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(907)350-3105
Years of flat funding have damaged Alaska’s system of public education. Just like the Anchorage Tax Cap, public education funding must keep pace with inflation. To improve student performance, we should invest in pre-K and other effective early learning opportunities. Alaska is facing recruitment and retention challenges with high teacher turnover, resulting in high student-teacher ratios and a shortage of experienced Alaskan educators. Returning our teachers to a defined benefit pension retirement plan will help address the recruitment and retention challenges. Wages and benefits for teachers should be regionally and nationally competitive, and we may need to increase funding levels to be competitive.
We should take an “all of the options” approach to developing energy infrastructure and addressing the energy challenges in the Railbelt and throughout Alaska. Steps we have taken over the past two years to support reliable and affordable energy include investment in the Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships (GRIP), which will bring millions of dollars in federal funding to modernize our electrical grid and support renewable energy projects across Alaska, approval of legislation to support community solar and net-metering, and approval of reserve-based lending for new natural gas production in Cook Inlet. We must continue working to encourage new natural gas production in Cook Inlet.
We need a responsible action plan to provide stability and the essential services Alaskans depend on, including public safety, public education, and public health. We must hold the line on the percent of market value (POMV) (SB 26) revenue and spending cap, we must grow the Permanent Fund, and the dividend must compete for revenue with other state programs. Any new revenue measure should not be used to fund a larger dividend.
Alaska’s elections have always been well-run, safe, and secure. Some changes lawmakers can make to further improve our election process include removing the witness requirement for absentee ballots, incorporating secure ballot-curing measures, and reinstating campaign contribution limits consistent with federal law and the Constitution.
I support open primaries and ranked-choice voting, which have strengthened our communities and our legislature. I oppose efforts to repeal these sensible laws.
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