Bit Firmly in Teeth

January 24, 2020

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

We had a week of big hellos and a couple of goodbyes (one a shocker!) as we kicked off the second session of the 31st Alaska Legislature. Week one is in the bag and we're already hard at work. (It's too early to be exhausted, right?)

On the floor with Reps. Sara Hannan & Andi Story in the joint session

Warmly Welcomed

The 35th annual Welcome to Juneau reception was a rousing success. Hundreds of folks came out to welcome legislators and staff from across the state to the capital city. Dozens of Juneau businesses donated gifts to the welcome baskets and cash to cover expenses. So many of my colleagues offered their thanks I've lost count. It's not easy to travel for work - more so for months at a time. I so appreciate all the effort Southeast Alaskans put into making it easier for our fellow Alaskans who step up to serve.

Speaking with a UA class from the

Bristol Bay campus.

Veto Votes

We had a very long floor session today. I feel a little like a broken record here, but we made a final go at overriding some of the governor's vetoes. Alaska's constitution requires us to vote on overriding the governor's vetoes within the first five days of session. We gave it a shot because the issues are too important not to try.

The two most likely to build a broad consensus were school bond debt reimbursement and the $5 million we appropriated for AMHS after the winter schedule got published.

The state made a promise to schools and the local governments that own them around our state. Reneging on that promise isn't just wrong, it hurts our schools during an already tight budget time. And it doesn't really reduce spending because the projects were already done. It just passes the bill to property tax payers around the state.

The ferry cuts are damaging our communities and economy, no question. But even though we lost the override today, the broad statewide support warmed my heart. Legislators from across Alaska spoke up about how the ferries benefit the whole state - helping our military families move in and out, bringing independent tourist dollars, moving school groups and families, and enabling commerce.

Alaska's constitution sets the toughest threshold in the country to override a budget veto. We couldn't get to 45 votes today. That just means we have to work even harder to fix the budget for the coming fiscal year.

Welcoming colleagues on the first day of session.

Greetings and Goodbyes

Today we said so long to David Teal, who helmed the nonpartisan Legislative Finance Division for a couple of decades. I want to extend a special welcome to Pat Pitney, who takes on the job from here. She's a former OMB chief, and head of the University of Alaska budget shop. I look forward to her insight as we work on Alaska's fiscal issues.

I also want to offer my warm congratulations to Rep. Tammie Wilson, who shocked us all by resigning her seat tonight. Rep. Wilson will go to work in the Department of Health & Social Services, focusing on policy for the Office of Children's Services.

She proved it's possible to keep a secret in the Capitol -- I don't know if I've ever seen it done so well. I'll keep you updated as we hear more about who'll be appointed to represent North Pole.

With the Consul General of Canada, Brandon Lee.

Canadian Conversations

I had the privilege of meeting with Canada's Consul General to the Pacific Northwest, Brandon Lee. It's always worth having a cup of coffee with the neighbors.

He gave me a welcome update about the cleanup of the Tulsequah Chief mine: There's a contract out, after many years, to stop it from leaking acid goo into the river. I'm working on getting some more details, but it's progress that's been a long time coming. I also raised the issue of the Pacific Salmon Treaty. Alaska has given up a hefty share of the catch over the years, while our neighbors have created some significant issues for spawning habitat. (In some ways, Alaska has more in common with our Canadian friends than our Washington & Oregon countrymen. In other ways, there's work to do with British Columbia.) Fish issues are complex, and Alaska fishing families shouldn't shoulder an excess share of the conservation load when runs are low.

We also have ways to collaborate on our shared borders, trying to get the crossing hours to meet the needs of our communities and keeping the cross-training between our two Coast Guards strong.

I also had the privilege of being appointed one of Alaska's delegates to the Pacific NorthWest Economic Region. I look forward to working more on all of these issues in the years to come!

All my best,