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Hello from Juneau. It's been a busy two weeks settling in for the 2004 Legislative Session and already we are hard at work. It is my pleasure to introduce you to my capable staff and to update you on items of interest we are addressing here in the office. As always, my door is open for you to express any comments or concerns or just to say hello via telephone, mail, email, or in person.
Kim Carnot
Kim Carnot joined my staff during the interim so many of you met her at meetings in Palmer and Wasilla. As of January, she is now my Chief of Staff. Her background is in law and she comes to our office with experience gained from being a law clerk to the Honorable Judge Beverly Cutler, an Assistant District Attorney in Palmer, a program director for a nonprofit in Anchorage, and a Court Appointed Special Advocate also in Palmer. Kim is currently building a house in Palmer.
Kim's focus areas in my office are: education, law, courts, and environmental/resource issues. In the past two weeks, issues addressed or under review in these areas based on current or requested legislation in the Senate or House include: the high school Exit Exam, special education, snow removal on logging roads, funding for tobacco prevention education, concealed firearms, and protections for land owners related to resource development. Kim was able to attend the State of the State Address and a number of the legislative receptions here in town so she is quickly getting to know other legislators and staff in the building.
Kim, in describing her excitement about being in the capitol, says that, "ultimately, frustration with the legal system and the way services reach or fail to reach those in need, led me in each employment situation to seek a different job, all in a quest to actually feel like I was making a difference in the world. I am thrilled to be working where the laws are made and changed, especially to be working for Senator Green who has a well-established track record of making the important and often difficult decisions."
Deb Davidson
Deb Davidson returns to my staff bringing numerous years of legislative experience in a number of different arenas. Deb worked for the Senate Finance Co-Chair in charge of the operating budget and was the operating budget coordinator for the Senate from 2002 to present. From 1998 to 2000 she worked as personal legislative aide covering finance issues and carrying personal legislation. Deb also was the Committee Aide for the Senate Community & Regional Affairs Committee in 1995 and prior to that was a Legislative Analyst with the Legislative Research Agency.
Deb's focus areas are budget, finance and general government. In the past two weeks, issues addressed or under review in these areas based on current or requested legislation in the Senate or House include include: narrowing the fiscal gap, use of Permanent Fund earnings, implementing a sales and/or income tax, and imposing an annual fee on drivers' licenses.
Deb describes her work as Senate Finance Aid as a "challenging, indescribable experience being involved with balancing the needs of the state against the sources of funding available to provide those services."
Traci Carpenter
Traci also returns to my staff bringing with her extensive budget management experience working for the Department of Community and Regional Affairs, the Department of Public Safety, the Alaska Commission on Postsecondary Education, and the Division of Legislative Finance.
Traci's focus areas in the office are: finance (specifically finance subcommittees on the Departments of Health & Social Services and Corrections), Department of Labor and Commerce, Department of Revenue and taxation, insurance, general business topics, economic development and workers' issues.
In the past two weeks, issues addressed or under review in these areas based on current or requested legislation in the Senate or House include include: regulations for home inspectors, ASAP funding, the Point MacKenzie Farm and their bid for purchasing farm equipment, state grants to Arctic Power, reducing the required local contribution for school districts, identity theft protections in Alaska, and the CBR historical projections.
During the interim, Traci developed our new office database. Traci says, "I must confess to a certain amount of satisfaction about creating this program, coupled with a proportionate amount of dismay: what have I gotten myself into? I am not a computer programmer by trade, and a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing. Wish us luck."
Jacqueline Tupou
Also returning on my staff is Jacqueline Tupou. Jacqueline is only on my staff during the session; the rest of the year she spends here in Juneau with her family, including her beautiful daughter Kaylani who turned one in December, and her husband Ongo.
Last session Jacqueline worked primarily on my personal legislation. With her assistance many important and effective bills passed last session. This session, Jacqueline's focus areas are: HESS, Public Safety, and Transportation. In the past two weeks, issues addressed or under review in these areas based on current or requested legislation in the Senate or House include include: filing a bill for Avalanche Awareness Month (SB270), filing a bill for Parental Access to Library Records (SB 269), changes to prescription drug cards, survivor benefits, targeted case management which will ensure federal funds for school based Medicaid, historic motorcycle license plates, prisons, and legislation requiring the judge to make a finding of "not in the best interest of a child" in determining whether to remove a child from the home.
Jacqueline says that, "I feel a great sense of accomplishment being part of the process of a good idea leading to good legislation, steering that legislation through committees, and watching it pass the House and the Senate and getting signed into law."
Autumn Manelick
The newest member of session staff is Autumn Manelick. Autumn originally moved to Juneau to work as a Senate Page, but when McHugh Pierre was offered a job in the Governor's Office after only three days on the job, I was pleased to offer Autumn a position on my staff. Autumn handles our front desk duties and controls the flow of information in the office.
Autumn describes her typical day: "After a fifteen minute trek to the capitol building, through Juneau's notoriously bad weather, and a five floor stair climb I am ready to start my day. I perform my multitasking / juggling act of answering phones, inputting constituent information into the database, scheduling appointments, greeting visitors, taking and giving messages, picking up and distributing mail, checking and responding to interoffice e-mail, and clearing my never ending inbox, all while trying to look calm and composed, mind you."
Senator Green
There are so many issues being addressed in my office, that it is difficult to narrow it down to just one. However, one issue that is emblematic of the larger picture has to do with specific types of funding. I received numerous emails regarding Alaska's tobacco control and prevention funding implying that Alaska fell short in this area, citing Center on Disease Control (CDC) recommendations. My staff has researched this matter and discovered that contrary to the assertion, in FY 04, the State of Alaska appropriated $5.4 million of tobacco settlement money for the purposes recommended by the CDC. Of the $8.1 million suggested by the CDC, Alaska allocated 95% for cessation programs and 62% for enforcement and surveillance. The suggested allocation for administration costs was not paid for in Alaska through the use of tobacco settlement money but these overhead costs ultimately fall under the larger grant umbrellas so there is no reason to believe those costs were not met.
Looking at the big picture of the state budget, as the Co-Chair of the Senate Finance Committee, I am often asked about the need for a sales tax or an income tax or use of the Permanent Fund. I believe that there are further budget reductions, program prioritizations, and new revenues from resource development to explore before collecting money from citizens or using the Permanent Fund earnings to pay for government. Serving in the Senate since 1994 has given me the opportunity to review the numbers and analyze financial predictions year after year. We are not in dire straits financially but we do have to keep making the hard decisions.
I sincerely hope you have found this update helpful. I encourage you to contact my staff or me for further information in any of these areas.
Senator Lyda Green:
Kim Carnot:
Deb Davidson:
Traci Carpenter:
Jacqueline Tupou:
Autumn Manelick:
Thank You
Lyda Green
Senate District G
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