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I was disappointed when the governor listed education sixth in his State of the State address.
Alaska must make education a top priority. This really came home to Juneau last week with the announcement that 66 positions would be cut from our Juneau School District. The House Democratic Caucus is working
hard to stop cuts like this.
Education and vocational training are the keys to opportunity, and I'm excited about the legislative package the House Democratic Caucus has this year. We are working to improve Alaskans' education opportunities
from their preschool years until they join the workforce and beyond.
Rep. Chris Tuck has introduced
legislation to help parents get involved in their children's early education. This helps children can get ahead and stay ahead when they get to school.
Rep. Pete Petersen has introduced
legislation to inflation-proof education funding, ensuring that school-age children don't bear the burden of inflation with cuts in the classroom.
And a number of us, led by Rep. Les Gara, sponsored a
bill to lower the cost of college and vocational training for Alaskans who put their new skills to work in Alaska by reducing the interest rate on Alaska Student Loans.
There's no better investment than Alaskans. And there's no better time to do it than now.
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