REDUCE CRIME
The legislature passed SB 91 and went back to try and improve the law after it passed. The law has been improved but we still are experiencing problems in our communities. Elias will work on solutions with our local leaders to make our neighborhoods safe again.
LESSEN HOMELESSNESS
The State needs to be a better partner with our municipalities and we need to find compassionate solutions to our homelessness issues in Anchorage and across the State. Elias will work tirelessly to make this happen.
IMPROVE EDUCATION
Elias is a proponent of forward funding education, increasing BSA funding, and will work to change the culture in Juneau so lawmakers respect the teaching profession.
ENACT A FISCAL PLAN
We need to do better. Last legislative session there was progress made by the Majority House Coalition but the plan died in the State Senate. Elias will work toward a bipartisan solution when developing a fiscal plan that will pass both Houses and signed into law to Alaska.
ELIMINATE DISCRIMINATION
We need to ensure all our citizens are protected from discrimination. No one should be discriminated against in housing, employment, credit, or public accommodations. Elias will continue working on passing a statewide anti-discrimination law that includes protections for our LGBTQ community through the House and Senate and signed into law.
Elias's Statements On The Issues
Crime
"Public Safety is a fundamental priority for government. I support criminal justice reform that incarcerates the violent, but treats the drug addicted. Treatment can significantly lower the costs of Corrections. We can use that money better for schools and economic development. Alaska's incarceration rate is off the charts; we must be smarter while we protect the public." -Elias Rojas
Schools
"The politicians in Juneau have spent our savings. And the fiscal gap is going to put more pressure to cut our educational programs. We need to quit viewing schools as a "cost" and start treating it as an "investment." I support pre-K programs, fair teacher wages and innovation in our schools." - Elias Rojas
Jobs
"Economists are predicting that Alaska's recession will end soon. But before we celebrate too much, let's have a real conversation about the sort of economy we want. In the past 10 - 20 years, we've lost high-paying jobs and replaced them with retail jobs at Walmart and Starbucks. It's time Alaska plots a course that acknowledges the oil industry but also puts us on a path to have family-wage jobs that support generations of Alaskans. I'm pro-union, and I support collective-bargaining." -Elias Rojas