Be sure to check out the photos and bills up for hearing by scrolling down (expand if necessary) to see more. You may see someone you know!

SESSION UPDATE - April 22, 2024

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

More hot potatoes this week. Better wear a thick mitten hot pad or you will most certainly blister your hand because the education issue continues to be an extremely fiery topic.

First, we sadly learned late last week that the released test scores indicate far too few of our students are attaining proficiency in the basic subjects in our public schools (but kudos to Mat-Su students who overall did well compared to others statewide!).

Second, the public correspondence school disruption is not yet put to rest. When there’s major disruption to the school option that nearly 1 in 5 children in Alaska have chosen, the dust does not settle quickly, nor should it. The extremely broad ruling striking down the allotment provision for public correspondence students by Superior Court Judge Zeman created chaos and NEA certainly has egg on its face, but with some patience we may find it to be a blessing in disguise.

To the homseschool parents out there, please know that this more than 100-year school option in Alaska is not going away. We will sort it out, and yours truly will do all I can. I have been in multiple conversations with multiple attorneys and legislators. I'll do my best to give you the lay of the land based on what I know at this point.

The House has filed a constitutional amendment to address the current semi-Blaine amendment in our state constitution (public funds can’t directly benefit a private or religious educational institution). Please be aware, however, that the Senate Majority and House Minority have indicated they (in general) do not favor a constitutional amendment and support the existing language in our state constitution. It takes a two-thirds majority in the House and the Senate to put a constitutional amendment on the ballot before the voters; there are not currently the votes in the legislature to achieve that high bar. So at this moment in time, this option is blocked.

Here are my thoughts on the matter as I’ve contemplated the situation the past few days and posted on social media:

Millions of public dollars in Alaska have been and are going to higher ed Alaska student loans, performance scholarships, and student education grants where students can and often do choose to use them to pay for tuition at private and religious educational institutions.

And how about all the public dollars - millions - in our state going to private vocational educational institutions each year?

And what about the millions in public dollars the legislature appropriates each year to Headstart - yet another set of private educational institutions across the state?

What about the Anchorage School District spending public dollars sending students to the private educational institution, Sylvan Learning Institute, for tutoring?

And what about local public high schools across Alaska paying for courses such as those through BYU, a private and religious education institution - which some districts have been doing for years to supplement their course offerings?

I don’t see how you can, on one hand, allow millions of public dollars to flow each year to private and religious educational institutions through student loans, grants, scholarships, direct state appropriations, and school district contracts, and on the other hand, not allow public correspondence school parents/students to use their allotments for private and religious educational institutions.

The court would be hypocritical to not allow allotments to be used this way while allowing all these other uses.

If the court rules that the allotments are a direct benefit to the student and an indirect benefit to the private and religious educational institutions, then things will be settled, and we won’t have to eliminate all the items/programs I noted above and the correspondence program can continue with the allotment statutes restored.

If the court doesn’t rule this way and determines the allotments can’t be used for payment for classes at private or religious educational institutions, I believe we indeed will need a Constitutional amendment and voters will support one. Why? Because Alaskans won’t want to do away with all these other educational opportunities in addition to public correspondence homeschooling mentioned above that benefit neighborhood brick and mortar public school K-12 students, pre-K Headstart children, and Alaskan adults in higher ed schooling or vocational training.

We expect the State of Alaska to request a stay (suspension) today of the ruling, longer than what the plaintiffs requested (they only requested a stay through this current school year). The state’s request will likely be through next school year too so a final decision can be reached by the Alaska Supreme Court and the legislature can address any legislation that might be needed.

I will give you tany updates I have tonight on my Monday Nite Live at 6pm (Facebook broadcast) but in the meantime I want to point you to DEED Commissioner Bishop’s letter here. I may also be participating in an upcoming panel on the topic in the next few days with attorneys who have in-depth experience on homeschool laws throughout the nation, including here in Alaska. Stay tuned on that front.

We’re Up But Time Running Out

It’s funny but there seems to have been more interest in my AI bill SB 177 around the state and nationally than there has been in the Senate but perhaps that will change. My bill is up tomorrow and we’ll see if it finally is moving out of committee after being there the entire session. Let’s hope it does. We’re running out of time to get it through the Senate and through the House too but that will not deter us – we will keep pressing for forward action!

Why do I say there’s been more interest outside the Capitol building than in it? I have been asked to participate in numerous national zoom calls about AI and my bill throughout the session; I was invited to speak in Baltimore a few weeks ago on a panel about the bill; we had an engaging community meeting about AI and my bill two weeks ago in Palmer; I participated in a national press conference last week along with 4 other legislators from other states on the topic of AI and our bills before our respective legislatures; and I’m headed to speak at Stanford University this weekend to present my bill at a leadership conference.

I’d really like to help Alaskans, ensuring responsible use of AI by state agencies to protect our privacy and liberties, as well as ensuring clear communications and disclosures when political deepfakes circulate to help voters know what is real and what has been manipulated. In the meantime, my work is helping other states sort out next steps when it comes to AI, so I guess that’s good too!

If you believe SB 177 should be moved out of committee, please call to testify before the Senate State Affairs Committee tomorrow (Tuesday) at 3:30pm and respectively request the chair and committee move the bill. Thank you.

Juneau (907)586-9085mob

Anchorage (907)563-9085

Elsewhere (844)586-9085

Concealed Bill is Being Concealed

The House Judiciary Chair (Senator Claman) has given no indication he will hear SB 173 The Safe Schools Act. His staff reports the opposition is overwhelming and the support is slight. That’s not what occurred in the previous committee. I want to thank those who’ve taken the time to write and call Senator Claman requesting a hearing. Some have asked me if a Chair has the ability to refuse to hear a bill. The answer is yes. This is why it is important who holds the gavel. Thank you to the many teachers and school administrators who’ve privately let me know they support the bill.

Budget Brewing

We’ll take a little break from the budget this week as the two bodies received the other body’s efforts and are reviewing and preparing to make their respective changes. Be sure to read my commentary from the last two weeks here and here.

Relevant or Not

Each week, my talented staff, Stephen, creates tasteful and eye-catching notices of upcoming hearings. It’s never an exhaustive set but we pick a few we think might interest you or others. We always include the set in this weekly newsletter (although admittedly, it takes some scrolling to get there!). There’s a set below in this newsletter, in fact. We also feature the set each week toward the end of our Monday Nite Live (broadcast on Facebook begins at 6pm).

Despite our providing the notices in two places, I am going to feature a few each week here in my opening dialogue between now and the end of session. Bills can move very swiftly when we’re down to less than a month before the end of the two-year legislative cycle, and it’s important you’re not caught off-guard.

Some of these bills may be relevant to you. Some may not.

Although we don’t have the space to feature and expand upon each one, let the feature of a few be a reminder to scroll down to see more. This is also where you’ll find the email addresses to submit written comments and phone numbers to call-in to testify.

HB 223 Tax and Royalty for Certain Gas, sponsored by Rep. George Rauscher. We’re on the verge of a gas shortage in the Cook Inlet. Either we drill more or import more. This bill would reduce the royalty the state would collect to incentivize more drilling in Cook Inlet. It would improve the economics for the companies. The trade-off is that less royalty would go into the Permanent Fund. I’ve brought up the point several times before, this is only a bandaid. We need to begin to bring on board clean coal technology, more hydro, and the smaller, safer micronuclear technology.

You can testify tomorrow, Tuesday, at 10am before the House Finance Committee.

HB 119 Marijuana Tax, by request of the Alaska Marijuana Control Board. This proposal changes the tax on marijuana from $50 per ounce to $12.50 per ounce levied on the cultivator. A new 6% sales tax on marijuana products paid by the consumer at the retail level is intended to make up the revenue lost due to less collected from the cultivator.

You can testify Wednesday, 1:30pm before the House Finance Committee.

HB273 AHFC Make/Purchase Mortgage Loans, by request of Governor Dunleavy. This bill is intended to increase access for Alaskans to mortgages to buy homes.

You can testify today at 1:30 pm before the Senate Labor & Commerce Committee.

HB 50 Carbon Storage, by request of Governor Dunleavy. With the advent of clean coal technology prospects in Southcentral Alaska and the potential of that cutting our energy costs in our homes in half, there’s renewed interest in carbon sequestration even by those (like me) that don’t buy into the extreme climate alarmists’ take that carbon will end life as we know it. This bill passed the House last week.

You can testify Wednesday at 3:30pm before the Senate Resources Committee.

Upcoming Attractions

Hope you join us this evening as we broadcast live from the Capitol, Room 7. Monday evenings at 6pm during the session, we come to you via Facebook Live to discuss the hot issues and overview the upcoming bill hearings and public testimony opportunities. Your comments and questions are always part of the conversation, so hop on my page and engage!

Until We Meet Again

My responsibility to you is always front and center, whether I am on the Senate floor, drafting policy, in a meeting, out and about in our community, or communicating with you. I will strive to be available in multiple ways to hear from you and what concerns you most. I am on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter at AKShelleyHughes (links at bottom of email). You can also email me at Sen.Shelley.Hughes@akleg.com or call my office (907)465-3743 (Session) or (907)376-3725 (Interim) to get in touch.

As I state on my Facebook Senator page, mention in live broadcasts, and tell many of you in one-on-one conversations, with the volume of contacts I receive daily (multiple hundreds), my staff and I work hard to read and listen to everything so I can understand what you, our district, and the rest of the state is thinking. If you would like to ensure you receive my feedback on your issue and ideas, please call my office to set up a phone call with me or come by one of my constituent meetings so we can connect in-person. Hearing your input continues to be a top priority to me!

Working on your behalf,

What's AWOS and Why Does It Matter?

Prior to a couple of months ago, I had never heard the acronym “AWOS”

📰

No Small Matter: Court Deals Blow to Homeschool Families

Families receiving public funding for homeschool dealt a big blow

Budget-Wrangling Season in the People’s House

Balancing funds and the PFD

17X: Why Who Plays in the Broadband Sandbox Matters

Offroad Alaskan communities need a win for education

A.I. Duty Calls

The future is now...and what's being done to safeguard from overreach

A Big Vote on Education

The Governor's veto on SB140 and the next steps

Is SB 24 a Door to Social Engineering in Our Schools?

There may be more behind the "mental health education" bill

Why a Department of Agriculture Makes Sense for Alaska

Five key reasons to pursue a new department.

New Economic Horizons in Alaska

Time to develop another sector more fully

HJR7: It's So Much More Than Just the PFD

Alaska stands at a fundamental crossroad

As Gas Shortage Looms for Railbelt…

Blow The Dust Off The Dam Project Already

It's a First in Alaska and It's Needed: Artificial Intelligence Bill

Introducing SB 177: AI, Data Privacy, Cybersecurity, Deepfakes

A Call for Responsibility: Rejecting SB88 and Prioritizing No-Risk Solutions

Where have all the fiscal conservatives gone?

SB 173 Safe Schools Act Will Deter Active Shooters Taking Lives

When seconds matter for students

Evil Lurks – Trafficking Is Occurring in Alaska

We must pass HB 68 - doing what I can to get the bill moving in the Senate.

Food Security Focus Continues In 2024

Supporting the agriculture industry, promoting locally products, and increasing food security.

See 🗂️Archive for More Articles

Senator Hughes is frequently in the news and mention of the projects from our office also show up from time to time. She is typically on the radio once per week or more on a variety of shows. Below are some links to recent news items.

AOL

Kara Hollatz and Adam Trombley from US Sen. Dan Sullivan's office came in to visit with Senator Hughes. They appear to be stairsteps leading to DEED Commissioner Bishop's presentation on the TV screen about state education issues, but their focus in their meeting centered on national issues intersecting with Alaska.

Those issues included Sen. Hughes' interest in a US Navy presence in Alaska, concern regarding China's rapid development of AI for military purposes, a rail connection to Alberta (and lower 48), and statehood defense issues related to federal lands and overreach, President Biden's long list of executive orders negatively impacting Alaska, and Article V opportunities.

Senator Hughes spoke to the committee regarding SJR 20 (regarding AWOS) which her office coordinated with the Chair's office. (See this week's article to find out what "AWOS" is and why AWOS is important!) The legislation passed out of committee this past week and is on the Senate floor today. Senator Hughes is excited to see this resolution moving and hope it lands in the hands of the FAA Reauthorization Act Conference Committee in early May as they finalize the bill language.

Senator Hughes was part of a 6-state national press conference on AI this last week. She shared how the time for putting safeguards in place is now before further systems are implemented. If responsible use is the standard for state agency use, the public and the state employee workforce will benefit. If parameters are not put in place, the public will lose faith. She also spoke about the potential for unchecked political deepfakes to create chaos and disrupt our constitutional republic and voting process during the election season. Her bill, SB 177, if passed would require clear disclosure when media forms have been manipulated.

"Tx for protecting us by illuminating the dark. Remain vigilant."

"Thanks for your guidance and inspiration through so much, but especially yesterday - there's a good group of homeschoolers coming together to voice concern!"

"[N]o school allows for religious curriculum. Just because something could happen doesn’t mean you throw out all correspondence."

"[The correspondence funding ruling] sounds like a union strong arm on homeschool brought to you by a judge in cahoots with the teachers union"

"Alaskans might be ok with a constitutional convention if the scope of that meeting was limited in scope. Opening up the entire constitution is not a good idea"

"Please work on creating true school choice.🙏 The governor is on the right track. Our public school systems desperately need reform. I'd go rogue and be a completely independent homeschooler before I'd ever consider placing my child in our horrible schools,"

"First Amendment rights is not a free fall to do whatever you want. You do not get to block me from moving freely. [re: SB 255]"

"The allotment going away would destroy Alaska Pacific University's entire teaching graduate program BTW."

"Jay Hammond is WATCHING. Leave our PFD ALONE OR BE VOTED OUT."

"I am behind you 100%, Senator Hughes. Don't let the haters get you down."

O P P O R T U N I T I E S F O R Y O U T O W E I G H I N T H I S W E E K

If you’d like to provide public testimony for any bill, enter the bill number (for example "HB 22") into the search bar here to learn the date and time. Scroll down toward the bottom of this newsletter or view the highlighted bill images to find the public testimony call-in phone numbers.

The following "News from Hughes Alerts" are highlighted bills for this week but please note that this is not an exhaustive list.

🖱️ Click on the image to view the referenced bill.

Click the button below to see all public testimony opportunities occurring within the next seven days.

Public Testimony Schedule

The 📣 indicates that the topic is slated to be accepting public testimony at its hearing.