|
Greetings again from Juneau! I have just returned from the Southwest Alaska Municipal Conference in Anchorage where I had the opportunity to discuss solutions to the state's current fiscal dilemma with community leaders. It was a real treat to see Linda Freed, Charlie Davidson, Wayne Stevens, Josie Rosales, Dennis Metrokin, Tom Panamarioff, Ik Icard, and Tom Abell of Kodiak Island as well as Pat Currier, manager of the Lake and Peninsula Borough. Governor Frank Murkowski and Senator Lisa Murkowski also attended the annual conference.
In a fortuitous coincidence, the National Education Association was also meeting in Anchorage, so I was able to discuss several upcoming education-funding bills with leaders from the Kodiak school district as well.
Education Funding
I am chair of a subcommittee of the House Special Committee on Education that is examining and discussing several education-funding bills proposed by members of the House. The subcommittee will review five bills relating to education funding, take public testimony, and draft one universal bill encompassing the ideas formed from the discussion.
Topics to be discussed include: increasing the Base Student Allocation, inflation-proofing the Base Student Allocation, and giving one-time direct allocations to school districts for specific purposes such as instruction or Teachers Retirement System contribution increases. Public testimony was taken on Tuesday and will be taken again from 12:30 - 1:30pm on Thurs., Feb. 5. If you would like to testify at this meeting, please contact your local Legislative Information Office, or call Jennifer Myrick in my office for more information.
Trade Adjustment Assistance
My resolution urging Congress to make federal Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) a better fit for Alaska salmon fishermen had its first reading in the House last week and will be considered by the House Special Committee on Fisheries next week. My fisheries aide, Melissa Dover, and I have had numerous conversations with fishermen, industry leaders, and our Congressional delegation to ensure the resolution both addresses the many concerns of salmon fishermen and is something our Congressional delegation can accomplish.
It is undisputed that imported salmon has flooded the market, causing wild Alaskan salmon prices to crash. In the short-term, we are hopeful that some administrative changes will help more salmon fishermen qualify for cash benefits available through the U.S. Department of Agriculture and retraining benefits through the U.S. Department of Labor. But a more comprehensive program designed specifically for commercial fishermen is what is really needed. The resolution asks the U.S. Secretary of Commerce to pursue the establishment of such a program.
On the Radar
Next week a conference of 55 Alaskans from around the state will meet in Fairbanks to consider whether the Permanent Fund should be managed differently. Under a Percent of Market Value (POMV) management system, five percent of the total value of the fund would be available for dividends and state government each year, not just earnings. Analysts believe a POMV plan will make the amount of money available each year more stable, since the dramatic peaks and valleys of the market in any given year would be negated.
Kodiak resident and business owner Ed Randolph was selected as one of the elite 55 Alaskans that will consider the permanent fund question, out of a list of more than 1,000 nominees. I am proud and pleased that a Kodiak community leader was chosen for such an important job. The conference will be held Feb. 10-12 at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. At the beginning of March, the Governor intends to convene a special session of the Legislature to consider the question as well. Between now and then, please get in touch with Ed Randolph or my staff, and let us know what you think of the plan.
Legislative Information Office
If you are interested in the status of a bill or resolution, want to testify on a legislative matter via teleconference, or are looking for contact information for state or national legislators, the Legislative Information Office (LIO) can help. Lorna Steelman and Heather Fincher are manning the Kodiak office throughout the session. They can be reached at 486-8116 or stop by the office at 112 Mill Bay Road.
Need Help?
Remember I am here to help you! If you have run into a dead-end in trying to get your permanent fund dividend, need help pursuing child support, or have another problem that the state can assist with, please contact my lead staff, Cliff Stone at 1-800-465-2487. We may be able to offer alternative avenues for solving problems.
Visitors
I was excited to see several familiar faces in Juneau during the past two weeks. Sgt. Maurice Hughes, City Mayor Carolyn Floyd, Borough Mayor Gabrielle LeDoux, Doug Hoedel, Al Burch, and Matt Gandel all dropped by my Capitol office recently. In addition, I was happy to see fisheries reporter Laine Welch at the Southeast Seafood Industry Trade Show.
And remember, my door and ears are always open.
~ Dan Ogg
# # # |
