I will be back in town this coming weekend and would like to meet with folks to talk about any issues you have in mind. I will be at the Kodiak LIO on Friday, March 15th, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Please call Lorna or Mary to set up the most convenient time for you. If this time frame doesn't work for you, please call me at home: 486-5930. Remember, I am here to serve you--the public.

On Friday, from 12:30 p.m. until 3:00 p.m., I will also be at Fisherman's Hall on Marine Way to give an update on all fisheries' issues now before the legislature. This forum is for anybody interested in fishing. All processors, commercial gear types, sport fishermen and subsistence users are encourage to attend this informal meeting.

Budget Items

Last Friday, the Republican Majority released its plan on how they will reduce the FY97 state budget by $70 million. The main components are: 1) Use the numbers from the Governors proposed budget on education. This means fully funding education with the exception of a $2.6 million cut in pupil transportation and a $80,000 cut in single site schools. 2) Cut last years Capital budget from $116 million to $100 million. 3) Not accept the three year state labor contract negotiated by Governor Knowles. This saves $12.3 million this year and will save a little over $100 million in the next three years. 4) Reduce state agencies' by just over $25 million from their prior budgets. These are the main parts of the reduction plan, while a number of smaller cuts make up the $70 million proposed reductions. The hardest part of this plan is the non-funding of state employee contracts. I would expect state employees to be talking about state wide strikes.

Board of Fish

HB 141, a bill I introduced last year, which changes the date that an appointee to the Board of Fish takes office from January 31 to July 1, passed its final hurdle before going to the Governor for his approval. HB 141 is designed to take some of the politics out of appointments to the Board of Fish.

Finfish Farming & Politics

We are half way through this session. The pressure is increasing to move out legislators' bills before we run out of time. Representative Mulder who introduced HB 514, repealing the ban on finfish farming, has said he will hold up HB 284, a bill that rewrites the Alaska Commercial Fishing & Agriculture Bank, in finance committee unless I move his finfish farming bill out of the Fisheries Committee. Every commercial fisherman that I have talked to does not want to see finfish farming in Alaska. The Fisheries Committee is scheduled to hear this bill on Wednesday, March 13th at 5:00 p.m. We will be teleconferencing this meeting and taking testimony.

Other Fish Updates

That morning, I spoke to UFA Board members about the Fisheries Committee and the general state of the fishing industry in the legislature. I explained the risks associated with chairmanship and holding controversial legislation in committee with so little rural representation in the majority caucus.

Wednesday afternoon, HB 397, the landing tax legislation that I introduced, passed the house with 35 yeas and 2 nays. The next committee of referral is on the Senate side in the Resources Committee.

Later in the day, the Labor and Commerce Committee heard and passed out HB 118 relating to the ASMI assessments. Bruce Schactler, who was in town for the UFA meeting, did a great job of testifying before the committee in support of this legislation. This bill will next be heard on March 13th at 8:00 a.m. before the House Resources Committee.

That evening the Fisheries Committee met and discussed HB 538, the Korean Hair Crab moratorium legislation. I introduced this legislation in order to preserve some viability in this small but growing fishery.

Visitors

Claire Hurt, Jan Pennington and Martin White were all in the office to talk about mental health issues as part of the Building Bridges Campaign. I also met with Brenda Schwantes, who was in Juneau for Village Public Safety Officer meetings. Brenda also testified before the House Finance Subcommittee for the Department of Public Safety. Stopping by again before they left town were Virginia Adams, Chris Berns, Larry Malloy and Bruce Schactler, who were in town attending the United Fishermen of Alaska meetings.

Please call me here in Juneau toll free if you have any questions or need more information. The number is 1-800-865-2487. You can also E-mail me at: {Representative_Alan_Austerman@Legis.state.ak.us}.