Issues

Our public schools are facing huge challenges. We have been asking our neighborhood schools to do more and more on less and less. We need to provide dependable and inflation-adjusted funding increases so that schools can keep class sizes moderate and attract and keep the brightest and best teachers. Because of a decade of flat funding, students have been losing their elective choices, sports programs, and we see larger and larger class sizes. I’m hearing of some middle school classrooms with almost 40 kids! We must stop the bleeding now and raise our investment in the future. We must raise the Base Student Allocation, BSA.

This past session, I supported the bipartisan override that allowed HB 57 to become law. HB 57 included a $700 increase to the Base Student Allocation, additional support for student transportation, reading resources, special education, career and technical education, and a bipartisan task force to keep working on long term education funding. It was an important step forward, but it is not the end of the conversation. Our schools still need dependable, inflation aware funding so districts can plan ahead, keep class sizes manageable, and attract and retain great teachers.

I also cosponsored HB 28, which supports teacher recruitment and retention, substitute teaching, school board service, and a teacher student loan repayment pilot program. I cosponsored HB 261 to keep pushing for education funding, and I introduced HB 12 because no child should have to sit in a classroom hungry. Free breakfast and lunch in public schools is a simple, practical way to help students learn and take pressure off working families.

Education also means preparing students for life after graduation. That includes college, apprenticeships, vocational and technical training, military service, and direct entry into the workforce. We need to make sure young Alaskans can build a future right here at home.

Affordable and reliable energy is the biggest issue facing Fairbanks today. Families are struggling, paying way too much to heat and power their homes. Small businesses are paying too much to operate. Lowering Fairbanks energy costs remains one of my top priorities. We need to diversify our energy sources by expanding power generation and home heating options. This means expanding the availability of natural gas and bringing more alternatives like wind, hydro, and solar online. 

I serve as Co-Chair of the strategic House Resources Committee and I am currently the only Fairbanks area majority member represented on the committee. I worked hard to get on this committee so that I could promote responsible resource development. I have worked extensively on HB 381, the Alaska LNG legislation where my focus has been clear: any project that advances must include a Fairbanks spur line that delivers natural gas at truly affordable prices. I will continue to advocate for lower energy costs and responsible development that creates jobs and benefits the people who live here. We do need to keep investing in renewable energy, weatherization, and energy efficiency. I realize that no single initiative will solve all of our energy challenges, but I will continue to fight for our working families and local businesses by pursuing  an “all of the above” solution to bring affordable energy to Fairbanks.

Investing in economic development is critical because it means more good-paying jobs and stronger local businesses. It helps our community grow and gives people more opportunities to succeed right here at home. When economic development projects are approved and implemented we need a home grown workforce of residents prepared and ready to take these jobs.

I continue to work with colleagues and businesses to innovate and problem solve in the areas of workforce development, recruitment, and retention. I wholeheartedly support the work of our trade unions especially in their emphasis on training and hiring Alaskans. It is well established that excellent public schools help our workforce development issues immensely. We know that excellent schools help promote a thriving business community which in turn requires that we attract and retain excellent public servants like teachers, public safety employees, and public health personnel. 

This past session, I supported legislation that connects education, workforce development, and economic opportunity. HB 28 helps address teacher recruitment and retention, and it also supports workforce readiness. HB 78 would have restored a defined benefit option for public employees, including teachers, police officers, firefighters, and other workers we depend on and I was proud to support it because Alaska cannot afford to keep losing experienced public employees to other states.