Issues

As a recently retired educator and former member of the State Board of Education and Early Development I am acutely aware of the need for stable and predictable funding as the cornerstone of success for all public-school options in Alaska. Returning to a defined benefit pension for the public sector will elevate Alaska as a good place to live and work, improving not just state services but also our education outcomes. Schools thrive when educators can focus on student achievement and wellbeing.

I seek to  sponsor bills  that I know will support young families, uplift communities and solve the problems Alaskans in House District Two face everyday.

The working waterfronts of Southeast Alaska have been the backbone of our state’s economy since before statehood. Ensuring the Department of Fish and Game has the resources to continue to provide gold standard research to inform allocation decisions and that the Board of Fisheries has balanced representation is critical to all Alaskans, including the fishing families of Southeast Alaska.

I am committed to supporting the small towns in rural Alaska by maintaining local control, continuing community assistance, and preventing overreach by state government.

Under our current fiscal plan less than $500 million of Alaska’s $4 billion dollar capital budget comes from state revenue streams. This means most of the state’s funds are leveraged as matching money for federal investments in our infrastructure.

Southeast Alaskans recognize the ferry system as our “highway.” It allows elders to travel with dignity to visit family or medical facilities, it adds affordability for families whose children travel for school activities, and it connects our communities in all seasons, just as roads in the rest of Alaska do. I will remain vigilant to ensure state investment in the Alaska Marine Highway System is maintained.

In the past two years the Legislature has passed balanced budgets that haven’t required drawing from dwindling savings. The needle Alaskans are asking their elected officials to thread is the balance of a low- or no-tax environment that still supports state services. As the number of Alaskans has increased, but the oil flowing in the pipeline has decreased, the state’s budget is stretched to serve everyone with the services Alaskans have come to expect.

I will continue to work toward balanced budgets that do not draw on savings while also supporting the largest Permanent Fund Dividend we can afford and the highest-quality state services possible.

When Tribes are empowered, communities are lifted. I feel fortunate to have 10 Tribes in House District 2 and am grateful to tribal leaders for their engagement.