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Black Rifles Matter: House members call for removal of Human Rights commissioners

Suzanne Downing
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13
Black Rifles Matter: House members call for removal of Human Rights commissioners

VICE CHAIR OF TROUBLED COMMISSION HAS RESIGNED

Following the sudden resignation of Alaska Human Rights Commission Executive Director Marti Buscaglia, some members of the Alaska Legislature are concerned about the culture at the commission and are calling for removal of the commission members who voted to retain Buscaglia.

Last week, the commissioners of the agency, all volunteers, chose to retain her rather than fire her on a vote of 5-2. She was suspended without pay and was supposed to apologize for her actions.

House Minority Leader Rep. Lance Pruitt said an investigation needs to be mounted into what led Buscaglia to believe she could regulate Alaskans’ speech, after she was subject to an investigation by the State.

[April 9 update: Chairman of Commission resigns]

Also last week, key Republicans placed a public records request for communications between Buscaglia and her staff to determine if there is a pattern of abusing Alaskans’ civil rights. Buscaglia used her authority to suppress the free speech rights of an Alaskan who had parked his truck in the parking lot associated with the agency. The truck had a “Black Rifles Matter” sticker on it, which refers to Second Amendment rights.

“While we’re happy to see that Ms. Buscaglia will be moving on from the position, we’re still very concerned about the culture that was created under her at the Commission for Human Rights,” Rep. Pruitt said. “If her leadership and values, in any way, allowed for the systemic suppression of rights, we’re going to do everything we can to root it out.”

Rep. Lance Pruitt, Rep. Colleen Sullivan-Leonard, call for investigation.

“This is a great victory for free speech and for Alaskans,” said Rep. Colleen Sullivan-Leonard, one of the members involved with the inquiry.

“Anyone who enables this sort of civil rights violation, as the Commission did by retaining Buscaglia in the first place, has breached the public’s trust and need not be serving in government. I call on Governor Dunleavy to take swift action in removing the commissioners responsible for this egregious oversight,” she said.

The vice chair of the commission also resigned today. Freddie R. Olin IV submitted his letter of resignation, stating that he was moving out of state.

[Read: Human Rights director resigns]

Fish wars: Gearing up for a Fish Board fight

Suzanne Downing
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1
Fish wars: Gearing up for a Fish Board fight

By CRAIG MEDRED
CRAIGMEDRED.NEWS

Yet again, Alaska appears to be gearing up for a big fight focused on one of the state’s smallest commercial fisheries.

The United Fishermen of Alaska, one of the most politically powerful organizations in the north, over the weekend posted an “Action Alert” calling on its members to oppose the appointment of Karl Johnstone based on his actions when he served the BOF (Board of Fisheries) from 2008-2015.

Appointed to the Board again on the first of the month by Gov. Mike Dunleavy, Johnstone this weeks starts confirmation hearings before the Alaska Legislature.

A retired Alaska Superior Court judge, Johnstone was generally well-respected  by the majority of commercial, personal-use, subsistence and sport fishermen across the breadth of the state when he earlier served on the Board, but he stirred emotions in Cook Inlet.

The Inlet supports a comparatively small commercial fishery over which Alaskans fight a lot.

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game is projecting a statewide, commercial harvest of 213.2 million salmon this year. About 7.2 million of those fish, or about 3 percent of the total harvest, is expected to come from the Inlet.

And the Upper Inlet – where the real battle is focused on harvests of red (sockeye), silver (coho), and king (Chinook) salmon – is forecast to have a commercial catch of about 3.5 million or less than 2 percent of the statewide harvest.

But the Inlet is where the UFA – now led by Matt Alward, a commercial net maker from the community of Homer at the foot of the Inlet – appears to have drawn the line on Johnstone.

Fish wars

The stage for the National Geographic television show “Alaska Fish Wars,” the Inlet is a 220-mile-long finger of the Gulf of Alaska stabbing into the urban underbelly of the state. Lapping first at the doorstep of Anchorage, it washes north to the edge of the Matanuska-Susitna Borough.

[Read the rest of this story at CraigMedred.news]

UAA education program axed by board of regents

Suzanne Downing
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6
UAA education program axed by board of regents

In a 6-5 vote, the University of Alaska Board of Regents discontinued seven teacher development programs at University of Alaska Anchorage, effective Sept. 1.

The programs had lost their national accreditation in January.

University President Jim Johnsen, facing budget cuts that could be substantial from the Legislature or by the governor’s veto pen, proposed discontinuing the teaching programs rather than trying to rehabilitate them and reapply for accreditation.

Regents voting to discontinue the programs were Board of Regents Chairman John Davies, Gloria O’Neill, Karen Perdue, Mary Hughes, John Bania, and Stephen Sweet. Darrol Hargraves, Lisa Parker, Andy Teuber, Sheri Buretta, and Dale Anderson voted to save the following programs, which are currently without accreditation:

Bachelor of Arts, Elementary Education
Post‐Baccalaureate, Elementary Education
Master of Arts in Teaching, Secondary Education
Bachelor of Arts, Early Childhood Education
Post‐Baccalaureate, Early Childhood Education
Graduate Certificate, Special Education (initial licensure)
M.Ed, Early Childhood Special Education (initial licensure)

UAA has had the largest education program in the state, with more than 250 students currently enrolled. Some of the students may be transitioned to other campuses, either Fairbanks or Juneau, to complete their degrees.

[Read: University Prez: Time to close UAA teacher programs]

In January, UAA Chancellor Cathy Sandeen wrote to the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation: “I wish to assure you, the Council and all of our stakeholders that we are rapidly taking steps to address areas noted by the Accreditation Council for improvement and stipulations. While our first concern must be –and is –to address the needs of our current students, I also want to bring to your attention the major steps we are taking to address deficiencies and to fully prepare these programs to regain accreditation at the earliest opportunity.”

But the university would not be able to even reapply for accreditation for another year, and meanwhile, students in the program would be studying without assurances that their degrees would be useful.

To date, no University of Alaska college administrator has lost his or her job over the debacle. Three administrators who were on payroll at the time of the accreditation review have been replaced.

Breaking: Human Rights Commission director resigns

Suzanne Downing
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21
Breaking: Human Rights Commission director resigns

BLACK RIFLES MATTER

Must Read Alaska has learned that Marti Buscaglia, the embattled executive director of the Alaska Human Rights Commission, has resigned, effective April 26.

Buscaglia resigned in a memo sent to the chairman of the board of the commission, Brandon Nakasato, and the other commissioners. It is dated April 8.

Buscaglia became the subject of much debate after she put her State-issued business card on a truck parked in the parking lot of the Human Rights Commission, ordering the owner to remove his truck and its “offensive sticker” — which was a Second Amendment sticker, Black Rifles Matter.

She also posted a deriding comment about the man’s truck on the State official Facebook page.

[Read: Human Rights director thought she was regulating ‘hate speech’]

[Read: Human Rights Commission vs. First, Second Amendment]

Some rights matter: Human rights commission votes, retains executive director

[April 9 update: Chairman of commission also resigns]

Rep. Louise Stutes on an income tax: “Agreed!”

Suzanne Downing
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22
Rep. Louise Stutes on an income tax: “Agreed!”

It’s tax season and only seven days left to the federal tax filing deadline of April 15. Just in time for Rep. Louise Stutes of Kodiak to make it known she’s onboard with state income taxes.

Fed up with talks of cuts and efficiency, Rep. Stutes took a bold stance today, firmly supporting new income taxes in her response to a message from an Alaskan who says he is ready for a state income tax.

Stutes hit the “all reply” function with her one word answer: “Agreed!” That made sure that all of her colleagues in the Legislature know just where she stands.

It’s rare for a Republican to be so frank about wanting to institute an income tax on a conservative population that doesn’t have one on the books, but Stutes often writes in her constituent newsletter about the need for such a tax. Her Kodiak residents have a per-capita income of $32,600, not counting the $3,000 Permanent Fund dividend that the Dunleavy Administration wants to return to each Alaskan.

Don Young: Help a vet

Suzanne Downing
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1
Don Young: Help a vet

Congressman Don Young has posted a short video encouraging Alaskans to reach out to help prevent suicide among the military community. It’s apparently a growing concern for Alaska’s congressman and he’s using his bully pulpit to talk directly to Alaskans.

In March, Young sent a letter to the Army Surgeon General Lt. Gen. Nadja West, asking for an investigation into the increasing number of suicides among soldiers at Fort Wainwright.

“As the number of military suicides continues to climb in Alaska, it is clear that the battle is far from over,” he wrote. “Therefore, I request that you send [an Army Medical Command] team to Fort Wainwright to examine the situation on the ground and provide us and the installation with solutions for a path forward.”

Now, Young, who is an Army veteran himself, has turned his focus to the issue of veteran suicide:

Anchorage Police now have dedicated cell service

Suzanne Downing
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1
Anchorage Police now have dedicated cell service

The Anchorage Police Department is using new phone technology from the First Responder Network Authority, a national communications platform that allows first responders to communicate even when regular cell phone networks are overwhelmed.

FirstNet is an independent authority inside the U.S. Department of Commerce. It was created by Congress in 2012 to develop, build, and operate a nationwide, dedicated broadband network exclusively for first responders.

APD had already planned to join FirstNet before the Nov. 30 earthquake in Southcentral Alaska, but the Police Chief Justin Doll  said the earthquake highlighted the need, even though officers never lost communications during the earthquake or after.

“When the shaking stopped, one of the first things I started doing was using my FirstNet phone to call members of our APD team to begin our response to the disaster,” Doll said. “While some residents experienced busy communication networks, I had immediate 100 percent connectivity with other FirstNet public safety users.”

The system has its roots in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States. In New York City and other areas, first responders were not able to communicate across agencies. Landlines and mobile connections were overwhelmed by the high volume of calls, making them a poor option for public safety personnel responding to emergencies.

The State of Alaska is also part of the FirstNet build out, which has now been accepted by all 50 states.

‘Rusty Tusty’ service is delayed due to … rust

Suzanne Downing
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7
‘Rusty Tusty’ service is delayed due to … rust

OCEAN-GOING FERRY WON’T BE IN SERVICE UNTIL MAY 18

The Alaska ferry M/V Tustumena is staying put at the Vigor Ketchikan Shipyards for now, due to extensive “steel wastage” on the car deck.

The 55-year-old ferry was in for its annual maintenance and overhaul in February, and during that servicing the rust was discovered. It is expected to return to service on May 18 on a trip from Homer to Kodiak. Originally, it would have been back in service next week.

The delay impacts communities in Southwest Alaska and along the Aleutian chain. Alaska Marine Highway System staff is contacting affected passengers.

The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities is in the process of replacing the Tustumena, one of two ocean-class vessels in the Alaska Marine Highway System fleet. Because of its size and design, it is the only ferry capable of serving all 13 ports of call between Homer and Unalaska.

But it has limitations. In addition to age, it can only accommodate 36 vehicles and 174 passengers. There is increasing demand for car deck capacity between Homer and Kodiak.

The timeline for replacing the Tustemena:

  • Glosten Selected for Design November 2013
  • Reconnaissance Report March 2014
  • Environmental Documents June 2014
  • Design Study Report November 2014
  • Construction Manager/General Contractor Procurement January 2019
  • Notice to Proceed CMGC June 2019
  • Preconstruction Phase July 2019 thru June 2020
  • Construction Notice to Proceed June 2020
  • Vessel Construction June 2020 thru November 2022

More information about the replacement project can be found here.

Push for Dunleavy’s amendments

Suzanne Downing
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2

It is time for Alaskans to talk to their representatives and senators about Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s trio of proposed constitutional amendments aimed at addressing the state’s chronic red ink problem.

From where we sit, all three should have been part of the Alaska Constitution since Day One.

One deals with a spending cap – Alaska has one, but it is largely ignored – and a savings plan. The second would place a constitutional roadblock on state taxes without a vote of the people. A third proposed amendment would bar any change to the Alaska Permanent Fund dividend without a vote of the people.

Read this editorial at Anchorage Daily Planet:

http://www.anchoragedailyplanet.com/153707/push-for-dunleavys-amendments/

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