At a joint luncheon of the Kenai and Soldotna Chambers of Commerce in June, Sen. Jesse Bjorkman, R-Nikiski, spoke about his first legislative session in Juneau — touting the passage of a dozen of his bills and describing his priorities for a possible second term.
During the update, he walked through both legislation that he was able to see passed and the bills that didn’t reach the finish line, as well as unpacked larger conversations around education and the state’s budget.
Bjorkman said his priorities for the budget included fiscal stability, public safety, education and roads. He said he wanted people to have economic opportunities to “win at life” while feeling safe at home and on the road, with effective schools producing quality students.
The budget includes an Alaska Permanent Fund dividend and energy relief check to residents totaling $1,655. That includes a dividend of $1,360 supplemented by a $295 energy relief payment, Bjorkman said. It also includes one-time funding for schools and money for road maintenance in Anchorage that Bjorkman said will free up operators to travel south to the upper end of the Seward Highway.
Speaking on roads, he said he was excited to see the Cooper Landing Bypass project advance but lamented the slow progress of other projects, like work on the Kenai Spur Highway between Kenai and Soldotna. He said he wants to see the Silvertip Highway Maintenance Station open and staffed to keep the Seward Highway “as clear as possible.”
The budget also includes funding for the Dixon Diversion project at Bradley Lake, which will supplement the Bradley Lake Hydroelectric Project — “the cheapest electricity on the railbelt.” When completed, the project would greatly increase the output of the dam and put downward pressure on electricity rates.
That doesn’t mean rates dropping, Bjorkman said, but it does mean rates going up less quickly.
Also highlighted was the elimination of a sunset provision on a senior benefits program that “provides some additional monies to Alaska’s most vulnerable seniors.”
Turning to his legislative successes, Bjorkman touted the passage of 12 of his bills — “either on their own or inside of other bills.”
Those included the creation of a local lumber grading program, tax cuts for farmers, clarification on the ability for people to appeal property taxes, a revamp of worker’s compensation programs that will bring employees back to work faster and an expansion of workplace drug testing to allow saliva tests.
Another bill would provide salary bonuses for teachers who achieve National Board Certification — “this offers an incentive for teachers to get trained to be more effective.”
He also described a “cleanup” of the Fisherman’s Fund, the addition of new flags for first responders and veterans as state symbols, and the expansion of boards that regulate industries for midwives, marijuana control and big game.
“We’ve got a lot of things accomplished, and stopped some bad things from happening,” he said.
He credited some of that success to strong collaborations with other senators.
“I like working with people,” he said. “We have a common goal … and we work to make progress.”
Bjorkman described work on health insurance and energy that he wants to continue in the next legislative session should he be reelected. He’s up for election this year, facing a challenger in Rep. Ben Carpenter, R-Nikiski.
“Going into next year, we still have challenges ahead of us,” Bjorkman said. “We need a durable fiscal plan. We need to make sure that we have strong public safety that has lower response times and jails that keep bad guys locked up. We need to have dependable funding for our schools and our students that encourage education of all types.”
Looking at the luncheon attendees, Bjorkman said he saw many who have spoken to him and his office about legislative priorities.
“I love that we have so many people in our community that are ready, willing and able to be involved in the legislative process — to move our state forward in a better direction together.”
In response to a question from one of those attendees about a House bill not heard in the Senate this session that would bar transgender girls from competing in girls’ sports, Bjorkman said “I support that bill, I support that idea.”
Reach reporter Jake Dye at jacob.dye@peninsulaclarion.com.
