March 21, 2014

The Fellowship has finally come to an end.  I can’t believe how much I’ve learned in one session, especially because I knew little about the political process before participating in this fellowship.  I’ve been exploring different career paths since quitting my accounting career, and being a legislative aide appears to have everything I’ve been looking for.  I get a lot of human interaction with many different people and I’m constantly learning new things about a vast array of subjects.   Best of all, I’ve gotten to come back to my native territory in Southeast Alaska.  I look forward to what my future holds, whether it be in the legislature or not, I know that this Fellowship has made me a better leader and has furthered my desire to work for the Native community and to strive to keep making Alaska a better place.  I feel if I don’t return to work in the Capitol in the future, that I have been given the tools to still make a difference because I know how to better inform the legislature on issues that matter to myself and to others.

Last night we stayed till 4:30am.  Juneau community members staged a sit in, and spent 15 hours in the Capitol waiting to hear HB 216 making 22 Alaska Native languages official, which happened to be last on the agenda.  It was definitely one of the most heartfelt bills of the year.  Many moving testimonies were given during committee earlier in the session and on the floor by Representatives and Senators.  It was so inspiring to be a part of a piece of history that is monumental for the Alaska Native community.  After the bill passed, the vibe on the second floor was so powerful and emotional for all that have been waiting on this bill.  It was definitely the best way to end an amazing session.  I’m feeling so empowered and ready to take on whatever comes next in my journey!

I have encouraged many people to apply for this opportunity next year and will continue to tell people about the great experience I have had.  I would like to see more Native people working in the legislature and joining the great group of Natives that already work here.

April 14, 2014

We are in the last two weeks of session!  There are no longer 15 minute meetings scheduled back to back to back.  Now there are few if any meetings during the day and extended floor session and committee meetings.  There are plans for legislators to work all weekend as well.  Today the Legislature officially went in to 24 hour rule.  This rule allows that if Legislator’s request their piece of legislation to be heard, that the committee chair can schedule their bill at any time with little notice.  With this in place, staffers and Legislators need to watch the schedule 24/7, which puts everyone on high stress alert.

This week I attended two committees besides the two that I attend regularly Monday through Friday.  I went to watch a presentation on Alaska Native Justice and Alaska Native Students Achieving Academic Excellence in Alaska’s High Schools.  I was particularly interested in the discussion on AK Native Justice about Tribal Law and Alaska’s criminal justice system.

This week was also Tlingit and Haida Tribal Assembly was held.  I got to watch speeches by potential President and Vice President candidates.  I also helped cook for a dinner that my uncle, Ed Thomas, hosted on Thursday night for assembly and attended his retirement party. 

March 4, 2014

Only two weeks left to go unless the legislature decides to extend the session.  No one says they can yet predict if it will go longer. 

Olson is on Senate Finance Committee and it has definitely been heating up.  Recently they have heard the KABATA which is, “An act creating the Knik Crossing Development Corporation as a subsidiary corporation of the Alaska Housing Finance Corporation and relating to bonds of the Knik Crossing Development Corporation.”  If it is to pass this legislative session it could mean that it would be open for traffic in 2015.  Some are for the bridge because it improves Alaska’s infrastructure and helps move goods and people more easily about the state in this location.  Some are against the bridge because we are in deficit spending and they think the state can’t afford to take on such a large capital project that only benefits a small portion of the state.

Another major bill in motion right now is HB 278,

“An Act increasing the base student allocation used in the formula for state funding of public education; relating to the exemption from jury service for certain teachers; relating to the powers of the Department of Education and Early Development; relating to high school course credit earned through assessment; relating to school performance reports; relating to assessments; relating to charter schools and student transportation; relating to residential school applications; relating to tenure of public school teachers; relating to unemployment contributions for the Alaska technical and vocational education program; relating to earning high school credit for completion of vocational education courses offered by institutions receiving technical and vocational education program funding; relating to schools operated by a federal agency; relating to the school size factor for public school funding; adjusting the calculation of state aid for public school funding; relating to the local contribution to public education funding; relating to the withholding of state aid to public education for teacher retirement contributions; relating to the teachers' defined benefit retirement plan; establishing the teachers' pension reserve fund; relating to education tax credits; establishing an optional municipal tax exemption for privately owned real property rented or leased for use as a charter school; requiring the Department of Administration to provide a proposal for a salary and benefits schedule for school districts; making conforming amendments; and providing for an effective date." 

Alaska Dispatch came out with a press release making statements that Gov. Sean Parnell’s new provisions that gives more to help the largest schools of those districts.  The funding formula appears that it would favor schools mainly in Anchorage and could potentially hurt rural districts. 

This weekend I will be attending Skits, which is some kind of comedy show where people act as Senators and Representatives and poke fun at them.