Anchorage Assembly Members Take Local Priorities to Juneau

3/15/23 CORRECTION: The Anchorage Legislative Program requested $20M in capital budget funds, including $14M for building conversions to house low and extremely low income individuals and $6M toward the development of low barrier shelter. Assembly Chair LaFrance issued an updated statement​ on March 15, 2023.

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This week, Assembly Members Kevin Cross, Pete Petersen and Austin Quinn-Davidson joined Assembly Chair Suzanne LaFrance on a trip to Juneau to advocate for Anchorage’s Legislative Priorities.
 
The Anchorage Assembly collaborated with the Administration to prepare the 2023 Anchorage Le​gislative Program, which outlines funding and policy requests made to the Alaska State Legislature.
 
While the program includes requests to fund projects in each Anchorage Senate District and throughout the Municipality, Assembly members brought four key priorities to legislators in Juneau:

• Maintain a commitment to investment in the Port of Alaska Modernization Program;

• Improvements to Alaska Statute 15 to strengthen Alaska’s Voter Registration Rolls and lower election costs for the Municipality;

• Investment in Anchorage’s Housing First approach, including the potential to direct $20 million to the purchase and development of the Arctic Rec Center as a low-barrier shelter;

• Attention to transportation in Anchorage, including investment in pedestrian safety initiatives, funding road rehabilitation projects and transitioning control of 5th and 6th Ave through Downtown to the Municipality.

 
“The Port of Alaska is a success story,” said Chair LaFrance during a presentation to legislators. “After the failed federal project, the Municipality, the users, the community, the project managers, and the funders have been working together to get the Port modernization back on track and we are now seeing the results of this work. The new Petroleum Cement Terminal will open this spring, the administrative building will be done in a year, and the North Extension Stabilization program is underway. We need the legislature to maintain funding so we can stay the course and complete this once-in-a-generation project.”
 
“Anchorage is home to 40% of the State’s population and 65% of people experiencing homelessness in 2022,” Chair LaFrance continued during the presentation. “Anchorage is the catch-all for a statewide housing crisis. This is an issue that needs a statewide response and statewide funding.”
 
Learn more about the Assembly’s requests for state support: www.muni.org/assembly

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​Contact

Suzanne LaFrance | Assembly Chair
suzanne.lafrance@anchorageak.gov​