Page 1587 – Must Read Alaska

Comings and goings in politics and the media

Anchorage Daily Planet

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January 9, 2018

It’s a new year and people are moving around. Here are some of the moves:

Alyse Galvin, of Great Alaska Schools, has her first fundraiser on Jan. 11 at 49th Street Brewery in Anchorage. She is challenging Congressman Don Young, the Dean of the House of Representatives, and she is running as a non-declared candidate (she calls it Independent), but evidently she has the blessing of the Alaska Democratic Party and is using Democratic fundraising software. This is a strategy that has worked for the Democrats time and again.

Steve Quinn, who has been a reporter on oil and gas issues for many years, most recently for Petroleum News and Reuters, has been hired by KTVA’s newsroom. For now, he’s behind the scenes, but he’s a good interviewer.

Richard Mauer, who was let go in the first wave of layoffs at the Anchorage Daily News, briefly worked at KTVA but that lasted only a few days. He is now the political news reporter/analyst at KTUU, replacing Austin Baird. Seen on television this week, his demeanor alarmed some viewers who thought he looked stoned. This will take some getting used to after Boy Scout Baird.

Steve Bannon, who took over Breitbart News after the untimely death of Andrew Breitbart, has stepped down. Bannon’s departure comes after he took on President Trump, as quoted in Michael Wolff’s tell-all Fire and Fury.

Erica Martinson, Alaska’s reporter in DC for the Anchorage Daily News, is on maternity leave after giving birth on Nov. 16. Her byline won’t return until mid-February, we are told.

Caslon Hatch, former all-things reporter at KTUU, wrapped up her work on Dec. 20 and was last seen tweeting and retweeting anti-Trump screeds. In her defense, while covering the news, her audience would never have known of her political leanings, as she remained professional.

Jordan Rodenberger, a former journalism major at UAF, is the new sports reporter at the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner.

Pete Ecklund, who is another wise numbers guy who knows how to keep a secret around the Capitol, will work for Sen. Lyman Hoffman in a Senate Finance role.

James Armstrong, who describes himself as a “budget dork,” and who worked at the Legislature forever and managed the operating budget and capital budget for several legislators, signed off on Dec. 29 with a classy post on Facebook, thanking everyone for all their friendship and mentorship over the years:

Friday will be my last day with the State of Alaska. After 30 years of service with the Legislature, Marine Highway System and the Municipality of Anchorage, it is time to go.

it is amazing how fast time flies! I want to personally thank my many bosses…
Mike Miller who hired me as a page;
the AMHS who hired me as a steward;
Sue Gullafson and Lynn Morley who hired me as a moderator;
Dave Donley who hired me an aide for the first time;
George Wuerch who hired me to do all things AMATS;
Bill Williams who hired me to do the capital budget;
Gary Wilken who hired me to do the operating budget;
Bill Stoltze who hired me to do finance and then the capital budget;
Pete Kelly who hired me to do the operating budget;and last but not least;
Lyman Hoffman to do the operating budget yet again.

i would be remiss in not thanking my mentors…Mike Navarre, Sam Cotten, Eldon Mulder and the late Tim Kelly and Billy Miles.

they always looked after me and were guiding influences in my life and career.

i will miss Juneau and being part of the process, and all the friends I have made through the years.

To quote my favorite song “Watching the Wheels”…I just have to let it go…

Cheers and it is off to Maui Saturday to goof off.

(He returned to Facebook not long after to also thank his ex-wife and Bill Thomas, before going back to his golf game on Maui.)

Dampish: Bethel may adopt government-owned liquor store model

Anchorage Daily Planet

Suzanne Downing

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January 9, 2018

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On the Bethel City Council agenda tonight is a ballot proposition that would ask voters to approve allowing just one store in Bethel to sell alcohol, and that store would be owned by the municipality.

The council is being asked to let the voters decide in the August primary. The community of about 6,300 people has the option to do this under a local option provision in Alaska Statute.

If it passes, it’s likely that the city-owned store could never face sanctions for selling to persons under the age of 21. Currently that is a Class C felony, but the city council is considering a second part of the ballot proposition that would eliminate the city’s liability.

The agenda item reads:

*Introduction Of Ordinance 18-01: A Ballot Proposition To Adopt Local Option, Alaska Statutes 04.11.491 (A)(3)(C), Prohibiting The Sale Of Alcoholic Beverages Except For A Package Store License Operated By The Municipality And Opt To Not Apply A Class C Felony To Violations Of Alaska Statutes 04.16.051, Furnishing Or Delivery Of Alcoholic Beverages To Persons Under The Age Of 21 AS 04.11.491(G)(3) (Council Member Forbes)

The City of Kotzebue already has a municipally owned and operated liquor store. Only residents of the city with a permit may buy alcohol there, or nonresidents who obtain a nonresident permit. Kotzebue is considered a damp community, where import of alcohol, even a bottle of champagne brought in by a friend on a plane, is illegal.

Dozens of communities in Alaska are either dry or damp, with different rules, many of which are listed here.

Bethel started commercial sale of liquor in 2016 after years of debate. It had been 40 years since the town had had a liquor store. As a hub community, it can serve many of the dry or damp communities that are within a snow-machine ride and this has brought social costs.

The Bethel Search and Rescue service has been strained to the breaking point since the liquor sales started 17 months ago.

[Read: Spike in alcohol-related calls straining Bethel resources]

Demand for oil and gas isn’t going away any time soon

Columns

Suzanne Downing

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January 9, 2018

1

Demand for oil and gas isn’t going away any time soon

By SEN. CATHY GIESSEL

When the environmental lawsuit industry is hopping mad about something, chances are news is good. Last week’s news is a perfect example.

Ryan Zinke, a former U.S. Navy Seal who also happens to be the U.S. secretary of the interior, looked at America’s offshore potential for oil and gas.

The Obama administration, which broke records for cranking out job-choking regulations, took 94 percent of possible offshore development completely off the table.

Secretary Zinke recognized this was unreasonable. Now, 90 percent of the offshore areas will be open for lease sales and development. That’s good and overdue. Folks who find and pump the energy that fuels our homes, businesses, and towns have had a target on their back for over a decade. When projects did not die by a thousand cuts in permitting, injunctions backed by money from the green lobby were ready to kill them in court.

Make no mistake: This was a war on families, businesses and jobs. Thankfully, the results of the presidential election last year are bearing fruit. The 1002 area of ANWR, a landmass smaller than some of our country’s airports, will finally open for exploration. President Obama tried to turn the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska into a park; last month was the largest lease sale on North Slope federal lands in years.

Drilling opponents make wild claims trying to spin these reforms. Their reasons are all erratic and delusional, because they miss a key, inescapable truth: Demand for oil and gas isn’t going anywhere in our lifetimes.

Sure, there will be more windmills and solar panels, even batteries. But let me be clear: Our society runs on baseload energy – the stuff that must be available when you literally flip a switch – and renewables aren’t in that league. Natural gas and oil will remain the base of our civilization’s pyramid. We ignore that at our peril.

If we need something vital to keep our country working, we should never be held hostage to have it. But dictatorships in Venezuela, the Middle East, and elsewhere constantly try to leverage us, because they have what we need: energy. That’s ironic because we need something that’s in abundance within our own borders. OPEC, the oil cartel, tried to choke out our economy in the 1970s by creating an oil shortage. Thankfully, we responded by building the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System, and we put 17 billion barrels through that engineering marvel. It’s past time we return to that mindset.

“What about climate change and the environment?” If we care about the environment, let’s deal with the real cause of pollution: poverty. When was poverty ever good for the environment? When hundreds of millions of people in poor countries get electricity, they also get refrigerators and stoves, and stop cooking over animal waste and garbage. That’s good for them personally, great for their health, and wonderful for the planet we share. Improving living standards through cleaner and more affordable energy reduces poverty, and cleans up our environment.

But tackling poverty requires access to supplies of baseload energy. That means we need a lot more oil and gas than there is now. Don’t listen to people who say we reached “peak demand.” Ten years from now, half a billion Chinese and Indian farmers will live in cities, and they’ll expect better living standards. Demand for fossil fuel energy is only going to grow.

President Trump’s, and Secretary Zinke’s, goal of American energy dominance will make people healthier and pull them out of poverty both in this country and around the globe. Our resources, both on-land and offshore, are produced safer, cleaner, and more carefully than anything that comes from a land run by dictators or overrun with terrorists.

We’ve heard endless talk about supporting American families, businesses and jobs. Energy dominance achieve this, tackles poverty, makes the planet cleaner and puts fear in the cartels of foreign lands.

Let’s stop the talk, roll up our sleeves and do what our country does best: work.

Sen. Cathy Giessel represents Senate District N, including Girdwood, Indian, Anchorage Hillside, and East Anchorage. She has served in the Alaska Senate since 2011, and chaired the Alaska Senate Resources Committee since 2013.

Wasilla bans plastic bags, and Rep. Josephson wants to tax the rest

Politics

Suzanne Downing

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January 9, 2018

10

Wasilla bans plastic bags, and Rep. Josephson wants to tax the rest

The Wasilla City Council on Monday voted to ban single-use plastic bags. That is, the council banned them from being issued by stores inside the city limits. Stores outside the city, and there are many, may continue to use them.

The lone dissenting vote on the council was from Tim Burney, who said on Facebook that he recently chose to not use plastic bags himself, “But does that give me the right as a council member to dictate to you that you can’t? This has not as much to do with the bag itself, but more of another nibble at our liberty. Frustrated is an understatement.”

Proponents of the ban said that a large number of valley residents support the ban on plastic bags because of the risk they pose to wildlife and their non biodegradable nature is a blight on the landscape.

Homer, Bethel, Cordova, and Hooper Bay have all banned single-use plastic bags. (Homer overturned its bag ban, however.)

In November, 2016, California became the first state to enact a statewide ban on single-use plastic bags at large retail stores, but the state law had to battle it out first with a voter referendum, Prop. 67. The legislation also required a 10 cent minimum charge for recycled paper bags, reusable plastic bags, and compostable bags at some establishments.

Hawaii’s most populous counties all prohibit non-biodegradable plastic bags at checkout, as well as paper bags containing less than 40 percent recycled material. Each county has some variation on it and legislation is pending to make the laws all uniform.

In 2009, the District of Columbia enacted a law to ban plastic bags. Massachusetts’ ban will go into effect in August.

Some of the major cities around the country that have plastic bag bans include Austin, Tex; Cambridge, Mass.; Chicago; Los Angeles; Seattle; San Francisco; Boulder, Colo.; and New York City.

ANDY JOSEPHSON WOULD TAX THE REST

Meanwhile, at the legislative level, Rep. Andy Josephson, an Anchorage Democrat, has introduced HB 264 to tax disposable shopping bags. Calling it a fee, the legislation would cost shoppers 20 cents for every single-use bag — plastic or paper — used to take their purchases from stores. According to the legislation, the State would take 15 cents and leave 5 cents for the store owner for his or her trouble.

The bill has no companion bill on the Senate side but will likely earn co-sponsors from House Democrats.

[Read HB 264 here]

State health report on climate change: 70 pages of bad news

Anchorage Daily Planet

Suzanne Downing

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January 9, 2018

7

State health report on climate change: 70 pages of bad news

The State of Alaska’s Department of Health and Social Services has issued a major report on the expected adverse health impacts of climate change on Alaska.

Spoiler alert: It’s all bad news.

In fact, in the 70-page report on how depressed, sick, and wasted Alaskans are likely to become in a warming climate, the report spends a scant 82 words wondering whether a warming climate has any benefits at all to humans living in the north:

“Finally, while this assessment is focused on the potential adverse health impacts of climate change in Alaska, it is important to note that there will likely be some beneficial health impacts of climate change in Alaska as well. For example, warmer temperatures might be more conducive to a longer growing season and growing a wider range of agricultural crops, resulting in increased food security in some areas. Warmer winter temperatures might also lead to fewer injuries and fatalities related to cold temperatures.”

Other than that, it’s all pretty dire:

People will get sicker. The health care infrastructure will be strained and may collapse. Alaskans won’t have access to comprehensive care, there will be fewer health care clinics and less emergency service capability.

Melting permafrost will lead to increased rates of obesity and diabetes because of less access to local foods.

People will experience more heart disease, more allergies, asthma and respiratory diseases. People will suffer from more waterborne diseases, like West Nile virus and Lyme disease, and even rabies will increase. They will be bitten by foxes more.

There will be more wildfires, so people will get burned more, the report says.

And people will be depressed. The study cites “Increased cases of stress disorders, anxiety, depression and increased rates of “maladaptive” coping, e.g., increased substance/drug (including alcohol) use.

SOLASTALGIA HEALTH ALERT

Among the strategies the State suggests using to help people cope are raising awareness about a condition it identifies as solastalgia (the distressing sense of loss that people experience as a result of unwanted environmental changes that occur close to one’s home).

Solastalgia is a new condition — and a made-up word to match — for a certain kind of anxiety and depression. Think of it in the same way that “Spanx” is a new word for “girdle.”

The neo-word “solastalgia” describes “psychic or existential distress caused by environmental change, such as mining or climate change. It was coined by philosopher Glenn Albrecht in 2003, with the basis being the Latin word for comfort (sōlācium) and the Greek root for pain, (algae.)

The State of Alaska study says Alaska should promote strategies that “mediate public risk perceptions, psychological and social impacts, coping responses, and behavioral adaptation,” and “implement community-based strategies to promote mental health and wellbeing,” along with other community-based behavioral health programs that aim to prevent anxiety, depression, substance abuse, suicide, and violence.

Other pages are devoted to charts and graphs, as well as descriptions of the many ways Alaskans will fare far worse under a climate that continues to warm.

Avalanches, for instance. There will be a lot more avalanche deaths.

We are not making this up. We promise. The entire report can be found here.

Grand Theft Anchorage

Politics

Suzanne Downing

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January 8, 2018

8

Kennedy Tali has been busy moving cars around Anchorage. And getting caught.

Last September, Anchorage Police received a report of men rummaging through a 2006 Chevy Silverado on the 800 block of North Flower Street in Mountain View, not far from Mountain View Elementary School.

The cops ran the tags on the vehicle and discovered it to be reported stolen.

Tali, 33, and Travis King, 29, and were arrested. In addition to the vehicle theft charge, they faced multiple further charges when officers recovered stolen credit cards, checkbooks, vehicle registrations, and drivers licenses that had been taken from other stolen vehicles around Anchorage.

“This case serves as a reminder to lock and remove all valuables from your vehicle. If you must leave valuables, conceal the items to ensure nothing is visible. Items such as bags, backpacks, briefcases, keys, electronics and money are extremely tempting to a thief. Don’t give criminals the opportunity,” Anchorage police warned citizens.

Tali and King posted bail and were out of jail.

Prosecutors dismissed the three charges in October and Tali went back to his ways. By December, prosecutors had refiled charges in the Silverado vehicle theft.

But before he could even go to court on that offense, Tali was arrested again on Saturday for a theft that occurred on New Year’s Eve.

This time, he was spotted in a 1999 red Honda that was parked in front of the somewhat-infamous Arctic Tern Inn. The car had been stolen from Conifer Street, up on the hillside in South Anchorage.

Tali, 33, was charged with Vehicle Theft 1, Criminal Trespass II, and Theft II. This time, he was put in jail without bail. His passenger was charged with Criminal Mischief V, riding in a stolen vehicle.

Tali was arraigned over the weekend and had a public defender assigned to him. His first hearing is on Tuesday.

EAGLE RIVER ROBBERY

Two suspects are sought in the robbery of an east Anchorage coffee stand this afternoon. Police advise people to not leave their cars running, as the suspects are on the lam and may steal your car.

At 1:34 pm, an armed black male and Native female, driving a stolen vehicle, robbed the Alaska Sweet Cup Coffee Stand at 1467 Muldoon Road. The pair left with an undisclosed amount of money; there were no injuries.

The stolen white truck was later located, unoccupied, at the Shell gas station in Eagle River. The same pair of suspects attempted to steal a car at Jalapenos Restaurant but were unsuccessful. There is concern the two will attempt to steal another vehicle, police warn. Do not approach them; instead, call 911.

The female is Native, mid to late 20s, long dark hair with highlights, wearing a gray sweatshirt, blue jeans, and Ugg boots rolled down to reveal the fur cuff.

The male is black; he is wearing a sweatshirt with dark gray sleeves and a light gray body, and a cap on his head. He is believed to be armed with a handgun.

Cole Memo: Why Jeff Sessions is right on marijuana enforcement

Columns

Suzanne Downing

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January 8, 2018

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Cole Memo: Why Jeff Sessions is right on marijuana enforcement

THE COLE MEMO IS SWAMP LAW

U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions last week rescinded what is known as the “Cole Memo,” which states the federal government isn’t going to chase marijuana prosecutions in states where it’s legal.

It was the policy of the Obama administration to not interfere in states where pot has become the newest business on the block. The Alaska D.C. delegation and the governor of Alaska posted their objections to Sessions’ move. Sen. Lisa Murkowski called the move “regrettable.”

[Read: Quote of the Day: Sen. Dan Sullivan on Cole Memo]

The governor went all “me-too-state’s-rights” on the Trump Administration.

But Must Read Alaska differs with our delegation and governor. Here’s why:

The Cole Memo, like it or not, was Swamp Law, a product of the Deep State, where law is promulgated through memos and regulations, without Congress’ involvement. It’s a chicken’s way of getting around lawmakers.

Jeff Sessions has a point: The Cole Memo amounted to law. Laws should not be made via memo. Laws should be made by Congress.

Pot businesses who depend on one memo for their legality know they are out on a limb, and yet they’ve pioneered ahead, hoping that eventually legal marijuana will be settled law. The Cole Memo never did that, but only prioritized federal law enforcement.

The marijuana industry’s hair went on fire over the Sessions move last week, and their stocks stumbled, but all the attorney general really said is that it’s still up to federal prosecutors to decide whether to prosecute marijuana crimes in states where its use is legal. He did not call for any specific action to be taken. He just tore up the Cole Memo.

Under Article II of the Constitution, the executive branch is obligated to “take care that the laws be faithfully executed.” But resources have to be prioritized in law enforcement, so the effect of unwinding the Cole Memo is unclear.

What does Alaska’s U.S. Attorney say he’ll do?

He was intentionally vague. Bryan Schroder said he’ll follow federal law enforcement priorities. Drug enforcement is one of those priorities. He didn’t say whether he views marijuana in that drug category, and he left himself as much wiggle room as politically possible.

Eight states and the District of Columbia allow recreational and commercialized cannabis. Alaska is one of those states. Since the advent of legal commercialized cannabis, it’s been one of the only (ahem) growth areas in a bleak Alaska economy.

SMOKE THIS

The chair of the Alaska Marijuana Control Board quit last week after the reversal of the Cole Memo.

The now-former chairman, Soldotna Chief of Police Peter Mlynarik, served in the board’s seat reserved for law enforcement, and said if marijuana was ambiguously illegal, he might find himself in an odd position of having to arrest someone for selling pot at a licensed establishment.

Who will replace him? The board makes the policy that is having profound impacts on local governments and is reshaping communities, as pot stores are pop up across the state. It’s an important public service to serve on this board. People with a public safety background may apply for this seat.

The next seat that will open up is the public health seat now occupied by Juneau resident Loren Jones.

Dunleavy resigning to focus on campaign

Politics

Suzanne Downing

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January 7, 2018

14

Sen. Mike Dunleavy is stepping down from the Alaska Senate so he can focus on his race for governor.

He covered his district from Glennallen to Palmer on Saturday, visiting with people in the district and at the local Republican district conventions. He talked to “his employers” — the people he represents — about the decision.

Dunleavy was also featured along with gubernatorial candidate Scott Hawkins at a Republican event on Saturday night, where he spoke to 80 people at a fundraiser and auction for the party.

Dunleavy represents Senate District E and his term ends in January 2019. Even if he didn’t resign, he would not represent this district next year. But by stepping aside now, he will focus on fundraising, something he would otherwise be prohibited from doing once the legislative session started on Jan. 16, and something that is essential for any competitive candidate.

State law prevents sitting legislators from raising funds while the Legislature is in session, a problem that Rep. Mike Chenault faces in his run for governor.

The prohibition likely factored in to Sen. Charlie Huggins’ retirement from the Senate last year, as he is also a candidate for governor. Ironically, the sitting governor himself is under no such restrictions.

Tuckerman Babcock, chairman of the Alaska Republican Party, says that under the party’s rules, (Article 1, Section 8), the district committees of the affected areas — House Districts 9 and 10 — will meet, notify the public of the vacancy, gather applications, verify the candidates’ qualification, and forward three names to the governor. The governor will make his pick, which then must be confirmed by Republican members of the Senate.

Mat-Su Borough Assembly member Randall Kowalke has already filed with the Alaska Public Offices Commission for the District E seat as a candidate for the August primary.

Pam Goode of Delta Junction has filed as a candidate, but has not indicated whether she’s trying for the House or Senate. She recently returned to the Republican Party after being a registered member of the Alaska Constitution Party.

Rep. George Rauscher and Rep. David Eastman are both considering applying for appointment to Dunleavy’s seat. Rauscher confirmed late Saturday that he will be submitting his letter of interest to the party’s district leaders when Dunleavy made an announcement. Eastman said he was talking to people in the district and had not made up his mind.

Last year, during the budget deliberations in the Senate, Dunleavy removed himself from the Republican Majority caucus over a disagreement about whether to cut the Permanent Fund dividend that Alaskans receive each year. Two years ago, Gov. Bill Walker cut the dividend in half, and during 2017, the Senate continued the practice. Dunleavy has been an advocate of fully funding the dividend under the previous formula.

Dunleavy earlier this week announced he had hired campaign staff of Brett Huber for his campaign manager and Amanda Price as deputy campaign manager. He appears to be 100 percent committed to his campaign, which is why it comes as no surprise that he is withdrawing from the Senate before session starts on Jan. 17.

Who will Democrats pick? District 40 candidates for House

Politics

Suzanne Downing

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January 7, 2018

1

Who will Democrats pick? District 40 candidates for House

Nine applicants for the District 40 House seat include four women and four men. Eight of them are under consideration, as the ninth applicant was disqualified by the Alaska Democratic Party due to residency.

The applicants are, as expected, all Democrats and seven of the eight are from Kotzebue, the community from which Westlake comes. Presumably they voted for Rep. Dean Westlake in 2016; he recently resigned his House seat in disgrace after being accused of multiple counts of sexual harassment.

The Alaska Democratic Party worked hard to get Westlake elected over the previous incumbent, Rep. Ben Nageak of Barrow. Westlake won by eight votes. Shortly after he was sworn in as a legislator, he began harassing women in the Capitol and the Capital City, as he had done in his home town for many years.

The party will interview the candidates and forward three names to the governor, who will pick one, and that name will need to be confirmed by House Democrats. The whole process needs to be completed by Jan. 16 in order to swear in Westlake’s replacement before session starts, otherwise the House Democrat-led majority could start with a weak caucus, with 21-19 split between the Indie-Democrats and Republicans.

Here are the District 40 candidates:

Dr. Lewis Pagel, chiropractor at Arctic Chiropractic Kotzebue, and member of Kotzebue City Council. Originally from a small town in Wisconsin, he had a debilitating skeletal condition as a child that was corrected through chiropractic, which led him to the field. He ended up in Kotzebue. The only non-Native to apply for the District 40 House position.

Eugene Smith, member of Kotzebue City Council. Former mayor of Kotzebue. Former chief of staff to the mayor of Northwest Arctic Borough; formerly employed by Maniilaq Native Association.

Sandy Shroyer Beaver, member of Kotzebue City Council and former member of the local school board, former school board president. Business Office Manager at Maniilaq Association, foster care specialist.

Patrick Savok, chief of staff for the mayor of the Northwest Arctic Borough; former government affairs director for the borough. Former assemblyman, Northwest Arctic Borough. Formerly employed by Akima, a Nana supply chain subsidiary. Alaska Pacific University and Kotzebue High School graduate; volunteer firefighter.

*Timothy Gavin Jr., photo by Stephen Miller, Yes Magazine*

Timothy Gavin Jr., Buckland. Mayor of Buckland. Also works for Maniilaq Native Corporation. He has lived in Buckland for 46 years, has a dozen children and several grandchildren, and has been a foster parent for many years. He has been a licensed gun dealer since 1997. Gavin served on the Buckland search and rescue team for over 30 years.

Rosie Hensley, Kotzebue, former general manager of Kotzebue Broadcasting. Niece of former State Sen. and Rep. Willie Hensley. Hensley, in an interview with KTUU, confirmed the accounts given regarding a woman at KOTZ being harassed by former Rep. Dean Westlake, who had been subsequently banned from volunteering at the station. Not known: Did she have the courage to speak against Westlake’s candidacy before the election in 2016?

Nicole Stoops, Kotzebue, executive director, Native Village of Kotzebue. Former candidate for school board. Married to Jake Stoops, nephew of lobbyist Reed Stoops of Juneau. Born and raised in Kotzebue.

Leanna Mack – Barrow-Utqiagvik, formerly an advisor to North Slope Borough Mayor Harry Brower. Graduate, Columbia Southern University. The Democratic Party would probably pass on her because Westlake came from the Kotzebue area. The party and the governor will likely want someone from that part of the district.

Comings and goings in politics and the media

Dampish: Bethel may adopt government-owned liquor store model

Demand for oil and gas isn’t going away any time soon

Wasilla bans plastic bags, and Rep. Josephson wants to tax the rest

State health report on climate change: 70 pages of bad news

Grand Theft Anchorage

Cole Memo: Why Jeff Sessions is right on marijuana enforcement

Dunleavy resigning to focus on campaign

Who will Democrats pick? District 40 candidates for House

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