senator Davis to hang in the committee room. This historic moment marks the first portrait of an African American in our State's Capitol. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to my office at any time: Besse Odom Chief of Staff 907.465.4930 Ludmila Diaz Legislative Staff 907.465.4068 Send us an Email Follow Me on Facebook Follow Me on Twitter I’m Senator Elvi, always..... "Listening and Representing Your Interests!” Alaska Senate Democrats | Capitol Building, 4th Avenue & Main Street, Juneau, AK 99801 Unsubscribe [email protected] Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice Sent by [email protected]