The 21st Alaska State Legislature - Second Session, opened for business on Monday, January 10th of this - the new millennium.

I have retained my position on the House Finance Committee. In addition, I will chair the finance subcommittees of the University, Labor, and the Community and Economic Development budgets respectfully. I also continue to have a seat on the Alaska Aerospace Development Corporation (AADC) Board of Directors, the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI) Board of Directors and retain my assignment as Alaska's representative to the Pacific Fisheries Legislative Task Force

Staff Returns

Familiar voices and faces have returned to my office this year. Cliff Stone will again head up the office staff. He continues to provide counsel and to work closely with and for our community's priorities, as well as other legislative and administrative offices.

Melanie Lesh is returning as my Finance Aide. She is responsible for researching and providing briefs on the operating and capital budgets, as well as coordinating the finance subcommittee workload that I will chair. Mel also handles most of the education matters that come before me.

Joanie Waller will be returning this year as my administrative assistant. Along with various managerial duties, she will be watching fish issues, responding to fish concerns, and following resource issues in general. They are all thrilled to be working on behalf of Kodiak and look forward to hearing from you.

Thanks

Thanks again to the Kodiak Daily Mirror for providing the space for this article. An informed public becomes a smarter and stronger advocate for the things that really matter in their lives and in our community. I will provide updates to the Mirror that are both informative and easy to read. Above all, I want to keep you informed of the activities of this Legislature, particularly on the subject of Alaska's budget. Next week I want to talk about this very topic!

Juneau Office Numbers

If you would like to talk with me, schedule an appointment or leave me a message, please call toll free at 1-800-865-2487. The fax number is: (907) 465-4956. My snail mail address is: State Capitol - Juneau, AK. 99801

The Internet

My E-mail address remains the same. It is: representative_alan_austerman@legis.state.ak.us. My web page along with other legislator's can be accessed with the following web address: www.akrepublicans.org. This "update" along with my pending legislation, sponsor statements, press releases and other pertinent "links" and information will be available. All branches of government, employees and data bases for current or past legislation may be accessed on the web with the following address: http://www.legis.state.ak.us/s/intranet.dll.

Kodiak LIO

Lorna Steelman and Mary Lund at the legislative offices are available to answer your questions and provide timely information about legislation, budget items and ongoing committee hearings. Public Opinion Messages (POM's) may also be sent to one or all 60 legislators on any subject of interest. To take advantage of their expertise, please call 486-8116. The LIO is located across from Subway at 112 Mill Bay Road.

Gavel-to-Gavel

Want to know what your Legislature or Governor is up to? You can tune in to live coverage of the floor sessions, committee hearings and press conferences courtesy of GCI. These are just some of the events covered by KTOO-TV here in Juneau. What began as a demonstration project in 1994, Gavel-to-Gavel has become a significant component of shaping an informed citizenry. Many thanks again to GCI for airing this program in Kodiak. Call them for the proper cable channel in your area.

KMXT & KVOK

Kodiak's radio stations have graciously offered me airtime again this session to give Kodiak residents a chance to call in with their questions and comments. On KMXT it's "Talk of the Rock." On KVOK it's the "Legislative Update." These shows will air twice a month. Tune in your radio dial for the times of each broadcast.

Constituent Teleconference

For those new to the Island, I have traditionally hooked up Kodiak along with our six village sites, once a month by telephone for a candid discussion on the issues facing our community. In the last two years, the participation for this scheduled teleconference has been very poor. This could be partly due in fact to the Internet and the instant accessibility and sheer volume of information that is available. Please watch this article for the date of the first teleconference, which will be facilitated through the LIO office in Kodiak. If interest continues to wane, I will seriously consider discontinuing this form of communications.

High School Primer

The Anchorage School District has published practice tests for the high school graduation test for sophomores on its website: www.asd.k12.ak.us. In addition, a publication called "The Alaska High School Graduation Qualifying Examination" is available on the Dept. of Education's web site. The full address is: www.eed.state.ak.us/tls/assessment/GuideforClassroomTeachers.doc. This guide provides an overview of the upcoming exam.

Visitors

Our first visitor from the district this year was Allan Thielen. Former Kodiak resident, Dennis Murray was also by the office for a brief visit.

If you are planning travel to Juneau, please call my office for any assistance you may need. Remember - my door is always open.

Note: You might want to clip this article and refer to it for vital contact numbers and timely info.