As we begin 2010, I am eager to get to Juneau for my first legislative session as Lieutenant Governor of our great state. For the past 6 years as Adjutant General and Commissioner of the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, I've had the pleasure of working with our legislators, and I look forward to my new role and the opportunity to be involved in a broader spectrum of legislative activity.

While the majority of my weeks will be spent in Juneau, I will continue to travel our great state. In January, I will visit Noorvik to help kick off the Nation's first 2010 Census Enumeration in Alaska. This historic event will show America a side of rural life in Alaska and I am honored to be a part of the festivities!

Please continue to visit my website for news and activities. The Lieutenant Governor's office is here to serve and I invite you to contact my office should the need arise. If you have an event you would like me to participate in, feel free to click on the link above and I will try my best to fit it into my schedule. I believe we are in for an exciting year and I look forward to continuing my work on behalf of all Alaskans.

New Members of the Legislature

When I was sworn-in as Lieutenant Governor for the State of Alaska in July, one of my official duties became to administer the oath of office to new members of the Legislature.

Since taking office, I have had the privilege of swearing-in three new members – two in the House of Representatives and one in the Senate. Representative John Coghill, Jr. moved from the House to the Senate to fill a vacancy left by outgoing Senator Gene Therriault. This move, coupled by the untimely death of Representative Richard Foster left two openings in the House. I have officially welcomed District 39 Representative Neal Foster, Richard's son, to fill his father's seat and Representative Tammie Wilson to the District 11 seat vacated by now-Senator John Coghill.

I am very pleased to have three such fine individuals willing to dedicate themselves to public service for our state and in Senator Coghill's case, I am thrilled that he continues his dedication to the people of Alaska by serving in the Alaska State Senate. I look forward to working with them all as we head to Juneau for the Legislative Session.

Since school began this fall, I've had the opportunity to visit a number of local schools around Alaska and let me tell you, I've been extremely impressed by what I've seen.

My travels have taken me to Kenny Lake High School in Copper Center, Glennallen School in Glennallen and Mt. Edgecumbe High School in Sitka. At each of these schools, I was able to participate in question and answer sessions with students and was pleased with what I heard; thoughtful, insightful questions by young people with a true curiosity about state government and the goings-on in our state.

In the coming year, I look forward to traveling throughout the state and meeting more of our teachers and young people. Teachers who foster an interest in government and public service do a great service.

Alternative Energy – one aspect of Alaska's solution

The New Year will find us in the middle of yet another Alaska winter. And during the winter months, energy costs are never far from the minds of citizens. I'm no different. I believe the solution to high energy costs and demands will not be found in a single form, be it an instate natural gas line, increased production on the North Slope, or alternative energy. However, I think a multi-pronged approach that includes all of these is the answer.

This Fall, I traveled to Unalakleet where I toured a wind power project being constructed. I was joined on this trip by my good friend Brian Dubie, the Lt. Governor of the State of Vermont, where the wind turbines are made. Together, we met with the residents in Unalakleet and learned what those wind turbines mean to them. They will offset the cost of their power this winter and that means money in the pockets of Unalakleet's residents.

Rural Alaska has the highest energy costs in the nation and I applaud solutions such as wind power that can help curb those costs. I am encouraged by actions taken by the Legislature to help offset the cost of bringing renewable energy to our local communities in Alaska. By working together and exploring energy opportunities, we will help to make energy costs more affordable for Alaskans.

In early December, I had the privilege of traveling to Asia on a trade mission. It was a worthwhile and successful trip that brought together Alaska State legislators, Alaska Natural Gas Development Authority (ANGDA) executives and World Trade Center of Alaska staff.

My travels took me to Korea,China, and Taipei where we met with officials in each country on issues from air cargo, passenger transport, trade and energy. The information I learned in those meetings has allowed me to make recommendations to Governor Parnell about ways to increase air cargo and passenger transport at Alaska's two international airports as well as ways to foster relations with China for investment in our petrochemical industry.

Finally, I was able to participate in events sponsored by the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI). I presented an award at the ASMI Chef Competition in China and had the opportunity to inspect our Alaska Seafood as it sat in Chinese markets waiting to be purchased.

In 2008, Alaska exported $2.3 billion of goods to Asia (out of a total of $3.5 billion in exports). While Japan remains our top Asian importer of Alaska products, China is now our second strongest partner. Alaska exported more than $700 million of seafood, minerals and forest products to China. Additionally, Korea is one of Alaska's top five export markets. As your Lieutenant Governor, I want to do all I can to increase our export opportunities, resulting in revenue and jobs for Alaskans here in our state.