Dear Friends and Neighbors,

Happy New Year to you from my Juneau office! It's cold here, but nothing compares to the negative degree temperatures in the Interior.

The legislative session kicked off Tuesday, and as usual the halls are filled with legislators and staff from around the state to work for the constituents of the state. Of course, everyone is anticipating a major continued debate about the Governor's tax break for big oil corporations. I still believe the state has set up appropriate tax credits for production and exploration of these resources. The bill does not propose any way to increase exploration, and to offer such large giveaways to oil companies without a commitment to invest in Alaska is simply a bad idea. The Senate has done a great job of asking tough questions and during the interim we have heard from many experts who question the benefit of this proposal for the state.

While this is arguably the most divisive and time-consuming issue facing the Legislature this year, it is certainly not our only concern. I hope the Governor and legislators focus attention on the price of energy and how to ensure lower priced alternatives in the future. Education remains a priority for me and I will continue to work on Pre-K legislation, particularly Parents as Teachers. There are quite a few educational bills in the works to keep an eye out for concerning student loan financing, and college tuition forgiveness for Alaska workers.

The House Minority Caucus offers a friendly welcome back to Juneau! Back L to R: Reps. Petersen, Doogan, Guttenberg, Gruenberg, Holmes, Kawasaki, Gara, Tuck, Miller Front L to R: Minority Whip Rep. Gardner, Minority Leader Rep. Kerttula, Rep. Cissna

The Legislative session lasts a short 90 days and as of today, there have been almost 300 bills filed. As a member of the Education, Resources and Fisheries committees, I will be evaluating many of these bills. If there is anything you support or oppose, please contact me or my staff so your opinion can be heard.

Technology makes this much easier today than even a few years ago, and below are a few options to stay in touch:

1. Web: (BASIS website), where you can research and track bills: http://w3.legis.state.ak.us
2. Online: Gavel to Gavel, where you can watch the Legislature online: http://gavelalaska.org/
3. iPhone/iPad App: Download the Alaska Legislature App
4. You Tube Channel: Watch our weekly updates
5. Facebook: Scott Kawasaki
6. Twitter: @AlaskaScott

Rep. Kawasaki's first video of the session welcomes active participation for effective governance.

While I am far away from friends and neighbors in the Interior, technology helps to keep us connected. The city of Fairbanks is my number one priority, and every decision I make, every meeting I attend - I have your interests in mind. As always, consider our office a resource and please contact us for anything we can do to help you.

Working Hard for Fairbanks Families,

Representative Scott Kawasaki
City of Fairbanks