House District 36 Rep. Dan Ortiz is worried about the repercussions of some proposed state budget cuts, especially cuts that could lead to reduced revenue for the state, such as those to the state timber program and the Alaska Marine Highway System.
But other cuts are a concern, too, and the Ketchikan independent hopes to put back at least some of the funding in areas of interest to his constituents.
Ortiz came home to Ketchikan for Gov. Bill Walker’s inaugural festivities this weekend, and sat down with KRBD for a mid-session update. Here’s a portion of the conversation, focusing on budget concerns.
While the budget is the overriding topic at the Legislature right now, Ortiz touched on other issues, including marijuana regulations, Daylight Saving Time, Medicaid expansion and a bill he introduced that would expand the definition of child abuse to include some forms of physical restraint.
We’ll air more from KRBD’s conversation with Rep. Ortiz next week, but if you can’t wait, you can listen to the entire half-hour interview, posted below.
