February 7th, 2019
Items in this E-news:
  • Recent Guests
  • Constituent Coffee
  • Anchorage Caucus
  • Russian Jack Springs Park Master Plan
  • Informational House Meetings
  • How to Track a Bill
  • Constituent Discount with Alaska Airlines
  • Upcoming Community Council Meetings for District 16
Recent Guests
I have had some awesome guests in my office recently! Last week, I had a lovely time meeting with members from the NAACP's Anchorage Branch #1000. We had a great discussion about education, criminal justice, and climate change in Alaska.

This week, I had a moving discussion with ten members of the Delta Theta Sigma Sorority about important issues Alaska is currently facing, including education, Medicaid, and homelessness.

I also met with the with the Key Campaign and Council on Disabilities and Special Education today, and we had a great time discussing efforts to ensure Alaskans who experience disabilities have support for working and living in less expensive community based settings.
It was great to meet with my friends from the of the NAACP Anchorage Branch #1000 on Thursday January 31st. In the above photo, from left to right, are myself, Besse Odom, Cal Williams (back), Kevin McGee (front), and Ed Wesley.
I had a great time meeting with members of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority: Anchorage Alumnae Chapter on Thursday February 7th. A few of these wonderful ladies are my constituents.
I had a wonderful time meeting with the Key Campaign and Council on Disabilities and Special Education. It was great to see constituents who experience or care for people who experience disabilities.
Would you or your organization like to meet with me here in Juneau during session? Give my office a call at (907) 465-4940, and we can find a day and time! I hope to see you soon.
Constituent Coffee: Saturday, February 9th 2019
Anchorage Caucus
Anchorage Caucus will take place on Saturday, February 23rd from 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM at the Education Center on Northern Lights. Your elected officials will give you an update on the Legislature, and open up the opportunity for public testimony.

Breakout Sessions will be organized by Senate District and will take place directly after caucus from 11:30 AM -12:30 PM . Senator Bill Wielechowski, Representative Gabrielle LeDoux, and myself with have pizza and drinks for our eastside constituents. I hope to see you there!
Russian Jack Springs Park Master Plan
Russian Jack Springs Park is one Anchorage's oldest and most popular parks. Anchorage Parks and Recreation is planning on updating the park plan in order to make sure this recreational area is best suited for the community. They are interested in your input and will be hosting a public workshop on February 27th at Williwaw Elementary School from 6-8 PM . Your feedback will help the Parks and Recreation Department begin the process of identifying priorities to be addressed in the master plan update.

You can also fill out a survey in order to share your thoughts. Feel free to access the survey here .
Informational House Meetings
Although the House cannot form committees yet because we are not organized formally, we have been having informational meetings about the budget, public safety and oil revenue projections. On Tuesday, February 5th, the Dept. of Public Safety presented a report on crime rates in Alaska and the Dept. of Corrections delivered an update on recidivism and its impact on incarceration and facilities. An exceptionally disturbing fact we learned is that Alaska's rape rate is 249% higher than the rest of the country.

If you are interested in watching any of these educational meetings, they are streamed live on Gavel Alaska. Click here for a link to watch Gavel Alaska live.
How to Track a Bill
Have you heard about Alaska's Bills and Statute Information Retrieval System (BASIS)?
BASIS is an incredibly helpful tool that can assist you in keeping track of legislation that you are interested in. You can look up current and past bills, watch hearings of bills that are in committee, read Alaska's state constitution, and even look up the daily schedule of the legislature. You can access BASIS here ! If you would like an in-depth tutorial on BASIS, there is a handy presentation on the system on the legislature's website. Click here for more information.
Constituent Discount on Airfare with Alaska Airlines
Are you an Alaskan Airlines Club 49 Member? If you are, and if you live outside of the Juneau area, you can take advantage of Alaska Airlines 30% constituent fare discount. I would love to have you visit my office down here in Juneau! For more information on the constituent fare, feel free to check out these FAQs .
Upcoming Community Council Meetings for District 16
The most local form of government we have in Alaska is the  Community Council. We have three in our district. You can find the agendas and more information on the individual community council websites we have linked below. If you don't know which one is yours, call our office at (907) 465-4940 and we will help you figure it out!

  • Russian Jack - Second Wednesday of the month, next one is Feb. 13th, 6:30 pm at Wonder Park Elementary School.

  • Northeast - Third Thursday of the month, next one is next month, Feb. 21st, 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm at the Muldoon Community Assembly Youth Facility, 1005 North Ermine St.

  • University Area - First Wednesday of the month, next one is Mar. 6th, 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm at the University Baptist Church on Tudor Road.
I will send out email updates fairly frequently during the legislative session. Please let me know if you want to know about anything that I don't cover in the updates. You can reply to this email or give me a call!

Keep in touch!
Phone Number: (907) 465-4940 
To learn about other upcoming events and meetings, follow me on   Facebook   and Twitter . You can also check my  website  for past newsletters and updates on legislation.