Sen. Jan Faiks of Anchorage, the first woman in U.S. history elected as presiding officer of a state legislative body, has died. Faiks was Alaska Senate President in 1987-1988. She died April 10, 2017 after being diagnosed with brain cancer last year. The 71-year-old former lawmaker was living in Amelia Island, Fla. with her husband, former Alaska State Sen. Lloyd Jones, at the time of her passing. The Constitutional Budget Reserve that the Alaska Legislature is depending on today to meet State spending during a period of lower oil revenues, owes its existence to her and a handful of other legislators who sponsored it in 1988.
Source: Jan Faiks, co-author of the Constitutional Budget Reserve, 1945-2017 – Must Read Alaska
