This week there will be two opportunities to testify on a bill about village public safety officers (VPSOs). The goal of the bill is to improve VPSO retention in rural Alaska. The bill will be heard in the House committee on Tribal Affairs, which is chaired by Bethel Rep. Tiffany Zulkosky. The first opportunity to testify is on Tuesday, March 8 at 8 a.m. The second is on Thursday, March 10 at 8 a.m. The proposed bill comes as the number of VPSOs in the state has plummeted from a peak of over 113 to 51. That’s according to the director of the VPSO program for the State of Alaska.
To testify, call 844-586-9085 when the hearing starts. The Bethel Office of Legislative Affairs said that the public is typically given two minutes each to testify.
