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Dear Neighbors,
We have a number of priorities that have passed, may pass, or are on life support but could pass in the next 14 days. One of our priorities is NOT an extended Special Session that takes us past the voter-approved 90-day session. And when I say “special,” I mean it in the way an irritated woman in a bar calls an annoying drunk guy with unending and bad pickup lines “special.” I think we can get our work done on time, but I’m one of sixty votes. I won’t detail these bills, but this week there will be a constitutional amendment to provide state money to private and religious schools – something I think will detract from needed support for public education, and will vote against. And tomorrow you will vote in Anchorage on Proposition 5 – to ban job and housing discrimination against gay and transgender Alaskans. I am supporting the provision. Contrary to some misleading claims you hear, it has nothing to do with gay marriage. That’s a red herring. Gay marriage is banned by the state constitution and is not addressed by Prop 5, and shame on folks who are trying to insert an irrelevant hot button issue into what should be a simple question – should we allow job and housing discrimination against people based on who they love? In good conscience, I personally can’t do that. I don’t ask my staff to tell me what they do with their partners, or in their bedrooms. I don’t think any of us should. A Few Priorities on the Move, We Hope More Opportunity for More Foster Youth: As you may know, we have worked closely with Sen. Bettye Davis, the Office of Children’s Services (OCS), and Amanda Metivier with the non-profit Facing Foster Care in Alaska, on many foster care reforms. People should have real chances in life, no matter what their background. This year I and others worked to add needed funds to increase job training, and college and life-success opportunities for foster youth, and that is in the budget. That looks like it’s passed, as it’s in the budget of both the House and Senate at this point. Sen. Davis and I have parallel legislation we have worked closely on to further improve the chances of success for foster youth. We sat down with advocates from Facing Foster Care in Alaska last summer to craft the legislation, and Senator Bettye Davis agreed, based on her longstanding support of children, to work together to try to make sure that either my House Bill or her parallel Senate Bill passes. We’re pushing hard to beat the end of session clock. The Legislation (Senate Bill 82 and House Bill 33) makes it harder for OCS to split apart siblings when they are put into foster care, makes it easier for youth in rural areas to be placed with foster parents in their communities, and requires that the state not give up on older youth they haven’t found a permanent home for. We’ve agreed that Sen. Davis’ version of the bill should move, and are working closely with her to help it pass. The bill also fixes a problem to make it easier for youth who leave foster care, become homeless, and realize they made a mistake, to re-enter the foster care system. A main goal of foster care is to find permanent homes for youth, so they don’t bounce between foster homes their whole life. In the past OCS has given up on older youth, leaving them in temporary foster care arrangements rather than continuing to seek permanent foster families or adoptive parents. OCS agrees to the changes in this bill and has taken positive steps to implement them, but we don’t want the next director to take a step backwards, and want these protections in statute. Remember that Common Sense Texting While Driving Ban? Rep. Bill Thomas and I filed legislation, House Bill 255, to reverse a court ruling that reversed the ban Alaskans believed we had on texting while driving. Texting while you drive is not only dangerous. It’s likely to kill people as the practice becomes more widespread. It has already. Reps. Gatto, Gruenberg, Wilson and Tuck are also Prime Sponsors. While the House will not pass a cell phone ban or limitation – as there is great opposition on that subject – a texting bill should be a no brainer. The Alaska Association of Chiefs of Police, Alaska Fire Chiefs Association, and the Anchorage Fire Department have supported this legislation, which is slated for a hearing on Wednesday in the House Finance Committee. Fingers crossed that this common sense piece of legislation passes. It will be a race to get it through the Finance committee, and then the Senate, but we think we can do if it moves ahead for a vote. The bill has passed two committees so far. Hack, Gasp....Help Us with One Priority on Life Support: Fair Education Loan Rates For Alaskans Who Stay In or Return To Alaska – Ending the Brain Drain. What do you do when you can get a used car loan for 2.5% interest, and the state has current and outstanding student loans at 6% – 8%? Well, we filed House Bill 272. “The New York Fed estimates Americans owe $870 billion in student loans, significantly outpacing credit card debt or auto loans.” Washington Post, 4/2/12. Americans 60 and older still owe about $36 billion in student loans! If you’d like the bill to move (or even if you don’t like it), please let Chair Alan Dick, and the other members of the committee – many of whom are supportive – know your thoughts. Please be polite!! We don’t all agree on all issues, and folks on all sides of this issue have reasons for their positions. Committee e-mail addresses are at the bottom of this newsletter. Our bill lowers interest for those Alaskans who stay in Alaska or move back home. While we have had several hearings in the Education Committee over the past month, and believe we have the votes to pass it, the bill hasn’t come up for a vote. A casualty of the legislative process. That’s sad. We want Alaskans to move back home with skills they’ve obtained Outside, and want them to further their education here if that’s their choice. We want education to be attractive to people, not just another form of crushing debt. HB 272 could pass this year. If it doesn’t, we’ll keep pushing it until it passes in future years. It’s a good idea that will strengthen our workforce, create opportunity, and not deny people opportunity just because of their lack of wealth. Oil Taxes: I’ve written about this, and will be brief this time. For years oil companies have made the case that at very high oil prices Alaska taxes too high. In response, the Governor lowered taxes, not just at high prices, but at average prices, and low prices, and for all new fields no matter how profitable they are. And while he pitched his bill as one that would lead to new exploration in new units, the Big 3 testified in committee that apart from plans they already had, or that were required by litigation, they had no intention to promise any new exploration in new units. The Senate, in contrast, has offered a bill to do what met the oil companies originally stated concerns, at least until they jumped on the Governor’s proposal to give away $1.8 billion a year in tax revenue with no requirement that they invest those tax breaks in Alaska. Why wouldn’t they? The Governor offered them more than they asked for, and, frankly, that made them pretty happy. The Senate bill lowers taxes much more modestly, at very high prices – the original concerns stated by the oil industry. Oh, and by the way, many new companies that announced they had located to Alaska because of our great business climate and oil reserves bought Alaska leases years ago, before the Governor filed his bill, but have now predictably lined up behind the Governor’s proposal. Suddenly they say they need it for leases they bought under existing law that they said they’d develop without regard to changes in our tax law. I guess companies with a legal duty to maximize the profits of their shareholders (that’s in Alaska law) don’t like looking a gift horse in the mouth. The latter issue will likely be the special session culprit. The Governor has shown no inclination to compromise, despite the fact that a series of his original claims have proven inaccurate (the majors won’t meet his request that they explore new areas under his new bill; jobs and investment are up, not down as he claimed; and the last time we lowered oil taxes we had the same production decline as we do now). The smarter thing would be to do more modest reform, and tie tax breaks to company investment in exploration and production. Rather than give money away, we should demand binding commitments of new exploration and production in exchange for the breaks. That’s it for now. Call if we can help. My Best, |
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