Opinion: Put Anchorage over politics.

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The city of Anchorage faces serious challenges in education, housing, energy, and transportation infrastructure. Solutions to these big problems are often bipartisan, but without strong bipartisan efforts to move forward, progress can stall.

The Anchorage Bowl sends more legislators to Juneau than any other region, yet a unified approach to advocating for the city’s core issues has long been limited or non-existent.

As a delegation, we have diverse perspectives and positions on many issues, but there are some areas in which we have common ground. In organizing the Anchorage delegation in January 2023, we decided to take a more focused and proactive approach.

As co-chairs of the delegation, we play an active role in identifying common-sense, widely supported policy and budget initiatives that effectively address the immediate needs of our cities. As a bicameral delegation made up of Republicans, Democrats, and independents, we collectively agreed to work together to focus on a few key issues that we can all agree on.

Last year, the Anchorage delegation focused on receiving and sustaining state funding for an urgently needed modernization program at the newly renamed Don Young Port of Alaska in Anchorage. Our collective advocacy efforts brought to an end a multi-year effort that secured her more than $200 million in both state and federal grants.

Last year, we came together to hear about the issues facing our communities from the people who know them best. We met with the Eklutna Indian Village, the Mayor and his office, the Legislature, the Anchorage Board of Education, the Anchorage Economic Development Corporation, and the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities. We held these meetings to ground our delegations on common facts and help build consensus on opportunities that could be pursued at the state level.

This year, the delegation is focusing on a series of issues including snow removal, homelessness and mental health, energy, and downtown revitalization, along with continued support for Alaska Port projects. Our group meets regularly during Congress to discuss needed actions and share ideas and resources with each other. Ultimately, this collaborative effort reflects our shared commitment to driving positive change throughout the city of Anchorage.

Please join us. The Anchorage delegation will hold a town hall on March 9th from 2pm to 4pm in Cuddy Hall on the University of Alaska Anchorage campus. We invite you to bring your own experiences and ideas on how to move Anchorage forward. As always, contact your legislators by phone or email. Your voice makes our work on your behalf possible.

senator james kaufman He is co-chair of the Anchorage delegation and represents District F in the Alaska Senate (which includes Abbott Loop and Hillside).

Congresswoman Donna Mears He is co-chair of the Anchorage delegation and represents Alaska’s 21st Congressional District, South Muldoon.

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