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Dear Friends and Neighbors,
April has sprung and spring is here! This is the time for new life blessings, and I hope them for you! I consider the fact that we're down to about six weeks left here in the session to be a blessing if you don't mind me saying....
My update here won't be quite as lengthy as usual as last week was a short and sweet week for the Senate due to the holiday as is the coming week – not to mention yours truly is composing this over the Easter weekend.
State spending and your PFD
We’re going into full-blown budget work. Lines have been drawn. The House has proposed a $2300 PFD in its HB 268 committee substitute budget proposal. The Senate Majority is aiming for a $1600 PFD, so there’s that. But that’s not all. Rep. Neal Foster’s proposal of a full statutory PFD of $3500 should make for an interesting few days in the House Finance Committee as members consider amendments before HB 268 heads to the floor where additional amendments will be heard and a vote on the bill is expected next week.
Admittedly, the PFD differences put the capital budget in flux. Because the majority of the legislature doesn’t see the PFD as the “first draw” like PFD founders believed should be the case, this puts the total to be spent on capital projects a big question mark when the PFD is a big question mark. Wouldn’t it be great if the PFD amount were settled each year and not up for debate and at the whim of the legislature? I say: yes and amen! I remember when the focus and debate was centered on capital projects; someday I hope we can get there again. HJR 7 would put the PFD constitutional question on the ballot, so we'll see whether that legislation is resurrected yet this session.
Things are not necessarily off-track yet, however, for the April 12 passing of the budget baton (exchanging the House operating budget with the Senate capital budget between the two bodies). A dozen days and we’ll see where the conversations in the Capitol building take us.
Education Reforms and BSA Increase Are Not Dead
Conversations on education funding and reforms to improve student outcomes have waxed and waned. I cannot report anything specific – because there’s nothing specific to report – but I can say the two topics are not dead.
Rep. McKay has worked on a bill (HB 392) in another attempt to bring people back to the table. Those supporting reforms along with a funding increase have taken a seat back at the table, but it’s not yet clear if those – or enough of those – who have been opposing the reforms but want a funding increase are willing to pull up a chair.
Time will tell, and since there’s not much time, it won’t take long to know if those resisting the proposed policy changes will keep their heels dug in or not, whether or not they will kill the base student allocation (BSA) increase.
I can report the good news that outside the legislature, there are many Alaskans who were previously opposed to the reforms now realizing the sky will not fall if they’re implemented and are now willing to accept the reforms in order to see the BSA increase occur.
Stifling Emerging Technology is Bad Policy
My policy work on unmanned aircraft and Artificial Intelligence* has taught me the importance of “tech neutrality” when it comes to emerging technologies. This applies to the expansion of broadband in Alaska too. This past week, the legislature passed HB 193, to allow school districts to access “e-rate” funds when securing internet service at higher speeds than in the past. I have far too much to say on this topic here, but please at least glance over my article here or below in the “Shelley’s New Articles This Week” section.
I recommend you sit down when you read the article because the cost differences between fiber-based internet services and low earth orbit based services will absolutely blow you away and astound you.
*Also, note that my bill on Artificial Intelligence, SB 177, will have its second hearing this Thursday, April 4, in Senate State Affairs Committee which begins at 3:30pm.
Digital Twins
I’ve flown into Baltimore and am speaking on an AI panel this afternoon and fly back to Alaska tomorrow. In case that brings to mind the collapsed bridge, I did not have to cross the harbor. First, my prayerful condolences to the families of the workers whose lives were lost. On a second note, the bridge disaster has me thinking about our infrastructure in Alaska and its ability to withstand impacts.
Do you know what a digital twin is? It’s a virtual representation of an object or system designed to accurately reflect a physical object – a model of something that can be tested under various conditions and circumstances. Digital twins of major infrastructure in Alaska would be a good idea for testing the impact of earthquakes on critical necessities, just sayin’. Stay tuned as I’ll be making an inquiry to our Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities about this.
Upcoming Attractions - Very Special Coffee Chat Guests
Because Senate floor session is not scheduled today, we will not be broadcasting FaceTime Live tonight like we usually do. We still will post our bill hearing slides for this week on my Facebook page so you can check them there – or scroll down below because we post them every week in this newsletter too.
My final Coffee Chat of the session is THIS Saturday, April 6, 2024 and we’re excited two guest experts will be joining us to allow a special focus on two separate topics: education and artificial intelligence. We’ll be welcoming Department of Education and Early Development Commissioner Deena Bishop and State of Alaska Deputy Chief Information Officer Niel Smith.
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