Dear Friends and Neighbors,
The gavel came down January 17th to kick off the 33rd Legislature, and already there’s been a steady whirl of activity in our senate office on your behalf! As a member this year of the Senate Minority, my role has certainly shifted, but my ability to impact policy positively and promote solutions is still very alive and well. Although a majority of Republican senators were elected (11 out of 20) this past November when 65% of voters chose a Republican for state Senate, a left-of-center majority organization was formed instead when 8 of those 11 chose to caucus with 9 Democrats. Sen. Mike Shower, Sen. Robert Myers, and I are now part of a 3-member Senate Minority, which is considered “unrecognized” because it is fewer than 5 members.
In the past, Senate Majorities have granted such unofficial Minorities seats on standing committees and permitted a recognized Minority Leader, although the rules did and do not require this. The Senate Majority unfortunately has decided not to follow that precedent this year and is not granting us those privileges.
Despite this setback, as I’ve told reporters, we remain in an unusually great position as Minority members to impact the outcome of this legislature session. We have a longstanding, excellent and strong relationship with both the members of the new House Majority and with Governor Dunleavy. The Senate Majority is not presently in this position. Our Mat-Su Senate District M is also in a fantastic position as a result of the Republicans taking back the gavel and control in the House after six years. Our two representatives for the two House districts (25 and 26) within Senate District M have the most powerful positions in the other chamber: Rep. Cathy Tilton (26) is the Speaker of the House; Rep. DeLena Johnson (25) is the Finance Co-Chair overseeing the operating budget. I am very proud of our two reps! An additional advantage for Mat-Su: Rep. George Rauscher in the Sutton district north of Palmer (29) is in House leadership as Majority Whip. In addition, other Mat-Su House members hold important committee chairmanships.
What occurred in the House organization definitely and nicely counters the situation in the Senate, both for Mat-Su and for the entire state. Add to all these recent developments the fact that the members of our Senate Minority have a clear track record of working well in the past with members of the Senate Majority on both sides of the aisle as we led a number of major policy accomplishments for Alaska, including the repeal of SB 91, the Alaska Reads Act, the initial steps in improvements to our sexual assault criminal statutes, and wins in agriculture policy to put us on a path toward increased food security.
The recent changes in the make-up of the Senate have also put us in a position to be of aid to the new House Majority — including a shift of office personnel. My chief-of-staff for more than six years, Buddy Whitt, as of today is working for Rep. Kevin McCabe to bring his strengths to the House Majority as an experienced staffer with vast institutional knowledge. He will be mentoring and training House Majority staff new to running committees and bills. We will greatly miss Buddy as he has been a tremendous asset to our district in service to constituents and Alaskans overall. The good news is that he won’t be far away and is working for a member of our Mat‑Su delegation.
Today we are welcoming Annaliese Roberts to my office as our new chief-of-staff. Her education and background in the private sector, time in local government, her strong capacity for policy analysis as a quick-study, and her organizational skills put her in a great position to serve our district and state well. We are honored too to have Stephen Knouse as a new legislative aide; his strong communication and writing skills along with his IT and graphics expertise will lend well to our work at hand. A huge part of the role of a Minority is to be a voice for those not represented by, or in agreement, with the direction of the Majority. Stephen is already helping us get out the word and we appreciate his talents. Last but certainly not least, we are excited to have our University of Alaska intern, Gaby Gonzalez, on our team. With her international background and fresh set of eyes, she brings a welcome perspective to our office. She’s already been hard at work analyzing reports to brief me, helping constituents, staffing me on the Food and Farm Caucus, and managing my schedule – an ever important task as the gatekeeper!
This first stretch has been packed full of meetings and following the overview presentations in committees. Some of the meetings, luncheons, and connections include with Alaska Oil and Gas Association, the DOC Acting Commissioner, the DPS Commissioner, Alaska Chamber of Commerce, Alaska ReEntry Partnership, and numerous legislators.
We also broadcasted our first Facebook live of the session last Monday evening. If you haven’t followed us yet, I encourage you to do so and watch the video. Buddy and I were able to respond to some of your comments and questions before I signed off to attend Governor Mike Dunleavy’s State of the State address. Scroll down to see last week’s broadcast at the link, and tune in tonight at 6pm for the next latest and greatest update!
We received our first district visitors last week from Palmer High School. The varsity girls’ basketball team spent some time with Rep. DeLena Johnson and me in the Butrovich Committee Room at the Capitol. After discussion of the legislature and some of the issues at hand, each of the team members shared with me a brief glimpse of their post-high school plans. It’s exciting to contemplate the opportunities ahead these young women will pursue. As a senator and decision-maker, I always keep our children and youth in the forefront of my mind when it comes to policy direction. Ensuring opportunities for Alaskans, especially for young people, is vital for a strong economy, healthy communities, and a great future.
Be sure to scroll down to learn more about the hot issues this session, to see photos of visitors to the Capitol you may know, to explore bills that are filed and moving, to learn what bills I’ve filed on your behalf, and to find out opportunities to testify before committees.
And speaking of young people, the big topic this week for public testimony? Education funding. Do you think we should increase it or not? Do you think it’s time for academic accountability when Alaska’s test scores rank 49th and 50th compared to other states and when we’re investing more than $1 billion in state dollars each year into education? Call and weigh in this afternoon or on Wednesday to the Senate Education Committee (scroll down for details).
Another hot topic this session is whether to reinstate defined benefits for public employees, and you can testify on this issue Tuesday morning (scroll down in newsletter for details). Due to the high cost and unfunded liability, the legislature had moved away from defined benefits to defined contributions a number of years ago. There is a push to return to defined benefits. Can the state afford this or will it break the bank? When all workforce sectors, public and private alike, are struggling to recruit and retain workers, is this really the panacea some think it is? Let the House Community & Regional Affairs Committee know what you think.
We had our first Coffee Chat this session this past weekend and thanks to the 20+ that dropped by and shared important concerns. I look forward to meeting more of you in the following months at future Coffee Chats and Town Hall meetings as well as here in Juneau when some of you come for a visit. 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. You can also email me at [email protected] 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 907-465-3743 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,
Alaska Senate Minority
We are the Alaskan senate minority for the 33rd Legislative session
