Gov. Mike Dunleavy has proposed $450-per-student grants from the state for K-6 students who demonstrate proficiency in reading or improve their reading proficiency. When Gov. Dunleavy announced that proposal in press conference, the question was asked if there was any evidence that incentives have worked anywhere else. The answer is yes.
Florida has used focused incentive grants since 2003, to encourage students to take AP courses by paying bonuses for students who pass an AP exam. After implementing that policy, Florida saw more than 1000% increase in low-income students enrolled in AP courses.
Florida was ranked 3rd in the nation in 2022 for the percentage of students who graduated high school with a 3 or higher on an AP test — despite being ranked 45th in the nation in K-12 funding adequacy by a recent Rutgers University Study.
Yes. With the one of the least funded education system in the US, Florida is producing some of the highest quality high school graduates in the nation, according to Rutgers.
For comparison, Alaska was ranked the second-most funded K-12 system in the US by the same Rutgers study and was 44th in the US in the percentage of students graduating with at least one AP test of 3 or higher.
Only 11.9% of Alaska students achieved an AP test of 3 or higher compared to 28.8% in Florida.
It doesn’t take a degree in economics to understand that people and organizations respond to incentives. When we incentivize things we want, we get more of more of what we want.
In the latest NAEP results, Alaska was ranked, 49th in the US for 4th grade reading scores for low-income students and 50th for upper/middle-income students. It’s a very clear that we need to incentivize improvements in early childhood literacy.
If we simply add money, with no strings attached to a well-funded K-12 system that has produced disappointing results for decades, we shouldn’t be surprised when we get a more expensive version of the same disappointing results.
Bob Griffin is on the board of Alaska Policy Forumand serves on the Alaska Board of Education and Early Development, but writes this in his own capacity.
I am a life-long Alaskan, working and living in Anchorage for the past 35 years, and retired last year. Now that I have more discretionary time, beginning in January I decided to attend several Municipality of Anchorage Assembly regular meeting. Rather than read articles about Assembly Member personalities and meeting activities, I wanted to see for myself.
Most of the meetings activities in January and first week of February were perfunctory and dutiful. Exceptions were a marijuana licensing dispute, extended Assembly discussion about a new trailhead parking area, and public comment about a proposed sales tax.
At the beginning of Assembly regular meetings a Land Acknowledgement proclamation is read after the Pledge of Allegiance. The proclamation’s content seemed a bit off to me but, I just passed it off as political dogma. A copy of the Land Acknowledgement proclamation from the Feb. 25, 2025 Assembly Meeting Agenda is at the end of this letter.
After the second meeting I thought more about the land acknowledgment proclamation. Because of its reference to land use and the term decolonization, it is more appropriately a manifesto. A manifesto challenges the prevailing authority. The prevailing authority over the Municipality of Anchorage is the State of Alaska.
When Assembly Members and Mayor were sworn in to their offices, they took an oath to uphold State of Alaska’s authority. It follows that the Assembly’s Land Acknowledgement proclamation is challenging State of Alaska’s authority to govern and, they therefore contradict their oath of office.
The proclamation uses the term decolonization. The last time in American history there was decolonization, we fought a long and difficult war with Great Britain. Has the Assembly prepared a Declaration of Independence that we are not aware of (sarc)?
With regard to land, I own my property as underwritten by the State of Alaska, and do not occupy tribal land. The 1970s Alaska Native Claims Act put to rest native land claims. The Assembly’s land acknowledgement casts doubt on private land ownership within the municipality because it states that we are occupiers of the Indigenous people’s land.
The proclamation furthermore states, “Denai’ana have been and continue to be stewards of this land.” Steward is understood as a manager or caretaker of land resources. The use of the word “continue” is present tense. When I develop my land it is land use rules of MOA Title 21 that govern, and not the Denai’ana tribe.
When attending the Feb. 11 meeting, during the audience participation segment I provided comments to the Assembly about the Land Acknowledgement proclamation. My comments were specifically about decolonization and I was given three minutes to complete comments. The following are my comments to the Assembly.
“Colonization refers to establishment of something to benefit that something. Decolonization is an aggressive term, referring to removal of that something.
“During the last ice age, 18,000 years ago, an ice sheet covered south central Alaska, south of the Alaska Range out to the Gulf of Alaska, west to the Alaska Peninsula and south to British Columbia. At that time MOA lands were covered with hundreds and thousands of feet of ice. 10,000 years ago, when the ice sheet melted colonization began with plants, animals, and fish… followed by people groups. The last non-European group was the Denai’ana.
“The business of the Assembly includes bonding for roads, drainage, water-sewer systems, schools, and trailhead parking areas… and generally promoting development. Assembly business is the business of colonization. MOA is an agent of colonization.
“My following questions are rhetorical:
“Where do the Assembly and Mayor find the authority to decolonize?
“Who and what are to be decolonized? I don’t think you are referring to dandelions.
“Did you check with the State Attorney General, ACLU, or constitutional lawyers such as Alan Dershowitz to determine whether your decolonization proclamation violates the United States Constitution?
“In conclusion the proclamation is nonsensical… it is a like a dog chasing its tail.”
From the Feb. 25, 2025 Anchorage Assembly General Meeting Assembly Agenda: “MOA Agenda Item 3. Land Acknowledgement. A land acknowledgement is a formal statement recognizing the Indigenous people of a place. It is a public gesture of appreciation for the past and present Indigenous people of a place. It is a public gesture of appreciation for the past and present Indigenous stewardship of the lands we now occupy. It is an actionable statement that marks our collective movement towards decolonization and equity. The Anchorage Assembly would like to acknowledge that we gather today on the traditional lands of the Dena’ina Athabascans. For thousands of years the Dena’ina have been and continue to be the stewards of this land. It is with gratefulness and respect that we recognize the contributions, innovations, and contemporary perspectives of the upper Cook Inlet Dena’ina.”
Dave Arehart is aretired registered civil engineer and lifelong resident of Alaska. His engineering work and projects are scattered across Alaska, from Ketchikan to Utqiagvik, and Diomede to Atka. His 10 years out of Alaska included university studies and, design and construction engineer for USAID-funded water projects in Malawi, Africa.
Debate on the House floor today about an 11th hour rule by the Biden Administration to crush American natural gas production included remarks from Alaska Congressman Nick Begich, who implored his colleagues to vote yes on House Joint Resolution 35, repealing the Biden tax on methane emissions from natural gas.
Under the Congressional Review Act, such last-minute rules by an administration can be repealed by Congress via a simple majority of the House and Senate.
House Joint Resolution 35 would repeal an Environmental Protection Agency rule relating to “Waste Emissions Charge for Petroleum and Natural Gas Systems: Procedures for Facilitating Compliance, Including Netting and Exemptions.”
Begich spoke to the importance of unleashing American energy first and spoke to the importance of the Alaska LNG project:
“I rise in support of House Joint Resolution 35 to repeal the Biden administration’s tax that drives up costs, stifles investment, and weakens energy security. This so-called emissions charge won’t change emissions but will punish producers and make life more expensive for America’s working families.
“While some claim this tax does not directly impact my home state of Alaska, what’s bad for American energy is bad for Alaskan energy. Alaska holds over 100 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, and they argue this increases energy security but increases our reliance on foreign adversaries. We must repeal the natural gas tax. H.J.R. 35 is a strong energy future, and I urge a yes vote.
“The Alaska LNG project is our best chance to bring it to market. Burdensome federal regulations discourage investment, keeping Alaska’s energy potential locked away. Meanwhile, Cook Inlet gas supplies are declining, threatening those in south-central Alaska with higher heating and energy costs. If we want long-term security, we must develop our resources.
“Mr. Speaker, every job is an energy job because energy powers everything that we do. Supporting American energy production means creating good-paying jobs in oil and gas, construction, transportation, manufacturing, and small businesses that rely on affordable energy. The Alaska LNG project alone would generate thousands of jobs, strengthening our economy and supply chains. If we want to grow opportunity for working families, we must stand with American energy and repeal the natural gas tax.
“Let’s be clear. Opponents of this bill are spreading falsehoods. They claim this tax will cut emissions, but the U.S. already leads the world in methane reduction, cutting emissions intensity by 42% since 2015. They say this is about big oil, but 90% of U.S. natural gas comes from small and mid-sized producers. I claim only gas producers are affected, but the Biden administration designed this rule to also hit oil producers.”
According to internal government documents obtained by writers Christopher Rufo and Hannah Grossman, intelligence agency employees at the nation’s top security agency were having lurid sex chats on the job during the Biden Administration.
And it was all considered their official work duties, due to the push for “diversity, equity, and inclusion” policies of President Joe Biden.
The two writers, who are conservatives, revealed many of the lurid details in City Journalthis week. They had cultivated sources within the NSA who were a current employee and a former employee. These people provided chat logs from the NSA’s Intelink messaging program, the writers said. Intelink is the secure intranet network used by the US intelligence community. Established in 1994, it allows information sharing, collaboration, and business workflow across intelligence agencies.
The sex chat logs go back two years and are filled with content involving kinky sex, fetishes, transgenderism, and “butthole” laser treatments. Topics also included hair removal, estrogen injections, and the experience of “sexual pleasure post-castration,” the writers said.
“According to our sources, the sex chats were legitimized as part of the NSA’s commitment to ‘diversity, equity and inclusion.’ Activists within the agency used LGBTQ+ ’employee resource groups’ to turn their kinks and pathologies into official work duties. According to the current NSA employee, these groups “spent all day” recruiting activists and holding meetings with titles such as ‘Privilege,’ ‘Ally Awareness,’ ‘Pride,’ and ‘Transgender Community Inclusion.”’And they did so with the full support of NSA leadership, which declared that DEI was ‘not only mission critical, but mission imperative.’”
Some of the chats uncovered included these exchanges:
“[I]’ve found that i like being penetrated (never liked it before GRS), but all the rest is just as important as well.”
“[G]etting my butthole zapped by a laser was . . . shocking,” wrote one transgender-identifying intel employee who spent thousands on hair removal. “Look, I just enjoy helping other people experience boobs,” said another about estrogen treatments. “[O]ne of the weirdest things that gives me euphoria is when i pee, i don’t have to push anything down to make sure it aims right,” a Defense Intelligence Agency employee wrote on the government’s messaging program.
Now, an investigation is under way at the agency to determine who was using government resources for sex chats.
In an interview with Jesse Waters on Fox News, National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard said that more than 100 intelligence officers are being fired for participating in these sex chat rooms on government property.
“There are over 100 people from across the intelligence community that contributed to and participated in what is really just an egregious violation of trust. I put out a directive today that they will all be terminated and their security clearances will be revoked,” she said. “They were brazen in using an NSA platform intended for professional use to conduct this kind of really, really horrific behavior.”
Gabbard was confirmed by the Senate as head of national security two weeks ago. The vote was 52-48, with all Democrats opposing her and Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky joining Democrats to vote against her.
“NSA is aware of posts that appear to show inappropriate discussions by IC personnel. IC collaboration platforms are intended to drive mission outcomes. Potential misuse of these platforms by a small group of individuals does not represent the community. Investigations to address this misuse of government systems are ongoing,” the NSA wrote on X.
In a video posted on social media on Tuesday, Gov. Mike Dunleavy made an overture to federal workers who may have been laid off by the Trump Administration, as the president seeks to downsize the federal government. There are state jobs to apply for, Dunleavy said: “Don’t lose heart.”
Dunleavy acknowledged there are hardworking people in the federal government who may now be looking for work, and he encouraged them to visit https://doa.alaska.gov/dop/ “to explore job openings, training programs, and support services to help navigate this transition.”
There are hundreds of vacant state jobs, including a 25% vacancy rate at the Alaska Marine Highway system.
Roll tape:
I know many federal workers here in Alaska are facing uncertainty right now. These are hardworking people and I want to acknowledge the challenges they’re going through. If you or someone you know is looking for new opportunities, resources are available. Visit… pic.twitter.com/Dpik7Ksljs
At the end of a Senate majority press conference today, Sen. Cathy Giessel of south Anchorage answered a reporter’s question about her call for a new tax.
Must Read Alaska was the first to report that Giessel had stated in her constituent newsletter that an income tax on Alaskans is unavoidable.
“I’ve lived here since before statehood,” Giessel said on Tuesday. “We’ve lived since 1982 with a cash handout from the state of Alaska. And I think it’s pretty obvious that the time for that is ending.”
Then she blamed President Donald Trump.
“President Trump wants to lower the cost of fuel, lower the cost of oil. That’s what we’ve been depending on. But now, nearly 50% of our income is coming from the federal government. Somehow we’re going to have to make some corrections here,” she said.
“So what I’m basically hoping to prepare people for is the fact that the gravy train is over,” she continued. “And we’re going to have to make some serious decisions. We’ve got some revenue suggestions on the table. We’re going to get a huge amount of pushback on that. I know who will say ‘wait, you’re going to reduce the production of oil, you’re going to cost these companies more.’ These are very big national or international companies. We’re a small state. No other regime has given away cash credits before as we did in Cook Inlet, right? And to some degree that we still do on the North Slope. So I think citizens need to have a very serious look at this concept of receiving a dividend every year.”
She said she gets a lot of emails from people that say they want the Legislature to increasing funding for education with half of their Permanent Fund dividends.
“That’s what that dividend money should be used for,” she said. “We all benefit from a solid education so that people don’t end up in corrections, needing more police officers, or committing suicide.”
Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s education bill proposes several major changes to the state’s education system, including expanding school choice, regulating mobile device use, offering reading proficiency grants, reforming charter school approvals, adjusting school funding formulas, and providing teacher retention bonuses.
Education Commissioner Deena Bishop briefed the Senate Education Committee on the bill on Feb. 24.
Key highlights of the bill include:
School Choice Expansion – Allows students to attend schools outside their district with specific conditions. Establishes regulations for school capacity, enrollment applications, and appeals.
Mobile Device Restrictions – Schools must adopt policies limiting student use of personal mobile devices, with exceptions for emergencies, educational purposes, or health needs.
Reading Proficiency Grants – Schools receive $450 per student (K-6) demonstrating grade-level proficiency or improvement in reading.
Charter Schools – Creates a streamlined application process, allowing charter school proposals to be submitted directly to the state board instead of local school boards.
Student Transportation Funding – Increases per-student transportation grants by 20% and adjusts for inflation.
School Construction Debt Moratorium – Extends a freeze on new school bond debt reimbursement until 2030.
Vocational & Technical Education – Adjusts funding formulas to increase support for technical education and require reporting on program expenditures.
Teacher Retention Bonuses – Introduces a temporary three-year program offering lump sum payments ($5,000–$15,000) to eligible full-time teachers as an incentive for retention.
Legislative Report Requirement – Directs the legislature to evaluate the education system and recommend changes, including new accountability metrics beyond standardized testing.
Overall, the bill seeks to increase school choice, improve literacy, support vocational education, and address teacher retention while maintaining a temporary moratorium on school construction debt reimbursement.
Alaska State Sen. Loki Tobin’s newsletter for her constituents is published with tax dollars. But the Democrat from the urban core of Anchorage (Seat I) uses that newsletter to illegally link to messages where she implores Alaskans to register as Democrats and run for office as Democrats because their party is the better party.
Tobin’s newsletter suggests following her on BlueSky, a new-ish social media site used almost exclusively by Democrats. Here’s what she says:
Senator Tobin’s newsletter directs people to her BlueSky account.
When you click from her official government-funded newsletter to her BlueSky page, she is found to be responding to a message from New York Democrat Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Tobin asks people to run for office as a Democrat. That’s a campaign activity, specifically prohibited by the Alaska Legislature’s own ethics rules.
Loki Tobin’s BlueSky account is partisan communications.
That partisan election message is mixed in with state business, such as an announcement about a public comment opportunity and a survey she is conducting — as a sitting senator:
The Legislature’s own rules state that lawmakers may not use a social media account for legislative matters unless they administrate it as an official legislative account.
To mitigate the risk that a personal account would be interpreted as an official account, the rules state:
Do not make the personal account available to the public; keep your account private.
Do not designate the personal account as an official or public legislative page.
Do not make the personal account resemble an official account, or one related to your legislative office by adding images or graphics, such as the State seal.
Do not include links to legislative email accounts or legislative or caucus websites.
Do not announce or solicit feedback about legislative matters. Legislative matters may include announcing a bill’s passage, noticing a constituent or legislative meeting time and place, and/or discussing sponsored legislation or caucus priorities, for example.
Do not allow a legislative employee to manage the personal account.
Do not use links to your personal social media in any official legislative communications, including newsletters or a legislative email signature block. If a legislator maintains a personal account, follows the mitigation strategies listed above, and uses it for purely personal reasons, blocking a person, or imposing any other access restriction is highly unlikely to result in a successful First Amendment challenge.
Tobin is using her social media accounts for both election and campaign information and legislative information and is clearly in violation of the legislative rules. But there will be no consequence, because the rules do not appear to apply to Democrats in the Alaska Legislature.
The Alaska’s Senate Finance Committee has proposed amending an existing law that the Legislature hasn’t followed in years for determining the Alaska Permanent Fund dividend.
In 2018-2019, the Legislature adopted by statute a mechanism called the “percent of market value,” in which the Permanent Fund earnings are used not just to pay dividends, but to also contribute to state government under a split set by formula.
But that calculation, called POMV for short, conflicts with a prior law that gave Alaskans 50% of the oil wealth in the way of dividends. The two laws have been in conflict, and the matter was never resolved.
The dividend is calculated by taking the average net income of the Permanent Fund over the past five years, applying the most recent statutory percentage to that amount, then dividing it by the number of eligible applicants in the state. The exact formula also includes things like past year obligations and the expenses of running the program.
Senate Bill 109, proposed by Sen. Lyman Hoffman of Bethel, gives Alaskans 25% rather than the 50% of the earlier statute, which hasn’t been followed since Gov. Bill Walker vetoed half of the dividend in 2015.
The new bill modifies the management and distribution of the Alaska Permanent Fund, including changes to how income is calculated, appropriated, and used for dividend payments.
Key provisions include:
Fund Income Calculation: The bill updates the method for determining the Permanent Fund’s net income, basing it on generally accepted accounting principles while excluding unrealized gains and losses.
Appropriation Limits: The annual amount available for appropriation is set at 5% of the fund’s average market value over the past five years, ensuring withdrawals do not exceed available reserves.
Dividend Formula Adjustment: The allocation to the Permanent Fund Dividend (PFD) is reduced from 50% to 25% of the income available for appropriation.
Inflation Protection: The legislature may appropriate funds from the earnings reserve account to offset inflation’s impact on the fund’s principal.
Amerada Hess Settlement Funds: Income from the settlement remains in the fund but cannot be appropriated for general use, dividends, or inflation-proofing, instead going to the Alaska Capital Income Fund.
Mental Health Trust Fund Exclusion: Earnings from this trust fund are not included in the Permanent Fund’s available income calculations.
Repealed Provisions: Sections AS 37.13.145(e) and (f), which contained previous rules on fund transfers and allocations, are repealed.
Although the Legislature has been taking 75% for government, this year the Democrat-led majorities in the House and Senate want to add hundreds of millions of dollars in spending for education and pensions.
Even with 75% going to the state, there isn’t enough left. The current delta between spending demands and available revenues is estimated to be $500 million or more, according to the Legislative Finance Division.
The Yundt Tax may allay some of that deficit. Sen. Rob Yundt has proposed taxing Hilcorp, the company that manages the fields on the North Slope.
The Alaska Permanent Fund Dividend program began in 1983, when the Alaska Permanent Fund Corporation started distributing a portion of the fund’s earnings to Alaska residents. The PFD is paid out annually to all qualifying Alaska residents.
