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Breaking: Salmon initiative to be on ballot

Suzanne Downing
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Breaking: Salmon initiative to be on ballot

STAND FOR SALMON PROPONENTS ARE POPPING CHAMPAGNE CORKS

Lt. Gov Byron Mallott advised “Stand for Salmon” initiative proponents this week that their petition has been reviewed and he has determined “that the petition was properly filed.” It will be on the ballot this year, likely during the August primary.

That means for the next few months voters will hear the pros and cons of yet another environmentalist initiative that seeks to shut down development in Alaska.

The Stand for Salmon Initiative would likely end mining as well as many potential oil and gas projects in the state, if voters pass it. But it will also shut down timber, and even some housing construction. Business leaders across the state are concerned it will have a powerful chilling effect on the economy.

The letter to the initiative proponents, dated March 13, has not been released to the general public. There has been no public notice, but the Stand for Salmon group posted the news on their Facebook page.

“We have long expected this measure to be approved to go before Alaska voters later this year,” said Katie Capozzi, who is the manager of an opposing group, Stand for Alaska. That group has broad support of the business community and almost all Alaska Native corporations, who have development interests far and wide across Alaska.

“This misguided and poorly written ballot measure is ripe with unintended consequences that will cause havoc in Alaska’s communities and in how we live our lives, both in urban and rural Alaska. It’s clear the language of this measure puts important development projects at risk. But, it also negatively impacts public infrastructure projects such as roads, airports, ports, pipelines and wastewater treatment facilities,” she said.

There is still the matter of the court challenge. Supreme Court oral arguments are expected April 26. The Department of Law is challenging the constitutionality of the language of the ballot question.

 

Double ballots, closed post office, and food for votes

Suzanne Downing
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12
Double ballots, closed post office, and food for votes

TWO BALLOTS PER PERSON? YEP.

At least one incident of two ballots sent to one voter has been documented in the Anchorage Municipal Election, which ends April 3. This is the first time Anchorage has held a vote-by-mail only election, and ballots are arriving in mailboxes today after being mailed on Tuesday by a printer in Federal Way, Washington.

Others are reporting getting ballots for previous residents at their addresses.

Have questions about Vote by Mail? Visit the Municipal web site.

About 198,000 ballot packages were sent to Anchorage voters, who have until April 3 to get them in the mail. Alternately, voters can use one of 12 drop boxes around the city. There are two for each of the voting districts in the municipality, or ou can drop off your ballot the old-fashioned way at:

• City Hall, 632 W 6th Ave.
• O’Malley’s on the Green, 3651 O’Malley Road
• Loussac Public Library, 3600 Denali Street
• Eagle River Town Center, 11924 Business Blvd.
• Municipality of Anchorage Election Center, 619 East Ship Creek Ave.

Didn’t receive a ballot? Lost your ballot? Spill coffee on your ballot? Call the voter hotline at 907-243-8683.

POST OFFICE CUTS HOURS

A sign at a U.S. Post Office next to the Loussac Library indicated that lobby hours are now curtailed due to safety concerns. Voters hoping to mail their ballots will need to make arrangements for purchasing stamps during the new hours because even the federal government doesn’t think it’s safe to go out at night in Anchorage:

Others observed that the Alaska Center for the Environment, the Anchorage Parks Foundation and the Anchorage Community Land Trust are hosting food-and-games voter events called “Ballot Box Bashes” at four heavily Democratic drop box locations to push voter turnout that would favor higher taxes.

 

March Madness: Rep. Kawasaki runs gambling ring out of office

Suzanne Downing
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16
March Madness: Rep. Kawasaki runs gambling ring out of office

March Madness has swept the Capitol, and with nothing better to do, gambling is in full swing on state time.

Democrat Rep. Scott Kawasaki’s aide sent out the March Madness basketball brackets and explanation of rules to over 100 legislators and aides in the Capitol, and used state equipment and state time (the message was sent at 11:15 am) to craft the instructions and attach the brackets. It is costing each participating state employee $5 to play.

Here are Kawasaki’s instructions for gambling in this tournament, and clearly not for the benefit of a charity:

Hello All!

If you haven’t heard yet, there are March Madness brackets in Rep. Kawasaki’s office! The price per bracket is $5, and the winner takes the entire pot. We have printed brackets in room 502, with the scoring guide on them. I will collect your bracket and send out scores and standings after each round. Only those who have paid will receive their scores and standings.

Rules:

The rules are simple. There are 6 rounds to the NCAA tournament, for each correct winner picked, a player is awarded points based on what round the winner is picked in. The person at the end of the tournament with the highest point total is the winner.

Some people prefer to place a great deal of weight on picking the championship game correctly and prefer to use the 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32 point system. This means in most cases means the winner of the office pool must correctly pick the winner of the championship game. Others think that picking the most games correctly should weigh more on the outcome they might use a system of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.

I definitely don’t like the idea of putting all of the weight on the championship game, you are basically eliminating everyone that does not correctly guess the winner of the tournament. I do however feel that picking the winner in a field of 64 does have importance, so I prefer to use a 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21 type point system. This gives the people that pick the winner of the tournament correctly an advantage, but does not completely eliminate the people that didn’t correctly guess the champion.

Official Scoring System:

First Round (Of 64) = 2 Points

Second Round (Of 32) = 3 Points

Third Round (Sweet Sixteen) = 5 Points

Fourth Round (Elite Eight) = 8 Points

Fifth Round (Final Four) = 13 Points

Sixth Round (Championship) = 21 Points

If you want to track your own progression, I suggest making a copy of your own bracket. Good luck!

* * *

OOPS

The message was followed hours later by a similar message that stated, “This email was sent in error.”

But as some in the Capitol have pointed out, it was certainly not sent in error. Not everyone was included in the message, which meant that Kawasaki’s office had to pick through the hundreds of workers in the Legislature and find the ones they wanted to include and exclude from notification.

Rather than an error, was this bad judgment, or has the Legislature just found a place where cuts can be made?

Concerned citizens may wish to send a note to Rules Chair Rep. Gabrielle LeDoux for an answer. Her address is Rep.Gabrielle.LeDoux@akleg.gov.

Adults in back, please

Suzanne Downing
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4
Adults in back, please

SMELLS LIKE TEEN SPIRIT?

Juneau high school students walked out of school Wednesday to take their message of school safety to the state’s Capitol, where many lawmakers, such as Gov. Bill Walker and Lt. Gov. Byron Mallott greeted them warmly. Perhaps it reminded them of the 1960s.

But for the event, adults were specifically asked to let the students have their event without grownups crushing in for photo opportunities.

That memo never made it to the desk of Rep. Justin Parish, District 34 Democrat, who made himself the center attraction, which attracted the sarcastic comment in the meme above.

Below, Gov. Walker and Lt. Gov. Mallott were able to take instruction and stood in back.

For reasons unknown, the media never went to Juneau-Douglas High School to learn about the students who didn’t participate in the walk out.

A statement from the school district was issued in advance of the walkout that indicated this was a “free day” for students and no disciplinary action would be taken:

The Juneau School District is aware that some students are planning school walkouts at 10:00 am on March 14, 2018 as part of an upcoming National School Walkout. The principals at our secondary schools are communicating with their staff and student leaders regarding this planned walkout. Schools are not promoting this activity and it is important for parents to know that these are not school sponsored or school sanctioned events.

The Juneau School District respects students’ First Amendment right to peacefully assemble.  We will not discipline students for the act of peaceful protest. As a district, we want to acknowledge and support students in their advocacy for safe schools.

The best way for us to ensure student safety during the school day is to know where our students are—that’s simply not possible once they leave school grounds. If students choose to participate in the walkout, the school’s rules and policies regarding student attendance will apply.  Schools and classes will continue on their normal schedule. If you want to excuse your child from class to allow them to participate, please contact your school’s attendance office. Absences that are not excused by a parent will be treated as unexcused and normal consequences will apply.

The Juneau School District also respects the right of school employees to engage in political activities on their own time. Staff members will not participate in walk outs or protests in the course of their work, and will remain neutral on issues that are political in nature in the presence of students.  

As always, the safety of our students is our priority. We are proud that our students want to exercise their First Amendment rights to express their views on this important topic. We will work together to find ways of doing this within our existing school rules and in a manner that works for each school community and maintains a safe learning environment. When students advocate for an issue they feel passionate about, it can be a powerful learning experience. We also recognize that some students may not want to participate in a walk out and would prefer to stay in class. We want to ensure that all students feel safe and respected, no matter what they choose to do.

April Hackney, political creative force, dies

Suzanne Downing
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8

April Hackney, half of the political team Hackney & Hackney, died early this morning at Providence Hospital after a brief illness. News of her death moved quickly through political circles after a note was posted on Facebook by her husband, Art Hackney.

The Hackneys served as Alaska state chairs during former Republican President George W. Bush’s 2000 and 2004 presidential campaigns. In 2015, the Hackneys were selected to lead the Alaska campaign for Republican U.S. Senator Marco Rubio’s 2016 presidential bid. Their clients have included Congressman Don Young and many other political figures and aspiring candidates. The Hackneys also founded Alaskafirst.org and Alaska’s Future, which worked to oppose higher taxes on the oil and gas industry.

April was born in Sitka on Feb. 23, 1964, and was of Tlingit/Russian heritage. She moved to Anchorage in 1985 and joined Holden Hackney & Breeze, a political and advertising agency as administrative assistant and then production manager. In 1990, she and Art married and they formed the political consultancy Hackney & Hackney, which they built into one of Alaska’s most well-known corporate and political media companies.

She served as treasurer for the Alaska Federation of Republican Women, the Anchorage Republican Women’s Club and District 13 Republicans, and was selected as a Whip for the 2000 National Republican Convention in Philadelphia.
April was voted one of the “Top Forty Under 40” rising influential people for Alaska for 1999/2000. She loved to travel and made numerous trips to the African continent, Australia, Mexico, Costa Rica, and across Europe. She was also a talented artist, and a fashionable dresser who loved fun hats, new shoes, sun dresses and sparkles. Her smile lit up a room.
Must Read Alaska will update this story when service details become available.

Fed’s gasline decision timeline pushed to 2020

Suzanne Downing
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3
Fed’s gasline decision timeline pushed to 2020

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has published its timeline for completing the Alaska LNG project’s environmental review, and it’s later than Gov. Bill Walker had hoped for.

The December, 2019 deadline that FERC has set for the final environmental impact statement means certainty for investors will be pushed off until after March 8, 2020, to accommodate a 90-day public comment period. That’s nearly a year later than expected by project advocates.

Walker and Alaska Gasline Development Corp. President Keith Meyer had set mid-2019 for the timeframe for an investment decision for the massive project that is estimated to cost north of $43 billion. If built, it would bring North Slope natural gas to Nikiski for liquefaction and export to Asia.

AGDC is crafting a deal with the Chinese government that would give China the right to 75 percent of the natural gas, and China would also be largely financing the construction as well.

Governor Bill Walker said, “I thank FERC for approving a timeline for the Alaska LNG Project. This is a major step forward that establishes clarity and predictability in the federal permitting process, which is critical for investors. Keith Meyer’s team at the Alaska Gasline Development Corporation deserves immense credit for continuing to advance a project of this magnitude.”

AGDC will meet with FERC next week to iron out the wrinkles in the relationship between the two. FERC has asked for studies and documentations that AGDC has refused to complete, leading to a stern letter from the federal agency to the state agency in February.

Mat-Su taking big hit with ‘no-salmon-for-you’ surprise decision

Suzanne Downing
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3
Mat-Su taking big hit with ‘no-salmon-for-you’ surprise decision

ANOTHER WALKER ADMINISTRATION SLAM ON SOUTHCENTRAL ALASKANS

Weak king salmon runs in recent years led the Alaska Department of Fish and Game to drastically cut sport fishing in Southcentral Alaska, and limit some commercial king salmon fishing in upper Cook Inlet.

The emergency orders went out today and are in effect May 1 through July 13.

The measure is expected to take a toll on the summer economy of the Mat-Su, where sport fishing is a big draw both for guiding companies, which are small businesses, and for residents trying to put food on the table.

The measure comes just days after Gov. Bill Walker appointed a Kodiak commercial fishing representative to replace a sport fishing representative from Anchorage on the Alaska Board of Fisheries, another slap at Southcentral fishing enthusiasts and families trying to “eat local.”

[Read: Board of Fisheries appointment cuts out Anchorage anglers, dip-netters]

DETAILS OF THE CLOSURES

King salmon sport fishing in the Susitna River drainage and Little Susitna River drainageis being cut, as is king salmon commercial fishing in the Northern district of the Upper Cook Inlet. Catch-and-release king salmon fishing will be allowed on the Deshka River drainage and Yentna River drainage.

In the Little Susitna River drainage, anglers can keep king salmon caught only on Friday through Mondays.

Commercial king salmon setnetters will also face closures in northern part of upper Cook Inlet, which will close May 28, and June 4, 11, and 18.

Reps. Mark Neuman, Cathy Tilton, David Eastman, DeLena Johnson, George Rauscher, Colleen Sullivan-Leonard, and Sen. Mike Shower, as well as Sen. Shelley Hughes and Sen. David Wilson signed letters that they sent to ADF&G Commissioner Sam Cotten, requesting him to delay and reconsider what they consider to be a devastating decision.

WHY NOT ALTERNATIVES?

According to the website Fight4Fish.com, the Palmer ADF&G office had suggested alternative measures to those up the food chain in the commissioner’s office, including:

  • Closing the east side Parks Highway streams to king salmon fishing, including Talkeetna and Chulitna drainages. The Parks Highway streams would remain open to fishing for other species other than king salmon including the portions of the streams below the Parks Highway bridges.
  • Keeping the Deshka River open to king salmon fishing but with no bait, artificial single hook restrictions, and an adjusted annual limit of two king salmon. Run assessment and possible closure decision would be made later, on June 12.
  • Keeping the  Little Susitna River open seven days a week with normal regulations except an adjusted annual limit of two king salmon. Run assessment and possible closure decisions to be made in June.
  • Keeping Lake Creek on the Yentna River open to retention of king salmon four days a week with normal regulations except an adjusted annual limit of two king salmon. Run assessment and possible closure decisions to be made in June.

“The glaring question is then, why is their (Palmer ADF&G’s) carefully thought out proposal being overturned by the administration in Anchorage? What data does The Commissioner have that the area biologists and area managers do not?,” Fight4Fish’s website posted in response to the emergency order.

“This makes it very difficult not to think there is something else behind this radical decision to override the Palmer office proposal.”

Group forms ‘Alaskans for Hawkins’

Suzanne Downing
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0

A group based in Ketchikan has formed an independent political action committee to support businessman Scott Hawkins’ race for governor.

“Alaskans for Hawkins” filed as an “independent expenditure group” with the Alaska Public Offices Commission on Monday, two days after the close of the Alaska Republican Party State Convention.

 

“There is no doubt that Scott Hawkins’ performance at the State Republican Convention was anything short of a stunning breakthrough in the Republican Primary campaign for Governor of Alaska” said Trevor Shaw, founding Chair for Alaskans for Scott Hawkins.

“Scott was passionate and inspirational. His speech was genuine, hopeful, and honest,” Shaw said. “We are a grassroots organization, starting from the ground up, and we’re already receiving tremendous support from Alaskans,” Shaw said. “It’s because people are truly inspired and encouraged by Scott Hawkins’ solid record of shaking up the status quo and his promise to do the same in Juneau.”

Shaw is the co-chair and treasurer, and Dave Spokely of Ketchikan is co-chair. The PAC started with $10,000, Shaw said.

DUNLEAVY HAS PAC, TOO

Mike Dunleavy, another gubernatorial candidate, has a PAC dedicated to his race that started earlier this year with over $550,000 in pledged commitments and has been running ads on television, radio and in social media.

Political action committees operate separate from the actual campaigns and are not allowed to coordinate with the campaigns. They are protected political speech but must file reports with the Alaska Public Offices Commission.

In 2014, Gov. Bill Walker had political action committees form to support his and Lt. Gov. Byron Mallott’s race against Gov. Sean Parnell. While groups with an anti-Parnell flavor, Alaskans Against Parnell, spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to oppose Parnell, Walker-Mallott One spent hundreds of thousands in support of the indie-Democrat ticket that had formed up during the Labor Day weekend in 2014.

The 2018 cycle may be even more spendy for independent expenditure groups, but most of the big money won’t show up until after the August primary.

Also running in the primary at this point are Rep. Mike Chenault, who is a longtime House member from Kenai, and Michael Sheldon of Petersburg.

Anchorage Prop 1 twist: Should women’s shelter be forced to accept biological men?

Suzanne Downing
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6
Anchorage Prop 1 twist: Should women’s shelter be forced to accept biological men?

IT’S NOT JUST ABOUT BATHROOMS ANYMORE

This week, ballots are in the mail to Anchorage voters, and among the questions they’ll be asked is Prop. 1: Whether Anchorage should roll back aspects of its “equal access to bathrooms and locker rooms” statute that currently allows biological men to use women’s facilities, where women and girls are typically found in a state of undress or partial undress. The following story is an update to an earlier story broken by Must Read Alaska about the statute being used to demand entry to a women’s shelter by a transgendered man.)

On March 15, the Anchorage Equal Rights Commission may take up a complaint made by a transgendered individual who attempted to gain entry into a women’s shelter, where women sleep on the floor, elbow to elbow.

The man, who is possibly living as a woman (although that is unclear in court records), was denied entry and filed the complaint with the commission within days of being denied shelter for the night.

By the time it meets, the commission will already be in receipt of a letter from the Downtown Hope Center, which operates both the Downtown Soup Kitchen during the day, and a shelter for abused, homeless women at night.

The charity has asked the commission to cancel the hearing. In any event, the charity has no intention of showing up.

HOPE CENTER RESPONDS

Through the charity’s lawyer, the Downtown Hope Center says the commission simply has no authority over the allegation of discrimination by Samantha/Timothy Paul Coyle against the Hope Center. Coyle said that his equal rights were violated in late January, when he was turned away twice by the shelter.

“”Hope Center did not violate AMC 5.20.050 with respect to Coyle,” the charity responded to the complaint. Hope Center is not a public accommodation within the meaning of AMC 5.20.010 and AMC 5.20.050, the organization wrote.

“Second, Hope Center did not discriminate against Coyle on the basis of gender identity. Hope Center has permitted Coyle to receive food service and lavatory and shower access in the past without incident. However, on two occasions Coyle, who has a criminal record involving violence and the use of a deadly weapon, was turned away by Hope Center.

“Coyle was turned away initially because he presented himself to Hope Center under the influence of alcohol after having been ejected and banned from the Brother Francis Shelter for fighting and being under the influence of alcohol.

“Next, Coyle was turned away when he returned the following day at a time when Hope Center was not open for receiving homeless individuals for shelter. On neither occasion was Coyle turned away because of his gender identity.

“Third, Hope Center has First Amendment rights to religious liberty and association that permit it to operate exclusively so as to provide charitable shelter to abused and battered women, and to exclude biological males from its abused and battered women’s shelter.”

[Read: Transgender files complaint against women’s shelter]

The letter from Hope Center to the commission went on to state the mission of Hope Center, and its history and operation.

“Hope Center is a religiously affiliated, private non-profit IRS § 501(c)(3) organization that provides (1) food and showers to homeless individuals in the downtown Anchorage, Alaska, area; and (2) shelter to homeless abused and battered women in the downtown Anchorage, Alaska, area. In addition to providing charitable food and shelter to homeless individuals, Hope Center maintains and operates a church on its property.”

The organization explained to the commission that it originally operated just a soup kitchen, but then expanded to help the local Brother Francis Shelter, which is operated by Catholic Social Services. Brother Francis was running out of room for homeless people, so Hope enter agreed to open a shelter just for abused and battered women, mainly to deal with the overflow at Brother Francis.

Hope Center now takes into its shelter both an overflow of abused and battered women from Brother Francis, as well as some abused and battered women who appear at Hope Center directly. Hope Center has the ability to provide shelter to as many as 50 abused and battered women a night.

“Following dinner, abused and battered women who have signed up and who qualify—e.g., no one is allowed to stay if they are inebriated or high or if they present a safety threat to others—are permitted to stay for the night, based upon space availability and priority of sign-up time. Those who stay for the night are given mats, along with a bag of blankets and a sheet so that they can sleep on the floor in the one large open room. Showers and laundry are also provided to those who have signed up and qualified to stay the night, and breakfast is provided in the morning to those who stayed the previous night.”

The organization does not house biological men because “this would traumatize and present unreasonable safety risks for the abused and battered women who are admitted for overnight shelter. Many of the abused and battered women who stay at the Hope Center have come out of or have been referred by the AWAIC Shelter because they have experienced domestic or other forms of violence and abuse. Also, many of the women who the Hope Center shelters have escaped the horrendous conditions of sexual exploitation and human trafficking. It would be wholly irresponsible and potentially dangerous for Hope Center to house biological males in its shelter overnight with the population of abused and battered women who stay at the shelter.”

Further, the organization has no security detail to protect women other than the door that keeps harmful people out.

“Because of the building’s open design and high ceiling, it is not possible for Hope Center to segregate a portion of the shelter for biological males,” the organization wrote.

“In any event, housing biological males in close proximity to abused and battered women, some of whom have escaped from human trafficking, would be cruel, possibly negligent, and virtually criminal. Also, Hope Center would be opening itself up to substantial civil liability if a biological male were to harm, rape, or, God forbid, kill one of the abused or battered women in the shelter.

The letter included a request that the hearing be cancelled and the complaint dismissed.

Finally the charity threw down the gauntlet, closing with this statement:

“Hope Center will not be attending the March 15, 2018, fact-finding conference. In the event that AERC determines to proceed with this matter, Hope Center intends to file a Motion to Dismiss on the basis that Hope Center is not a public accommodation.”

It’s a case that has the makings of a lawsuit that could go all the way to the Supreme Court.

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