The pastries were sweet, the news was not.<\/p>\n
On Tuesday, the City and Borough of Juneau Assembly hosted its federal lobbyist, state lobbyist and two members of Juneau\u2019s delegation to the Legislature for a breakfast briefing about the capital\u2019s interests in the state and federal capitols.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s going to be a really tough session this year,\u201d Sen. Dennis Egan, D-Juneau, told the Assembly.<\/p>\n
While state lawmakers are considering budget cuts and tax increases to balance a $3.5 billion deficit, Egan warned that it may not be possible for Southeast lawmakers to shield the region from impacts.<\/p>\n
Last week, the Alaska Department of Labor published a forecast speculating that Southeast Alaska could lose 350 state government jobs this year.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re becoming rural Alaska,\u201d he said, speaking about the decline of Southeast\u2019s influence in the Legislature.<\/p>\n
In the redistricting that followed the 2010 U.S. Census, Southeast Alaska lost a Senate seat and a House seat as its population plateaued while Southcentral\u2019s surged. With fewer seats in the Legislature comes less influence. Making matters worse from Southeast\u2019s perspective, the redrawn districts coincided with a Republican surge in the Legislature that erased a bipartisan majority in which Southeast lawmakers held significant influence.<\/p>\n
Among Juneau\u2019s three-person delegation, only Rep. Cathy Mu\u00f1oz, R-Juneau, remains in the majority, but even she thinks lawmakers are in for rough sailing.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think it\u2019s going to be one of the toughest sessions we\u2019ve seen in our time, and maybe of all time,\u201d she told the Assembly.<\/p>\n
Egan said he favors a state income tax rather than a statewide sales tax as one route to a balanced budget. With Juneau already collecting a sales tax, adding a statewide sales tax has the potential to affect local government.<\/p>\n
Mu\u00f1oz said she believes \u201ca good chunk of the solution lies in the earnings reserve\u201d of the Alaska Permanent Fund.<\/p>\n
Kevin Jardell, the CBJ\u2019s lobbyist in the Alaska Capitol, said residents should expect further cuts to the Alaska Marine Highway System and no money for construction projects.<\/p>\n
\u201cI do not expect us to get any capital funding this year for projects that are discretionary,\u201d he said, speaking specifically to the Assembly\u2019s request for money for a way to get rid of the produce from the city\u2019s wastewater treatment plants.<\/p>\n
On non-budget items, Mu\u00f1oz said she\u2019s optimistic about a compromise proposal for the Daylight Saving Time issue. If Railbelt legislators are interested in getting rid of the annual time switch, Southeast lawmakers are proposing a move to Pacific Time as a precondition, effectively making Daylight Saving Time permanent in Alaska.<\/p>\n
Arriving from Washington, D.C., city lobbyist Katie Kachel said there\u2019s \u201cgood news and bad news.\u201d<\/p>\n
Federal lawmakers agreed on a five-year transportation funding bill and a national budget good through October, but \u201cby clearing the decks of important legislation, there\u2019s not much leverage left to get things done.\u201d<\/p>\n
Among the few critical items remaining on Congress\u2019 agenda before this year\u2019s election is a March reauthorization of the FAA, which operates the federal air transportation system.<\/p>\n
As lawmakers arrive from the rest of Alaska, the Assembly and the Alaska Committee will host the 31st annual Legislative Reception at 5 p.m. Jan. 20 in Centennial Hall.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"