Unalaska, AK – Governor Sean Parnell released his proposed budget earlier this week. Much of the conservative proposal focused on education, transportation, and public safety spending. It did not include any money for any of Unalaska's key capital projects, like paying for the power house expansion, paving Ballyhoo Road, or building the new water treatment plant. But House District 37 Representative Bryce Edgmon said this should not be cause for concern.

"To put it in the proper context, it's sort of the first cut of the budget process in that the governor compiles his priorities, puts them into both an operating and a capital budget, then hands them over to the legislature where the process really begins in earnest."

Then it's up to Edgmon and Senator Lyman Hoffman to advocate on the community's behalf to get the projects funded. The legislature works on the budget then it goes back to the governor, who can remove anything with his line item veto.

Edgmon is also pushing for more money to go into the renewable energy grant fund and the home weatherization program. Two of his bills from the 2009 session also passed out of the House and will be reviewed by the Senate this session. One allows for the King Cove Road to be built through the Izembek National Wildlife Refuge, if the project is approved by the Department of the Interior. The other provides loans to fishermen to increase the energy efficiency of their equipment.

Edgmon said he is also paying close attention to the reapportionment process, which uses census data and other information to determine house district numbers and boundaries.

"With the explosion of population in the Mat-Su and south central area, rural Alaska looks to lose one house district if not more in the upcoming re-drawing of the legislative districts, which will be effective in 2012."

More will be known about this after the completion of the 2010 U.S. population census. The 2010 90-day legislative session runs from January 19 to April 18.