(2-minute read) COMMITTEE-FREE EDUCATIONAL MEETINGS TO PROCEED
With no majority caucus in place, some Alaska House of Representatives members are getting antsy. There may be no organization for days to come and they’re hearing from the folks back home that the situation is unacceptable.
But a group of Republican legislators has the answer: They plan to start informal informational meetings, open to all legislators, that allow the members to learn about some of the key elements of the budget and other critical concerns.
They won’t be the formal hearings that take place in committees once the House is organized and the committee memberships are determined. But they’re a start.
In a press conference today, Reps. Dave Talerico, Chuck Kopp, and Tammy Wilson announced the first of the upcoming meetings:
Rep. Wilson (R-North Pole) will hold a meeting on the State’s Revenue Forecast on Thursday, Jan. 24 at 1 pm in the House Finance Room with Department of Revenue Commissioner Bruce Tangeman.
Rep. Colleen Sullivan-Leonard (R-Wasilla) will host a jobs forecast meeting with Labor Commissioner Tamika Ledbetter on Wednesday, Jan. 23 at 3 pm in Capitol Room 106, as well as an economic outlook presentation with Dr. Mouhcine Guettabi from UAA’s Institute for Social and Economic Research at 3 pm on Friday, Jan 25, also in Capitol Room 106.
“We open our work this week focusing on Alaska’s 2019 Alaska economic forecast: jobs, industry, healthcare and regional economic outlook,” said Rep. Sullivan-Leonard. “Special emphasis will be given to an assessment of Alaska’s economy and statewide recession forecast and how our caucus can help in moving this agenda forward in the best interest of Alaskans and Alaska’s sustainability.”
Having these different meetings before legislators get the Dunleavy budget on Feb. 13 will allow the newer members of the Legislature to get up to speed on the matters that they’ll be deliberating as they think about the smaller budget they anticipate receiving from the governor.
The House is comprised this year of 25 percent freshman class, many of whom are eager to get to work, but have a steep learning curve on complicated issues. Another concern is that House members expect that the budget presented to them by the Dunleavy Administration will be structured differently than in years past.
Wilson called it a unique opportunity for the entire House to hear presentations that would normally be given in committees that meet at the same time other committees are meeting. Those scheduling conflicts usually prevent legislators from being able to absorb important information from other committees.
The meetings will be open to all, Wilson said, and that means Democrats and Republicans will be working together. An invitation to attend was sent to all members of the House and their respective staffs.
“We’re going to need to immediately pivot to some pretty important things,” Talerico said following the conference. “These informational meetings are being held to make sure we don’t get stuck behind the curve when there’s so much to get done on the budget, economy, public safety improvements, and resource development.”
More member-initiated informational meetings will be announced at a press conference on Wednesday morning, the group said.
STATE OF THE STATE
Rep. Talerico said that the Republicans and Democrats are still in discussion about how to handle the State of the State. It is currently scheduled for 7 pm on Tuesday, as scheduled by the Senate, but it’s unclear if the House will be able to host the event, since there is no permanent Speaker.
Rep. Neal Foster of Nome is Speaker Pro Tem. The House has cancelled its floor session that was scheduled for 11 am Monday.
Know why we became a State ? To get the FEDERAL GOVERNMENT out of our fisheries ! Amazing we were not in trouble like we are now ? Food for thought ( When I want to know the HEALTH of the OCEAN , I ask a FISHERMEN , when I want to know the HEALTH of the Forest I ask a LOGGER ). I don’t ask a Politician he just ask a Computer ? Miss our Loggers and our Fishery is been taken over by the same people we were trying to get rid of.
Scares me to see what Gary Knopp’s move from the republican caucus has caused. Without some type of unity we’ll end up status quo as always. I’ve known Gary for many years. I was shocked to see what he did and am still confused as to why. I now know if the peninsula would have known what was going to be taking place someone else would have stepped up to run against him. I’m sure this will be Knopp’s last elected position in Juneau representing the Kenai Peninsula.
With Gary Knopp’s BS coupled with those turncoat muskox-rats….If everyone would have been who they said they were, this party could have been rockin’ and rolling!
While the meetings may be useful to provide information, the lack of formal process may render the information unreliable. Organization of the body will be necessary to do ANYTHING of substance. I would urge the members to focus on assembling twenty-one votes. Absent the twenty-one, nothing will get done.
All of that said, perhaps some outreach to people in Rep. Knopp’s district could help to clarify the good man’s thinking a bit.
While there is important work to be done, and there is…any day that our government isn’t doing what they do is another day that I need not fear that government is doing what they do.
These clowns, or more specifically this clown Knopp, needs to get his act together. One clown has stopped the clown car from driving into the center of the circle so all the clowns can jump out of the car. Do your job clown, if you don’t want to do your job step down.
Gary Knopp is the male version of Lisa Murkowski. A Leftist running around disguised as a Republican. Do not trust this person. Another stooge and useful fool of the Democrats.
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