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(1-minute read) LAW AND ORDER GOVERNOR
Gov. Michael J. Dunleavy will unveil a package of crime-fighting bills to repeal and replace SB 91 on Wednesday, January 23 at an 11:30 am press conference.
Crime was one of the major thrusts of his State of the State Address on Tuesday night, and he reiterated a promise he made during his campaign for governor that he would introduce legislation to repeal the bill that many Alaskans believe led to a surge in crime.
Along with Dunleavy, Attorney General Kevin Clarkson, and Corrections Commissioner Nancy Dahlstrom will attend, as well as other members of his public safety team, his office said.
Although the Legislature has rolled back some of the more egregious aspects of SB 91, public perception is that the bill has created a soft-on-crime cultural norm.
‘IF YOU’RE A CRIMINAL … I STRONGLY SUGGEST YOU GET OUT WHILE YOU CAN’
Gov. Michael Dunleavy gave a big-picture speech as his first State of the State Address on Tuesday night. The theme was that he plans to keep the promises he made in the campaign: No change to the Permanent Fund dividend calculation without a vote of the people, turning the economy around and growing jobs, and having a budget that reflects what actual revenues are.
But most of all, he focused on crime. It was clear there’s a new sheriff in town, and in that section of his speech, he delivered his most powerful lines of the evening:
“To law-abiding Alaskans, I say this to you: I care if your house is burglarized. I care if your car is stolen. And I care if your loved ones are threatened.
“But to the criminals, and to the rapists and molesters who see women and children as nothing more than opportunities, I say this to you: We will do everything in our power to stop you, apprehend you, and put you in prison for a very long time.”
Dunleavy showed compassion for those Alaskans who have gotten mixed up with opioids or other addictive substances and want help.
“We are a compassionate people as well. Therefore, as part of our public safety approach we will provide ways for you to break this habit and get back into society and be productive individuals.”
But let me be perfectly clear. If you are a criminal, this is going to be a very dangerous place for you, starting now. I strongly suggest you get out while you can. No more coddling, no more excuses. Your days are over. – Gov. Michael Dunleavy
Dunleavy went on to reiterate his pledge to repeal and replace SB 91, the criminal justice reform bill that is widely blamed for the increase in crime across Alaska.
With SB 91, we broke the People’s trust and now is the time to restore it. By doing the right things, we can fix what is broken and restore the trust that was lost.
The speech went for about 23 minutes and it was his first address to the Alaska Legislature. The State of the State address is a tradition, but not a requirement. The governor must give a report on the state of the state every year to the Legislature, and by custom, it is a speech that is televised, as this one was at 360North.org. It was streamed live on KTUU.com and KTVA.com.
During the speech, he introduced the families of victims of crime: Scotty and Aaliya Barr of Kotzebue, who lost Ashley Johnson-Barr in a gruesome killing, and Edie and Ben Grunwald of Palmer, who lost their son David to an execution-style murder. The Grunwalds were not able to make it into Juneau because of fog at the airport.
“Unfortunately, we all know their tragic stories too well — two beautiful young Alaskans taken from their families by individuals who have no regard for human life.”
KEEPING PROMISES – THREE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS
Dunleavy didn’t dive into specifics on his plans for the budget, but he reiterated that the budget he will present will be far smaller than the one that was handed to him by Gov. Bill Walker.
For growing the economy, he said he had assembled a top team of experts that will focus on bringing businesses to Alaska. He highlighted two small businesses in Alaska that have been successful at manufacturing in the 49th state: TriJet Manufacturing Systems in Palmer and Bambino’s Baby Food in Anchorage, which now employs 25 people.
He said that he’d offer three constitutional amendments for the Legislature’s consideration: No change in the way the Permanent Fund dividend is calculated without a vote of the people, no change in taxes without a vote of the people. The third constitutional amendment would relate to a spending limit and savings plan to keep politicians from spending “every penny we have.”
MEMORABLE QUOTES FROM THE SPEECH
“I’m Governor today because of the campaign promises I made to the people of Alaska on the issues most of us believe in. I’m here to do exactly what I promised to do. What I told Alaskans I would do.”
“We’re going to declare war on criminals. We’re going to get our spending in line with our revenue. We’re going to protect Alaskans’ PFDs. We’re going to grow our economy and put Alaskans to work. And we must restore public trust in government and elected officials.”
“…that together we can overcome anything; that together we will make our streets safe again; that together we will build a permanent fiscal plan; that together, we will protect the Permanent Fund dividend for generations to come. That together, we will restore the trust of the Alaska People in their government and their elected officials.”
“We are now preparing a budget that for the first time all Alaskans will be able to understand and trust. No more games, no more shuffling numbers. Just an honest, straightforward look at where we are.”
“In order to address the fiscal issues that have plagued our state for years, we need a permanent fiscal plan. A plan that will put our state on solid footing for decades to come.”
“Politicians often talk about policies and laws, but what Alaskans really care about, are jobs, opportunities and individual freedoms.”
“Alaska doesn’t have to be just a resource state. We have so much more to offer.”
“I promise you now, what I promised during the campaign. Things will be different, things will be very different. Together we are tasked with righting the wrongs that have broken the trust of the Alaskan people.”
“As for me, that in part means this: That all the special interests, all the political insiders, all those used to manipulating government and policy for their own benefit — this is just not your time.”
“Together we are tasked with righting the wrongs that have broken the trust of the Alaska People. And I’ll work with all my energy, dedication, and ability to do exactly what I promised you I would do.”
The complete speech is linked here:
(2-minute read) BOARD NAMES HIM DURING MEETING TODAY
Curtis Thayer, who announced recently that he was stepping down from the head of the Alaska Chamber of Commerce, has been named the executive director of the Alaska Energy Authority. He takes the place of Janet Reiser, who left last month.
The Alaska Energy Authority is an independent corporation governed by a board of directors with the mission to “reduce the cost of energy in Alaska.” AEA is the state’s energy office and lead agency for statewide energy policy and program development.
Whether building modern and code-compliant bulk fuel tank farms, upgrading to high-efficiency generators in rural powerhouse systems or integrating renewable energy projects, AEA emphasizes community-based project management. AEA’s core programs work to diversify Alaska’s energy portfolio, lead energy planning and policy, invest in Alaska’s energy infrastructure and provide rural Alaska with technical and community assistance.
AEA also manages the Renewable Energy Fund, the Emerging Energy Technology Fund, the Power Cost Equalization Program and various Energy Efficiency and Conservation Programs. AEA provides grants and loans for qualified energy infrastructure projects and also owns energy infrastructure for the benefit of Alaskans.
Thayer was commissioner of the Department of Administration under Gov. Sean Parnell and has deep political ties throughout the state. He was also deputy commissioner of the Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development, worked for the Alaska Gas Producers Pipeline Team, and ENSTAR natural gas company.
Thayer was born and raised in Anchorage and graduated from the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
(1-minute read) MOVING UP THE RANKS IN COMMITTEE
U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan has been selected as chairman of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness and Management Support.
Sullivan will oversee military readiness across each branch within the Department of Defense, including training, logistics and maintenance programs, military construction, installations and family housing issues, and defense energy and environmental programs. The subcommittee is one of seven in the Armed Services Committee. Others involve issues such as terrorism, cybersecurity, personnel, air power and sea power.
“Ensuring our service members have all of the resources, equipment and training to protect our nation against an increasingly complex and diverse array of threats remains my top priority and a top priority of the Department of Defense,” said Sullivan.
“This is an important subcommittee for our military, especially our forces in Alaska. We have made great progress on rebuilding readiness shortfalls over the last couple of years, but much more work must be done. This Congress, I look forward to finishing our service-specific readiness hearing series with a hearing on Army Readiness. I also hope to tackle other important issues including acquisition reforms, industrial base issues, and Arctic readiness.”
(1-minute read) KENAI REPUBLICAN GOES AGAINST A REPUBLICAN-LED MAJORITY
Rep. Gary Knopp, who represents one of the most conservative areas of Alaska, voted with the Democrats and the two Musk Ox Republicans — Reps. Louise Stutes and Gabrielle LeDoux — against Rep. Dave Talerico for Speaker of the House and against a Republican-led majority.
The House gaveled in this morning, but the vote for the Healy Republican as Speaker went 20-20, thereby failing.
Rep. Chris Tuck, an Anchorage Democrat, then withdrew the nomination of Rep. Bryce Edgmon, possibly understanding that his nomination, too, would fail.
Knopp earlier had been part of the Republican caucus but then removed himself and joined with the two Republicans who do not caucus with other Republicans. He said he wanted a bipartisan caucus.
His move means that the House is still not organized, a term that means no specific group is in charge and no one is the Speaker. In the interim, Rep. Neal Foster is Speaker Pro Tem.
In his campaign, Knopp may have indicated where he stood. He wrote on his campaign website: “Our State Legislature has spent their time bickering and finger-pointing and the time for a thoughtful fiscal solution is long overdue. We need new blood in the State House.”
“We need a representative who will remember the commitment he made to the citizens of the Kenai Peninsula House District 30 to get things done and find real, practical answers to our budget issues,” Knopp wrote during the campaign season.
Knopp’s district has 5,239 registered Republicans and 1,161 Democrats. Because of the deeply conservative nature of the district, he ran unopposed in both the Primary and the General Election in 2018.
Gov. Bill Walker is the sporting subject of a comedy night to raise funds for the United Way of Tanana Valley in Fairbanks. A panel of local celebrities will be in attendance to roast the former governor on behalf of a good cause on Feb. 1 at the Westmark Hotel.
Alyeska Pipeline Service Company is the title sponsor, but organizations as big as Alaska Airlines and as small as the Fairbanks Funny Festival are also sponsoring.
“We’re ready for some side-splitting laughter!” the announcement reads at the organization’s website.
There’s plenty of material to work with. Things like, “If you like your full dividend, you can keep your full dividend.” We’re thinking out loud here.
But seriously, kudos to Gov. Walker for being such a good sport for a worthy cause.
THE ANCHORAGE DAILY PLANET
Mayor Ethan Berkowitz wants code enforcement officers, rather than police, to be responsible for ticketing and towing junked or abandoned vehicles and plans to ask voters to change the city charter so that can happen.
The argument for the change is that police have better things to do, and code enforcement officers easily could do the job.
It is a passable argument, but a very bad idea.
Lest we forget, police are responsible now for those tasks only because of egregious city conduct years ago that caused voters furious about the then-Anchorage Parking Authority’s overly aggressive parking enforcement to rise up in 1997 and institute the very language in the charter that Berkowitz now would change.
It what became known as the Parking Wars, two Anchorage sisters fired up a heated campaign against the aggressive enforcement by dressing up as “parking fairies” and, to the amusement of the public and the consternation of public officials, began feeding coins into expired meters.
The charter language approved by voters in 1997 is clear: “No enforcement of any vehicle violation, whether the vehicle is parked or in motion may be performed by the Municipality of Anchorage by any persons other than a regularly sworn police officer….”
http://www.anchoragedailyplanet.com/145487/leave-it-alone/
BY CRAIG MEDRED
CRAIGMEDRED.NEWS
News Analysis
The United Fishermen of Alaska has issued its annual report on who got the fish of the 49th state, and the winner is?
Outside fishing interests.
Of the 6.4 billion pounds of seafood harvested in Alaska in 2017, UFA’s 2018 Alaska Commercial Fishing and Seafood Processing report lists 4.6 billion pounds – almost two-thirds – harvested by permit holders from Washington, Oregon or California.
Alaska became a state in large part to break the chokehold Seattle-based interests held on state fisheries. The late George Rogers, a Juneau economist and consultant to the Alaska Constitutional Convention in a recorded history at 360North.org noted the resentment Alaskans of an earlier time held toward Outside fishing interests and the fish traps they operated.
“The fish trap…is looked upon by most Alaskans as the dipper with which the large absentee owner appeared to skim with relative ease the cream of one of the regions most valuable natural resources and then carried away to the outside the fullest part of the wealth so guarded,” he said. “That’s pretty poetic.”
The poetry killed the trap, though Rogers noted traps were the ideal way to harvest salmon.
“…It was the only way that salmon should have been harvested because the fish worked out to the runs,” he said. “You could manage. You knew what was coming and going. You could control the escapement of the fish. You could then control the harvest. You didn’t have to chase mobile gear all over the place. And it was just perfect, but the trouble with the fish trap was that it was owned by the processors, the canners, and they were all Outside interests.”
With Statehood, the traps disappeared, but somehow the Outside interests hung onto the fisheries.
Oil made Alaska after Statehood, and Alaskans were lucky for it because the idea they were going to take back the fisheries clearly failed as the situation circa 2018 underlines: