Senator Cathy Giessel
District N
Northeast Anchorage, Anchorage Hillside,
Indian, Bird, Girdwood and Portage
January 31, 2017
DearFriendsandNeighbors:
Ithasbeenaneventfulweek
in the legislature. Public
testimony was taken on two
bills that seek to restore the
vetoed portion of the
dividend. The Governor
introduced a few new bills.
The Senate conducted a poll
andreleasedtheirresults.
Click here to email me.
SB1andSB2PublicTestimony
OnSaturday,January28th,theSenateStateAffairsCommitteeheard
publictestimonyonSB1andSB2,SenatorDunleavy'sproposaltoreturn
toeligibleAlaskansthevetoedportionofthe2016PermanentFund
Dividend.Testimonywastakenbeginningat10:00amuntil2:00pm.49
citizenstestifiedinfavorofthebillsand5wereopposed.Written
testimonycanstillbesubmittedtotheSenateStateAffairsCommitteeat
Senate.State.Aff[email protected]
beforetheStateAffairsCommitteeonTuesday,January31stat3:30pm.
ClickheretowatchSaturday'shearing.
PetitiontoSupportSB1andSB2
Senator Dunleavy created a
petition website to show
support for the bills and
keep interested individuals
in the loop as the bills
continue throughout the
process.
Clickheretosignthepetition.
UpholdingLegislativeProcess
Irecentlygaveaspecialorderon
whyIamsupportingSB1andSB
2,billstorestorethevetoed
portionofthe2016Permanent
FundDividend.TheGovernor
madeaunilateraldecisiontoveto
thatappropriation,adecisionthat
shouldhavebeenlefttothe
legislativebranchtodecide.
GovernorIntroducesBilltoNameNewStateFerries
GovernorBillWalkerintroducedlegislation(SB33)tonametwonewstate
ferriesthatwillcomeintoserviceinlate2017.Thetwovesselsare
currentlyunderconstructionatVigorAlaskainKetchikan.Asrequiredby
Alaskalaw,eachferrybearsthenameofanAlaskaglacier-theMotor
VesselTazlinaandtheMotorVesselHubbard.
Lastyear,GovernorWalkerandLieutenantGovernorByronMallott
reviewedhundredsofnamessubmittedbyAlaskastudentsinanessay
competitiontonamethetwoferries.
ClickheretoviewacopyoftheGovernor'stransmittalletter.
AlaskaMarineHighwaySystem
TheannualfinancialreportfortheAlaskaMarineHighwaySystem
(AMHS)wasrecentlyreleasedandthereportillustratedjarring
informationthatcanbefoundinthechartsbelow.
ThechartbelowshowstheannualoperatingexpendituresfortheAMHS.
Thechartbelowillustratestheannualrevenuesthataregeneratedbythe
AMHS.WhenlookingatbothchartsitisevidentthattheAMHSbrings
insignificantlylessrevenuethanitneedsforoperatingexpenditures,
about$98millionlessrevenue.
ClickheretoviewacompletecopyoftheAMHSAnnualFinancial
Report.
GovernorWalkerIntroducesBilltoComplywith
FederalREALIDAct
GovernorBillWalkerintroducedlegislation(SB34)thatwouldbringthe
StateofAlaskaincompliancewiththefederalREALIDAct,andprevent
travelrestrictionsonresidentswithaREALID-compliantAlaskadriver
license.PassedbyCongressin2005,REALIDestablishesnational
standardsonthemanufactureandissuanceofdriverlicensesand
identificationcardstoimprovesecurityandlimittheproductionoffalse
IDs.GovernorWalker'slegislationwouldallowAlaskanstochoose
betweenREALID-compliantandregular,noncompliantidentification
cardsanddriverlicenses.
In2008,theAlaskaLegislaturepassedalawprohibitingtheuseofstate
fundstoimplementtheREALIDAct.Sincethefederalgovernmenthas
beguntoenforcethelaw,Alaskansareatriskofnotbeingabletoenter
militarybasesorpassthroughTSAsecuritywithoutapassportor
federallyissuedID.GovernorWalkerworkedwiththeU.S.Departmentof
HomelandSecuritytosecureanextensiontocompliancewiththeREAL
IDActuntilJune2017.However,thefederalagencyinformedthe
Governoritwouldnotgrantthestateanyfurtherextensionstocomply
withthelaw.
Clickheretoviewacopyofthetransmittalletter.
NewMemberssoughtforSnowmobileTrails
AdvisoryCouncil
TheDivisionofParksandOutdoorRecreationisinvitinginterested
individualstoapplyforfourupcomingvacanciesontheseven-member
SnowmobileTrailsAdvisoryCouncil(SnowTRAC).
SnowTRAC members assist the division
director by providing funding
recommendations for the Snowmobile
TrailsGrantProgram.Thisstatewidegrant
program provides reimbursable, matching
grant funds for trail development, and
maintenance of trails and trail-related
facilitiesforsnowmobileuse.Thedivisionis
seekingindividualswithspecialknowledge,
experience, and interest in snowmobile
trailsandingrant-fundedprograms.
Applicantswillbeconsideredforathree-yeartermbeginningonMarch1.
TwoofthepositionswillrepresenttheMat-SuValley/CopperRiverBasin
andtwowillrepresenttheAnchoragearea.Boardmembersareexpected
toparticipateinmeetingsorteleconferencesaminimumofonceayearat
theirownexpense.TheannualmeetingistypicallyheldinlateAugustin
Anchorage.
Applicantsmustsubmitaletterofinterestthatdescribestheir
professionalbackgroundandsnowmobileinterests,experience,and
knowledge,andthreeprofessionalreferencestoDarcyHarris,theState
TrailsProgramCoordinator,[email protected],or
standardmailat550W.7thAvenue,Suite1380,Anchorage,AK99501,no
laterthanFebruary20at5p.m.Faxedmaterialscanbesentto
907-269-8907.
ForadditionalinformationregardingtheSnowTRACortheSnowmobile
TrailsGrantProgram,pleasecontactDarcyat
907-269-8699,[email protected] orvisithttp://dnr.alaska.gov/parks
/grants/snowmotr.htm.
ConstituentsintheCapitol
ItsalwaysapleasuretovisitwithconstituentswhileIamhereinJuneau.I
appreciatethetimeandeffortittakestovisitusduringthelegislative
session.Hereareafewpeoplewhostoppedbymyofficethispastweek:
Senator Giessel with members of the Alaska Chamber
SenateMajorityPoll
TheAlaskaSenateMajorityrecentlyconductedanonlinepollabout
severaldifferenttopicsandissuesfacingthecurrentlegislativesession.
Theresultsofthatpollarenowavailableandcanbefoundby
clicking here.
Senate Majority Press Availability
Yesterday,theAlaskaSenateMajorityhelditsweeklypressavailability.
ThisweekIparticipatedonthepanelofSenatorstakingquestionsfrom
themedia.Clickheretowatchyesterday'spressavailability.
ABLEActImplementationin3MoreStates
TheABLENationalResourceCenter,managedbyNationalDisability
Institute(NDI),isexcitedtocongratulatetheStatesofIllinois,Iowaand
MinnesotaonthelaunchoftheirrespectiveABLEplans.All3programs
aremembersoftheNationalABLEAlliance,agroupof14states
(includingAlaska)thathavepooledresourcesinordertooffertheir
respectiveABLEprograms.
Theseprogramsallowqualifiedindividualswithdisabilitiestosaveupto
$14,000ayearinanABLEaccountwithoutjeopardizingtheireligibilityfor
federally-fundedmeanstestedbenefits,suchasSupplementalSecurity
Income(SSI)andMedicaid.Thefundsintheaccountcanbeusedfor
disability-relatedexpensesthatassistthebeneficiaryinincreasingand/or
maintaininghisorherhealth,independenceorqualityoflife.
Millionsofindividualswithdisabilitiesandtheirfamiliesareoften
relegatedtoalifeofpovertyasaresultofnotbeingallowedtobuildeven
themostmodestlevelsofresources.Individualsreceivingsupports
throughSocialSecurity,Medicaidandotherpublicly-fundedprogramsare
oftendisqualifiedfromthosesupportsiftheyhavemorethan$2,000
worthofresourcesorassets.Now,withthelaunchofnationwideABLE
programs,individualswithdisabilitiesandtheirfamilieswillbeableto
takeasteptobettersecuretheirfinancialfuturesandtohelpoffsetthe
oftensignificantfinancialchallengesthatcanaccompanylivingwitha
disability.
AlaskapasseditsownABLEActlastyearandaprogramsimilartothe
abovehasbeenlaunched.Ifyouthinkyoumaybeaqualifiedapplicant,
takesometimetoexplorethisAlaska-based
option:https://savewithable.com/ak/home.html
It'sapleasuretoserveandrepresent
thewonderfulpeopleofdistrictN!
Ilookforwardtohearingyourideas,
suggestionsandcomments.
To email me, click here.
Juneau: State Capitol, Room 427, Juneau, Alaska 99801
Anchorage: 1500 W. Benson Blvd., Anchorage,
AK 99503
Phone: 800.892.4843
Copyright © 2017. All Rights Reserved.
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Staff
Contacts
Quick
Links
Congressional
Delegation
Jane Conway
Senate Republican Majority
Senator
Lisa Murkowski
Anchorage Office
907.271.3735
Akis Gialopsos
Alaska State Legislature
Senator
Dan Sullivan
Anchorage Office
907.271.5915
Kari Nore
State of Alaska
Congressman
Don Young
Anchorage Office
907.271.5978
1/31/17, 1:26 PM