The summer and fall interim between legislative meetings gives lawmakers an opportunity to catch their breath, visit with constituents, and work on a variety of issues they might not have had time for while they were at the capitol. Representative Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins has been doing just that. The Sitka Democrat’s district does not currently include Petersburg. However, that could change if he’s re-elected in 2014 and the state implements its latest redistricting plan. That plan has not yet cleared a legal challenge.
Kreiss-Tomkins has visited Petersburg a couple times since he first took office this past year. Most recently, he was in town working for Chelan Produce. Matt Lichtenstein took the opportunity to talk with him about his preparations for the upcoming legislative session which starts in January.
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If the state’s latest legislative boundaries make it past a court challenge, Petersburg will be included a new district with Sitka as well as Craig and other communities on the northern half of Prince of Wales Island. Along with Kreiss-Tomkins, Petersburg Republican Stephen Samuelson is also planning to run for the seat representing that new district in 2014. Petersburg’s current legislators are Senator Dennis Egan and Representative Beth Kerttula of Juneau.
