Dear Neighbor,

After a decade of public disinvestment that has led to declining schools, decaying infrastructure, and out-migration, we can no longer afford to issue large PFDs to middle and upper-class families. This week, I introduced HB 209, a bill that institutes means-testing of the PFD, preserving it for Alaskans earning less than $50,000 per year. Focusing the PFD on Alaskans who need it most ensures we can also fund basic services. This policy reform would save approximately $300 million per year to invest in core services.

What HB 209 Does:

• $1,000 Dividend: Sets a fixed annual dividend amount, moving away from the statutory formula.
• Income-Based Eligibility: Introduces federal Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) thresholds. Residents earning above $50,000 (individual) or $100,000 (married couple) would no longer qualify for the PFD. Children would continue to receive PFDs.

Please email me at rep.zack.fields@akleg.gov if you'd like to submit public comments in support of this bill.

Education Bill Passes Legislature:

The House concurred on the Senate version of HB 57, which provides crucial funding for education by restoring a permanent increase in the Base Student Allocation and includes several of the Governor’s education policy priorities. This bipartisan effort takes meaningful steps to alleviate chronic underfunding and inflationary pressures our schools have faced for years.

Key Provisions of HB 57 Include:

• Restoring $700 to the Base Student Allocation (BSA), reversing approximately 1/3 of cut that our schools have endured over the last decade.
• 10% Increase in Student Transportation Funding
• Charter School Reforms: Streamlines application processes and renewals and expedites state appeals.
• Classroom Size Policy: Mandates districts to establish average target class sizes, not to exceed 23 students in grades PreK-6 and 30 students in grades 7-12.
• Wireless Device Regulation: Requires school districts to adopt a policy regulating cellphones in schools.
• Reading and Voc-Tech Support: Establishes reading proficiency incentive grants (dependent on future appropriations) and increases funding for secondary vocational and technical instruction (contingent on SB 113 being signed into law)
• Legislative Task Force: Creates a dedicated Task Force to analyze education funding and accountability for future policy recommendations.

You can watch my floor speech about HB 57 here>>

Paid Parental Leave

I'm thrilled that Labor and Commerce co-chair Carolyn Hall introduced a bill (HB 193) to institute paid parental leave. We have merged provisions of this bill with Rep. Ted Eischeid's Unemployment Insurance reform proposals in order to:

1. Update Maximum Weekly Benefit income for unemployed Alaskans, which are decades out of date.
2. Institute a paid parental leave program of up to 26 weeks, with contributions from both employees and employers.
3. Increase training funding for the State Training and Employment Program to strengthen our workforce.
4. Cut employer Unemployment Insurance taxes by 20%, which is particularly important for businesses trying to weather the storm wrought by Trump administration chaos.

Since the Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund is substantially overfunded, we are able to update maximum weekly benefits, institute a meaningful new paid parental leave program, and cut taxes without increasing taxes on anyone and without endangering the fund's solvency. I really appreciate the close collaboration of Department of Labor and Workforce Development, University of Alaska, and Alaska Children's Trust staff for their actuarial modeling and policy recommendations to ensure we protect solvency of the trust fund while making Alaska a better place to raise a family. This bill received strong bipartisan support, and I appreciate great amendment ideas from all committee members.

After passage through the Labor and Commerce Committee today, the Finance Committee is the next step for this important bill. Please email me to register your comments in support of paid parental leave, and we'll include them in the record.

House Bill 58

On Wednesday, my bill to update the selection of the director of the Office of Public Advocacy to mirror the rigorous process of Public Defender selection, passed out of the House and is now awaiting a hearing in Senate Community & Regional Affairs.

Threat to Workers Rights

I am concerned about SB 35, legislation being heard in the Senate that would strip unemployment insurance and workers compensation coverage from employees of digital employers like DoorDash and InstaCart. Mega-corporations are trying to systematically dismantle legal rights of workers by having legislatures misclassify employees as independent contractors. You can register your opposition to this legislation by emailing me and Labor and Commerce Committee Chair Jesse Bjorkman, sen.jesse.bjorkman@akleg.gov.

May Day for Democracy

Yesterday, Alaskans across the state rallied in support of workers, health care, and education, in response to the Trump administration's butchering of critical federal agencies. I attended the rally in Juneau, while Khalial, Zara, and Simone attended the Anchorage demonstration.

Alaskans in Fairbanks, Anchorage, Juneau, Wasilla, Haines, Valdez, Healy, Skagway, Sitka,

and more assembled in droves to call out the injustices wrought upon us by this administration.

It is important that we keep up the pressure. Thank you to everyone who showed up.

Thank you to our neighbor Penny Gage for this outstanding column urging resistance against illegal federal kidnappings being executed under the Trump administration.

See you around the neighborhood,

Zack

Representative Zack Fields - House District 17

Serving Downtown, South Addition, Forest Park, North Star, and Fairview