In this edition: First health mandate issued, the person who tested positive stayed at the Sheraton Hotel, Gold Medal tourney cancelled.
The public schools across Alaska have been closed for Spring break this week, but that will be extended to March 30, said Gov. Mike Dunleavy today during a press conference.
Other news items from the day around Alaska:
The first state health mandate was issued: A suspension of visitors to state institutions, such the Department of Corrections, Division of Juvenile Justice youth facilities, Alaska Military Youth Academy and the Alaska Psychiatric Institute. Visitors to the Pioneer Homes will be limited to one a day and will be heavily screened.
The person identified as having COVID-19, a cargo pilot, had stayed at the Sheraton Hotel in Anchorage.
Pioneer Home residents are not being asked to leave facilities at this time.
Gold Medal Basketball Tournament in Juneau has been cancelled. It had been scheduled for March 22-28.
Mayor Ethan Berkowitz has closed the libraries in Anchorage, facilities that serve as daytime shelters for homeless people in the city.
The Rodney Carrington comedian show scheduled for this evening at the Dena’ina Center has been cancelled.
President Trump declared Sunday a National Day of Prayer.
One of the key architects of the current Democrat-led coalition in the Alaska House of Representatives is accused by the Department of Law of felonies relating to ballot tampering in the 2014 and 2018 elections.
Rep. Gabrielle LeDoux, an original member of the “Musk Ox Coalition” rebellion against the Republican Majority in 2015, faces 18 counts of first- and second-degree voter misconduct and unlawful interference of voting.
Also facing charges is LeDoux’s former chief of staff, Lisa Simpson, and Simpson’s adult son, Caden Vaught.
LeDoux issued the following statement today: “Earlier today, I learned of the charges from the Department of Law. Because this is a pending legal matter, I cannot comment about the details other than to state that I am innocent of all charges and look forward to clearing my name in a court of law.”
The charging document says LeDoux and Simpson conspired to register voters — Simpson and Vaught, specifically — who were not eligible to vote in House District 15, the district served by LeDoux.
Simpson is co-chair of the Alaska Public Broadcasting Commission, but no longer works for LeDoux’s office. Her address for the commission role lists her at an address on Dorbrandt Street in Spenard; while some of her voter files list an address in Rabbit Creek. She is also listed elsewhere as living in District 15.
District 15 had an extraordinary number of absentee ballots and multiple irregularities associated with it, such as having as many as 17 people registered to vote who were purported to live in a tiny trailer in one of the trailer courts.
But none of those voter irregularities appear to be part of this set of charges. Instead, the document focuses on a very narrow set of people — LeDoux, her chief of staff, and her chief of staff’s son.
Prosecutors say that Simpson, her husband, and her son registered to vote in the district in 2018, although they had not lived in the district and were not eligible.
In 2014, LeDoux texted former residents of the districts with messages such as this one to a person named Dot: “This is going to b a VERY CLOSE election and I am going to really NEED your vote. Can u please request a ballot TODAY.”
Another message advised Dot, “don’t worry about the legality of this. Remember when I wanted to challenge people 4 years ago the division of elections was simply not interested.”
None of the charges by the Department of Law refer to the now-deceased Charlie Chang, who LeDoux paid to travel to Alaska to harvest ballots from people in her district; particularly of concern was the number of ballots cast by dead people.
That was a scandal of a different order that erupted after an abnormal amount of absentee ballots came from District 15. After the primary win, LeDoux travelled to Northern California. While she was there, Chang died, somewhat mysteriously.
LeDoux, Rep. Louise Stutes, Rep. Bryce Edgmon, Rep. Neal Foster, and former Reps. Jim Colver and Paul Seaton made up a “Musk Ox Coalition” that challenged Speaker Mike Chenault in 2015 over the Permanent Fund dividend. In a letter to Chenault, they said any change to the way the Permanent Fund dividend was handled should go to a vote of the people.
Since LeDoux, a Republican, helped put Democrats in charge of the House, her district political leadership and the Republican Party itself has sanctioned her and no funds may be expended to help her with her race; rather, the Party has looked for a legitimate primary challenger.
In 2018, that person was Aaron Weaver, who came close to beating LeDoux in the primary.
Today, Weaver said he was “gobsmacked” when he learned of the news, and said that District 15 deserves better than to have someone like LeDoux representing it.
Jake Sloan, who described himself as a “Hail Mary” candidate in 2018, ran as write-in campaign after Weaver lost the primary to LeDoux.
Today, he said that the damage she has done to the state is substantial, since she prevented the House from making the cuts to the budget that were needed last year, and with the price of oil dropping, the situation has just gotten more serious.
The charges against LeDoux will be heard in court at a later date, according to the Department of Law. They have, however, been reviewed by the U.S Department of Justice. These are just state charges. The matter of Charlie Chang would be federal because he came from California to assist in the committing of fraud, and the mail-in ballots constitute mail fraud, a federal offense.
Must Read Alaska has learned that LeDoux’s fingerprints are on ballots from various people in the district from 2018.
Must Read Alaska would not be surprised if there was some kind of action taken by the House of Representatives. The House has the ability to remove her, but Mason’s Rules requires due process. The Speaker is empowered to appoint a committee on committees to shake up LeDoux’s committee assignments, subject to a vote of the body.
Tuckerman Babcock, former chairman of the Alaska Republican Party, said “if you can’t trust the integrity of election then the entire faith in the system is in question.” He has called for her resignation.
Meanwhile, David Nelson has file to run against LeDoux in the primary this year.
CANADA CLOSES ALL PORTS TO CRUISE SHIPS, IMPACTING ALASKA
Today President Donald Trump declared the coronavirus outbreak a national emergency. Trump invoked the Stafford Act, a law that empowers the Federal Emergency Management Agency to coordinate disaster response and aid state and local governments.
This will open up access to up to $50 billion for states and localities.
The virus has now shown up in 46 states.
His announcement was made at the White House this afternoon and included such details as:
Every state should set up emergency operations centers immediately.
The government is asking every hospital to activate emergency preparedness plan.
He is overriding regulations so the country can open up access to telehealth and allow doctors to work across state lines and is
Waiving requirements on hospital beds limits and lengths of stay, and
Waiving rules to bring more doctors on board for nursing home facilities by lowering red tape.
New rules for visitations at nursing homes.
CANADA CLOSES PORTS TO CRUISE SHIPS
Canada has closed all ports to cruise ships until at least July 1. That means no Alaska cruises of ships holding more than 500 passengers will be coming to Alaska this year.
Several lines that are foreign flagged use Victoria, B.C. to meet the “foreign-port” federal requirement when doing 7-day runs out of Seattle.
NATIONAL PETROLEUM RESERVE
The president said the country will fill the National Petroleum Reserves up to the top. This means the government will be buying oil at a low price to ensure the nation has enough oil reserves.
As announced earlier, the U.S. is suspending all travel from Europe today except for Americans. Those travelers will be screened and asked to voluntarily self-quarantine.
In what has to be one of the weirdest moments of a very weird week, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin was on The Masked Singer, a show where celebrities face off against one another in a singing competition, while in a disguise that conceals their identity. Palin’s costume was a pink bear suit.
Because she was eliminated from a former round, her identity was revealed and she performed “Baby Got Back” unmasked. The song is a rap hit by by Sir Mix-A-Lot.
Palin was John McCain’s running mate in 2008 presidential election and resigned from office as Alaska’s governor in 2009. She has been a political commentator for Fox News.
Must Read Alaska is publishing updates relating to the Coronavirus COVID-19. Check for previous stories under the All Stories tab.
In this update: Anchorage, D.C. disaster declarations, ‘Meet Alaska’ cancelled, miners meeting called off
Anchorage: Anchorage Mayor Ethan Berkowitz announced an emergency declaration, allowing the municipality to request funds from the State of Alaska for services needed to address the COVID-19 pandemic. The first case was identified in Alaska today; the person is a cargo pilot who was transiting through the Ted Stevens International Airport.
The emergency declaration “allows the Municipality, through the Office of Emergency Management, to request assistance from the State of Alaska, including funds, services or materials deemed necessary to meet needs stemming from COVID-19.”
“Our strategy is to prepare and to position our resources to slow its advance and minimize its effect,” Berkowitz said.
D.C. emergency: Washington, D.C.vMayor Muriel Bowser declared a state of emergency Wednesday. Also, officials have closed the U.S. Capitol and nearby congressional buildings to the public, through April 1.
Only staff, lawmakers, media, and official business visitors will be allowed inside the buildings on Capitol Hill.
Meet Alaska: The annual gathering of the Alaska Support Industry Alliance, which focuses on companies providing support services to the resource industries, has been cancelled. It was scheduled for March 20.
Alaska Miners: The Alaska Miners Association has cancelled its Fairbanks conference for March 30-April 4.
Canadian Prime Minister’s wife: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will work from home for the next 14 days, because his wife has tested positive for coronavirus. He has not been tested and has shown no symptoms.
The first case of COVID-19 coronavirus has come to Alaska . Gov. Mike Dunleavy, and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Anne Zink announced the news today at a 5 pm press conference.
“This is no surprise, it’s not extraordinary,” said Gov. Dunleavy. “It was just a matter of time. We feel good about the protocols we have in place,” he said, saying that protocols will be continually reassessed.
“There is no reason to panic, no reason to get upset,” Dunleavy said.
The case was identified at Alaska Regional Hospital.
It was a foreign national individual, a male who is transiting through Alaska. He knew about the virus, he was monitoring himself, and as soon as he developed symptoms, he called ahead, was assessed, and tested in Alaska. The patient self isolated in an appropriate manner, Zink said.
“This is an isolated case we think we can contain,” Zink said, saying it is different from community transmission.
The person has not been wandering through the community, but Zink would not say where the person came from or through which countries. The person did travel to Alaska through the Ted Stevens International Airport in the past 48 hours. The person is an adult, but Zink would not say more about where this person may have been or what hotel the person may have been at.
Updated: Must Read Alaska has learned that it was a cargo pilot or crew and that he knew he was symptomatic when he landed. The Governor’s Office has confirmed that the person was on a cargo flight that was owned by a private company. This means the exposure to the general community at large was greatly reduced.
The person has been released from Alaska Regional Hospital and placed in a quarantined housing situation that Zink said would remain private.
Elsewhere in aviation, an American Airlines pilot who is based in Dallas-Fort Worth, has been diagnosed with the virus and is being treated. American Airlines has about 15,000 pilots; this may be the first case of a commercial airline pilot becoming infected.
Two Alaska state employees filed a lawsuit against the State of Alaska and the Alaska State Employees Association today for forcing them to pay union dues against their will.
According to theJanus v. AFSCME Supreme Court ruling, union dues cannot be deducted from state employees’ paychecks without their “affirmative consent.”
Linda Creed, an environmental health technician for the Department of Environmental Conservation, opted out of her union, only to be put back in after a court restraining order was placed on the Dunleavy Administration. Since then, she has been paying union dues without her consent.
Tyler Riberio, an environmental impact analyst at the Department of Transportation, also opted out, only to be put back in.
Background: In fall 2019, Alaska administration issued an order to ensure no government employee was forced to pay union dues against their will.
But within weeks, the matter was tied up in state court and the Administration’s efforts to defend workers’ First Amendment rights and to implement the Supreme Court Janus ruling were halted.
Creed and Riberio brought their lawsuit with help from the Alaska Policy Forum and the Liberty Justice Center, the nonprofit law firm behind the 2018 U.S. Supreme Court case Janus v. AFSCME.
ANCHORAGE SCHOOL DISTRICTS WILL HAVE LONG SPRING BREAK
Must Read Alaska is publishing compendium updates relating to the Coronavirus COVID-19. Check for previous stories under the All News tab.
In this edition of the update: University closure, Anchorage public schools, and Sen. Dan Sullivan suspends a fundraiser.
Starting March 23, and potentially for the rest of the semester, most UA courses will be offered using alternate delivery methods (online, audioconference or web-conference) rather than traditional classroom instruction, said President Jim Johnsen today.
“Exceptions may be made at the discretion of the chancellors for clinical, lab, and other hands-on courses where ‘social distance’ and other personal safety measures can be assured,” he said.
His announcement comes in the wake of the pandemic virus COVID-19.
“In addition, we are working to address issues such as computer access and other student needs in ways that maintain social distance.”
The university is extending spring break by one week for students in order to allow faculty time to prepare their courses for alternative delivery methods.
That means there will be no classes between now and March 23.
Employees should return to work unless affected by restrictions established in separate guidance, he said, and students in residence halls should stay at their permanent residences, or return home to them by March 17.
The closure of the university campuses follows a pattern seen across the nation, from Yale University in New Haven, Conn. to Multnomah Bible College in Portland, Ore.
Temporary access to residence halls will be provided to access needed personal items and study materials, Johnsen said. Exceptions may be made for students who cannot travel or have no place to go.
“We are canceling all events and gatherings of 25 people or more between today (March 12) and March 31. We will revisit the situation later this month and make a decision then regarding events for the rest of the spring semester,” Johnsen said. The school is also expanding restrictions on university-related travel, and making plans for cleaning and sanitizing university facilities.
“We are expanding requirements for employees and others coming to campus to stay home/stay away after returning from travel to certain areas outside Alaska or if they have possible exposure to COVID-19,” Johnsen said.
Visitors to the campuses, including those going to the museums, libraries, and gatherings, are being asked to report their presence to staff, and stay away from campuses if they have traveled in the previous 14 days.
Community restrictions apply to employees, students and campus visitors.
The complete set of guidelines was published today, subject to change:
Anchorage Public Schools: Anchorage public schools will remain closed for a week past Spring break, which is this week, due to the coronavirus. District leaders are considering keeping the schools closed longer, the District announced Thursday.
Sen. Dan Sullivan: Earlier Thursday, the U.S. Senate canceled its upcoming March recess in order to continue work on an emergency aid and economic relief package for Americans impacted by the COVID-19 virus.
As a result, Senator Sullivan will remain in Washington, D.C. over the weekend to ensure these critical negotiations with the White House as well as his colleagues in the House and Senate reflect the needs and priorities of Alaska and the country.
Because of these recent developments, his fundraiser scheduled for Friday at Rotak Helicopter Services will be rescheduled.
Must Read Alaska will, starting today, publish compendium updates relating to the Coronavirus COVID-19.
These will be numbered “COVID update 1,2,3…”
Because it’s a rapidly evolving social, political, and health environment, the updates will be published as needed, with brevity. Here’s the first:
No cases in Alaska yet: As of Thursday, the State of Alaska has not determined any cases of COVID-19 in Alaska. Of the 135,306 cases worldwide, 1,336 are in the United States, and there have been 36 deaths in the U.S. since the first case was determined in Seattle in February.
State Department: The State Department has raised its advisory for Americans to Level 3, which is when the government asks people to reconsider all travel abroad.
Europe travel: The 30-day travel order applies to citizens of 26 European countries but excludes Britain and Ireland, as well as American citizens. The orders take effect from midnight on Friday.
Princess, Viking: On Thursday, Princess Cruises and Viking Cruise Lines suspended operations for two months. The cruise season out of the Port of Seattle begins April 1.
Senate: In Washington, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said the Senate will cancel its planned recess next week and work on legislation to mitigate the pandemic. Democrats in the House have a package that would mandate paid sick leave for all workers, free coronavirus testing, and a $1 billion infusion for unemployment insurance.
Chugiak/Eagle River: The Mat-Su delegation town hall and the Chugiak/Eagle River town hall meetings scheduled for March 21have been cancelled. Your input in writing is welcome:[email protected] or [email protected].
Sports: The NBA postponed its season on Wednesday. The National Hockey League on Thursday announced it will “pause” its season: “In light of ongoing developments resulting from the coronavirus, and after consulting with medical experts and convening a conference call of the Board of Governors, the National Hockey League is announcing today that it will pause the 2019 20 season beginning with tonight’s games.”
Dr. Anne Zink, Chief Medical Officer: The Alaska Department of Health and Social Services expanded information available on its COVID-19 webpageto address high-risk populations at a new Specific Groups page, with direct links noted below.
