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Consent of the governed

Suzanne Downing
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Consent of the governed

THE ANCHORAGE DAILY PLANET

Here is something Alaskans could – and should – eagerly get behind: a proposal, House Joint Resolution 1, that would amend the state constitution to prohibit implementation of state sales or personal income taxes without voter approval.

It makes perfectly good sense in a consent-of-the-governed way, although the tax-and-spend, big-government crowd  in the Legislature is sure to go bonkers at Sutton Republican Rep. George Rauscher’s measure, a bill pre-filed ahead of the scheduled Jan. 15 opening of the Legislature in Juneau.

Alaska, Florida, Nevada, South Dakota, Texas, Washington and Wyoming all eschew income taxes. Another two states, Tennessee and New Hampshire, do not tax income, but do tax interest and dividends.

Florida’s Constitution bars implementation of an income tax without an amendment, and that takes a 60 percent vote of the people. Nevada’s Constitution bars income and inheritance taxes. South Dakota abandoned an income tax in 1943. The Texas Constitution requires voter approval of any income tax. Washington? Adopted one in 1932, but it was declared unconstitutional. Wyoming could levy an income tax, but residents would be able to deduct what they had paid that year in sales and property taxes.

Alaska had one, but it was repealed in 1980 with the flood of oil revenue, much to the chagrin of the Left, which has wanted it reinstated ever since. If you will recall, at former Gov. Bill Walker’s behest, the Democrat-led House two years ago approved – and the Republican-majority Senate wisely sank – an income tax bill aimed at putting a dent in the state’s chronic, multibillion-dollar budget deficit.

[Read the rest at the Anchorage Daily Planet]

Longest serving Sister of Providence memorial service is Friday

Suzanne Downing
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COURTESY OF THE CATHOLIC ANCHOR

Sister Claire Gagnon, who started the Providence Alaska Pastoral Care Department in 1975, died peacefully in her sleep on Nov. 17, 2018, at the St. Joseph Residence in Seattle. She was 99 years old.

A memorial service is scheduled for 3 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 11, in the West Auditorium of Providence Alaska Medical Center.

Sister Gagnon was the longest-serving Sister of Providence at Providence Alaska Medical Center in Anchorage, where she worked for 28 years. She retired in 2003. In the summer of 2014 she celebrated her 75th year as a religious sister.

Born on a farm in St. Prosper, Quebec, in 1919, she was sent to the Sisters of Providence orphanage at Trois Rivieres, Quebec after the death of her father.

Sister Gagnon entered the Sisters of Providence in 1938 to pursue life as a nurse. After she made her first profession in 1940, she was sent to Providence Mount St. Vincent in Seattle to serve in the infirmary and learn English, followed by work as a cook at Sacred Heart School in Tacoma, Wash., in 1941.

She began nurse training at St. Elizabeth Hospital in Yakima, Wash., and completed her bachelor’s in nursing. During her years of service, Sister Gagnon provided care in hospitals in many different hospitals in the Pacific Northwest, including Seattle, Tacoma, Yakima, Portland, Ore., and Walla Walla, Wash. Her first role as an administrator was at St. Peter Hospital in Olympia, Wash., where she served for 13 years.

In 1975, Sister Gagnon began studying pastoral education at St. Mary’s Hospital in San Francisco. Following completion of her studies, she began the Pastoral Care Department at Providence Alaska Medical Center – at the time, Providence Hospital – in Anchorage. In this role she led a team of caregivers providing the spiritual needs of patients, families and hospital staff.

During her time in Anchorage, she was known for her love of Alaska’s outdoors, where she embraced activities such as skiing and jogging, occasionally around the Providence Alaska campus.

In an article in the September 2014 edition of the Catholic Anchor, Sister Gagnon said, “It has been a wonderful life. I am getting ready for home whenever the Lord says it is time. I hope it won’t be too long. The Lord will take me as I am because he made me that way.”

[Read the obituary for Sister Gagnon that was printed in the Catholic Sentinel in November.]

House bills address sex, taxes, patriotic mottos, and more

Suzanne Downing
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House bills address sex, taxes, patriotic mottos, and more

BODY FLUIDS ARE OF PARTICULAR INTEREST THIS SESSION

There may be a lot of awkward conversations in Juneau in coming months. They’ll be about mucus, feces, semen, and more.

Legislation filed so far in the “pre-file” batch released on Monday include a litany of Sex in the City items that may be debated in committee.

And birth control insurance coverage is the mildest of them, although even that topic might get salacious.

Rep. Matt Claman, an Anchorage Democrat, wants insurance companies in Alaska to be required to pay for contraception “and related services.”

His pre-filed bill, HB 21, mandates broad insurance coverage of drugs and devices that prevent pregnancy, including year-long pregnancy prevention medication.

The bill has an exemption for religious organizations that object to such methods of birth control and don’t want to pay insurance premiums that cover it. It is essentially the same bill he filed during the last session in 2018, HB 25, which he explained then was to address, in part, the issue of reproductive coercion.

“This deplorable behavior and blatant disregard for women’s health and autonomy is inexcusable. Contraceptive coercion is a public health issue, and it is also a public safety issue. By giving women and families access to affordable and reliable contraception, we can help current and potential victims of abuse,” he explained last year. That bill died in the Senate last year.

Rep. George Rauscher, an Interior Republican, wants to ensure that the public treasury isn’t paying for voluntary sex change operations of prisoners. His pre-filed bill, HB 5, says that the State will not pay for “gender reassignment medical procedure[s]” or drug therapy that is the precursor to “physiologically changing a person’s sex.” The bill specifically refers to incarcerated individuals and their medical care.

Rauscher also has filed a bill relating to sex education in Alaska, spelling out that schools should stick to themes that are age-appropriate and prohibiting the instruction in or advocacy of the intricacies of sexual intercourse, sexual stimulation or erotic behavior, or homosexuality, gender identity or express use of contraceptives and out-of-wedlock sexual behavior. This legislation would all but prohibit organizations like Planned Parenthood from teaching their agendas in the schools, although the bill never mentions the group or any other outside organization.

Of the 24 House bills that were filed in the “pre-file” timeframe so far, Rauscher had 10 of them, covering everything from moving the Legislature to Anchorage to ensuring that “In God we trust” is the official motto of the United States and “North to the Future” is the official motto of the state.

HB 6 would allow for the mottos to be displayed throughout public buildings where practical and where there are donated funds to support such a display. Rauscher’s bill would mandate that if ever there was a court challenge to the “In God We Trust” motto being displayed, the state Attorney General would vigorously defend it.

Rauscher also offered House Joint Resolution 1, to proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the State of Alaska prohibiting the imposition of a broad-based individual income tax or statewide general sales tax without the approval of the voters of the state.

Rep. John Lincoln addresses sexual misconduct in his HB 14, which would make it illegal in various circumstances to masturbate in the presence of another person and ejaculate on that person without that person’s consent.

His bill would further affirm that choking someone to impede their breathing or blood flow is considered the use of a deadly weapon, as defined elsewhere by Alaska Statute.

Rep. Geran Tarr also offered a bill pertaining to sexual crimes. Her HB 20 requires law enforcement agencies to send sexual assault examination kits for testing within six months after collection.

On the Senate side, incoming Sen. Scott Kawasaki filed SB 3, which deals with crimes of harassment; providing for an aggravating factor at sentencing for certain felonies committed for the sexual gratification of the offender. It mentions unwanted contact with bodily fluids, such as offensive physical contact with human or animal blood, mucus, saliva, semen, urine, vomitus, or feces.

Rauscher also filed HB 2, a bill to relocate the Legislature to Anchorage, a bill that gets filed by someone every session, usually a legislator from the Mat-Su. That’s sure to rile up Juneau and activate the Alaska Committee, which meets Wednesday and will likely have this bill on its agenda.

GCI’s Paul Landes named 2018 Outstanding Philanthropist

Suzanne Downing
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LEGACY FOR ALASKA SPECIAL OLYMPICS IS LONG-LASTING

Alaska is a young state in many regards, but especially when it comes to philanthropy.

In any state, the efforts of Alaskan Paul Landes would be noted with gratitude.

The Alaska Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals named GCI’s senior vice president of consumer services as the 2018 Outstanding Philanthropist for Alaska, an award that recognizes his history of service and support of the nonprofit community. He received the recognition at the organization’s annual December banquet.

In 2018, the CEO of Special Olympics Alaska died suddenly and his passing was felt widely across the state. Alaska Special Olympics community has more than 2,000 athletes, and Jim Balamaci was said to know nearly all of them by name. Those athletes, in turn, had thousands of supportive family members.

Balamaci was cherished by thousands of Alaskans and Sen. Lisa Murkowski paid tribute to him last. year on the Senate floor.

In recognition of all that Balamaci had accomplished for Alaska Special Olympics, Landes helped launch a $2 million endowment supporting the organization. Landes is a board member of Alaska Special Olympics and has served as chairman. Board duties for nonprofits include supporting the mission and raising money for the mission.

Landes took that role on with gusto. A $2 million endowment can spin off up to $100,000 a year  in perpetuity for the organization, which helps disabled athletes find a place in competing for athletic medals.

Landes also persuaded dozens of business executives and the community at-large to raise more than $1 million for the Covenant House.

GCI, where Landes works, donates easily more than $2 million every year to Alaska nonprofits, and also pays the volunteer hours of its 2,200 employees statewide as they dedicate 32,000 hours a year to charitable efforts.

Before joining GCI in 1999, Landes was an executive with Carr Gottstein Foods.

“It’s such an honor to be recognized by the AFP Alaska chapter, but it’s important to remember that this hasn’t been a solo effort. The level of compassion and willingness of our community to lend a helping hand never ceases to amaze me,” said Landes. “At the end of the day, we all want to better our community, especially for those who need a little extra help, and giving back is the best way we can make that happen.”

Lack of funding blamed for attempted murder?

Suzanne Downing
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Lack of funding blamed for attempted murder?

EDITOR AS ARMCHAIR PSYCHOLOGIST

The editorial page editor of the Anchorage Daily News is terrified that lack of funding could lead people to try to kill their children?

That is what current events subject expert Tom Hewitt appeared to say in a Twitter message that relates to the deteriorated mental health of an engineer who works at the Port of Anchorage, previously called the Port of Alaska.

Hewitt wrote on Twitter:

The engineer was arrested and charged with attempted murder after he allegedly tried to drown his -8-year-old daughter in the bathtub.

The man in question is the point person for replacing the deteriorating docks at the port, and was admitted to Providence Alaska Medical Center in November after his wife found a shotgun in their bed. According to the accounts, he was really stressed.

His mental health has evidently continued to deteriorate and the alleged attempted drowning of his child took place on Jan. 2.

The story about the incident was covered by the Anchorage Daily News.

(Must Read Alaska understands the problem in identifying an alleged perpetrator when doing so automatically identifies the victim, and in this case is not using the man’s name to err on the side of caution.)

Hewitt appeared to accept the idea that the attempted murder was related to funding challenges the port is experiencing.

After some rebuttal comments came back to Hewitt on Twitter, he modified his stance:

The Port of Alaska is a department of the Municipality of Anchorage and has three bulk carrier berths, two petroleum berths and one barge berth. The supports under the docks are in bad shape.

Meanwhile, there’s an 8-year-old girl in Anchorage who will never be the same.

(Note to readers: Should the man’s name and occupation be used in the ADN story, or did doing so simply capitalize on a tragedy to attract readers, while allowing him to use the Port problem as an excuse? Comment below.)

Tonight: Trump to deliver address on border security

Suzanne Downing
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Tonight: Trump to deliver address on border security

WILL SPEAK TO NATION FROM OVAL OFFICE FOR FIRST TIME

President Donald Trump will deliver a primetime address about what he’s calling a “humanitarian and national security crisis on our southern border” tonight at 5 pm Alaska Time.

This will be Trump’s first time in this three years in office using Oval Office for an address to the nation.

President Trump broke the news on Twitter and said he’ll be heading for the border on Thursday. Republicans and Democrats in Congress are at loggerheads over the president’s border wall, as the partial shutdown of the government enters its 18th day today.

On Jan. 4, Trump sent a letter to all members of Congress concerning the need to secure the borders. He attached a presentation that Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen was planning to deliver during a meeting with Congressional leadership in the White House Situation Room last week, but Democrats like House Speaker Nancy Pelosi refused to hear the presentation.

In his letter, the president writes “It is the sovereign right of every nation to establish an immigration program in its national interest—lawfully admitting those who have followed the rules, while denying entry to those who break the rules or fail to meet the requirements established in law.”

It’s a 9-minute read:

[Read the full text of the President’s letter, along with a gallery featuring the presentation slides.]

NBC, ABC, CBS, PBS and Fox have agreed to the White House’s request for air time. CNN, Fox News and MSNBC will all carry the address live, as well.

CSPAN will cover the speech here.

The Washington Post reported that the major networks of ABC, NBC, and CBS didn’t show President Barack Obama’s immigration speech in November 2014. That address was held during sweeps month, when the broadcast networks are competing for ratings.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer immediately issued a joint statement demanding equal time.

“Now that the television networks have decided to air the President’s address, which if his past statements are any indication will be full of malice and misinformation, Democrats must immediately be given equal airtime,” their statement said.

GO FUND ME CAMPAIGN FOR WALL LIKELY TO TOP $20 MILLION

A Florida man who is a triple-amputee Iraq war veteran launched a GoFundMe.Com page last week to raise private money for the border wall. His goal? One billion dollars. Within three weeks, the page has reached the top five GoFundMe pages of all times, and is now only in second place after the “Times Up” fundraising effort on that site.

325,279 people have donated to Brian Kolfage’s  “Trump Wall” campaign on the GoFundMe site, with donations coming in at about $1,000 an hour in small amounts, many under $100. The site has raised $19,563,000 as of this publishing.

There’s no specific method for transferring the funds to a government account dedicated to building the border, although there seem to be no constitutional barriers.

“Like a  majority of those American citizens who voted to elect President Donald J Trump, we voted for him to Make America Great Again. President Trump’s main campaign promise was to BUILD THE WALL. And as he’s followed through on just about every promise so far, this wall project needs to be completed still,” Kolfage wrote.

“As a veteran who has given so much, 3 limbs, I feel deeply invested to this nation to ensure future generations have everything we have today. Too many Americans have been murdered by illegal aliens and too many illegals are taking advantage of  the United States taxpayers with no means of ever contributing to our society.

“I have grandparents who immigrated to America legally, they did it the correct way and it’s time we uphold our laws, and get this wall BUILT! It’s up to Americans to help out and pitch in to get this project rolling.

“If the 63 million people who voted for Trump each pledge $80, we can build the wall. That equates to roughly 5Billion Dollars, even if we get half, that’s half the wall. We can do this,” he wrote.

What are your thoughts on building a border wall? Leave your comments below. (Note: All comments are reviewed and hateful content is not allowed on Must Read Alaska.-sd)

Breaking: Dunleavy changes gasline board members

Suzanne Downing
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Breaking: Dunleavy changes gasline board members

JOEY MERRICK, HUGH SHORT DISMISSED; DAN COFFEY, DOUG SMITH REPLACE

Gov. Michael Dunleavy today announced key changes and appointments to the seven-member board of directors governing the Alaska Gasline Development Corporation.

But not before the previous board gave AGDC President Keith Meyer a $300,000 performance bonus for his work over the past two years, adding to his $550,000 base annual salary. Meyer’s contract is up this year.  The board had given him $138,750 for June 2017, and $157,256 for 2018.

Dunleavy has now changed out four of the seven members of the board, so Alaskans might expect more changes ahead in coming days.

Dunleavy named Department of Labor Commissioner Tamika Ledbetter and Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Jason Brune to serve as State of Alaska department-level appointees to the AGDC Board.

Doug Smith and Dan Coffey were named to replace board members Hugh Short of Girdwood and Joey Merrick of Eagle River. Short and Merrick were both notified of their dismissal from the AGDC board earlier today.

The AGDC board meets next at 9 am on Jan. 10. Meetings can be monitored via teleconference by calling 855-282-6330, access number 921 325 605.

“Alaskans have long focused on the benefits of reduced energy costs, bringing our rich energy resources to market and monetizing our North Slope gas. Today’s announcement continues those goals, while putting in place the personnel to make diligent review of the project. AGDC is tasked with a very complex mission – and I look forward to seeing how best the State can assist in moving a project forward,” Dunleavy said. “Each one of our appointees bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to table, including in areas of resource development, labor and workforce, regulatory issues and oversight, and I look forward to working closely with them in the future.”

The seven-member board of directors includes five public members and two principal department heads of the State of Alaska. Board members are appointed by the governor and subject to confirmation by the legislature.

The new members of the board will join AGDC board members Dave Cruz of Palmer, David Wright of Anchorage, and Warren Christian of North Pole.

Doug Smith, of Anchorage, has specialized in the Alaska oil and gas and construction industries for over 25 years. He has previously served as the President and CEO of ASRC Energy Services, and on the boards of the Resource Development Council and Alaska Support Industry Alliance.

Dan Coffey, of Anchorage, served two terms as Chair of the Anchorage Assembly. He is a business owner, attorney and longtime oil and gas advocate. Coffey previously served as the Chairman of the Alaska Board of Fish, as Chairman of the Anchorage Energy Commission and as a member of the Alaska Gasline Development Corporation Community Advisory Council.

New group launches to fight eco-industry

Suzanne Downing
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New group launches to fight eco-industry

A new group headed up by Alaskan Rick Whitbeck has announced it will be active this year in exposing the anti-economy tricks of the trade practiced by the dozens of environmental nonprofit organizations active in the state.

Power the Future is a decidedly “disruptive” nonprofit that fights for energy jobs and points out the hypocrisies of the environmental lobby. It pulls no punches and may use the tactics that the environmental groups use, such as pickets and protests.

“With so many loud voices in the energy conversation, ours will highlight truth, unmask agendas, expose hypocrisy and reduce hyperbole,” the mission statement reveals.

The group’s website is www.powerthefuture.com. 

The group’s CEO, Daniel Turner, will be in Alaska to speak at the Meet Alaska trade show and conference on Jan. 18.

Whitbeck was the field director for the successful No on 1 campaign in 2018 and is the former vice chairman of the Alaska Republican Party. He’ll be the face and voice of Power the Future and he’s the first state hire that the national group has made because Alaska is seen as the top target of environmental groups.

Whitbeck’s office is in midtown but he said you can expect to see him everywhere but in his office.

Micciche, Lincoln file bills to close sexual assault loophole

Suzanne Downing
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Micciche, Lincoln file bills to close sexual assault loophole

NEW BILLS INCLUDE ‘SCHNEIDER LOOPHOLE’ LEGISLATION

Dozens of bills were filed in advance of the Jan. 15 start of the legislative session, but none are more likely to get more bipartisan support than Senate Bill 12.

Sen. Peter Micciche of Soldotna filed SB 12 to close what he’s calling the “Schneider Loopholes” in Alaska’s criminal code. Rep. John Lincoln of Kotzebue has filed a similar bill on the House side.

The bills resulted from the case of Justin Schneider, who walked free after strangling a woman to the point of unconsciousness and then ejaculating on her. The judge in that case was not retained by voters, but the case itself exposed serious shortcomings in the laws dealing with sexual assault in Alaska.

[Read: Former prosecutor says sentence makes no sense]

“Last year, Alaskans were horrified to learn that a guilty violent sexual perpetrator, Justin Schneider, walked without adequate consequences,” Micciche said. “Serious crimes were ignored and an inappropriate plea deal allowed the perpetrator to serve a portion of the sentence of the single conviction at home with his family. In a state number one in the U.S. for sexual assault, we are making the statement that there will be ‘no more free passes’ for perpetrators of such crimes.

SB 12 has three main changes to law. The bill will:

  • Classify unwanted contact with semen as a sexual crime, which means perpetrators can be required to register as sex offenders for this crime;
  • Require that strangulation to the point of unconsciousness is defined as assault in the first degree, which carries a sentence of 5 to 20 years; and
  • Eliminate credit toward time served for electronic monitoring for sexual assault convictions.

“In recent years, one outrageous story after another about criminals getting a slap on the wrist has dominated our headlines,” said Sen. Micciche. “The case of Justin Schneider, however, forced us to confront just how badly our criminal justice system has been failing victims and survivors of sexual assault. SB 12 represents an urgently needed fix to a glaring loophole, but it is only the beginning.”

[Read: Hard cases make bad laws]

The public was incensed when Schneider received no sentence for his crime. But his victim was not located by state prosecutors, which may have led to the lenient sentence.

Before Gov. Bill Walker left office, he promised to fix the loophole, and Gov. Mike Dunleavy is also on the record saying he supports tightening the law.

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