Transcripts For CSPAN2 Alaska 20240704 : vimarsana.com

Hour. Ladies and gentlemen, the governor of the great state of alaska. [applause] thanks, everybody. The first thing i want to say is thanks for putting up with a little move yesterday. I want to thank you for working with your legislators. Thank you very much. So, thank you Lieutenant Governor and members of the legislature. Before i continue i want to do something important and recognize my wife and the mother of our three daughters, my wife of 36 years, first lady. [applause] i would also like to recognize the members of the cabinet in attendance tonight and could you please stand as well. Thanks for everything you are doing. [applause] and to the members of the legislature, welcome and thank you for stepping up. We can never forget why we are here and we are here to serve the people. Serving the people of alaska as an educator into governor is one of the greatest honors of my life and a privilege none of us can take for granted. Every year on these nights when we squeeze into the chamber men and women of all backgrounds sidebyside. We are in this together and should never come second to our political differences. Ive had the chance to live the alaska dream ever since i set out from pennsylvania more than 40 years ago. I met and married my wife and alaska. We raised over three daughters in alaska. Theyve gone to the Public Schools and now they all work at the red dog minds. I know, anyone whos heard me speak about my daughters probably knew i was going to bring up red dog. When i talk about it it isnt just because im proud of my daughters for succeeding in the industry thats traditionally been dominated by men. Its also important to talk about because ive seen firsthand how this opportunity is transformed. This opportunity was realized thanks to the people like roses father. The first chairman of the board roberts vision was that its people could walk in his vision that people should benefit from the past into the future. Robert didnt believe it. He believed in all of the above. You know what we didnt hear back then . We didnt often hear the concept applied to every resource project in alaska and other opportunities as well. Thank goodness we didnt hear back then as we hear today whether its pebble, anna mar, willow, and the list goes on and on. These tired arguments and false choices are trotted out over and over every time we try to do something that creates jobs and opportunities. Time after time throughout our history, we have had to overcome forces aligned against alaska building our own future. Of time after time weve overcome those forces you to prove to the naysayers wrong. The resiliency and determination was and still is a point of pride for many. This is the basis for the most inspirational model i think of anything. North to the future isnt just the motto, it is the directive, the Mission Statement and roadmap for the alaska dream. We talk a lot about the north to the future but many of the laws and regulations are practices and attitudes unfortunately Say Something different. Its taken 56 executive actions in the past three years and if allowed to stand they will turn into nothing more than a giant snow globe with no future other than a place on the shelf. Fighting back against the actions but changing attitudes can be harder. Many of the forces that worked against alaska in the past few years have come from outside the state. Today however many of the forces are sadly coming from inside the state. Too many and our great state have gotten very good at saying no. No two opportunities for other alaskans based on a false premise that one persons opportunity is somehow another persons liability. Note to mining and oil and gas, harvesting timber, renewables, growing more food, trucks on roads, no to roads period. Let us change the attitude. I stand in front of you tonight as an anomaly is a twoterm governor. I didnt run for this office and i certainly didnt win on a platform of no to this opportunity or to that opportunity. I wouldnt be standing here today if i did. Weve gone from taking advantage of every opportunity in many cases to working just as hard to prevent opportunities from happening. It was important for me to understand that i had to oppose many of the opportunities as well. I was told that if i didnt it would be my own political peril. I was told bluntly that i would lose the raises and i would lose big. At the same time i was convinced that while i was being told was wrong because thats not what alaskans wanted. What i found out was instead of the specialinterest, it was the lady behind the counter, the guy at the hardware store, the plumber, electrician, the landscaper, they all want to do something different. These are those that tell me time and time what they wanted was opportunities across the board for them, their kids and their grandkids. Unlike others alaska cant afford to say no to any opportunity it means less people on welfare or food stamps. It means more families. I came from the working class. My values are with of the working class and ive always had faith in them. These are the people that elected me for two terms. Many elected you and we cant forget that. What they voted for was the chance and opportunity to realize the alaska dream. Our job is not to make policy for the specialinterest with the rules in the press. They dont need our help. Trust me. Our job is a voice of the voiceless. We cant let the voices get inside our head into crowd out to those that elected us and expect us to do the right thing for them. How do i know the special interests have turned into a protectionist state . Again, because i see some of you may have heard me say this and probably think im crazy. I get that. But the fact of the matter is we may be the only state in the country or possibly in the world that doesnt have a number of cranes operating right now building something and creating a future. And unfortunately, we havent for some time. Think about that. You can go to iceland which i know a lot of you did, and its working in a country a fraction of the size of alaska and half the population. Just a few years ago there were more than 300 construction cranes working in iceland. Think about that. Why does this matter . The reason there are folks out there that track how many are working is because they are a sign of Economic Activity and opportunity. They are a sign of opportunity. On the flipside, it is a proverbial canary in the coal mine signaling a lack of opportunities and potentially a lack of future. So why do they have so many working and we dont . They dont have oil. They dont have timber. They dont have gold or copper. They have very little in terms of the resources that we do. However apparently what they do have are great policies. They take advantage of every opportunity at the resources that they do have. They build roads and power plants. Opportunities for jobs, kids, creating wealth, opportunities to build the future. That should be the conversation that we are having here. How do we create opportunities for our kids and grandkids. Thats the conversation going on in states like texas, florida. Unfortunately including some alaskans because of the opportunities they present. Lets face it, people will go where theres opportunities. Its that simple. People will go where they believe and that should be obvious. People are flooding to the country around the world because of the opportunity we present. But alaska we are not running down every opportunity. Sadly we are spending too much Energy Running off the opportunity instead of embracing it. There are some that will sit back and pat themselves on the back for destroying an opportunity. We may be the only place on the planet that does that and its a recipe for slowmoving disaster. Alaskans voted for opportunity. They want their kids to have an opportunity. So as long as im governor, im going to work to make sure its within reach for anyone who wants to pursue it so we can realize our dream of north to the future. We are in competition for people and thats why we are proposing policies to make alaska the best place to live and have a family. We are uniquely positioned to make sure that of the alaska dream is within reach for anyone who wants it. Whether they have roots that extend back for thousands of years or for those who just seek a better life. We need everyone theres no question about it it should be controversial. Now theres some radical groups, some people who think fewer people in alaska is a good thing. Weve seen the results of the efforts the past 50 years to discourage people from having families and more recently to restrict and control through social engineering. Whether you are a student of history or a casual observer, we cant have the kind of Economic Activity, growth and Technological Advancements that have built a civilization over thousands of years without an increasing population. Believing in the alternative is basically sovereign suicide. I reject the alternative and i think we all reject the alternative. If we believe we need more people, the work we do here needs to reflect that. The tracking and keeping of people starts with Public Safety. I think we all know that. Its the number one responsibility for any government and one of the main reasons i ran for office was because alaska was on the wrong track. We immediately began by reducing and refueled the disastrous policy under that contributed to recordbreaking crime waves. These policy reforms are now paying off. The overall rate has declined every year of the administration to some of the lowest levels in 40 years. The budget is up by 81 . We have 88 positions compared to 2018. My proposed budget finds another plus Salary Increase and also adds funding for four investigators in the indigenous persons unit. Theres the kickback weve been collecting dna thats been owed in some cases. Of these efforts are helping us crack both cases and bring longoverdue justice for victims. We know we still have work to do. Progress is not permanent and we cannot let our guard down. The proposed budget includes funding for the investigators with of the troopers focused on crime against our children. We must do everything in our power to protect the most vulnerable. We need more troopers like trooper christian. She moved here in 2012 from West Virginia with her husband to live at cooper landing. Not everyone was cut out for that lifestyle that they loved every second of it and we are thankful they did. She got her masters degree in 2015 and joined in the matthew valley. She worked patrolling them and is an investigator with the childabuse investigative unit. If we are being honest with ourselves, very few of us could do the work that shes doing. She has to see the pure evil in the world personified by those who prey on our kids. She has to see the world through the eyes of victims and their families. That they not only deal with of the trauma of the crimes but the process of the secure justice. The work not only, but also through the trauma to the other side. Shes received the lifelong connections along the road to recovery for the people she serves. Representing the best of alaska and of the troopers she represents the best of all of us. Will you please be recognized for your public service. [applause] thank you for what you do. They see firsthand every day our work is not complete. With a pursuit of justice we will build where we can all feel safe everywhere and criminals cant escape justice anywhere. [applause] another fundamental responsibility of government enshrined in the constitution is to provide for public education. While governors and legislators funded education in the past, whats been lacking in the commitment to ensure students are performing at the level that we expect. For far too long, the drumbeat for more money is drowned out near every other conversation. The conversation always seems to begin and end only with money. As long as the conversation is only focused on money, its difficult to discuss improving outcomes. Thanks to a single vote in 2022, we have finally started having that conversation about outcomes. As a result of that moment, we are focused on implementing the act to ensure that every student achieves proficiency in reading by the third grade. [applause] we know this can be done. We know they will succeed when they are given the right opportunity and of the right environment. This past november, research from harvard confirmed that alaskas Charter School system is the best in the country. Thats right, you heard correctly the Charter School system is leading the nation. [applause] this fact should be a cause for celebration. Every educator, every administrator and School Board Member in alaska should be embracing the opportunity to learn from what is proving to be successful. The cultural Charter Schools and example of that success. In 2004, then a teacher at the elementary approached her colleague about the traditions and values of the native people. After receiving the charter in 2007 the school began operations in a small church. Then an Old Furniture store then a space for ten years followed by a brief stay. Sheila now the principal of the School Received the keys to the former elementary last summer. No matter what space they occupied for the past 17 years, the School Leaders focused on the academics combined with indigenous values. The values coexist in harmony under the same roof at the Charter School. The leadership contributed for the results that made alaskas Charter School system the best in the nation. Its not about money. Its not about a students background of the determines how well one does. Its about the environment, connecting with students, building relationships and valuing the individual. With the right environment and the right approach to learning, our students can succeed beyond our wildest dreams. Sheila, her staff, or 282 students are proving it every single day. She was raised in a small village on the yukon river. She is a role model for every educator, no matter where they teach. So please stand up and be recognized on behalf of your efforts and all those of your staff setting the standards across the country. [applause] sheila, thank you. Youve got a lot to be proud of and we are proud of you. When we focus on result, every student, every parent and every teacher will play a role in making alaska the best in the country to receive a public education. The class where the rubber meets the road, where we have the most value. Where the students learn to read, to learn math and science and to forge a positive relationship with her teacher. Thats why i introduced house bill 106 and im calling on the members of the legislature to provide incentive payments to the Classroom Teachers. [applause] these payments will be from five to 15,000 per year for the next three years depending on where the teacher teachers. Our Classroom Teachers should be paid well for the work they do investing in just the right thing to do it will also strengthen the ability to recruit in the highly competitive world and i like to go ahead and make a picture right here right now. If you are a classroom teacher in alaska were interested in being one, go online dot alaska teachers and you can see for yourself the levels of the sentence by School District. If you are teaching and acreage you could earn an extra 15,000 over the next three years if you stay in that 45,000 over the next three years. And if you are a teaching couple in the remote district, you or your spouse can earn an extra 90,000 in those three years. Again, [applause] you can find all this information online, and we hope you will be able to take advantage of the opportunity when the Legislature Passes the bill. The legislation will not only put money where it belongs in the pockets of our teachers, it will also be accompanied by valuable research to demonstrate the benefits of the recruitment and retention. Its imperative that the legislation passes this year. Just as we have proven we can be the best at recruiting and retaining Classroom Teachers nationwide. We must break the cycle of doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. That means putting a focus on outcomes such as reading and it means investing in Classroom Teachers rather than only a formula. We need great teachers, more teachers, sarahs father served for 24 years and therefore is individually retired. Sarah grew up and wanted to be a teacher, an elementary teacher. While there, she asked if she could take an assignment in the School District and when she arrived she was paired up with a mentor. If that name sounds familiar, its because she is now sarahs motherinlaw and her families home where she taught for eight years. She teaches preschool, elementary reading, reading interventionist and she runs the stem program. In short, sarah does it all. Could you please stand and be recognized for your service on behalf of all Classroom Teachers . [applause] whats heartbreaking sarah isnt just seeing teachers leave but leave the profession entirely. As a fellow educator myself, this troubles me greatly as well. By focusing on the classroom, we can and we will reverse the cycle of turnovers by doing so we will give our students and our teachers the opportunity to succeed. [applause] for decades we tried education policies based little more than what comes after a dollar sign. Im asking you to join us in a new approach based on what happens after a student walks into a classroom. We need to prepare our students in the competitive world that we are in and that also includes higher education. Before i became governor in the university of alaska was declining, like the conversation today around k12 the focus back then was mostly about the budget. Since taking office we have taken a different approach. Weve worked with University Leadership to helpful fill their mission. That mission is to prepare students to a job of today such as nursing and jobs in the future in emerging Energy Arctic research. Unmanned aircraft and so much more. Implementing a different approach wasnt easy ant it wasnt popular but like our approach to Public Safety the evidence shows we are making progress. This falls for the first time in ten years University Enrollment is up year over year. [applause] the freshman class is up 40 since last fall and 80 of graduates find jobs in alaska within a year. As proud graduate of the university of alaska and parent of two University Graduates as well, this is great news. My proposed budget provides Additional Resources for the university to obtain the highest Research Certification level available. With your support for these resources the university of alaska will be a Global Leader in the research and Workforce Development we need for today and for tomorrow. [applause] Public Safety and education are critical to achieving our initiatives to make alaska the best place to live, work and raise a family. Just as critical lowering the cost of housing. We will be introducing legislation to well be introducing legislation to eliminate electrical tariffs on the railbelt system that currently stand in the way of transmitting the lowestcost power. By eliminating these tariffs, well transform the system into a public highway rather than a series of toll roads. By doing so, well lower costs for ratepayers and create new opportunities for independent power producers. Weve also introducedng legislation to improve the economics of our cook inlet natural gas, and well continue to advance the aklng project that will deliver lowcost energy to alaskans. Whether its coal, natural gas, advanced nuclear, or our abundant renewable resources, we must pursue every Energy Opportunity to secure affordable and sustainable supplies for alaska. E [applause] in addition, upgrading the railbelt Transmission System is another step to reduce the costs of energy and build reliability. We now have a tremendous opportunity to do both with a significant federal grant secured by the Alaska Energy authority. This project will increase access to affordable power from bradley lake and other renewable sources. It will build the redundancy we need to ensure that the lowestcost power, from any source, can move from homer to fairbanks any time and without interruption. This project, and other necessary infrastructure improvements, will take years to complete. Itll require patience. Itll require investment. Itll take our skilled tradesmen and women to complete. These projects will create jobs that will attract a skilled workforce, but keeping that workforce in alaska will also require Affordable Housing. Affordable energy and housing are magnets for economic growth, and while alaskas population hasnt grown much over the past decade, it has relocated. The matsu valley has attracted thousands of new residents with affordable land, Affordable Housing and local policies that enable economic growth. Like our Charter Schools, we should be open to learning from policies that are so clearly succeeding by creating an environment that embraces freedom and opportunity. At the same time, as someone whos lived on and off alaskas road system, i well understand the challenges to building Affordable Housing in rural areas. As a superintendent in northwest alaska decades ago, i recognized this need for infrastructure and housing in rural alaska. I worked with the Alaska Housing Finance Corporation and our federal delegation to fund teacher housing in rural areas. That program is marking its 20th anniversary this year. Now known as the last frontiers housing initiative, the program has resulted in more than 500 Housing Units in more than 80 remote and Rural Communities since 2004. Thanks to the work at ahfc, its dividend to the state has also nearly doubled this year, to 48 million. With your support, ahfc will use part of this dividend to create a new mortgage down payment assistance program. We estimate this new program will be able to help 1,100 to 1,300 families purchase their first home. [applause] were also working to lower the price of these first homes by reducing the cost of materials. Were addressing this in part through the state lumber grading bill that i was able to sign last year with your support. We have abundant Timber Resources, and creating an instate supply chain for critical buildingre materials will lead to more, and more affordable, housing for all alaskans. Were required under the constitution to develop our resources for the benefit of all alaskans, and we can do better when it comes to our forests. Consider sweden, located at the same latitude as alaska. In 2022, the value of their Forest Industry was 18 billion; thats 18 billion. They arent clear cutting their lands, and they arent just sitting back and watching their forests burn. Meanwhile here in alaska, we make about 1 million from timber sales. Last year we spent 90 times that amount fighting fires. Rather than continue to watch our Timber Resources burn, were instituting new policies toe enhance our forest management. These new policies will helpit prevent fires, stop the spread of disease, and create new jobs and Revenue Streams through carbon sequestration, biomass, and increased timber sales. At the same time, our oil, natural gas, and minerals of all kinds will remain in high demand around the world for decades to come, and well continue to demonstrate that nobody can develop those resources better than alaska. [applause] theres no doubt weve done well developing some of our natural resources, but like our forests, we can do better developing our vast lands and waters to feed alaskans. Our lands and waters support more wild harvest of fish, game, and plants than any other state by far. Alaskans take great pride in filling their freezers and providing for their families and their communities through these harvests. Its a uniquely alaskan way of life, its a source of pride and tradition, and its a way of life that ill always fight to protect for every alaskan. But we cant rely solely on wild harvests to provide Food Security for all alaskans. We once produced about half the food we consumed in alaska through local farming, but now we rely on imports for about 90 of what we buy. We took our eye off the ball over decades as globalization and justintime logistics were refined to the point where it became cheaper to ship a gallon of milk to alaska rather than produce it here. Even before the pandemic, most alaskans know what happens when a ship or a barge is late, or doesnt make it. The store shelves get stripped down pretty quickly. These globalized systems weve relied upon work great, until they dont. Alaska is blessed with abundant and clean lands and waters, and we can develop these resources to become food independent once again. [applause] this will increase Food Security and reduce costs for alaskans. How will we do this . We talk with our alaskan farmers with operations of all sizes whove been producing food for decades, and those who are just getting started. Tarn coffey is one of those farmers. His parents moved to alaska from texas because they saw opportunity, and his father found a great living in the oil industry working on the slope. That opportunity provided everything his family needed, including a small farm near talkeetna. Tarn found an opportunity that matched his love for farming when the state held its first auction for ag land at the nenanatotchaket project in 2022. He cleared his land and planted his first crops last spring, including the sweet corn hed been growing for a dozen years in his backyard in nenana. Tarn doesnt believe the skeptics and the pessimists who dont see a future for agriculture in alaska, let alone that you can grow sweet corn here. Instead, hes proving them wrong. If you dont believe me, you can see for yourself on his coffeyou farm youtube channel. Like his father before him, tarn is following opportunities where they lead. Hes pursuing them rather than opposing them. Hes not just building a bigger backyard farm, either. He plans to grow his operation to commercial scale, and thats what alaska needs to truly increase Food Security for our state. [applause] splunk would ask him and his period of corn, if you would of your fellow farmers here in alaska to stand up. [applause] by the way, some of said you never could grow corn and alaska, you proved them wrong. I want to thank you for your cando attitude. To support our working farmers and encourage new ones like tarn, were building an environment of opportunity for them to succeed. Over the past year, weve provided 1 Million Dollars in feed cost assistance to livestock owners impacted by weatherrelated shortfalls in 2022. We also paid the freight costs to import 1,000 tons of barley into alaska to feed and sustain our livestock herds until last falls harvest in delta. This past november, the division of agriculture took another big step to support our farmers and ranchers by allocating 1 Million Dollars to establish a feed grain reserve in delta. This reserve will protect our livestock producers and allow for larger herds by increasing our instate feed supply. Itll also provide an Additional Market for our Grain Farmers who want to grow their business. Were also in the process of expanding power lines in delta, and upgrading roads and bridges in nenana to reduce costs and improve access. Were also updating our cottage food regulations to expand opportunities for homebased food producers. Well reduce risks withfo legislation weve just introduced to increase access to capital through the agriculture Revolving Loan fund. This bill will also provide premium support for crop insurance. In addition, this legislation will repeal institutional purchasing limits on alaska grown products for the next five years. This will provide a market for producers who want to scale up their operations. State dollars should stay in alaska, and state dollars should be used to support alaskan producers. [applause] Food Security and independence for alaska became imperative for me in the early days of the pandemic. Ill never forget the phone call with a warning that the port of tacoma might shut down and halt the ships that supply alaska with most of our food. As i think back on the past five years, ive received a lot of phone calls presenting alaska with challenges both natural, and manmade. I also think about how weve overcome these challenges. Weve seen challenges from negative prices for oil and a hostile federal administration trying to shut us down. Weve recovered from a pandemic, a historic earthquake, landslides, floods, wildfires, and the remains of a typhoon. Including the 7. 1 earthquake in 2018, ive been governor during 35 state disaster declarations. That averages out to one about every 54 days. As alaskans, we know its not a matter of if a disaster strikes, but when. As governor, i also know that i can always count on alaskans to pull together in tough times. I never cease to be amazed at the character and resiliency of the alaskans i meet during these times. Ct this past fall, just before thanksgiving, those tough times came to wrangell. On the evening of november 20, a massive 450foot landslide engulfed homes, blocked the road and cut off power lines. Despite the wind, the rain, the cold, and the dark, the community sprang into action. Fishermen maneuvered their boats to cast light onto the disaster area. Volunteers and First Responders braved the harsh conditions and plowed through the mud searching for survivors. Thankfully, they were able to rescue christina florschutz, whod been trapped in the slide and miraculously survived into the next day. Tragically, six of our fellow alaskans perished christinas husband otto, and the entire heller family of timothy and beth, and their three children kara, mara, and derek. Words are never enough to express our grief when a disaster like this strikes as it has before, and unfortunately will again. But even in the worst disasters, our communities are home to good people who do their best to recover and rebuild. Wrangell is just that kind of place, and mayor Patty Gilbert is here to represent her community. Shell be the first person to tell you that she doesnt deserve any credit for the actions of those who rushed headlong into danger. Mayor gilbert may not have ended up covered head to toe in mud like those First Responders and volunteers, but their spirit is with her tonight. Mayor gilbert is originally from omaha, nebraska. She was a teacher all over the country and even in venezuela. She and her husband began their alaska adventure in cordova, where he was a Hospital Administrator and she worked for Prince William sound community college. They eventually made it to wrangell, where she continued teaching for another 23 years. Along the way, she served two terms on the city council and then on the borough assembly. Shes the president of the Wrangell Medical Center foundation, which raises funds to pay travel expenses forun alaskans who need treatment for cancer. She also helps raise money for student scholarships in health careers. Mayor gilbert gives back to the community that has given her so much, and were glad shes here tonight. Mayor, im going to ask you to stand and be recognized for all the hard work you do and First Responders across the state. [applause] i want to thank you, mayor, what you do. I want to thank you for if one they do and wrangle and across the state. I want to give you little story here. When it came to alaska in 1983, i go back and visit friends in pennsylvania and across the country and they would say why do you stay in alaska . They would send a note to beautiful, youve got big mountains. Big steak, big animals, et cetera. Thats a first time i thought about and what the answer is because of the people. Its because of the people of alaska. Its what makes it so different. Some want to thank you for everything you are doing. [applause] alaska will always have its challenges, but like the people of wrangell, we dont run from them. We face them head on. Thats what makes us alaskans. It isnt easy, but we werent sent here to shrink from challenges or pretend them away. I wasnt sent here for two terms to do things the way theyve always been done. We werent sent here to do things the way theyve always been done. Y we werent sent here to bow to establishment forces and entrenched special interests Holding Back Progress for alaska. Were sent here to represent folks you dont see walking these halls every day, telling you how to vote on this or that, or what appropriation to make. I want to introduce you to one of those people. Her name is jenna marshall. Jenna is the store manager at the subway on Government Hill in anchorage. Its a frequent lunch spot for me, and we always get Great Service at jennas store. Jenna is busy working, raising a family, and making ends meet. She doesnt have the time to fly to juneau or the resources to hire a lobbyist to influence us. She has two kids. Dylan is four, and matthew is 14, and hes here tonight as well. Folks like jenna often work when the rest of us are off. They work late at night when our day is over. They get up early, and they dont have time to be tired. At one time in our lives, most of us were just like her. Jenna is here tonight to represent the alaskans who arent here every day walking the halls and visiting your offices. Shes here to remind us, the 61 of us in this room, who we really work for. I work for her. You work for her. Its families like jennas who benefit the most from the pfd. Theyre the ones impacted the most when the pfd is shorted. Some of the special interests or some members of the press wonder why i fight for the pfd, or they want me to give it up entirely. The reason i fight for the pfd is because its an alaska institution that benefits the working families of alaska. [applause] i know this will come as a surprise but as long as im governor of a continued to fight for the pfd for the people of alaska like jenna and her family. [applause] jenna represents hundreds of thousands of alaskans just like her who dont have the time to think a lot about politics. And lets be honest, for politicians like us, if there isnt somebody lobbying on your behalf, it can be easy to forget about folks like jenna. If folks like jenna do think about politics, theyre just hoping People Like Us do whats right by them, or at the very least dont screw things up. But all too often, we waste precious time here in juneau bickering over petty things that hundreds of thousands of alaskans simply dont care about. Jenna wants to get to work on safe roads and live in a safeor community. She wants everyone to have access to Affordable Housing. She wants families like hers to have access to affordable childcare that works for them. Jenna, its you and the people you represent, the hundreds of thousands of alaskans like you that i committed to when i ran for this office. People like you that are the foundation of our republican form of government, that is of the people, by the people, and for the people. [applause] i ran for this office to help make an alaska that creates opportunities for you, jenna, your family, and hundreds of thousands of alaskans like you. Thats what this is all about. Its not about us. Its about you. Jenna, could you please stand and be recognized on behalf of all the working men and women in the great state of alaska . [applause] thank you, jenna, and thank you to all the workingclass alaskans youre representing here tonight. Were sent here to represent every alaskan like jenna. Re to lead. To do the right thing on their behalf. To say yes to opportunities. So, to the special interests, dont be disappointed if you knock on my door asking me to kill an opportunity. Youll be knocking on the wrong door. On the other hand, if you have an idea, an opportunity, and a a dream that will move this state forward and benefit alaskans without coming at the expense of others, ill clear my schedule to meet with you. In the end, leadership requires conviction in ones values to make the right decisions, especially in the face of daunting odds. Political history is littered with examples of those who have taken on these odds and lost. Defeat is always possible for those who try, but for those who dont, its guaranteed. Im willing to accept the risk of losing. I wont accept the risk of not trying. Success will be within our reach, if were willing to seize the opportunities in front of us. No to the future, or north to the future. The choice is really up to us. Thank you, and lets work together, folks. [applause] use] each night this week were feat state of the state addresses from across the country from coast to coast the speeches bynment offer wide range of persps, highlighting prioritnd challenges faced byrent regions in the u. S. Tonight, well hear f the governors of massachusetts, a, kentucky, south dakota, idaho and oa. That all begins at 8 p. M. Eastern on c you can also watch on our f video app cspan now or online at cspan. Org. A healthy democracy doesnt just look like this. It looks like this, where americans can see democracy at work, where citizens are truly informed, a republic thrives. Get informed straight from the source on cspan