Dear Neighbor,

Together with Peers

I will join more than 200 young elected officials from across the country in Washington, DC this week for the 5th Annual Young Elected Officials (YEO) Convening. The Convening is the largest gathering of progressive elected leaders under the age of 35 in the country. Young leaders come together to share their experiences, policy initiatives and best practices and build a lasting network with other young elected officials from across the country. I am proud to be part of this great network. I am excited to hear how other young elected leaders are changing their communities and look forward to bring a fresh perspective home when I return to Home.

While I am there I will lead a discussion on the role of Alaska in the US. I know I will bring a slightly different perspective to the dialogue on energy policy, especially since Alaska offers such unique resources. I hope to show them that Alaska is truly the ‘energy state.’ As a state director, I will also meet with senior officials in the White House.

The Budget

The final bill for the budget year was just over $12 billion. The operating portion was passed at roughly $8.2 billion and the capital budget was slightly over $3 billion - $1.5 billion of which is general fund money while the rest is federal money and other funds. This year I worked closely with Sen. Paskvan to focus on a capital budget that would reduce energy costs for Fairbanks homes, create jobs for Fairbanks and stimulate the long-term economy. The Legislature repaid the Constitutional Budget Reserve, placed additional money into future savings and funded future education at nearly $1 billion.

Last week, I met with the Governor to discuss Fairbanks projects. I encouraged him to support the projects in the Interior that emphasized “Roads, Rails & Ports”. Almost all of the projects that you will see around Fairbanks that were funded in the capital strengthen our community infrastructure and either complete projects or provide for some much need maintenance. I am hopeful that Governor saw the importance of those projects and we can begin construction this summer without any vetos.

Home for the Summer

My office is up and running and I have settled back into daily life in Fairbanks. I hope to see many you around town as I attend various meetings or I am in your neighborhood. I want to meet with you personally to discuss how we can get things done in Juneau and make Fairbanks a better place to live, work and play. If you have time or are in need of assistance please consider coming by my office. The office hours are from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM, Monday through Friday, or by appointment on weekends. I am located in Suite 306 on the 3rd floor of the AlaskaUSA Financial Building at 1292 Sadler Way (across from Home Depot). As always, please contact me if I can be of service in any way.

Working Hard for Fairbanks Families,

Scott Kawasaki
Alaska State Representative
Interior Delegation Chairman