Today's the State of the Judiciary at 11 a.m.

But first, the House Education Committee is holding a hearing with the free/reduced tuition for essential workers bill. It's set to gavel out for the House floor session at 10 and resume at 330.

w3.akleg.gov/includes/_play…

#akleg
SB10 by Sen. Tom Begich passed out of the Senate last year on a 12-7 vote. He starts off by noting that the bill needs to be updated since it was written for last year.

He says providing these opportunities could be "potentially life-changing" for frontline workers.
Begich: "It's clear that there's been a wildly uneven recovery."

He says this could give frontline workers a "hand up as the dust settles." Then talks about some of the earning power of higher education and technical training.
After emerging from the Senate, it's a pretty limited program. Limited application window, limited window to use the funds and limited total spend on the program.

It'd cap the tuition spend to $2.5 million, funded with federal covid relief funds.
Begich says that federal relief funds often get used in ways that are "less than appropriate" because they contain the flexibility to do so, he says a tuition program like this actually makes sense and gets to the heart of what the federal relief dollars are intended for.
In a bit of technical explanation, they go over the need to update the dates in the bill. Begich says if they don't, it'd be a zero-cost bill.
Rep. Prax wonders if the bill is "broad enough.": "I understand your point that really all workers are essential. When we come down to it, they're essential to somebody."

He's wondering if they should have options for like insurance training or "Microsoft Office Suite" classes
Begich says that they can't address EVERYTHING and adds that they're working within a limited amount of money.

His aide, Loki Tobin notes the program is available to anyone with fewer than 90 credit hours. Covers college, avtec and has room to create other programs.
Rep. Cronk wants to know what "accountability" there is in the program. "If they take that opportunity and doesn't get to anywhere" can the state force them to pay it back?

Begich notes it has GPA requirements, attendance requirements and advancement on degrees.
To clarify, if you don't graduate or lose eligibility, you don't have to return the money.

Begich says life changes and people drop out for unforeseen reasons: "A grant is a grant. ... Life if life. You shouldn't be penalized for it."
Begich concedes that the bill is narrow in scope. He says it's about keeping the costs palatable to the Legislature: "I always believe in the art of the possible."
The bill also requires applicants to fill out their FAFSA forms, which means people might not even need to use the state grant money.

Begich adds that it's a way for the state to get prepared for the federal infrastructure jobs.
Up now is Sara Perman, gov't relations for the University of Alaska, who's talking about UA's role in "reskilling and upskilling" Alaskans.

UA supports this bill.
Here's the varying earning potential based on education in Alaska:
Should have an asterisk on that bachelor's degree*

*Except for Bachelors in Journalism.
That's it for SB10 for today. They're holding onto it.

They'll be back at 330 with bills on the Base student allocation formula.

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More from @mattbuxton

Feb 10
The House Military and Veterans' Affairs Committee is underway with its Oath Keepers Informational hearing. They're hosting the Anti-Defamation League's Center on Extremism and George Washington University's Program on Extremism.

#akleg

w3.akleg.gov/includes/_play… Image
Not exactly the best-attended hearing so far. None of the Republicans—who've so far voted in defense of Rep. David Eastman, a member of the Oath Keepers—are present currently.
First up is Alex Friedfeld, an investigative
researcher from the Anti-Defamation League's Center on Extremism.

He's going over the Oath Keepers' involvement in Jan. 6 and is explaining the deep state conspiracies fueling the militia movement, noting that anti-vax is a key part. ImageImage
Read 69 tweets
Feb 9
Some after-the-credits action in the House, Rep. Hopkins moves that the Sense of the House be adopted. There's a flurry of objections from Republicans so a pretty good guess about what it's about.

#akleg

Watch: w3.akleg.gov/includes/_play…
Rep. Kurka says it's "clearly engaging in personalities."

Followed by an at-ease.
Following the at-ease, House Speaker Stutes says his concerns are "duly noted" and refers the Sense of the House to the Military and Veterans Affairs Committee.

Which gets an objection from Eastman and another at-ease.
Read 22 tweets
Feb 9
The 2022 Alaska State of the Judiciary is underway. Delivering his first State of the State is Chief Justice Daniel Winfree. He notes it may be his last given the age limits for the Alaska Supreme Court.

w3.akleg.gov/includes/_play…

#akleg
Winfree: I was one of the young ones 50 years ago criticizing the establishment and now I'm part of the establishment. I find myself wondering why we haven't made more progress.
Winfree is the first Alaska-born Supreme Court Chief Justice, has experienced all the political establishments and governors, the good and the bad.

"Alaska still stands."
Read 18 tweets
Feb 9
The House floor is underway. Anchorage Mayor Dave Bronson was in the gallery. Also Reps. Eastman and Kurka introduced a move-the-capitol-to-Willow bill that got tagged with three committees of referral.

#akleg

w3.akleg.gov/includes/_play…
First on the legislation agenda is Rep. Zulkosky's HB198, establishing Sept. 10 as Alaska Community Health Aide Appreciation Day. As introduction, she's talking about the importance of health aides provide care throughout the state.
Rep. Zulkosky said in her opening comments that Sept. 10 was picked because it was the first planning and advisory committee meeting in 1973.

In questions, Rep. Eastman asks why Sept. 10.

Rep. Zulkosky repeats the explanation in closing.
Read 10 tweets
Feb 8
Over in the Senate floor, they're working through amendments on Senate Bill 9. It's Senate President Peter Micciche's long-delayed alcohol law rewrite.

👀: w3.akleg.gov/includes/_play…

📄: akleg.gov/basis/Bill/Det…

#akleg
Amendment 1 was by Sen. Kiehl. It would've loosened the strict population limits the bill would place on tasting rooms (effectively closing many markets to any new entrants) but he says in the interest of trying to get this bill—which was first introduced in 2015—he withdraws it. Image
And now a little at ease, as a treat. Image
Read 18 tweets
Feb 8
The trial over the Higher Education Investment Fund is underway. The case was brought by several University of Alaska students challenging Gov. Dunleavy's sweep of the fund set up by the #akleg to fund scholarships (and later WWAMI).

The main argument here, as I understand, is the original appropriation setting up the fund is still valid and therefore it's out of reach out of the constitutional budget reserve sweep.

Dunleavy argues it should be funded ad hoc each year, competing with other spending.
Former Attorney General Jahna Lindemuth is handling the oral arguments for the plaintiffs. She's outlining the legal argument that the funds have not lapsed.

She says it's the only one consistent with the plain language of the Alaska Constitution and precedent.
Read 28 tweets

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