Dear District 18 Resident:

Happy New Year! I hope you had a wonderful holiday and that the start of the new millennium is going well for you. The second session of the 21st Legislature began on January 10th, and I am looking forward to being part of developing solutions to the challenges that our state faces.

The most pressing problem facing the Legislature this session will, of course, be the budget and the development of a fair and workable long-range fiscal plan. While I do not foresee the Legislature using any Permanent Fund monies or passing a statewide tax this session, I do anticipate that there will be some budget cuts again this year. While the goal is to trim a further $30 million dollars from the state General Fund budget, bringing the total cut to $270 million over the past five years, it's obvious that with the $3-5 million ongoing deficit, cutting alone will not balance the budget. I think cuts to education, public safety, transportation, and public health should be limited. However, any cuts will impact all Alaskans, including those of us in District 18. If you have any suggestions for cuts to services that you use, I would welcome your input.

As Vice-chair of the House Finance Committee, I will continue to be involved in the continuing work to write and refine the state's Missions and Measures, which require each state department to have clear, measurable goals for the functions they perform. We in the Finance Committee will now be able to measure each department's achievements and problem areas, allowing funding to be more fairly evaluated and allocated. Programs that do not work will be eliminated, and those that do work will be encouraged.

I will continue to be responsible for the budget subcommittees for the Department of Revenue and the Department of Fish and Game. There are several important divisions within the Department of Revenue, such as the Child Support Enforcement Division, Permanent Fund Division, Oil & Gas Audit Division, and the Alaska Housing Finance Corporation and the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board. Within the Department of Fish and Game, of course, we have the divisions of Commercial Fishing, Sport Fish, Subsistence, and Wildlife Conservation, among others. If you have any suggestions about how these divisions or departments can serve Alaskans more effectively, please let me know.

I will also be working to see my bill, HB 133 "An Act relating to municipal service areas" comes to a vote in the Senate. This bill would prevent any municipal or borough government from changing a municipal service area without approval from the members of that service area. This will preserve our District's right to maintain Limited Road Service Areas. HB 133 is currently in Senator Ward's Senate State Affairs Committee awaiting a hearing. If you would like to show your support for HB 133, please contact me.

Some of you may have read or heard about the situation with a former legislative employee, Eddie Burke, who was not approved for re-hire this session. Each legislative employee must sign a statement twice a year saying that he or she understands that all legislative staff must be approved for re-hire both at the beginning of session by the Rules Committee, and at the beginning of interim by either the Speaker or the Senate President. Mr. Burke was aware that his continuing employment for session had to be authorized by the Rules Committee. While State personnel laws require confidentiality with regard to employment decisions, I can confidently say that Mr. Burke's employment status is not retribution for his work with the "No" Campaign prior to September's PFD vote.

Your interest and involvement in our state government will help Alaska succeed in the 21st century. If you have any specific suggestions or questions about any of these topics, or about any other issue, please get in touch with me.

Thank you, and happy New Year!

Con

Privacy Policy: All addresses are "blind" for your privacy. A strict "no spam" policy is observed. If you don't wish to receive "Legislative Update", just let me know. If you know a friend or neighbor in District 18 who has not received "Legislative Update" but would like to be included, I will be glad to include them if they contact me. Your replies, comments, questions, and/or suggestions are welcome. Constituent comments on legislation and policy issues may be tabulated, shared with other legislators, or quoted in speeches. Names, however, will be kept private.

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