Issue Position: Getting the Job Done

Issue Position

This session, legislators have been addressing and will need to continue to address our fiscal situation. We have a projected budget deficit above 3.5 billion dollars. Despite the fact that I voted to cut the budget by $900 million during last year's legislative session, cuts will continue to be part of the solution to our budget crisis.

"The responsible thing to do during a fiscal crisis is to spend money wisely. Being fiscally responsible during this time of revenue decline should be a bipartisan effort. I am confident the passage of these bills will help get Alaska on a sustainable path." ~ Dan Ortiz

A second piece of important legislature is the need for a shorter, more efficient session length. Legislators should be expected to complete their work in a timely manner. In order to hold legislators accountable to a 90 day session, I've co-sponsored budget-cutting legislation. Efficiency is beneficial for fiscal conservation.

I respect the will of the voters; in 2006, they asked our Legislature to get the job done in 90 days, so we need to get the job done in 90 days! We can't afford to waste thousands of dollars because we take longer than necessary to complete our jobs. If time is necessary, this piece of legislature would not halt progress. The Governor or the Legislature could still call a special session if it were deemed that further deliberations were needed for the good of Alaska.

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