Unalaska, AK – Tomorrow, the state legislature opens its session in Juneau -- and now, Unalaskans will able to keep up with the action at the new Legislative Information Office that opened to the public today.

Legislative Information Offices, or LIOs, serve to increase communication between the capital and the state's far-flung communities. The Unalaska LIO will be Alaska's 23rd office, and it will be the first one to open in over a decade. The location was selected because of its distance from other LIOs and the lack of an office in the Aleutian region. Prior to its opening, the nearest LIOs to Unalaska were in Dillingham and Kodiak.

The Unalaska LIO is equipped with a teleconferencing system that can link constituents up to legislative hearings. The office is also stocked with information about the legislative process and bills up for debate.

Former City Clerk Jessica Earnshaw is staffing the office, which is located on Airport Beach Drive near the Safeway. She says that in addition to connecting Unalaska to Juneau, the LIO will also be providing a number of constituent services.

"There's a seniors benefit program," says Earnshaw. "We can also assist with Permanent Fund Dividend applications."

The state acquired the office space in 2010, and spent this autumn preparing the LIO for this week's grand opening. About two dozen Unalaskans stopped in today to check out the office and snack on coffee and donuts. Earnshaw says that the feedback constituents have given has been very positive.

"They're just happy that they have somewhere where they can watch Gavel to Gavel," says Earnshaw. "There's also finally a place for them to testify on the bills they would like to see."

The legislative session opens tomorrow, January 18, and runs through April 17. The state has budgeted the Unalaska office for six months annually, with some extra hours also scheduled in between sessions.