March 15, 2022
Alaskan Friends and Neighbors,
‘Tis the Ides of March today, a good day to remember to work cooperatively rather than dictatorially – a lesson that might have benefited Julius Caesar! Much to report on this mid-month date. First, the Alaska State Senate unanimously passed a Sense of the Senate, which I co-sponsored, that the Alaska Motor Fuels Tax be suspended.
Alaskans, indeed all Americans, are feeling the economic impacts of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent economic sanctions against Russia including the embargo of Russian oil and gas. I must point out, however, that had President Biden and his administration not chosen earlier to squelch domestic energy production – including here in Alaska – the impact would not have been as severe as what we are experiencing. These federal policies are fundamental to the problem and bear the bulk of the responsibility for our current high gas prices.
As a state government, there are few things we can do to help Alaskans and the burden of increased costs at the pump at this point, but this is one thing we as the Senate can do. We can (as stated in the Sense of the Senate) –
“[work] together with the other body and Executive Branch to temporarily suspend the Alaska motor fuels tax to provide much needed relief to all Alaskans.”
As war continues in Ukraine, I hope you will join me in continuing to pray for those involved, for strength for the Ukrainian people, and for wisdom for those in authority to make good decisions to safeguard human life and bring these horrors to a resolution as soon as possible.
In other news, my bill, Senate Bill 140 The Even Playing Field Act, was up for public testimony this past Saturday. Parents, grandparents, coaches, and concerned Alaskans called in from all over the state to voice support for SB 140 which ensures a fair and even playing field for our girls and women in school sports and athletics. Thank you to the testifiers who took time out on a weekend to call in. Thanks too to my fellow Senate Education Committee colleagues who gave 4 hours of their Saturday to hear from Alaskans.
Those in opposition expressed their concerns at the public hearing as well, often repeating inaccurate information such as that there are little or no differences between male and female body types that warrant the policy in the bill. It was shocking to hear their claims that science and data do not back up the point that an uneven playing field occurs when male-bodied athletes play on teams designed for female-bodied athletes. We provided significant data and referred to extensive scientific research quite to the contrary during our introductory hearing on March 6.
Although accusations from the naysayers against SB 140 were absolutely false and over the top (that I filed the bill because I wanted to “kill children” and to allow “coaches to be child molesters” and to give school staff permission to “order children to drop their panties” for “genitalia inspections”), I have no regrets for filing and promoting my bill. Please note that the biological sex noted in the bill refers to sex at birth and that enrollment in public schools in Alaska already requires birth certificate submission. Also, participation in school-sponsored sports in Alaska requires a student to have a sport physical exam performed by a qualified healthcare provider and to submit the completed and signed sport physical form to the school.
As stated earlier, I have no regrets about carrying SB 140. It is good and needed policy if we are going to preserve girls’ and women’s sports as permitted under Title IX. By the way, Title IX has been upheld consistently by the US Supreme Court. This federal law allows sex-specific sport teams and acknowledges the differences between the male and female bodies. You can read more about why SB 140 is important here.
Your continued support is necessary to get this bill to the finish line. If you have not yet weighed in on the issue, it is not too late to email the Senate Education Committee your thoughts. Simply write an email to Senate.Education@akleg.gov, provide the bill number SB140, and state your position. The committee will continue to take written public testimony on the bill until it moves out of committee.
Another hot topic around the Capitol is the rollout of federal broadband infrastructure dollars and the work of the Alaska Broadband Taskforce aimed at bringing reliable broadband services to unserved and underserved communities across the state.
The expansion of broadband services in our state has the potential to bring remote jobs and education opportunities to even the most remote communities in our state. We must not miss our chance to provide the next generation of Alaskans with access to the world wide web and the online marketplace. If you are interested in this topic and curious to know exactly how the broadband rollout will occur in Alaska, tune in to the Senate Community and Regional Affairs Committee this Thursday, March 17th at 3:30 PM for an update from the Office of the Governor.
I had the opportunity to carry Representative DeLena Johnson’s bill, House Bill 3, on the Senate floor last Tuesday. As you may recall from my previous newsletter, House Bill 3 is incredibly relevant to our current situation as it allows the Governor, in the event of a significant or statewide cyber attack against the state or any subdivision of the state, to declare a disaster emergency. Doing so allows a swift response and access to funding so that we can recover from an attack as soon as possible. I am pleased to report that the bill passed the Senate and has been returned to the House for a concurrence vote. Let’s celebrate this victory for Alaska and the Mat-Su Valley!
Another of my bills, Senate Bill 41 The Alaska Healthcare Consumer Right to Shop Act (relating to an incentive program – cashback – for insured patients for shopping and choosing lower-cost providers) was heard in the Senate Labor & Commerce Committee yesterday. Although the chair’s plan was to move the bill out, several members of the committee (who had earlier indicated the changes via amendment satisfied their concerns) withheld their support for unknown reasons. This was quite disappointing to say the least because passing this bill will help lower healthcare costs for Alaskans. SB41 incentivizes Alaskans to shop for healthcare options suitable to their needs and budgets. To read more about how SB 41 will restore competition to the healthcare marketplace in Alaska, check out my article below.
I have also been working on Senate Bill 217 which would allow teachers in Alaska to conceal carry in schools given certain training requirements. You can read more about it in an article below in the newsletter. We are working closely with the NRA and other groups to ensure that educators would be properly and safely trained. I have requested a hearing for this bill in Senate Education. Stay tuned for opportunities to listen in and voice public testimony.
Be sure to check out last night’s Facebook Live if you missed joining us. We had a great discussion about happenings here in our state’s capital. We livestream each Monday at 6:00 PM here and your questions and comments, along with an update, are always front and center. Hope you can join us in the future!
Working on your behalf,
Alli Madison is the Associate Clinical Director of Set Free Alaska and Philip Licht is the President and CEO.
Prison Recidivism Reduction Pilot Project in Alaska
A Good News Update
It was incredibly encouraging to meet with Alli Madison and Philip Licht who are part of the pilot project to reduce recidivism in Alaska. Set Free Alaska (SFA) has undertaken the task to find a solution to curb the prison population growth and help stop the revolving prison door for exiting inmates. This task assignment was the same one I had been given by the Senate Majority after I led the repeal of SB91 as Judiciary Chair in 2019.
After I brought together key visionary leaders of stakeholder groups in a workshop setting and subsequent meetings, two priorities emerged. 1. The Crisis Now model (allowing a non-criminal response for 911 calls so those with a mental health or substance abuse crisis would not end up in “holds’ in jails across Alaska). 2. A pilot project for a comprehensive approach for exiting inmates to help ensure they become productive citizens instead of repeat offenders. SFA’s residential campus for men in Mat-Su is that pilot project. I was excited to learn when meeting with Alli and Philip that it is off to a very good start and already proving to be a success.
The legislature understood that repealing SB91 was not the end-all to make our communities safe and this is why we chose to help fund this pilot project in 2020. We knew we had more work to do. Most inmates are eventually released, as you know. When they are released, if they are not reformed, they will commit new crimes, and sadly and often worse crimes. Alaska has not had a good track record of reformation or transformation of inmates, of helping guide them to opportunities, to giving them necessary tools to get their lives on a better track, on a productive track. The SFA men’s residential campus is working to change that.
I am hopeful that the SFA model will become a template to be replicated across Alaska so that our communities will be safer and more vibrant than ever.
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Below is Kara Nelson with True North Recovery, a treatment center in Wasilla that also offers a comprehensive approach. Kara used to run Haven House in Juneau for women and has a heart and vision for helping fellow Alaskans. It was great to connect with her during her visit to the capital city.
This past Wednesday was Aerospace Day in Alaska. I met with Alaska Aerospace CEO Milton Keeter, COO Craig Campbell, Chairman of the Board Bob McCoy, and Board Member Howie Chandler to discuss opportunities for jobs and education in the aerospace sector. With a number of commercial launch operations coming this year, Alaskan aerospace is a rapidly expanding industry and has boundless potential for enterprising Alaskans as well as our state economy. The next launch is scheduled for March 13-15 from the aerospace complex on Kodiak Island. I love this statement on Alaska Aerospace’s homepage:
“One of the pioneering features of PSCA [Pacific Spaceport Complex] is its economic model. Since 2015, the spaceport has not accepted state or federal funds for operations & maintenance and must operate within earned revenues. As such, PSCA provides unqualified economic benefit to Alaska, stimulates innovation, and keeps the team focused on customer outcomes versus stifling bureaucratic processes.”
SB 41 The Alaska Healthcare Consumer’s Right to Shop Act
In 2016 I explored an idea that I thought had the potential to reduce costs for Alaskans for medical care and procedures. I concluded that it would. SB 41 is the result of that inquiry, research, and conclusion. The Alaska Healthcare Consumer’s Right to Shop Act would allow you to shop among in-network and out-of-network providers, and if you found a lower-cost option, you would receive a shared savings check.
Because the current process to compare healthcare costs is not user-friendly, the prices for procedures are not readily available, and the majority of people rely on insurance to pay for care, most of us aren’t motivated to shop around to compare healthcare costs among providers. SB 41 is all about changing that paradigm in Alaska. SB 41 is designed to shake loose the free-market principles in the healthcare industry by incentivizing the consumer to price compare and shop. This will naturally, over time, nudge down what providers charge.
“There is no one magic silver arrow when it comes to hitting the bull’s-eye of healthcare cost reduction, but SB 41 is certainly one of the arrows we need to have in our quiver.”
Senator Shelley Hughes
Senate Bill 41 will provide Alaskans with the information they need to plan financially for their health care decisions. The bill requires health care providers and facilities to list meaningful cost information online and onsite. The bill also requires a health care provider and insurance company to disclose full cost information within five days of request by a patient specific to their condition, including any expected out-of-pocket costs. The bill also adds a mechanism so insurance companies will provide an incentive – a shared savings check – to policyholders who choose a provider who charges below the average in-network cost. Employers providing insurance coverage for employees will also be eligible for some of the shared savings.
SB 41 is among the most innovative approaches in the nation because of the incentive provision. By encouraging consumers to shop and providers to compete for Alaska’s healthcare dollars, healthcare charges will decrease. The Alaska Healthcare Consumer’s Right to Shop Act will empower Alaskans with the tools needed to make healthcare choices that fit their needs and work for their budgets while introducing competition back into the healthcare marketplace.
As healthcare costs continue to rise, stakeholders are searching for ways to eliminate wasteful spending. Since insurance insulates patients from the full cost of their medical care, policymakers seek ways to encourage patients to shop for higher-value care, particularly as the cost of treatment is often unrelated to the quality of the provider. Right-to-shop programs represent a new wave of policies to give patients a financial incentive to seek out more cost-effective providers without exposing them to additional financial responsibilities. As these policies demonstrate their effectiveness in saving money both for government programs and for private insurers, many states are considering and passing legislation to encourage their use.
While right-to-shop programs differ from reference pricing programs, they are similar in that they only apply to shop-able services and require the patient to actively seek out and act on pricing information. Nonetheless, reference pricing and right-to-shop programs place pressure on the highest-priced providers to lower their rates and may save millions of dollars annually. People with high-deductible health plans (HDHP) must pay the full cost for medical care before their deductible is met and therefore may choose to forgo necessary medical care. Right-to-shop programs, preserve the ability of patients to get necessary care because their cost-sharing remains the same, but also allows patients to be incentivized when they choose cheaper providers. Programs that give patients an incentive to choose better value health care get widespread support from both political parties.
“Alaska’s health care costs are among the highest in the nation and continue to rise. Through free-market principles, SB 41 will bend the cost curve down over time to help relieve the disproportionate burden of health care costs on family budgets, seniors on fixed incomes, and employers providing insurance coverage to their employees.”
Senator Shelley Hughes
Alaska’s health care costs are among the highest in the nation and continue to rise. Through free-market principles, SB 41 will bend the cost curve down over time to help relieve the disproportionate burden of health care costs on family budgets, seniors on fixed incomes, and employers providing insurance coverage to their employees.
There is no one magic silver arrow when it comes to hitting the bull’s-eye of healthcare cost reduction, but SB 41 is certainly one of the arrows we need to have in our quiver.
Currently, nine states have passed some form of Right to Shop legislation and with Senate Bill 41, I am hopeful that soon, Alaska will become the tenth.
SB 41 did not pass out of the Senate Labor and Commerce Committee yesterday due to at least one member’s hesitation, although the chair wholeheartedly supported the bill. I will not mince words: I was incredibly disappointed as the members had previously assured me they were comfortable with the proposed changes adopted by the committee. This delay will make it incredibly difficult to get the bill through the process, and this is to the detriment of Alaskans. Nonetheless, I will continue to press forward. Please submit written testimony in support of SB 41 to Senate.Labor.and.Commerce@akleg.gov requesting the committee move the bill. Please also send your testimony to Sen.Shelley.Hughes@akleg.gov. Thank you!
Check out my video on SB 140 by clicking the image above.
SB217
Are Our Schools Prepared for an Active Shooter?
In 1997, Alaska’s world, indeed all of America, was shattered by a horrific incident at our very own Bethel High School. A student killed another student and the principal before wounding two other students. We were unprepared for what happened that day. The question is, are we as prepared today as we should and could be?
At the time, the Bethel shooting was considered an anomaly; an outlier not to be repeated. Just two years later, two students entered Columbine High School in Colorado and killed 12 innocents. 11 students and 1 teacher lost their lives that day. All that parents could do was stand outside, hoping and praying that murder would not touch their families.
At Connecticut’s Sandy Hook Elementary in 2012, 6 teachers placed themselves between the murderer and the students. They used the only available tools they had attempting to save the children: their own bodies. Despite these selfless and heroic acts, 20 more victims were claimed in that atrociously tragic incident.
Tragedies like these have played out again and again – including at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida in 2018 and at Michigan’s Oxford High School this past November. These were high-profile cases we all heard about on the news. What if we include the ones not so widely reported?
The FBI notes between 2000 and 2013 that 39 shootings occurred in a school setting. 117 students and staff were killed and 120 wounded in this 13-year time period. These are dreadful numbers, but they get worse. Since 2018, in a 4-year period, 65 students and staff died and 197 were injured in school shootings. Just this school year, since August 2021, there have been 24 school shootings across America.
Along with these appalling numbers, the FBI reports shootings in school environments account for much higher casualty counts than other mass killings. Because data indicates that 56% of school shootings do not end until the killer either flees the scene or commits suicide, we can conclude that the sooner the killer is stopped, the more student and staff lives will be saved. We also know that of the remaining 44% of shootings that are stopped by someone intervening, some of these are stopped by an unarmed individual, but too often after the loss of additional lives that could have been saved had the intervening individual been armed.
The question we must ask ourselves: are we as prepared as we should and could be? What about the schools where the response time by law enforcement would be lengthy due to distances? Do we want to wait until an active shooter kills children in one of our schools before we consider the option in SB217, or are we ready to have the conversation now? Are we going to push aside this topic and hope that what has happened elsewhere won’t happen in our child’s school?
Let me remind all of us: hope is not a plan.
Current law allows school district superintendents to permit teachers to carry concealed handguns, but superintendents have chosen not to do so. They are likely hesitant to allow this because of safety concerns due to the fact that schools are unique environments – environments with an extremely high ratio of children to adults. Even law enforcement officers receive special training in addition to police or trooper academy if they are assigned as School Resource Officers at schools.
To address this growing problem, I have introduced Senate Bill 217 which will give our educators the choice, opportunity, and most importantly the training to actively defend our children with concealed handguns from inside the very target of violence. SB 217 establishes the requirements for teachers to carry concealed handguns, the initial training they must take as well as the continuing training. When called upon, our school staff should be the best prepared in the country to protect our most precious resource: our children. Considering that the response time to many schools – due to our state’s expansive geography – would allow an active shooter to wreak havoc and take many lives, we must be better prepared. This is particularly important for those schools outside of municipalities with local police departments.
Rosetta Alcantra, Executive Director of the Alaska Realtors Association (and a District F constituent!) and Michael Droege of Anchorage visit legislators in the Capitol building to update us regarding the housing market. I was honored to introduce Rosetta on the Senate floor prior to this meeting in my office.
I carried House Bill 3 on the Senate floor on March 8, 2022. The bill pertains to statewide and significant cybersecurity attacks. The sponsor of the legislation is Rep. DeLena Johnson. It was important to update Alaska statutes regarding this modern day dilemma considering world events and increased attempts to disrupt our cyber systems. If our power grid, banking system, TAPS, or other crucial infrastructure were compromised, a swift response would be necessary to help protect the life and safety of Alaskans.
OTHER OPPORTUNITIES
FOR YOU TO WEIGH IN THIS WEEK
Public Testimony
Below is list of bills scheduled to be heard in various committees this week. If you’d like to provide public testimony, plug the bill number (for example “HB 133”) into the search bar here to learn the date and time. Scroll down toward the bottom of this newsletter to find the public testimony call-in phone numbers.
PUBLIC TESTIMONY OPPORTUNITIES THIS WEEK
Below is a sampling. Click here to see the full list.
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As the volume of daily contacts reaching out to my office has exponentially increased over time, my staff stands by, ready to assist you. If you desire follow-up, feedback, a response to a question, etc., it’s always best to call the office. Below are direct phone numbers for my aides, or you can call the general number at 907-465-3743. |
On Thursday, March 10, the US Navy’s Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) technicians in partnership with Juneau Police Department and Capitol Security performed a training operation as part of a vehicle borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) drill.
This occurred right outside and across the street from my office window as I am on the ground floor of our Capitol building. It’s not everyday I look out and see a robot wandering by! I am thankful for our public servants whose focus is the safety of Americans, and in this case, specifically the safety Alaskans.
For additional information,
contact my staff:
Buddy Whitt- Chief of Staff
-Senator Hughes’ Aide for Senate Judiciary Committee
-Senator Hughes’ Aide for Senate Education Committee
Buddy.Whitt@akleg.gov
907-465-5025
Daniel Phelps – Legislative Aide
-Committee Aide for Community and Regional Affairs
-Senator Hughes’ Aide for Alaska Grown Caucus
Daniel.Phelps@akleg.gov
907-465-1172
Brent Bartlett – Legislative Aide
– Senator Hughes’ Aide for Health and Social Services Committee
Brent.Bartlett@akleg.gov
907-465-3743
Serving You in These Roles
Current Senate Committees:
- Community & Regional Affairs Committee, Chair
- Health & Social Services Committee, Vice-Chair
- Rules Committee, Member
- Judiciary Committee, Member
- Education Committee, Member
- Legislative Council Committee, Alternate
Finance Subcommittee Assignments:
- Senate Transportation & Public Facilities (Fin Sub), Member
- Senate Administration (Fin Sub), Member
- Senate Judiciary (Fin Sub), Member
Other Appointments:
- State Agriculture & Rural Leaders, Alaska Delegate
- Mat-Su Legislative Delegation, Member
- National Conference of State Legislatures – State Coordinator
- National Conference of State Legislatures – Law, Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee, Member
- National Conference of State Legislatures – Task Force on Cybersecurity, Member
- Council of State Governments – Transportation Committee, Member
- Council of State Governments West – Canada Relations Committee, Member
For information on bills I’m co‑sponsoring
click here.
For information on all bills filed during this session,
click here.
Passed Legislation
(Bills that are finished with the legislative process)
SB 27 – Industrial Hemp Program; Manufacturing- Many of you are aware that in 2018 I sponsored and the legislature passed SB6 allowing for the legalized growth and production of Industrial Hemp as an agricultural product in the Alaska. In late 2018 the US Congress passed the 2018 Farm Bill which made additional changes to the federal statutes regarding the production of industrial hemp. SB 27 makes a few small changes in Alaska statute in order to conform to those federal changes.
The bill was passed unanimously in the Senate and almost unanimously in the House (Representatives Eastman and Kurka were opposed to this bill). This summer the Governor signed the bill at the Alaska State Fair, and just a few weeks ago the United States Department of Agriculture approved the Alaska Industrial Hemp Plan so that Alaska can now grow, manufacture, and sell hemp and hemp products across jurisdictions. This is a great win for Alaska.
Legislation Update
(Shelley’s bills filed with your best interest in mind)
SB 41 – Health Insurance Info; Incentive Program. Also known as the Alaska Health Care Consumers Right to Shop Act. The Senate Labor & (L & C) Commerce chair had planned to move the bill out yesterday so that we could report to you today that the bill is currently in the Senate Finance Committee. Unfortunately, several members of the L&C Committee, who earlier had indicated support for the amendment to protect against scammers decided to withhold their support for an unknown reason. This is very disappointing because this bill will lower healthcare costs for Alaskans. SB41 will loosen up free-market principles to operate as they should in our healthcare market in Alaska. Providing an easy way for consumers to price compare through an online tool and offering an incentive via cashback for shared savings if the consumer chooses a provider who charges less than the average charge, this bill help reintroduce competition into a sector of our economy where it is now fairly non-existent. When it comes to healthcare, Alaska is not only the highest cost state in the nation, it is the highest cost location on the globe. This stifles economic growth in other sectors, overburdens Alaskan families and individuals, is taking dollars allocated to education away from instruction in our schools, and increases costs for local and state governments. Please send an email to Senate.Labor.and.Commerce@akleg.gov and ask the committee to move the bill out.
SB 42 – Virtual and Early Education, Reading- The “Education Transformation Act” (now merged into Senate Education Committee SB 111) establishes proven reading instruction in our schools with the goal that children will learn to read well by third grade. It also establishes an online platform with a menu of classes and video samples in order to open up a larger variety of course offerings and teaching expertise to students statewide. Lastly, it provides for optional pre-K with a strong reading preparation component. The bill is awaiting a third hearing before the Senate Finance Committee. Certain items in the bill were recently misunderstood and misrepresented by a few members of the House majority in a newspaper opinion piece. Several of us are working to set the record straight so that the legislation can move forward and young Alaskan students can benefit from schools being held accountable to teach children to read.
SB 43 – Elections, Voting, Campaign Finance- “An Act relating to campaign finance and initiatives; relating to elections and voting; and relating to unlawful interference with voting”. SB 43 is about improving transparency and accountability in Alaska’s campaign finance laws as well as securing the integrity of Alaska’s election process. We were able to move the bill from the Senate State Affairs Committee to the Judiciary Committee but will not be requesting a hearing because the key pieces of the bill were incorporated into SB39, an election integrity bill by Senator Shower which awaits a hearing in Senate Finance.
SB 102 – Extending the Alaska membership in the Compact to advocate for an Article V Constitutional Convention for the purposes of advancing an amendment to the United States Constitution requiring a balanced budget. Alaska’s membership in this compact is set to expire this year, but with the passage of Senate Bill 102, Alaska would remain a member in the compact until 2031. The bill has been in the possession of the Senate Finance Committee since early April 2021 but has not been scheduled. Former Lt Governor Mead Treadwell is a big advocate for this legislation and is visiting with key members of the legislature, hoping to win support for the bill to move.
SB 140 – An Act relating to school athletics, recreation, athletic teams, and sports. The goal of SB 140 is to maintain the rights women fought for and gained in obtaining Title IX status in 1972. Before Title IX, 1 in 27 girls played sports. Today that number is 2 in 5. An excellent hearing was held last week with tremendous expert testimony. The Senate Education Committee heard nearly 4 hours of public testimony on SB 140 this past Saturday. I am hopeful the chair will choose to schedule the bill for another hearing for discussion and questions and that the chair and committee members will choose to move the bill out soon.
SB181 – Identification of Contractor in Ads – This bill amends the current statute to allow contractors to provide an internet website or landing page that contains their licensure and identification requirements rather than listing the details in the advertisement. This bill was moved out of the Senate Community and Regional Affairs Committee two weeks ago and awaits a hearing in the Senate Labor and Commerce Committee which we hope will be soon.
SB 197 – Senate Bill 197 is my bill to allow Alaskans to enter Direct Health Care Agreements with Doctors. Direct Health Care Agreement concepts are not new and have been adopted as a regular medical practice in 32 states with pending legislation in 12 other including Alaska. Direct Health Care agreements allow a patient to enter into an agreement for service with their healthcare provider for one annual fee and cover a myriad of preventative and regular healthcare without involving your medical insurance. These agreements remove some of the financial barriers patients encounter in accessing routine primary care, including preventive, wellness, and chronic care services. The bill has only one committee of referral, and we have requested a hearing in the Senate Labor and Commerce Committee.
SB 217 – Current law allows concealed carry on school campuses in Alaska but only with the permission of the school superintendent. There are currently no other caveats beyond that. One of the reasons superintendents may not be allowing the carrying of concealed weapons is due to the lack of policy on what the training criteria should be considering the very unique school environment (where the ratio of children is greater than that of adults). Most do not realize but this training is not a standard part of police and trooper academies. Law enforcement officers (LEOs) who serve as school resources officers attend an additional training specific to school environments. If LEOs require specialized training to work at schools to help increase safety for our precious children, then specialized training should be required for others. That’s what SBS 217 addresses; it establishes the training criteria for school staff to conceal carry. With relatively few LEOs across great expanses of our state’s geography, the slow response time for a LEO at many schools in Alaska could result in a massive tragedy in the event of an active shooter. SB 217 offers a solution to school districts to be prepared so that the lives of students and staff can be saved in the event of such an incident. Our office is currently working to prepare amendments to adjust the wording of the bill to have the new language ready for the committee at the first hearing.
SJR 4 – Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the State of Alaska relating to abortion. This bill will allow for the question of abortion to be decided through legislation or voter initiative. The bill was heard and passed out of the Senate Health and Social Services Committee and the Judiciary Committee is currently in the Senate Finance Committee. We are hopeful that the committee will hear the bill in the near future.
Join Shelley on Facebook Live each week to ask questions and give input.
We typically broadcast Mondays at 6:00 pm, but watch for a notification on Facebook as the day/time is subject to change.
Be sure to “like” the “Senator Shelley Hughes” Facebook page www.facebook.com/AKShelleyHughes
so you’ll get a heads-up each time we air!
HAVE A FEDERAL ISSUE???
Contact Alaska’s US Senators and Congressman
Lisa Murkowski – Senator
Anchorage: 907-271-3735
Mat-Su: 907-376-7665
Dan Sullivan – Senator
Anchorage: 907-271-5915
Mat-Su: 357-9956
Don Young – Representative
Anchorage: 907-271-5978
TIPS TO STAY IN THE LOOP
More important than ever!
TIP #1: The Alaska State Legislature web site is the place to track bills, locate and contact your legislators (session), and access committee information. Questions? Try the help wizard or call 1-800-478-4648.
TIP #2: SMS Bill Tracking! Once you know what bill(s) you want to monitor, here’s a convenient way to track what’s happening. Text any bill number (ex: SB1) to 559-245-2529 to enroll in text alerts for that particular piece of legislation. You’ll receive an enrollment confirmation as well as instructions on how to unsubscribe.
TIP #3: How to Get in Touch with Shelley! Give our office a call at (907)465-3743 or 800-565-3743 or send an email to Sen.Shelley.Hughes@akleg.gov. If you need assistance, want a response, or need other follow-up, please call rather than email.
Buddy Whitt- Chief of Staff
-Senator’s Aide for Education Committee
-Senator’s Aide for Judiciary Committee
-Senator’s Aide for Judiciary Finance Subcommittee
-Senator’s Aide for Senate Floor
Buddy.Whitt@akleg.gov
907-465-5025
Daniel Phelps – Legislative Aide
-Committee Aide for Community and Regional Affairs
-Senator’s Aide for Alaska Food & Farm Caucus
-Senator’s Aide for Administration Finance Subcommittee
Daniel.Phelps@akleg.gov
907-465-1172
907-465-1172
Brent Bartlett – Legislative Aide
-Senator’s Aide for Health and Social Services Committee
-Senator’s Aide for Transportation Finance Subcommittee
Brent.Bartlett@akleg.gov
907-465-3743
Juneau Office
Alaska State Capitol Rm 30
Juneau, Alaska 99801
907-465-3743
800-565-3743
Mat-Su Office (closed while in Juneau)
600 E. Railroad Avenue
Wasilla, Alaska 99654
907-376-3725
