May 15, 2018

Greetings from Juneau! The 30^th�Alaska Legislature adjourned sine die early Sunday �morning. It was a busy and productive final few days, and compared to recent years, the session closed with far less acrimony and on relatively congenial terms. By contrast, last year the legislature went on to hold a record four special sessions and lawmakers spent more than 200 days in session.

Session Recap
The university community can be proud of what was accomplished this year. Together, we demonstrated UA’s vital role in Alaska’s future and successfully argued for renewed public investment in the university system. We reversed four consecutive years of budget cuts and added $10 million to next year’s operating budget. The university will enter the upcoming fiscal year with $327 million in general fund support from the state, public support that constitutes 37 percent of our $889 million annual operating budget.
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We also secured $2 million for facilities maintenance in the final�capital budget. We also have tentative agreement with legislative leadership to secure an additional $3 million of a separate $20 million appropriation directed to the Governor’s office to address public facilities deferred maintenance across the state. While $5 million is well below the Board of Regents’ $50 million capital request, it is in-line with what we received in the current fiscal year, and a welcome addition to helping address the estimated $1 billion deferred maintenance backlog.
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This session we also protected other important funding sources and industry partnership programs. The�Education Tax Credit, a program that annually brings $3 to $5 million in private investment to UA, was extended six years through 2024. We prevented diminishment of the Alaska Performance Scholarship and the Alaska Education Grant. These programs ensure Alaskans have access to the post-secondary education they need to succeed in today’s fast-paced, highly competitive marketplace. Collectively, these programs provide $11 million in merit scholarships and $7 million in needs-based tuition assistance annually to Alaskans. The legislature also provided $500,000 to UAA’s Institute of Circumpolar Health Studies to examine Vitamin D levels in expectant mothers and their newborns in Alaska.

Alaska National Lab Day – Register Now!
Make sure to check out UAF’s upcoming conference�Alaska National Lab Day. Through a partnership with Senator Lisa Murkowski, the university is bringing leaders of the Department of Energy's National Laboratories to Fairbanks May 30-31. This is truly a unique opportunity for the UA community to engage with world class researchers. I encourage you to review the�agenda�and register to attend.

Legislative Changes
This year’s end of session is punctuated by the anticipated departure of several legislators, some of whom are completing long periods of public service, others simply changing careers, and a few are seeking higher office. Last election cycle saw a nearly 25 percent turnover in the legislature, so inevitably we will see a number of new faces next year in Juneau.

In the Senate, Minority Leader Berta Gardner of Anchorage, Finance Co-Chair Anna MacKinnon of Eagle River and Juneau’s Dennis Egan have all announced their retirement. Senator Kevin Meyer of Anchorage is leaving to run for Lieutenant Governor. Senator Gary Stevens of Kodiak has also filed for Lieutenant Governor but because his seat is not up this election cycle, we expect to see him back in the Capitol next year if he’s unsuccessful in his statewide bid.

In the House, Fairbanks Representative David Guttenberg, a long-time supporter of the university and chairman of our operating budget subcommittee will retire. Nikiski Representative Mike Chenault is running for Governor and Anchorage Representative Chris Birch and Fairbanks Representative Scott Kawasaki are running for Senate. Juneau Representatives Sam Kito and Justin Parish will not seek re-election, meaning the Capital City will have a completely new legislative delegation next session.

With the June 1^st�state office filing deadline rapidly approaching, other incumbents may also decide not to stand for re-election. We thank all of these leaders for their public service and wish them well in their current and future endeavors.
Your Government Relations team will be following this season’s political activities closely, building relationships, advocating for our university and continuing to work every day to represent your best interests with state policymakers.

The University of Alaska has much to be happy with this session. Thank you to everyone who took the time to engage in this year’s legislative process and advocate on UA’s behalf.

For more information, contact Miles Baker, Associate Vice President of Government Relations, at 907-463-3086 or� miles.baker@alaska.edu .