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Governor smokes out chair of Marijuana Control Board

Suzanne Downing
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9
Governor smokes out chair of Marijuana Control Board

Gov. Mike Dunleavy is ending the reign of Mark Springer, chairman of the Marijuana Control Board. Springer’s term ends on March 1.

While showing Springer the door, the governor reappointed Christopher Jaime, a State Trooper from Soldotna. And he added Casey Dschaak of Dillingham to the rural seat that is held by Springer for a few more weeks.

Springer, of Bethel, is a vocal opponent of the governor’s overall agenda and, critics say he loathes Dunleavy’s very existence.

In addition to signing the recall petition, he has used his time during board meetings to express his hostility toward the Administration and brags about the Recall Dunleavy sticker on his coffee mug.

Springer has been at odds with his fellow board members as well as the governor. When the matter of whether to retain former alcohol and marijuana agency director Erika McConnell came up, Springer, as chairman, refused to put it on the agenda until he was forced to by other board members.

McConnell had already been “fired” by the Alcohol Beverage Control Board, to whom she also reported, but it took a vote of the Marijuana Control Board to remove her. Springer voted against her removal, but she was fired anyway by a majority of the board, with only one other vote, from board member Loren Jones, favoring McConnell’s retention.

Dschaak, the incoming member of the board, he served in the U.S. Army and works in the field of logistics in Dillingham.

The Marijuana Control Board meets next week in Juneau and will select a new chair from the members.

Marijuana agency hits restart with new chief: Glen ‘fix it man’ Klinkhart

Sen. Sullivan on Fox News: Senate will conduct fair trial

Suzanne Downing
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2
Sen. Sullivan on Fox News: Senate will conduct fair trial

Sen. Dan Sullivan spoke to Fox News analyst Dana Perino today, using the televised platform to reiterate that, unlike what occurred in the House of Representatives, the Senate will conduct a fair process in looking at the charges being brought by House Democrats through impeachment of the president.

“The confounding delay of the Speaker (Nancy Pelosi) is finally over. The Senate is going to do its constitutional responsibility, I’m very confident of that, a fair trial, we’re going to take it seriously,” he said.

“The framers made sure, setting up not only our government but impeachment procedures, that the Senate is the place where partisan passions will cool. We’re going to do our job in a fair and honest way. This is going to be in direct contrast to what [Rep.] Adam Schiff and others did where they ran the most partisan, rushed and most unfair impeachment proceedings in the House that we’ve seen in modern history.

That we’ve seen in modern history.

Sullivan said the Senate has agreed to using the same rules that were in effect for the impeachment of President Bill Clinton in 1998.

“Phase one, where we will be able to ask questions, and at the end, see if we need witnesses and additional information. Right now it’s premature. it would have been viewed as premature during the Clinton trial,” he said.

Brave Conversations: Abortion

Suzanne Downing
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33
Brave Conversations: Abortion

At Brave Conversations, host Leigh Sloan is cultivating a community of people who meet monthly to learn from those who think differently on a variety of topics. The purpose is to have conversations that are controversial, but civil, and create better thinkers and better communicators– ultimately creating a better community.

Brave Conversations takes place Jan. 23 at 6 pm in the meeting room of Coffee and Communitas coffee shop, 12100 Seward Highway, south of the 120th Street intersection, (which is south of the Klatt Road stoplight.)

The first half of the evening, the event features a “Red Chair Challenge,” which is a topic that two invited guests speak on two different sides of an issue. Questions from are taken at the end. This month’s topic is abortion.

The second half of the evening, participants can take part in a game designed to match you with your conversational “sharpener” who will stretch your perspective on one or more topics. You’ll have a discussion guide to help you along.

The goal in our conversations is not to win but to learn. Come with a friend and an open mind. Learn to enjoy honing the art of this kind of constructive, face to face conversation.

People of all viewpoints are welcome and encouraged to attend. “All we ask is that you maintain a respectful and non-disruptive demeanor,” Sloan says.

Beverages and food are available for purchase in the coffee shop, while the event itself is in the inner room of the building. Ask the barista to point you to the right place.

Brave Conversations typically meets every fourth Thursday of the month.

More information can be found at the group’s Facebook page.

Police union writes big check to Stand Tall With Mike

Suzanne Downing
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9
Police union writes big check to Stand Tall With Mike

RECALL PETITIONERS ALSO RAISING FUNDS TO GET SIGNATURES

PSEA, the Public Employees Safety Association, which represents Alaska State Troopers, local police, and other public safety professionals, today donated $5,000 to the Stand Tall With Mike committee, continuing their support of the governor. PSEA endorsed Dunleavy during the 2018 election cycle and Dunleavy has made public safety his top priority.

On the other side of the political issue, the Recall Dunleavy Committee is also busy raising money while waiting to get petition booklets issued by the State Division of Elections. Superior Court Judge Eric Aarseth ruled last week that the Division has until Feb. 10 to issue those booklets.

When they do get their hands on the petition booklets, the recall organizers will fan out across the heavily Democrat and liberal parts of the state, such as Juneau, Anchorage, downtown Homer, and Fairbanks, and gather the 71,252 signatures needed to get the recall onto the ballot in what they hope will be a special election.

The signature gatherers are looking for a slightly larger raw number — probably about 76,000, to be sure they have met the threshold of legitimate signatures. They must turn in 25 percent of the number of Alaskans who voted in the 2018 general election.

The group gathered 49,006 signatures during the first round when they applied for petition booklets, although they only needed to collect 28,501.

As it turns out, there are 74,424 registered Democrats in the state, most of which would be happy to recall any Republican governor.

Those trying to recall the governor have the contact information for each of them through their election database software that they can cross-reference with Division of Elections records.

They also have the contact information for the 125,739 “likely voters” who cast a ballot for Democrat Mark Begich in 2018. This information is fairly easy to determine with today’s sophisticated campaign software.

The Stand Tall With Mike group, opposing the recall, is preparing to appeal Judge Aarseth’s ruling to the Alaska Supreme Court. They may also ask for a stay to prevent those petition booklets from being issued while the matter is in court.

Getting a delay, while unlikely, would make it more possible that the recall question goes to the Primary or General Election ballot, although there is no guarantee. The Recall Dunleavy group is hoping for a special election.

The Recall Dunleavy group can gather signatures up until 180 days prior to the termination of Gov. Dunleavy’s first term in office. That means the opponents of the governor can continue their efforts up until about June 1, 2022, putting pressure on the governor for essentially his entire term. Those signatures, whether gathered now or later, will be used by the next Democrat Party opponent to rally forces to take the seat away from Republicans.

From the day that the Recall Dunleavy Committee turns in the signatures, the State would have 30 days to certify the signatures and the election would be held between 90 and 120 days.

The Alaska Supreme Court, with its liberal bent, is likely to allow the recall election to go forward.

While both sides are raising funds, the Recall Dunleavy group has been more aggressive. A fundraiser was held at the IBEW Hall in Anchorage on Sunday, and another one will be held Jan. 23 at the home of Eleanor Andrews of Anchorage.

Noel Rea, health expert, to serve as interim CEO at API

Suzanne Downing
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1
Noel Rea, health expert, to serve as interim CEO at API

Alaskan Noel Rea is the new interim chief executive officer at the Alaska Psychiatric Institute, according to the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services.

Meanwhile, the department said that on Dec. 27, 2019, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services notified DHSS that API is “in substantial compliance” with requirements and found no deficiencies.

API had been flagged by CMS by CMS in September after a complaint had been made about federal compliance.

The team at API addressed the deficiencies through a plan of correction and after the unannounced survey, CMS withdrew their notice.

At the same time, API’s “deemed status” through The Joint Commission, an independent accreditation organization, was restored and it was removed from the State Survey Agency Jurisdiction. 

Noel Rea comes to API with 30 years of experience in Alaska working for public, private and tribal health care delivery systems. He was a senior director at NetworxHealth, a health care consulting division of Virginia Mason Medical Center, and has served as an interim CEO for other Alaska hospitals, including South Peninsula Hospital, Cordova Community Medical Center and Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium (SEARHC). 

He received his Master in Business Administration in Health Care Administration from Alaska Pacific University and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Colorado State University. Rea is active in the community, serving as a current board member for Anchorage Project Access, an organization that works to increase access to health care for low income, uninsured individuals; past board member for the Anchorage Neighborhood Health Center; and he just completed his term as president of the Alaska chapter of the American College of Healthcare Executives.

John Lee, who served as acting CEO, returned to his role as director of the Senior and Disabilities Services Division.

Geeking out on trends: D-Party has lost 2.54% of their AK voters in two years

Suzanne Downing
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5
Geeking out on trends: D-Party has lost 2.54% of their AK voters in two years

LOSSES IN NEARLY EVERY PART OF THE STATE

Alaska has lost population — about 8,000-10,000 people is the estimate of the drop in residents in the past three years. That means a shift in the political landscape. Not only has the migration been to other states, but within the state, people are also on the move.

Some of the more interesting demographic numbers are found in the voter registration logs comparing Jan. 3, 2018 and Jan. 3, 2020.

(Keep in mind that the overall voter rolls are artificially high due to the new automatic voter registration with Permanent Fund dividend applications. Approved by voter ballot initiative in 2016 with Ballot Measure 1, the automatic voter registration puts unregistered voters into the Undeclared category.)

[Read: Tens of thousands of voter addresses changed by automatic PFD voter registration]

Here are some shifts that will be of interest to candidates, campaigns, and political activists this year as the election cycle ramps up:

  • Interior Alaska (Districts 1-6) lost 348 Democrats, and lost 605 Republicans.
  • Mat-Su (Districts 7-12) lost 65 Democrats and gained 1,448 Republicans.
  • Eagle River-Chugiak (Districts 13-14) lost 45 Democrats and lost 116 Republicans. This is a heavily Republican area.
  • District 13, however, was the only one in the Anchorage area to gain Republicans, adding 65. The district is served by Republican Rep. Sharon Jackson, who is running for reelection.
  • Anchorage (Districts 15-28) lost 656 Democrats and lost 1,582 Republicans, a blue trend in the largest metropolitan area of the state. There are still 41,932 Republicans in these Anchorage districts, compared with 31,028 Democrats.
  • Republicans lost voters in Anchorage Districts 15, 17, 18 21, 22, 24, 25, 27.
  • Kenai lost 90 Democrats and gained 315 Republicans. The region lost Democrats in all three districts and gained Republicans in all three.
  • Kodiak lost 45 Democrats and lost 135 Republicans.
  • Southeast lost 240 Democrats and gained 55 Republicans.
  • Rural Alaska lost 450 Democrats and lost 5 Republicans.
  • Juneau District 33 lost 93 Democrats and picked up 59 Republicans; (there are 3,603 Democrats to the 2,107 Republicans in this district).
  • Southeast Districts 34 and 35 lost 8 and 131 Democrats in respectively, while Republicans gained 78 and 40 voters in those districts.

OVERALL VOTER BASE SWELLS BY OVER 9 PERCENT

Alaska’s voter rolls are growing, in spite of the drop in population. Alaska lost about a half a percent of its population between 2018 and 2019, but increased voters by 9 percent between 2018 and 2020, a gain of 49,852 voters in those two years.

On Jan. 3, 2018, 531,749 voters were registered in Alaska.

  • 141,636 were Republicans,
  • 76,362 were Democrats
  • 85,176 were Nonpartisan
  • 200,461 were Undeclared.

By Jan. 3, 2020, 581,601 voters were registered in Alaska.

  • 140,920 were Republicans
  • 74,424 were Democrats
  • 84,023 were Nonpartisans
  • 253,960 were Undeclared.

During that time period:

  • Republicans lost 716 voters, or .51 percent of the R voter base.
  • Democrats lost 2.54 percent of the D voter base.

WARNING BELLS FOR SOME CANDIDATES

Republican registrations are sneaking up on Rep. Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins, whose Southeast District 35 has continued to become more and more Republican. The district lost 131 Democrats and gaining 40 Republicans in just two years, a trend that has continued since Democrat Kreiss-Tomkins was elected in 2012.

2,419 registered Democrats and 2,986 Republicans call that Sitka-Hoonah-Angoon District 35 area their voting home.

Also at risk is Rep. Daniel Ortiz, who is not with a party but caucuses with Democrats since being elected in 2014. He is the only non-Republican to win in this district, which has voted for President Trump, Gov. Dunleavy, and the rest of the Republicans on the ballot year after year. The district is still 2:1 Republican over Democrat.

Neither Kreiss-Tomkins nor Ortiz have opponents yet for the 2020 cycle, but both are largely out of step with the regions they represent.

Senate bills: Higher oil taxes, constitutional amendments

Suzanne Downing
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10

The Senate prefiled bills from Friday, Jan. 10 include a major rewrite of Alaska’s oil taxes, to increase the taxation on the largest fields on the North Slope. The list of bills filed by senators on Friday:

SB 128, sponsored by Mia Costello: Requiring legislative approval for certain state charges, rentals, and fees related to aviation. Details here.

SB 129, sponsored by Bill Wielechowski: Relating to the oil and gas production tax; relating to credits against the oil and gas production tax; relating to payments of the oil and gas production tax; relating to lease expenditures and adjustments to lease expenditures; making public certain information related to the oil and gas production tax; relating to the Department of Revenue; and providing for an effective date. This bill is similar to the oil tax voter initiative called “Our Fair Share,” and has a slim chance of passage, but shows that the Our Fair Share initiative is not as simple as it’s made out to be, a case made by the Attorney General’s opinion on the initiative language. Details here.

SB 130, sponsored by Gary Stevens: Relating to a seafood product development tax credit; repealing secs. 32 and 35, ch. 61, SLA 2014. Adds pollock and cod to the list of seafood covered by this tax. Details here.

SB 131, sponsored by Elvi Gray-Jackson: Relating to special registration plates for vehicles owned by a person with a disability. People can can get special license plates if deemed disabled by a speech therapist, physical therapist or occupational therapist under this bill. Details here.

SB 132, sponsored by Tom Begich: Limiting the pay of certain state officers and employees in the executive branch. No head of a department would be able to be paid more than the governor. Details here.

SB 133, sponsored by Elvi Gray-Jackson: Relating to testing of sexual assault examination kits. This is companion legislation to that filed by Rep. Geran Tarr in the House, requiring the processing of rape kits in six months, rather than 12. Details here.

SB 134, sponsored by David Wilson: Relating to medical assistance (Medicaid) reimbursement for the services of licensed professional counselors. Details here.

SB 135, sponsored by Shelley Hughes: Relating to health care insurers; relating to availability of payment information; relating to an incentive program for electing to receive health care services for less than the average price paid; relating to filing and reporting requirements; relating to municipal regulation of disclosure of health care services and price information. Bill is also known as Alaska Health Care Consumer’s Right to Shop Act. Details here.

SB 136, sponsored by Gary Stevens: Providing for the establishment of public schools through state- tribal compacts. Appears to not be coordinating with legislation coming from the Office of the Governor. Details here.

SB 137, sponsored by Peter Micciche: Extending the termination date of the Board of Parole. Details here.

SB 138, sponsored by Elvi Gray-Jackson: Relating to correctional facilities; relating to the authority of the commissioner of corrections to designate the correctional facility to which a prisoner is to be committed. Companion to legislation filed by Rep. Zack Fields to strip the Department of Corrections of its authority. Details here.

SJR 12, sponsored by Click Bishop: This is considered a “butt-hurt bill,” as it proposes to strip the governor of much of his veto authority over budget items. Details here.

Oil tax petition signatures to be turned in on Friday

Suzanne Downing
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6
Oil tax petition signatures to be turned in on Friday

“Alaska’s Fair Share” oil tax initiative proponents say that they have collected over 40,000 signatures to place their initiative on the ballot.

On Friday, Jan. 17, the group will turn their petition booklets in at the Division of Elections between 2-3 pm. There will be some fanfare for the television cameras at the 2525 Gambell Street building where Elections is located.

The initiative asks voters to radically change Senate Bill 21, Alaska’s stable oil taxation system that voters approved in 2014. The change would boost the tax rate and eliminate net tax credits for the largest oil fields. The leader of the initiative is Robin Brena, the law partner of former Gov. Bill Walker.

A Senate bill that mirrors the Alaska’s Fair Share initiative was filed by Sen. Bill Wielechowski on Jan. 10. SB 129 is much longer than the initiative, but seeks to enact the same tax plan. If passed by the Legislature, it would knock the initiative off the ballot.

[Read the initiative language here.]

House bills: State song, mental health, prisoners

Suzanne Downing
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4
House bills: State song, mental health, prisoners

The first batch of pre-filed bills for the Legislature includes the spectrum of the sublime to the ridiculous. Most of the bills in the first release of bills are sponsored by Democrats or members of the Democrat-led House Majority. Those have a better chance of passing the House because of the sponsors’ majority status:

HB 180, sponsored by Adam Wool: Relating to the Board of Regents of the University of Alaska. It would, among other things, allow the president of the University of Alaska System to cast a tie-breaking vote on the Board of Regents. Details here.

HB 181, sponsored by Matt Claman: Relating to mental health education. “Health guidelines must provide standards for instruction in mental health and shall be developed in consultation with the Department of Health and Social Services and representatives of national and state mental health organizations.” Details here.

HB 182, sponsored by Geran Tarr: Relating to testing of sexual assault examination kits; and providing for an effective date. It reduces the length of time that rape kits must be processed from one year to six months. Details here.

HB 183, sponsored by Zack Fields: Relating to the duties of the Department of Health and Social Services; relating to the duties of the Department of Labor and Workforce Development; and relating to staffing and wage standards for the Alaska Psychiatric Institute. Among other things, the bill says this state-owned facility, now being run by a private contractor, must pay prevailing wages. Details here.

HB 184, sponsored by Tammie Wilson: Exempting veterinarians from the requirements of the controlled substance prescription database. Details here.

HB 185, sponsored by Louise Stutes: Relating to the registration of commercial vessels; and providing for an effective date. This is a streamlining bill. Details here.

HB 186, sponsored by Louise Stutes: Naming the Irene Webber Bridge at Mile 9.5 of the Copper River Highway. Details here.

HB 187, sponsored by Zack Fields: Relating to correctional facilities; relating to the authority of the commissioner of corrections to designate the correctional facility to which a prisoner is to be committed; and providing for an effective date. Basically ties the hands of the Corrections officials. Details here.

HB 188, sponsored by Zack Fields: Relating to education tax credits for certain payments and contributions for child care and child care facilities; and providing for an effective date. Details here.

HB 189, sponsored by Dave Talerico: An Act relating to the identification, location, and notification of specified family members of a child who is in state custody. If a child is taken out of a home by the State, within 30 days it will perform due diligence to inform a noncustodial parent or adult family member. Details here.

HB 190, sponsored by Dave Talerico: Relating to allowable absences for a permanent fund dividend; and providing for an effective date. If an Alaskan is accompanying a person, such as child or family member, out of state for an extended period of time (such as medical treatment), that Alaskan will be granted the time as an allowable absence, when it comes to the Permanent Fund dividend. Details here.

HB 191, sponsored by Tammie Wilson: Relating to church attendance of a child who is in state custody. If a foster child is placed in a home, efforts will be made to ensure that child can continue attending his/her church of choice. Details here.

HB 192, sponsored by Matt Claman: Removing certain limitations on campaign contributions made by nonresidents. Allows out-of-state people to contribute to campaigns. Details here.

HB 193, sponsored by Andi Story: Adding a second verse to the official state song. The new second verse has been bandied about for years, but few people find it artful. Details and lyrics here.

HB 194, sponsored by Sarah Vance: Relating to consolidation of school districts; and providing for an effective date. The Department of Education shall consolidate school districts in the state from 54 school districts in the state to 18 school districts in the state. Consolidation of school districts in regional educational attendance areas must be based on common geographic or cultural needs, as determined by the department. Details here.

HB 195, sponsored by Andy Josephson: Relating to the Board of Regents of the University of Alaska. Changes the requirements so that a quorum is seven regents, rather than six. Details here.

HB 196, sponsored by Zack Fields: Relating to the maximum annual awards for Alaska performance scholarships. Changes the maximum amount of the scholarship to $4,755. Details here.

HB 197, sponsored by Chris Tuck: Extending the Alaska Seismic Hazards Safety Commission. Details here.

HB 198, sponsored by Andy Josephson: Relating to aggravating factors considered at sentencing. Adds gender identity and sexual orientation as aspects that would intensify the sentence of someone who perpetrated a crime against these categories of victims. Details here.

HJR 22, sponsored by Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins: Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the State of Alaska repealing the repayment requirement of the Constitutional Budget Reserve. This bill is merely an admission that the Legislature has no intention of repaying the fund, but would need to be voted on by the public. No more sweeping of unspent funds into the CBR. Details here.

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