ONE DOWN, ONE TO GO…

I held my first Town Meeting this session on March 6 at Nordale Elementary. There was a good turnout of constituents, and we had valuable discussions about education, the Permanent Fund, taxes, and much, much more. The next and final Town Meeting during this session will be Saturday, March 27 from 10:00 AM to 12:00 noon at Hunter Elementary. I invite everyone to come who would like to share his or her thoughts and concerns. I hope to see you there!

EDUCATION FUNDING REMAINS TOP PRIORITY…

I am pleased that the issue of an increase in education funding continues to receive widespread support from both the Senate and the House. The Governor has indicated that he also plans to support an increase to the funding. We hope to be able to have a final plan soon for school districts to use. Education is one of my top priorities and I will continue to do what I can to get this substantial increase passed. I appreciate all of the support that has come from Fairbanks. Your input has made a difference.

SENATE FINANCE DELIBERATES RESOLUTIONS…

All week the Senate Finance Committee held hearings on the four resolutions forwarded to us by the 55-member Conference of Alaskans. Our discussions and future actions will hopefully provide a good foundation for a long-term fiscal plan. We also began deliberation on the concept of a sales tax. A hearing photo can be viewed at http://www.akrepublicans.org/wilken/images/img_2372.jpg.

We had several invited speakers, with the most notable being Governor Murkowski and Mr. Dan Cuddy, President of First National Bank of Alaska. We took public testimony during part of the time and heard from Alaskans from around the state. We were able to get a lot of good information and feedback to help us move forward with our process.

SPECIAL VISITORS…

During the session I don’t always get to go home as much as I would like, so I really enjoy it when Fairbanksans stop by my office in Juneau to see me. That was particularly the case last weekend when my daughter Alli, son-in-law Cameron, and my six-month-old granddaughter, Charlotte, came to visit me. I had a wonderful time showing them around the Capitol and introducing them to all the people that work hard in the legislature for Alaska. Alli is an elementary school teacher, and Cameron, a Captain and A-10 fighter pilot at Eielson AFB, will soon be deployed to Afghanistan for six months. Seeing them this weekend reminded me of how grateful I am to our military for the huge sacrifices they continue to make while protecting our great country and all of its citizens. A photo of my family can be viewed at http://www.akrepublicans.org/wilken/images/img_2358.jpg.

~ Gary

YOUR PRIVACY…

All addresses are “blind” for your privacy. A strict “no spam” policy is observed. If you don’t wish to receive these e-mail newsletters, please let me know. If you have a friend or neighbor in District E or Fairbanks who does not receive my e-mail but would like to be included, I will be glad to add them to my list if they contact me.

CONTACT ME…

If you would like to contact me during session, I can be reached at my office in Juneau at 451-5501 (that’s a local call from Fairbanks), or if you would like to send me an e-mail, my address is senator_gary_wilken@legis.state.ak.us. The address where I receive my U.S. mail is: State Capitol Building, Room 518, Juneau, AK 99801. You can visit my website at http://www.akrepublicans.org/wilken/index.php.

“Knowledge speaks, but wisdom listens” – Jimi Hendrix

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