The state continues to face fiscal uncertainty due to declining oil revenues resulting from lower oil prices. With limited financial resources, the Legislature must prioritize spending as efficiently as possible. Priorities. It is a word easily spoken but often applied incorrectly. I would like to highlight one of the many instances where I believe the House majority prioritized incorrectly.
On the House floor Monday, I authored and voted “yes” on an amendment to the capital budget to shift $500,000 from a Fairbanks courthouse to the Sterling/Seward Highway Corridor Critical Communication Upgrades project. We all know the Sterling Highway and Seward Highway are the only roads for vehicles traveling from the Kenai Peninsula to the rest of the road system communities. Right now, we are without an emergency communication system that fully covers this sparsely populated area.
I proposed allocating funds for communication upgrades that would be part of a joint effort between DOT, the Department of Public Safety, our first responders, and the Division of Forestry — entities that already collaborate closely to maintain radio systems during emergencies.
Currently, the $500,000 I mentioned above is allocated to the Rabinowitz Courthouse in Fairbanks for communications upgrades for elevators that transport inmates within the courthouse building. Let me be clear: I recognize the importance of safe and effective court facilities. However, our state courthouses have already undergone upgrades in recent years, including an $8.6 million, multiyear appropriation between FY23 and FY25, as well as a security system upgrade in 2017.
I don’t dispute that the courthouse may still have needs. However, when choosing between upgrades to courthouse elevator communications for prisoners or providing life-saving tools to first responders in the field, my priority is clear. I choose our first responders and travelers every time.
Alaskans deserve to know that when emergencies happen — whether it’s a wildfire, a vehicle crash, a medical emergency, or a criminal act — help is on the way and responders can communicate while en route to the crisis, and when they arrive at the emergency scene.
We must invest in communication infrastructure that supports our first responders and benefits our residents and traveling guests. On Monday, the House majority voted to prioritize inmates in a courthouse building over first responder communication gaps on the Kenai Peninsula. We must prioritize safety where it matters most: on the roads, in the field, and in the lives of Alaskans.
Whenever you have questions about state matters, please reach out to my office by emailing Rep.Justin.Ruffridge@akleg.gov or calling 907-465-2693.
This article was updated on Monday, May 19, to reflect the House majority leadership.
