HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE FLOOR:
Senate -- Wednesday the Senate unanimously passed SB 295 by Sen. Pete Kelly, which will ensure that all people 16 years and older who work in child or adult care will have their criminal background disclosed. House -- Wednesday passed HB 515 to codify the missions and performance measures for State departments. This is an important step in efforts over the last several years to define what the departments should accomplish and accurately measure their success.
COMMITTEE ACTION:
The Finance subcommittee on Department of Natural Resources that I chair closed out the department budget Monday, restoring $485,000 to the Parks budget, ensuring the Division of Oil and Gas can protect the state’s interests in oil and gas and offer new opportunities for resource development, and acquiring a highly desirable mineralized area called the Denali Block so it can be opened for mining under state oversight. Subcommittee work on all departments was completed this week and presented to the Finance Committee. We held morning and evening hearings each day this week to hear testimony on possible revisions to the operating budget. In the Senate budget General Fund spending is held to FY 02 levels, $160 million below the Governor's request.
The Senate Labor and Commerce Committee on Tuesday heard a presentation by the U.S. Arctic Research Commission on its activities and goals, and passed SJR 44, a resolution I facilitated at the request of Commission member Mead Treadwell, urging a joint research plan for Alaska among private, State and Federal agencies. Research activities contribute hundreds of million dollars a year to the Alaska economy.
A joint meeting of House and Senate committees on Wednesday heard a report from Chugach School District (Whittier, Tatitlek and Chenega Bay) on how it transformed a failing district to a winner of the Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award. District officials, students and school board members said that intense efforts to increase parental involvement and a standards-based curriculum were keys to their success.
WHAT DO YOU KNOW?
What is the length of time each year your legislature is in session? A) 365 days b) 75 days c) 90 days d) 121 days
CITIZENS IN ACTION:
I visited this week with my constituent John Haxby and Deborah Luper, business people from Anchorage, who have been working for more than a year to pass SB 176, which will help protect Alaska businesses from practices by national distributors. I commend them for their efforts. SB 176 passed the House on Friday on a 37-1 vote and will now return to the Senate for concurrence on amendments made by the House.
CHARTERING A COURSE FOR EDUCATION:
On Saturday, April 20 I will speak to the Alaska Charter Schools Association conference at Village Charter School in Anchorage on opportunity, choice and accountability in Alaska education. Last Monday the Anchorage Daily News published my article on parental involvement in education. The Juneau Empire published a similar article on Thursday. You can read the article online.
REMEMBERING TOM MADSEN:
Monday evening in Juneau I attended a memorial service for Tom Madsen, a distant cousin of mine, originally from Kodiak, who died in a plane crash April 10 in Juneau. Tom had a long and distinguished career as an Alaska pilot and was known as the "Aleutian Aviator" for his many years of service delivering passengers and goods to that part of the state. His widow Stephanie and three children need our prayer and support.
Answer: D. Your legislature meets 121 days from January through May as dictated by the Constitution and state statute. Alaska’s citizen legislators then return home to work as engineers, fishermen, realtors and in other vocations.
