Cherie first came to Alaska in 1993 to work in a fish processing plant in Naknek. She eventually landed in Fairbanks, which was her home for over 25 years. She has three adult sons, and in 2019, with support from family and friends, Cherie returned to college and completed her studies at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, where she graduated magna cum laude in 2022.

In addition, Cherie is a talented singer/songwriter and recently performed at the 49th annual Alaska Folk Festival. She is also a writer and has appeared in the UAF student poetry publication, Ice Box, and will be featured in the Fall 2024 issue of Plain China, the National Anthology of the Best Undergraduate Writing.

These experiences have led Cherie to her current position with the Alaska State Legislature as an aide, where she has worked for the past two years. Cherie is looking forward to spending the interim in Southeast Alaska with Representative Himschoot. She is eager to visit with the residents in all House District 2 communities to learn more about the important issues impacting the district and she is excited to work collaboratively to find the best solutions.

Budgets and Bills at the End of Session

The House rejected the Senate’s changes to the operating budget on Friday. A conference committee was appointed today and they will begin to iron out differences between the two versions of the operating budget. It is likely the Senate will concur with the House’s changes to the capital budget, which is extremely limited again this year. Meanwhile, all the policy bills that have been filed over the past two years must pass both the House and Senate in the next 10 days or they will effectively die. The bills are not automatically carried over next year when the 34^th legislature begins and instead the process will start from scratch.

HB 330

One bill we passed in the House last week that I hope will make it through the Senate is HB 330, “An Act relating to the use and possession of electronic devices by prisoners; and relating to prisoner communication reimbursement rates.” Originally a bill sponsored by Representative Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins, it is carried this session by Representative Sarah Vance from Homer. This bill will finally allow inmates to use tablets for the specific purposes of telehealth, contact with families, and to work on re-entry to society. With 95% of incarcerated individuals returning to our communities, re-entry plans help make them successful. The use of the tablets will be very limited and most other states already allow their use in correction facilities. It is important to me to provide inmates from rural areas, like House District 2, opportunities to have contact with their families.

Bills and Resolutions that Passed the House Last Week

HB 202, "An Act relating to the availability and administration of opioid overdose drugs in public schools."

HB 329, "An Act relating to state tideland leases; relating to geoduck seed transfers; and relating to aquatic farming or related hatchery operation site leases."

HB 226, "An Act relating to insurance; relating to pharmacy benefits managers; relating to dispensing fees; and providing for an effective date."

SB 126, "An Act naming the Matt Glover Bike Path."

HB 144, "An Act relating to education tax credits; and providing for an effective date by repealing the effective date of secs. 1, 2, and 21, ch. 61, SLA 2014."

HB 228, "An Act establishing the Alaska task force for the regulation of psychedelic medicines approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration; and providing for an effective date."

HB 330, "An Act relating to the use and possession of electronic devices by prisoners; and relating to prisoner communication reimbursement rates."

HB 203, "An Act relating to wage payments."

HB 375, "An Act prohibiting certain restrictions based on the energy source of a motor vehicle."

HB 394, "An Act relating to the Regulatory Commission of Alaska and regulation of the service of natural gas storage and liquefied natural gas import facilities; relating to records of the Regulatory Commission of Alaska; relating to rates established by the Regulatory Commission of Alaska; and providing for an effective date."

HJR 18, “Urging the United States Congress to repeal the Windfall Elimination Provision and Government Pension Offset of the Social Security Act.”

SJR 14, “Affirming the commitment of the Alaska State Legislature to supporting small fishing-related businesses, families engaged in fishing, and the preservation of the state's cultural way of life; and calling on the United States Congress and all federal agencies to adopt policies and engage in certain efforts to improve the competitiveness and resiliency of the state's seafood industry.”

Correspondence Study Programs

On May 2nd, 2024, Superior Court Judge Adolf Zeman issued a stay until June 30, 2024 in the case challenging the use of allotments for private and religious schools. This will allow correspondence study programs to continue to function as they did before the ruling, until the end of the fiscal year. Last Friday the House Education Committee passed a bill that would temporarily fix the problem with current law that was identified by Judge Zeman. Time is limited and it is uncertain when the Alaska Supreme Court will hear the appeal. For these reasons, I continue to push for a legislative fix this session.