RESTORATION WORK – Father Herman Belt keeps an eye on Lincoln Street traffic this morning as workers use a Snorkel Lift to pull rotten pieces of trim from the facade of St. Michael’s Cathedral. Several pieces recently had fallen off the cathedral, which dates to 1976, causing concerns about other pieces possibly falling off and hitting pedestrians. Belt says the plan is to fabricate new wooden trim and properly flash it. East bound traffic was diverted up American Street during today’s work. Contractors may close the street again Wednesday morning. (Sentinel Photo by James Poulson)
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Daily Sitka Sentinel
JKT Cites His Work On Ethics, Education
By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
After six years in the Alaska Legislature, Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins believes he has built a reputation as “compromise-oriented and coalition-oriented.”
“I’ve co-sponsored as many bills with Republicans as well as Democrats, in the minority and majority, both,” he said in an interview with the Sentinel.
But he says his work is not done, and he’s looking forward to another two years representing House District 35, which includes Sitka, Petersburg and other smaller Southeast communities.
Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins
(Sentinel Photo)
Kreiss-Tomkins filed in May to run for his fourth term in the state House. He is unopposed in the Democratic primary and will face the winner of the Republican primary race between Dr. Richard Wein of Sitka and Kenny “Karl” Skaflestad of Hoonah.
“I’m running again because I believe in governing from the middle and that the bi-partisan coalition has been very good to Sitka and coastal Alaska,” Kreiss-Tomkins said.
Kreiss-Tomkins, 29, was one of the organizers of the bi-partisan coalition that became the majority in the House for the last legislative session. He said the coastal coalition of 17 Democrats, three Republicans and two independents worked together to find areas of consensus and got things done.
“We forward funded K-12 education for the first time, I think, in Alaska history, if not many decades,” he said.
Other examples of the leadership’s accomplishments were the “mostly timely” passage of the operating budget; an additional $20 million for the ferry schedule improvements or infrastructure; sustainable funding and increases for Southeast in the Department of Fish and Game; and an increase in the base student allocation, that allowed school districts like Sitka’s avoid most of the anticipated layoffs.
“Not entirely but it helped,” Kreiss-Tomkins said.
Kreiss-Tomkins was born in Sitka, and is a 2007 graduate of Sitka High School. He attended Yale University for three and a half years, majoring in public policy, and was elected to the House in what would have been his senior year at the Ivy League school.
He said if re-elected this fall, one of his first goals will be to bring back the bipartisan coalition, consisting mostly of coastal representatives.
Kreiss-Tomkins was chairman of the House State Affairs Committee, which oversees the departments of Administration, Corrections and Public Safety; the Division of Elections; constitutional amendments; public facilities; and the pension system.
“(The bipartisan coalition) is really important for our region,” he said. “The membership and leadership of the coalition is literally all from coastal Alaska and so our priorities are very well represented, from fisheries, to Native issues, to keeping the bottom from falling out more than it has on the ferry service, to public radio.”
He said another priority is “continuing to pass a comprehensive fiscal plan. Specifically there’s increasing interest by the coalition and the governor, and Bert (Stedman) and I to putting the Permanent Fund Dividend in the constitution, and further protecting the permanent fund itself, so the Permanent Fund is literally permanent.”
The last Legislature held a number of hearings on measures to protect the fund, and there is “decent momentum” to take it up in the next session, he said.
Kreiss-Tomkins noted the progress made last session in closing the funding gap in the operating budget. The budget gap was reduced through the use of oil revenues and Permanent Fund earnings account, with an agreement to set the Permanent Fund dividend at $1,600.
“There’s been sustained downward pressure in capital and operating budgets,” he said. “I’m a bit more hawkish than some of my Democratic colleagues at least.” Kreiss-Tomkins said he may have sponsored the only budget amendment in the subcommittee process that cut the budget on the House side.
“It was only $250,000, but it speaks of my mentality,” he said. “Core public services are important but you want to have things as efficient and frugal as possible.”
He cited as major accomplishments of the last session passage of the ethics bill that stipulates no per diem for legislators if the session goes beyond its constitutional limit of 121 days, and which also closes the loophole that allowed lobbyists to buy food and drinks for legislators, “which happens regularly,” Kreiss-Tomkins said.
He’s also proud of his work on the bill that automatically registers voters when they sign up for their PFD. The bill passed by ballot initiative, but Kreiss-Tomkins helped draft the language.
“Both things I’m excited about and help make Alaska a better place,” he said.
A few projects he’s worked on specifically for Sitka include funding for the $1.2 million reconstruction of the Peterson Street and Halibut Point Road intersection, where serious accidents have occurred, and reinstatement of the State Parks Ranger position.
“His first day was last Monday – that was hugely gratifying,” he said.
Another major part of his job is helping constituents “hack” through state red tape and bureaucracy.
“That’s literally a daily exercise,” he said.
Kreiss-Tomkins had no comment on either of his potential opponents, saying he preferred to see how the primary plays out in late August.
He’s six years older than he was when first elected at age 23, but is still considered young as a legislator.
“My response is I work as hard or harder than anyone in the Legislature and I do my honest best, and people should judge me for the work I do,” he said. “Being young I have put great value in listening well and from others who have expertise I don’t have. And that helps me do my job well, and that helps anyone my age and my experience do their job well. ... I want to listen before I talk. That’s how you represent well.”
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20 YEARS AGO
April 2004
Photo caption: Sitka High students in the guitar music class gather in the hall before the school’s spring concert. The concert was dedicated to music instructor Brad Howey, who taught more than 1,000 Sitka High students from 1993 to 2004. From left are Kristina Bidwell, Rachel Ulrich, Mitch Rusk, Nicholas Mitchell, Eris Weis and Joey Metz.
50 YEARS AGO
April 1974
The Fair Deal Association of Sealaska shareholders selected Nelson Frank as their candidate for the Sealaska Board of Directors at the ANB Hall Thursday.