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A night to gather, mourn, and pray in Anchorage, in solidarity with Israel

Suzanne Downing
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A night to gather, mourn, and pray in Anchorage, in solidarity with Israel

A solemn gathering in support of Israel and the Alaska Jewish community at the Dena’ina Convention Center in Anchorage drew about 250 people, about 95% from the Jewish community in Alaska on Wednesday.

Organized by Mayor Dave Bronson in collaboration with Jewish leaders, it was a time of unity with Jewish community and to show solidarity with Israel.

Speakers included Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom, Mayor Bronson, Rabbi Yosef Greenberg, Rabbi Levi Glitsenstein, Rabbi Abram Goldstein, Rabbi Mendy Greenberg, David Gottstein, and Pastor Gary Morton., and Sen. Dan Sullivan, who spoke live via Zoom.

The event was in response to the attack on Israel by Hamas, backed by Iran, last Saturday, which was the most deadly attack in Israel’s 75-year history. At least 1,300 were killed in that initial attack, and 3,300 known to be injured. About 150 hostages are believed to have been taken to Gaza. Several of the dead and known hostages are Americans.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski was said to be in flight and did not make it to the event, although she was included on the program. There was no mention during the evening of Rep. Mary Peltola. Her name was not on the program and she did not attend or send an representative. Heavy security in the form of beefy men in black were in the room and in the building.

The event was not widely publicized in order to minimize the danger to the participants.

On Tuesday, Bronson ordered Municipality of Anchorage flags to be flown at half-staff until Sunday on all municipal properties.

Sarah Vance: Strengthening ties and standing against discrimination

GUEST CONTRIBUTOR
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Sarah Vance: Strengthening ties and standing against discrimination

THE CASE FOR ALASKA ADOPTION OF ISRAEL ANTI-DISCRIMINATION ACT

By REP. SARAH VANCE

An Israeli family of five, including twin 6–year–old girls and their 4-year-old brother, were murdered by Hamas over the weekend.

Tamar Kedem-Siman Tov and her husband Yonatan rushed into the bunker on Saturday with their daughters Shachar and Arbel and son Omer at their home in Nir Oz, a kibbutz on the outskirts of Gaza. They were eventually discovered and slaughtered by Hamas terrorists who infiltrated their kibbutz – Just because they were Jews.

The Kedem-Siman family joins countless others who have become victims of Hamas. The images and stories are disturbing and countless. A young woman was caught on camera being kidnapped by Hamas terrorists on a motorcycle. Another woman taken from a music festival by gunmen was paraded around in the back of a truck naked, her body broken.

At least 900 people have lost their lives in Israel over the last few days simply because of that nation’s Jewish heritage. A gut-wrenching tragedy that pierces the hearts of humanity reminding us of the urgency to stand up against discrimination, hatred, and violence.

In a world rife with conflicts and divisions, it is imperative to foster solidarity with our allies, especially when they endure unfathomable threats and attacks. One such nation in dire need of unwavering support is Israel.

Discrimination in various forms continues to plague Israel, necessitating resolute support from allies. Alaska possesses a unique opportunity to stand firmly against discrimination by adopting the Israel Anti-Discrimination Act (HB 2). In doing so, Alaska not only reiterates its dedication to defending democracy and human rights but also reaffirms its steadfast alliance with Israel.

The United States has stood by Israel since its inception as a nation in 1948. This longstanding alliance has not only benefited both nations but has also provided a stabilizing force in a turbulent region. This alliance underscores the importance of supporting Israel unequivocally, especially in times of adversity.

Alaska may seem far removed from what takes place in the Middle East, but as a state, we strive to do the right thing and to protect our interests. Israel and Alaska enjoy an important and mutually beneficial relationship.

This includes Israel related investments by the Alaska Permanent Fund Corporation along with Alaska’s exports to Israel, which since 1996 totaled nearly $62 million. In addition, Alaska is a key site for U.S. Israel missile defense cooperation. The U.S. and Israel regularly conduct cooperative missile defense program tests such as Arrow-3, at the Alaska Aerospace Pacific Spaceport Complex in Kodiak.

The Israel Anti-Discrimination Act (HB 2) represents a crucial step in ensuring that Alaska’s state dollars do not inadvertently fund discriminatory actions against Israel. By prohibiting the state from contracting with entities that actively discriminate against Israel, this legislation reinforces the values of equality, inclusivity, and fairness that are fundamental to the Alaskan and American identity.

Adopting HB 2 presents Alaska with a unique opportunity to act on its convictions. It is a chance to vehemently stand against genocide, discrimination, and prejudice, sending a resounding message that Alaska values human rights, and equality, not just within its borders, but across the globe.

In tandem with the proposed Alaska legislation, it is imperative that we engage with the nationwide momentum toward countering discrimination against Israel. A parallel effort, The Countering Hate Against Israel (CHAI) by Federal Contractors Act (H.R. 4564), has gained bipartisan traction within the U.S. Congress.

This legislation mirrors Alaska’s Israel Anti-Discrimination Act (HB 2) in its objective to combat discrimination by imposing certification requirements on U.S. government contractors. The CHAI Act mandates contractors to certify that they neither engage in, nor plan to engage in a boycott of Israel throughout the duration of their government contracts.

Remarkably, this principle has already been adopted by 36 states, underlining the urgency to stand against discriminatory practices. Moreover, such legislation has stood the test of legal scrutiny, having been upheld by the courts, reinforcing the necessity and validity of this crucial step toward justice and equality. Alaska’s support for these initiatives amplifies the collective voice of the nation, demonstrating a united front against discrimination and prejudice.

To meaningfully support Israel and combat discrimination, we must rally together and champion the adoption of the Israel Anti-Discrimination Act (HB 2). This is a fervent call to action for Alaskans to reach out to their legislators, urging them to support and pass this critical legislation during this coming session.

Let us demonstrate that we are not helpless in our support of Israel; we have the power to actively contribute to halting discriminatory actions perpetuated by the BDS movement. Together, we can make a resounding difference, standing up for what is right and just, upholding the values of democracy and equality that we hold dear.

Rep. Sarah Vance represents House District 31 and lives with her family in Homer.

Fact check: Did Hamas just call for global jihad against enemies of Islam on Friday the 13th?

Suzanne Downing
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130
Fact check: Did Hamas just call for global jihad against enemies of Islam on Friday the 13th?

According to a recording sent to the Reuters news agency, a top Hamas leader who is in charge of radical Islamists across the world has called for Muslims to “head to the squares and streets of the Arab and Islamic world on Friday,” and protest in support of Palestinians who raped, tortured, mutilated and murdered Jews in Israel on Saturday.

Some have interpreted this to mean that Friday will be an unsafe day for people to be mixing and mingling anywhere near radical Muslims.

Former Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal does not live in Gaza but is based in Qatar, called on the governments and people of Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, and Egypt to join in the war that the Palestinians of Gaza have started against Israel.

“Tribes of Jordan, sons of Jordan, brothers and sisters of Jordan… This is a moment of truth and the borders are close to you, you all know your responsibility,” Meshaal said in the recorded statement.

Commentators on social media have interpreted this to mean a day of possible terrorism.

“Hamas is calling for an international day of terrorism on Friday, October 13th,” wrote Rogan Handley, known by the handle on X/Twitter as DC Draino. “Some are adjusting their schedules and I understand that I will not be changing 1 thing about my daily life b/c I will not let terrorism win I will, however, be carrying an extra mag.”

Joey Mannarino, a political strategist, on X/Twitter cautioned, “The leader of Hamas just called for a Global Day of Jihad this Friday. Do not leave your homes that day unless there is an emergency. Avoid public transit. Avoid airplanes. Avoid public events.”

Handley and Mannarino may not be far off. Jihad is a struggle or fight against the enemies of Islam, as perceived by Islamists. Islam is a top-down religion and the “Islamic world” is anywhere Islam is practiced. It is also sometimes called the “Islamic community,” or “Ummah,” which is not defined by geopolitical borders.

Anyone or any country supporting Israel or Jewish people may be considered an enemy by some militants, who may interpret Khaled Meshaal’s words with what it means to protest, and what is their “responsibility.”

ACLU of Alaska has found its student to use in lawsuit on gender and sports

Suzanne Downing
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43
ACLU of Alaska has found its student to use in lawsuit on gender and sports

In Kenai, a young girl who likes to think of herself as a boy may be the ACLU’s plaintiff in an upcoming lawsuit, because she is not allowed to compete as a runner on the boys track team.

In September, the ACLU of Alaska sent a letter on behalf of what it calls a transgender middle school student-athlete on the Kenai Peninsula who has been told she can’t compete on the boys’ cross-country team.

This fall, the student* joined the cross-country running team, a non-contact sports team open to all cisgender seventh graders without an athletic tryout. The student loves running and loves the team; being part of it has been a crucial aspect of their adjustment to seventh grade and their new school. Their mother has described cross-country running as ‘bringing a new light into [their] life,'” the ACLU of Alaska’s attorney wrote, calling other girls who are not transgender by the new insult label “cisgender.”

Anchorage state senator says lawsuit is needed to allow boys to compete in girls’ athletics in Alaska

This week, the Alaska School Activities Association, which is a coordinating and governing body for high school sports in Alaska, passed a bylaw that brings it in line with regulations from the State of Alaska School Board. The board has come down on the side of protecting students in a way that is fair to both boys and girls. But the ASAA does not govern athletics at the middle school level, leaving the Kenai Peninsula School District vulnerable to a lawsuit.

“Blocking the student from participating in middle school athletics violates the School District’s own policies. Although the ASAA’s (Alaska School Activities Association) bylaws and policies apply statewide to member schools’ high school-level sports and activities, ASAA bylaws make clear that ASAA does not regulate athletics at the middle school level. The KPBSD Middle School Handbook SY 2023-24 contains no specific policies regarding transgender or non-binary student-athletes. It does not even authorize the middle school to have gender-segregated teams for cross-country running at all,” the lawyer wrote.

The girl has been running with the boys during practices, “consistent with their gender identity and with their coach’s support. But the student was informed that they would only be permitted to run with the girls’ team at meets. After attempting to participate with the boys’ team, the student was told they could not attend any more away meets, effectively suspending them from the cross-country team,” the ACLU wrote.

The letter from the ACLU of Alaska is a clear threat against the Kenai Peninsula School District. It’s not clear that the girl in question is “not a girl,” as the ACLU of Alaska insists, since it is unlikely that she has gone trough chemical and surgical castration as a seventh grader, or is able to change her DNA. Most seventh graders are still 12 years old in the fall of the school year.

This could be the girl that is a sympathetic “injured party,” to allow the ACLU to take the Kenai Peninsula School District, as it whittles away at the trend across the country to protect girls sports. The letter from the ACLU of Alaska follows:

NEW-Demand-letter-9-18-23-1-redacted_RedactedDownload

Win Gruening: Election alternative for Juneau — more transparency, choice

SENIOR CONTRIBUTOR
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17

By WIN GRUENING

While the City Clerk’s office has done a creditable job conducting Juneau’s recent municipal election, many residents are expressing dissatisfaction with the current vote-by-mail (VBM) system.

When the Assembly unilaterally imposed VBM on Juneau’s electorate, it was justified as an improvement over traditional voting that would expand voting choices, make it easier to vote, and increase turnout. 

In fact, it has done just the opposite. Voters have been deprived of the choice to personally insert their anonymous ballot in a vote-counting machine the way they always have – in their neighborhood precincts on Election Day or through in-person early voting.

Over a week has passed since Juneau’s municipal election concluded and an unspecified number of votes are still outstanding.

The problem is, when over 27,000 unsolicited ballots are mailed to every registered voter, no one knows how many will be returned. So it’s impossible to know how many ballots remain uncounted until the election is certified weeks later. 

Considering that several Juneau Assembly races were competitive and the Assembly waged a $50,000 advocacy campaign in favor of a controversial ballot proposition to partially fund a new city hall, 2023 voter turnout has been mediocre. To date, turnout only exceeds last year’s election by 101 votes. Almost 400 fewer votes have been cast than in 2018 when there were no propositions on the ballot and before VBM was implemented.

Furthermore, compared to traditional precinct voting, the so-called “convenience” of VBM is a mirage when voters must deal with additional confusing paperwork and forms, the U.S. Postal Service, and the limited number of voting centers (two) or drop boxes (two). 

Yet, increased turnout and convenience were the primary reasons the Assembly decided to spend almost a million dollars in the first year implementing the system and several hundred thousand dollars more each year to run it.

It doesn’t have to be this way.

In a recent Juneau Empire My Turn, Rich Moniak promoted the idea of more choice in voting when quoting the managing director of the Brennan Center for Justice. The director wrote that election officials should “ensure that anyone who has the right to vote can exercise that right as simply and safely as possible. This shouldn’t be a partisan issue but a patriotic duty. Vote by mail is just one option among many to accomplish that goal.”

If the Juneau Assembly thinks it’s important to be responsive to voters and increase transparency, then they will prove it by conducting an objective evaluation of the community’s 4-year experience with VBM and consider additional options based on the results. 

First, the City Clerk’s office should compile a comparison of all the voting statistics from the last five years. This data should include election costs and when, where, and how people voted. How many voters actually mailed their ballot in, for instance, as opposed to dropping it off?. How many ballots had to be “cured” and how many were simply invalidated? This kind of transparency and accountability is absolutely essential to achieve a meaningful analysis in order to evaluate the efficacy of VBM. 

 Some states that considered vote-by-mail systems have opted for a hybrid system that allows voters to “opt-in” to have ballots mailed to them but still preserved precinct voting for those that preferred to keep voting in-person on Election Day. Voters could sign up once for all future elections or just once if they knew they couldn’t vote in-person on Election Day. There is no reason the City and Borough of Juneau couldn’t consider a similar system. 

A hybrid system would be beneficial in a number of ways: 

  • It would save thousands of dollars in printing and mailing costs since ballots would only be mailed to voters who requested them. Some of the savings could be used to pay staff and operate precinct voting stations on Election Day. 
  • It minimizes the potential for “ballot harvesting”, a political tool that can easily lend itself to abuse and has been outlawed in some states. 
  • Finally, and most importantly, it restores choice to the majority of voters who want to continue to vote-in-person.

Vote-by-mail is not a choice if it’s the only choice. 

After retiring as the senior vice president in charge of business banking for Key Bank in Alaska, Win Gruening became a regular opinion page columnist for the Juneau Empire. He was born and raised in Juneau and graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1970. He is involved in various local and statewide organizations.

Win Gruening: Does vote-by-mail work? It’s time for another look

Speaker Scalise? He is pro-American energy, has visited ANWR and TAPS

Suzanne Downing
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47
Speaker Scalise? He is pro-American energy, has visited ANWR and TAPS

Republicans in Congress have nominated Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana on Wednesday to be the next House speaker, edging out Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio.

Scalise is familiar with Alaska energy and has been a strong advocate of not draining the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, as President Biden has done.

In 2008, Scalise and nine other Republican members of Congress visited Alaska, and toured the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and the TransAlaska Pipeline. Scalise, from an energy economy state, is pro-American energy. That trip to Alaska came during Scalise’s first year as a congressman.

His nomination, won by a vote of 113-99 in the Republican caucus, now goes to the House floor for a vote, where he will be up against the Democrats’ nominee Rep. Hakeem Jeffries.

Sen. Cory Booker poses with a sign that says that the border between Israel and Gaza has “got to go.”

Rep. Mary Peltola voted 15 times for radical Jeffries in January, over the Republican nominee Rep. Kevin McCarthy, who was ousted last week after eight hard-right Republicans joined with all Democrats present (Peltola was not present) to remove him as speaker.

Scalise is being treated for cancer. He was shot by a radical Democrat in 2017, while at a practice session for the annual Congressional Baseball Game in Alexandria, Va. At the time he was shot and gravely injured, he was House Majority Whip. He is now House Majority Leader.

The vote on his nomination is expected to start Wednesday.

Anchorage Assembly approves two more contracts for winter shelter hotel rooms

Suzanne Downing
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32
Anchorage Assembly approves two more contracts for winter shelter hotel rooms

The Aviator Hotel and Alexa Hotel and Suites were awarded contracts by the Anchorage Assembly on Tuesday.

Henning, Inc., a nonprofit, will get $1.55 million to run hotel-room shelter space in the Alex Hotel and Suites in Spenard. The group will rent 50 rooms to house up to 100 people through the winter months until April.

Alaska Hotel Group, which owns the Aviator Hotel downtown, was awarded a $4.34 million contract to provide 137 rooms for up to 274 people. This is the same group, led by Mark Begich, as provided similar services to the city during the Covid pandemic.

The total that taxpayers will spend on this winter shelter aspect of homelessness is $5.89 million for up to 374 people, or nearly $16,000 per person for six months of hotel shelter.

For the extremely-hard-to-help homeless, the Bronson Administration wants to use a mass care approach that would be located at the old waste transfer station in midtown Anchorage. The Administration has asked for an award of over $2 million for Henning, INc. to run the facility, which is currently an empty warehouse-style building. The Anchorage Assembly will take up that matter at a special meeting set for Thursday. and will vote on contracts for food services for these and other shelters around town.

Anchorage must provide heated shelter for homeless, if nonprofits run out of room, once temperatures dip into the mid-40s, which they have. This morning, Anchorage is in the mid-30s with icy rain.

Earlier this year, Mayor Bronson said it would be cheaper to buy tickets for people to fly out of Anchorage to be taken care of by family, but that plan was never going to be funded by the Assembly.

In addition to the Alexa Hotel and Suites and the Aviator Hotel, homeless are now sheltered in the former Golden Lion Hotel and the former Sockeye Inn. Anchorage Affordable Housing and Land Trust purchased three more hotels and converted them to homeless hotels: Guest House in downtown (130 people), and the Barratt Inn (96 units) and LakeHouse in Spenard (45 units).

The trend toward “Housing First” in Anchorage through converting hotels started in 2011, when Karluk Manor was converted to become Anchorage’s first permanent housing for chronically homeless alcoholics. It has 46 units.

After 825 days of sheltering homeless in Anchorage hotels, FEMA reimbursement of $80 million to Muni seems unlikely

Law passes Congress unwinding funding penalties for schools that have archery and shooting sports

SENIOR CONTRIBUTOR
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Law passes Congress unwinding funding penalties for schools that have archery and shooting sports

By JOE MUELLER | THE CENTER SQUARE

More than a million students in 49 states will be able to participate in school archery programs using “dangerous weapons” after bipartisan legislation sailed through U.S. Congress and was signed into law by President Joe Biden.

The “Protecting Hunting Heritage and Education Act” passed with unanimous consent in the Senate and a 424-1 vote in the House of Representatives in September. Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-Texas, was the only vote against the act.

When President Biden signed the bill into law last week, it amended the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to allow schools to use federal education funds to purchase “dangerous weapons” to train students in archery and other shootings sports, as well as culinary arts.

“When you see Democrats and Republicans coming together and the speed at which this legislation was crafted, supported, voted on, approved and signed, I think it shows how many people in this country care about the outdoors, young people, shooting sports and the future of conservation in America,” Tommy Floyd, president of the National Archery in the Schools Program, said in an interview with The Center Square.

U.S. House bill protecting hunting, shooting education in schools passes key Education committee

The new law modifies the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which was enacted in June 2022 a few weeks after 19 children and two adults were shot and killed at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas. The act included prohibiting federal education funds from being used “for the provision to any person of a dangerous weapon’’ or ‘‘training in the use of a dangerous weapon,’’ according to a summary of the new law. Federal law defines a “dangerous weapon” as ‘‘a weapon, device, instrument, material, or substance, animate or inanimate, that is used for, or is readily capable of, causing death or serious bodily injury, except that such term does not include a pocketknife with a blade of less than 2 1/2 inches in length.’’

Downing: Biden, targeting rifle and archery clubs for youth, is really targeting America

A bipartisan group of senators agreed the 2022 act didn’t intend to restrict use of federal funds on educational programs when students use “dangerous weapons” for archery, hunting and culinary arts classes.

“All these people in Congress were faced with an incredible task,” Floyd said. “They needed to be responsive for the terrible things happening with these school shootings. They all brought to the table, I believe, their best effort to provide safer situations for schools. I don’t think there’s any politics in this and I don’t care whether you’re Republican or Democrat. You care about kids because you care about people.”

Floyd’s organization has 1.3 million in active student archers in the U.S. and a few other countries.

Shocker: Biden cuts funding for archery and hunting classes for kids

More than 250,000 students in grades four through 12 in more than 800 schools in Missouri participate in the Missouri National Archery in the Schools Program, according to the Missouri Conservation Heritage Foundation. Missouri’s annual archery tournament is the second-largest state tournament in the nation.

Colorado holds a statewide virtual archery tournament on individual school grounds and is supported by Colorado Parks and Wildlife. Scores from school tournaments are sent to the state and compiled to determine winners.

A new House member sought for District 40, North Slope, as Rep. Patkotak becomes mayor of borough

Suzanne Downing
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8
A new House member sought for District 40, North Slope, as Rep. Patkotak becomes mayor of borough

Gov. Mike Dunleavy announced Tuesday that for the next 20 days, he will accept applications for the House District 40 seat in the Alaska Legislature made available upon the resignation of Rep. Josiah Patkotak of Utqiaġvik (Barrow), who is the newly elected mayor of the North Slope Borough.

All applicants must be living in District 40 and be at least 21 years old to receive consideration.

Patkotak was not aligned with either Republican or Democrat parties, but was an undeclared member of the Legislature. That means the normal consultation process with the party of the departing legislator can be skipped, and the governor will decided without the help of the precinct and district party leaders.

HD-40 covers the farthest north region of the state, stretching from the Kotzebue area north to Wainwright, Utqiagvik, Prudhoe Bay and Kaktovik before ending at the Canadian border. Josiah Patkotak who represented district 40 as an independent, resigned today. He was elected mayor of the North Slope Borough during the election earlier this month. 

By law, within 30 days, the Governor shall appoint a qualified person to fill a vacancy. 

Residents of House District 40 have until Tuesday, October 31 to submit an application. To apply visit https://gov.alaska.gov.

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