Alaska's Budget and KNBA

There is a lot going on with the State of Alaska budget. I'm asking that you contact state legislators to request that they override all of Governor Dunleavy's line item vetoes. Governor Dunleavy’s vetoes will have a devastating impact on services in Alaska, like public radio. Public stations may expect to receive -0- state funding, including the loss of a $70,000 grant to KNBA and potential cuts in NV1 programming.

We must stand together for all Alaskans and ask legislators to address the 182 line items and support the budget that they sent to the governor.

Here are sample points that can be made about the impact a reduction of this magnitude can have to KNBA:

The governor's vetoes will have a very real impact on people in our community through loss of jobs, contracts, and benefits/services. At KNBA there will be a reduction in program offerings and our responsiveness during emergencies.
We could also see a reduction in our ability to serve the local area and many rural regions in the state with local Native programming. No public broadcasting means we will lose community media outlets and miss out on local messages and critical information and debates on local issues. We will become uninformed and more isolated.
The legislature must override the governor's line item vetoes to preserve vital services in our state, like public radio. Public radio stations are the only local news source and source for emergency alerts and key information during natural disasters, like wildfires, floods, and earthquakes, in many rural Alaska communities.
KNBA and other stations will lose matching federal grant support.

Here is a short list of senators and representatives who need to hear from you (email or phone ok) - if you have limited time, focus on those who represent your area:

Senator Mike Shower (Upper Mat-Su Valley, Wasilla)
Sen.Mike.Shower@akleg.gov
465-6600 or 877-465-6601

Senator Chris Birch (Southeast Anchorage)
Sen.Chris.Birch@akleg.gov
465-4931or 800-870-4931

Senator Natasha Von Imhof (South Anchorage) Sen.Natasha.vonImhof@akleg.gov
465-2995 or 800-365-2995

Senator Mia Costello (West Anchorage)
Sen.Mia.Costello@akleg.gov
465-4968 or 800-773-4968.

Rep. David Eastman (Upper Mat-Su Valley, Wasilla)
Rep.David.Eastman@akleg.gov
465-2186 or 800-468-2186

Rep. David Talerico (Healy, Cantwell)
Rep.David.Talerico@akleg.gov
465-4527 or 800-491-4527

Rep. Laddie Shaw (Southeast Anchorage)
Rep.Laddie.Shaw@akleg.gov
465-4945 or 866-465-4945

If you want contact information for another legislator, visit http://akleg.gov/docs/pdf/session_phone_list.pdf.

Thank you for all that you do for KNBA and our community. Please reach out to legislators by July 12th.

Sincerely,

Jaclyn Sallee
President & CEO
KNBA/Koahnic Broadcast Corporation