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Contact Information:
Toll Free:(800) 665-2689
In the Homer Area:(907) 235-2921
Via Mail or in Person: 345 W. Sterling Hwy., Suite 102B
Homer, Alaska 99603
Fax:(907) 235-4008
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Paul's News
Life since the legislative session has been quite busy. We had a hectic but good fishing/tendering season. This fall has an unusually heavy meeting schedule. We have been dealing with many challenges in local projects, gas development potential and economic development proposals. A number of people have had email address changes so please pass this to your friends and remind them they can subscribe or change their e-mail address at the bottom left of my web site, www.RepPaulSeaton.com.
Although not strictly a legislative issue, cancer seems to be touching almost everyone through friends, colleagues or relatives. I recently watched a fascinating program in a University of California medical lecture series. It dealt with angiogenesis (new blood vessel formation) and drugs to stop it. Blood vessel formation in the tumor or cancer seems to be a key for cancer growth. This is a completely different method of treating cancer in addition to surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. Cancers can be detected and monitored through blood chemicals even before the cancer has been diagnosed. It has such amazing results and potential for immediate impact that I wanted to be sure my constituents and their medical professionals have access to the information. Most drugs are in the long testing phase but some are available now for treating many specific cancers. You can find this 90 minute seminar on the internet at
Ways and Means
The Ways and Means Committee met twice this summer to discuss possible solutions to the $5.7 billion unfunded liability associated with the PERS/TRS retirement system. SB 141 was a long-term fiscal plan passed last session to address the unsustainable nature of the current retirement system. However it does not address the unfunded liability. If we had put $5.7 billion cash in an account last year and let it grow at 8.25% interest the state would be able to cover all the expected future payments to retirees. -The total of those projected unfunded payments due over the next 25 years will add up to $15.6 billion. The current plan in place would fund those payments by raising employer's contributions. That mechanism raises public employee rates to about 35% of total employee salary and almost 50% of total teacher salary. Municipalities and school districts will be overwhelmed by these large payments, necessitating cuts in essential services. We are looking for an alternative plan.
Some possible solutions to this looming problem are dedicating a large one-time appropriation to the retirement fund, increasing the pension fund rate of return on investments, or using pension obligation bonds.
Ways and Means is scheduled to meet again in late October. Please contact my office to attend.
Health, Education and Social Services
The House HESS committee met twice this summer to discuss two bills, HB 271, limiting mandatory overtime for registered nurses, and HB 303, a bill that extends adult companion service waivers.
penalizes an employer for mandating overtime with a set fine in addition to requiring the employer to pay the nurse the regular overtime wage and an equal amount as a fine. The bill does not preclude nurses from voluntary overtime hours, or working in mandatory overtime status because of an unforeseen emergency situation that could jeopardize patient safety. Supporters of the bill argue that forcing nurses to work overtime dramatically increases the possibility of error and compromises the safety of patients. Opponents argue this should not be a one-size-fits-all solution and that it is a subject for collective bargaining. They also argue that employers will not have a viable means to adequately staff a facility.
expands Medicaid waivers to cover adult companion services. This would allow a primary caregiver to sleep during normal nighttime hours when the recipient of care cannot be safely left unsupervised. Although HB 303 includes legislative intent language to clarify and tighten eligibility for personal care attendant services, the expansion to reimburse adult companion services is predicted to cost the state up to $31 million annually by 2011. Supporters of the bill testify that expanding waiver services is necessary to delay or avoid placement of the recipient of care in assisted living or nursing homes. Opponents point to the high cost associated with expanded services.
House/Senate Cost Differential Task Force
The Joint Cost Differential task force met twice this summer to look at ways of implementing the ISER cost differential study. Although I am not a member, I participated in all meetings since an area cost differential is crucial for our area. There has been controversy over the recently released ISER study because its philosophy for personnel is meant to make hiring and retention equal between Anchorage and rural Alaska. Current wages do not compensate for the additional cost of living in rural areas. However, it is unrealistic to assume that an increase in wages alone would get teachers to spend their entire career in the bush.
A compromise philosophy may be developing with full acceptance of the ISER direct cost differential for energy, and an appropriate wage increase that could extend teacher service by 2-3 years. It is recognized this continuity would be very valuable to rural education.
Skyline/Diamond Ridge Paving
I have been in contact with the Commissioner of the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOT/PF) regarding the paving of Skyline and Diamond Ridge road. We have been assured that paving will take place in the summer of 2006 and I am committed to ensuring that paving occurs on schedule, however federal earmarks have unexpectedly reduced projected funds so please stand by.
In August we were notified that the portion of Skyline Drive, formerly known as Hudspeth, east of the junction with Ohlson Mt. Road, does not meet state standards for the Gravel to Black program and would have to be widened if it were to be put on the schedule for paving. The State has a prescriptive easement along much of this stretch of road, as it would be required to pay the adjacent landowners fair market value for their private land needed for the expansion of the road easement. This process was going to take months, and so this section of the road was dropped from the paving program to keep the rest of the road on schedule.
Dangerous Corners: Milepost 168 and Gwin's Corner, Milepost 52, Sterling Highway
I supported two temporary safety measures to deal with the high accident rate at Milepost 168 and Milepost 52 along the Sterling Highway: rumble strips and flashing lights. The rumble strips are designed to make a loud noise when a driver crosses the double yellow lines, and the flashing lights, similar to those at the Ninilchik curve, are proven to promote driver awareness and lower accident rates. Since rumble strips will make noise when drivers illegally cross the double yellow lines, we contacted residents living near the corners and appreciate their consensus that the safety potential outweighed the disturbance.
Seward Pedestrian Pathway
In August I sent a letter to both DOT/PF and the Alaska Railroad Corporation asking them to put in writing how the two entities plan to move forward with the pedestrian pathway. DOT/PF responded that the project was on schedule. Phase II, constructing pathways from Van Buren to the Bear Lake Fire Station will begin next spring. Phase III, extending the pathway from Bear Lake Fire Station to Bear Lake Road will advertise for construction in 2007.
Snug Harbor Road-Cooper Landing Senior Center
In response to a concern regarding the maintenance of the new Campus Drive off Snug Harbor Road in Cooper Landing, I received clarification from the Kenai Peninsula Borough that the Borough will be maintaining Campus Drive, while the State will be maintaining the section of Snug Harbor road between the Sterling Highway and Campus Drive.
The US Forest Service has funding to upgrade roads that lead into National Forests and Snug Harbor Road is being considered for upgrade. I will be voicing my support whenever possible.
Seward Ferry Move
DOT/PF recently announced that the Alaska Marine Highway System would be halting service to Seward. While the possibility of such a move was announced in 2004, the move presents a major economic blow to the community. Senator Gary Stevens and I wrote a letter to DOT/PF expressing our disappointment at service termination without a public meeting to discuss the City of Seward's economic impact study. We will continue to look at ways to offset this loss through economic stimulation.
Commercial Vehicle Inspections/Weight Limit
The state is treating commercial fishermen as commercial vehicle operators when they are hauling gear via trailer down to the dock.
An exemption from commercial vehicle inspections currently exists in Alaska statute for farm vehicles. I am researching if the exemption can be expanded to include commercial fishermen in the statute without causing Alaska to lose federal highway safety grants.
Kachemak Bay State Park Funding
Recently I attended a meeting of the Kachemak Bay State Park Advisory Board and it became clear the existing park personnel and maintenance budget is insufficient. Currently there is one Park Ranger, a Seasonal Tech and a handful of volunteers to maintain over 80 trails and the numerous campsites and public use cabins in the park. While I support additional funding, I am only one vote in the legislature. Other legislators need to hear from their constituents on the matter. I encourage the lodging facilities in the Homer area to contact their in-state visitors that used the park and ask them to appeal to their legislators for additional park funding.
Magnuson-Stevens Reauthorization
On September 20th a meeting was held at the Islands and Oceans Visitor Center to discuss the State's position on the reauthorization of the federal fishery Magnuson-Stevens Act. For a detailed explanation of the state's position on specific items in the legislation please go to http://www.adfg.state.ak.us/special/oceans/policy.php and follow the links to the discussion of MSA Reauthorization.
Many of those in attendance commented on the need to re-think Processor Quota shares, and the Regionalization of fish landings as this works against a free market and our communities. We are already seeing that hundreds of crew members are going to be unemployed this winter as a result of the federal Crab Rationalization program and there is concern of the same outcome for gulf groundfish.
The state supports limiting the term "over fished" to stocks that are low, only if it is proven the low numbers were caused by fishing. This would use the term "depressed" if low numbers could be due to climactic conditions, pollution, or habitat degradation. I oppose this change because a "depressed" stock does not require a re-building plan, whereas an "over fished" stock requires a 10-year re-building plan. Sustainable fisheries require proactive work.
Pebble Mine
This fall I visited the site of the proposed Pebble Mine near Lake Illiamna along with other legislators and community leaders. We visited the site where the core samples are boxed and labeled. We flew in helicopters along the proposed road corridor and to Iniskin Bay where the port facility is proposed. We visited a core drilling site, and viewed the pit site and tailings basin from the tallest ridge.
Northern Dynasty proposes to move the milled ore from the Pebble site to Cook Inlet using a slurry pipeline. Alternatively, the ore may be barged to Pile Bay and trucked over the pass to Cook Inlet. A host of environmental, bonding and taxation questions will surely arise during the course of the permitting of this development. I encourage the public to become educated on the potential risks and benefits of this development.
Alaska Gas Pipeline
The governor is still working to secure a natural gas pipeline contract with BP, Conoco-Phillips and Exxon Mobil. He has proposed 20 percent equity ownership of the pipeline itself, and hopes to use over a billion dollars in oil windfall money to cover some of the burden. He has also proposed some in-state use of the gas. A gas line that does not provide gas for in-state users in South Central will probably not pass the legislature. Degradation of requirements to develop and sell North Slope gas, and linkage to oil taxes could make a contract problematic as well.
Dissolved Oxygen Standards
In June, the Murkowski Administration proposed changes to the regulations governing the levels of dissolved oxygen that must be present in marine water before and after all "marine water uses". Generally, there is less oxygen in colder waters, deeper waters, and waters where abundant organic waste is present. The current standard for dissolved oxygen in Alaska marine waters is 6 milligrams per liter in the top 1 meter and 5 milligrams per liter below 1 meter. The proposed change seeks to lower the standard to 4 milligrams per liter below 1 meter. This is a 20 percent reduction in the dissolved oxygen standard. This change would allow more organic waste to be dumped into marine waters, resulting in a less healthy marine environment. I wrote a letter to the Department of Environmental Conservation opposing this change.
Proposed Pollution Mixing Zones in Spawning Streams Regulation
DEC has revised their proposed regulations and they are available at http://www.dec.state.ak.us/water/wqsar/trireview/mixingzones.htm. Neither the oil companies nor the giant Pebble Mine project have proposed needing these mixing zones. These regulations could actually have greater negative impact on our fisheries and environmental quality than some of our biggest industries.
Public hearings start November 30th. The public will be able to testify by telephone at the LIO on December 5th from 4-5:30 pm. The written comment period closes on Dec. 19.
Out and About
I had the opportunity to attend the Pacific Fisheries Legislative task force this month where we discussed fisheries issues and joint responses of the state legislatures. I also attended the Joint Senate and House Resource committee in Fairbanks looking at the possibility for development of the Nenana Basin gas field and potential for propane distribution throughout rural Alaska.
My staff, Katie Shows, was able to attend a Medicare Volunteer Coordinator training where she was educated on the implications of Medicare Part D, prescription drug coverage. Remember, enrollment begins November 15th for recipients of Medicare. Call my office if you have additional questions regarding any aspect of the process.
Homer Health Fair
Don't forget the Homer Health Fair November 12 at the High School from 7:30am to 1pm. This year's theme is "Prevention is Intention."
Contact Us
If you would like to speak to me regarding a specific issue, it is helpful to first get in touch with the member of my staff handling related issues. You can click on their email addresses to send them a note, or just give us a call at the office. Please provide your full name, address and phone number on any correspondence with the office. Your time and effort are much appreciated.
Louie Flora
State Affairs, Resources, Fisheries, HB 25
(907) 465-4963
louie_flora ''@'' legis.state.ak.us
Katie Shows
Health Education and Social Services, HB 20, HB 24
(907) 465-2028
katie_shows ''@'' legis.state.ak.us
Rep. Paul Seaton
House District 35
(800) 665-2689
representative_paul_seaton ''@'' legis.state.ak.us # # # |
