To all LWV of Alaska members – please make your voices heard.

1. HB 25–Support emails are needed for HB 25–INSURANCE COVERAGE FOR CONTRACEPTIVES. Sponsor Representative Claman, Representative Spohnholz. The text of the bill can be found here: http://www.legis.state.ak.us/PDF/30/Bills/HB0025A.PDF.
HB 25 is a mirror bill to one submitted last session by Senator Gardner. It will provide 12-month coverage/refills for birth control and related treatment. The first hearing is to be held on Tuesday, Feb. 28th at 3 pm in the House Health and Social Services Committee. No public testimony is scheduled for this bill, but that will be happening later in the session. Tuesday’s testimony is by invitation only, which means the experts weigh in on various aspects of the bill. However, emails of support are now being solicited and can be sent to either Lizzie.Kubitz@akleg.gov (Rep. Claman’s Chief of Staff) or househss@akleg.gov. Emails and letters of support should be sent the sooner the better. A letter from LWVAK has already been submitted.

2. HB 115: INCOME TAX; PFD CREDIT; PERM FUND INCOME–There was a hearing last week in House Finance that was teleconferenced if you want to follow the conversation on this bill. The income tax and PFD restructuring needs emails/letters of support as these are both controversial. If you haven’t submitted your support of these efforts to solve the state budget crisis, this would be a good time to do so. The Bill is here: http://www.legis.state.ak.us/PDF/30/Bills/HB0115A.PDF. Send your thoughts to Representative.Paul.Seaton@akleg.gov and Representative.Neal.Foster@akleg.gov. They are the co-chairs of House Finance, the committee sponsoring the bill, and need as much support as can be mustered. Apparently there is an effort to cut the budget in the Senate by another $750 million; remember that the budget has already been cut $3 billion over the last few years. Most financial leaders say that cutting more will cause the loss of jobs as well as still leave the state needing to raise revenues. Caren Robinson’s 5th edition of Capitol Currents has several good talking points on this bill and more explanation. (See separate Blog post)

3. HB 44: LEGISLATIVE ETHICS: VOTING & CONFLICTS This bill deals with conflicts of interest and can be found here: http://www.legis.state.ak.us/PDF/30/Bills/HB0044C.PDF A hearing in STA is scheduled for March 2, 3 pm, Rm 120, teleconferenced. We just heard from Rep. Grenn’s Staff Assistant, Ryan Johnston, that public testimony will be taken for most of the hearing time. If you have been meaning to email your support for greater government transparency, now is the time. You might also go to the hearing, if in Juneau, or attend the hearing at the local LIO. Bring like-minded friends for moral support and added testimony! Send messages to Representative.Jason.Grenn@akleg.gov. The list of sponsors is currently this: LeDoux, Kawasaki, Tuck, Stutes, Spohnholz, Parish, Fansler, Tarr, Drummond, Gara, Ortiz

Let your voices be heard! Thanks for all you do.