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Alaska’s Senate dividend deadlock likely to lead to special session

Suzanne Downing
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35
Alaska’s Senate dividend deadlock likely to lead to special session

The Alaska Senate continued to withhold the state’s operating budget from the House on Monday, creating a situation where the House is unable to negotiate in a conference committee, the process that allows differences to be ironed out.

This unprecedented move by the Senate has led to growing complaints from House members who feel they are being treated as an advisory panel rather than an equal legislative body.

The biggest issue causing the budgetary stalemate is the size of the Permanent Fund dividend, the annual royalty payment made to all eligible Alaskans from the state’s oil wealth savings account. Disagreement over the size and source of this dividend has been a recurring point of contention since 2017, the year after Gov. Bill Walker’s veto altered the PFD’s relationship with the people into “just another appropriation.”

The Democrat-dominated Senate is proposing a $1,300 dividend, known as the 75-25 split, which allocates the majority of the dividend to the government.

The Republican-led House, on the other hand, is advocating for a $2,700 dividend under the 50-50 plan. This larger dividend would be financed from the Constitutional Budget Reserve, which necessitates a two-thirds vote from both legislative bodies.

The House had passed the operating budget to the Senate last month. However, the Senate leadership has been actively circumventing the traditional conference committee process, a tactic that will most likely result in a special session. Instead, Senate leaders have been using media outlets in the building to bolster their position, a strategy that has been met with skepticism from Democrat-friendly reporters.

With Wednesday marking the final day of the legislative session, time has run out and it’s almost certain special session will be called by the governor.

Jill Biden snubs Alaska senators with too-late invite to Bethel with Peltola

Suzanne Downing
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34
Jill Biden snubs Alaska senators with too-late invite to Bethel with Peltola

First Lady Jill Biden is slated to make her first visit to Bethel this Wednesday, joined by Democratic Rep. Mary Peltola. Sources say Republican Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan will not be at the event, raising questions about the Biden Administration’s deploying of the First Lady as an election cycle surrogate for the president. The invitation, sources say, came too late for the senators to respond.

The First Lady’s visit is advertised as showcasing the significant investments made by the Biden Administration in expanding broadband access in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta. The absence of Alaska’s senators leaves room for skepticism. Murkowski has been friendly and helpful to the Biden Administration and has been a member of the Senate since 2002, serving with Biden for decades in D.C., while Peltola has served for less than a year. She also endorsed Rep. Peltola for the House during last year’s election.

The event comes at a time that as communities along the upper Yukon River are grappling with flooding, and Kuskokwim communities remain on high alert for potential flooding. Flood warnings are in effect for Fort Yukon, Stevens Village, and Crooked Creek. Flood watches are in effect for Beaver and Aniak. A flood advisory is in effect for Gulkana.

The trip also comes just five days after the death of Rep. Peltola’s mother.

Rep. Peltola expressed her enthusiasm for the visit: “I’m proud we have a First Lady who is a real advocate for education and health care access. These are issues that affect every Alaskan and every American.” She also expressed her anticipation for the visit to shed light on the unique challenges faced by rural Alaskan communities.

With President Biden’s reelection campaign in its nascent stages, his administration appears to be in full gear to trumpet his legislative accomplishments. The White House is mobilizing cabinet members and advisers across the nation during Infrastructure Week to push their message, and it’s unlikely that the president himself will be strong enough to visit Alaska during the campaign, when it gets into full swing next year.

Rep. Mary Peltola’s mom passes

Rep. Mary Peltola’s mom passes

Suzanne Downing
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18
Rep. Mary Peltola’s mom passes

Rep. Mary Peltola’s mother died on Friday, she announced on Twitter Monday.

“Buzzy and I spent Mother’s Day with our kids celebrating my mom who passed away on Friday. We want to thank everyone for the kind messages we received, and the love from our friends and families,” she wrote. Her office provided no additional details.

Elizabeth “LizAnn” Piicigaq Williams, was Yup’ik from Kwethluk, in the Lower Kuskokwim, according to Wikipedia.

Senate bill revamping Alaska voting laws stumbles backward

Suzanne Downing
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22
Senate bill revamping Alaska voting laws stumbles backward

Democrat Sen. Scott Kawasaki’s bill, aimed at changing voting laws in Alaska, stalled on the Senate floor on Monday and was referred back to the Rules Committee. The legislation offered significant alterations to the state’s current electoral process, including a new “ballot curing” requirement and relaxation of signature verification requirements.

The bill, Senate Bill 138, had even more for Alaskans, with extensive language assistance requirements and mandating the Division of Elections implement a ballot tracking system, a feature intended to allow voters to monitor the journey of their ballots post-voting. The bill would also have made it the responsibility of the state to cover postage costs for mailed-in ballots.

The bill has stricter residency requirements, and offers absentee voters the opportunity to correct errors on their ballots. Presently, voters only become aware of errors in their absentee ballots after the election is certified, an issue highlighted in the 2022 special primary election, when an estimated 7,500 ballots were rejected, translating to a rejection rate of 4.55%.

Despite the highest-ever voter turnout in Alaska’s history during the 2020 elections, with over 360,000 Alaskans casting their vote, Kawasaki points out that approximately 173,000 eligible and registered Alaskans did not participate.

The bill requires the Division of Elections to start counting absentee ballots at least seven days before the election day, and begin releasing vote tallies at 8 pm on election day.

It also sought to replace the witness signature requirement with a signature verification system and required the Division of Elections to cure signature discrepancies, similar to how Anchorage does its verification system.

Even if it were to pass both houses and receive the governor’s approval next year, the changes are unlikely to be implemented before the 2024 election.

Similar legislation in the House, sponsored by Democrat majority leader Cal Schrage, also appears to be faltering in committee.

SB 89 to curb Alaska youth vaping, raises legal age, adds taxes

Suzanne Downing
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8
SB 89 to curb Alaska youth vaping, raises legal age, adds taxes

It could get a lot more expensive to vape in Alaska, with a new tax proposed. In a bid to curb the trend of rising tobacco and electronic smoking product use among Alaskan youths, Senate Bill 89 has been proposed by Sen. Gary Stevens of Kodiak. It has been held to the Senate floor calendar for Tuesday.

The bill seeks to align state law with federal law by raising the minimum age to purchase, sell, or possess tobacco and electronic smoking products from 19 to 21 years. It also proposes a new sales tax on electronic smoking products.

In 2019, the federal government amended the national age limit for tobacco, nicotine, and vaping products to 21, a move overseen by the Food and Drug Administration.

The impetus behind the bill is the “Tobacco Facts 2022 Update” from the Alaska Department of Health, Division of Public Health, which revealed an increase in vaping among Alaska high school students, with 26% reported as active users of e-cigarettes in 2019. This is below the national average, which is 33% for teen e-cigarette use.

The FDA has not endorsed these products as effective quitting aids or as safe. With almost all e-cigarettes containing nicotine, and some possessing as much or more than a traditional pack of cigarettes, the long-term health impacts are unknown.

Sen. Stevens says the proposed tax is a proven method to reduce youth tobacco use, discouraging new smokers, and helping committed adults to quit.

SB 89 outlines guidelines for online sales of e-cig products and enforcing age verification and tax payment. Online vendors with 200 or more transactions in the state would be required to register with the Department of Revenue, and collect and remit the tax.

The bill would establish the Tobacco Use Education and Cessation Fund as a separate entity within the state treasury. The fund would be replenished with 20% of the annual payment from the Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement, 8.9% of the cigarette tax, and proceeds from the new tax on vaping products.

The fund would be used by the Department of Health’s tobacco control program to prevent tobacco and e-cigarette use in schools. Marijuana and hemp products without nicotine would be exempt from the tax.

The bill also proposes to lower the maximum nicotine concentration of e-cigarettes from 60 to 50mg/ml.

If it passes the Senate, there’s not enough time for it to pass the House this year, and it would be held over until 2024.

Yukon River flood update: Damage piles up

Suzanne Downing
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0
Yukon River flood update: Damage piles up

In the past three days, communities along the Yukon River and within the Glennallen and Kuskokwim Divisions have experienced significant flooding due to snowmelt, ground saturation, and ice jams, resulting in substantial damage to infrastructure and homes, according to the Alaska Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. Gov. Mike Dunleavy has declared a disaster. Here are the main details:

Eagle Village and Eagle City:

  • May 13: The Yukon River blocked access between the two towns by pushing significant ice chunks onto Mission Road.
  • May 14: Water receded, and DOT&PF crews began debris clearing operations to re-open the road. No injuries or residential damage reported.
  • May 15: Two homes near the boat landing flooded, resulting in families being evacuated. The Taylor highway remained open, and debris clearing on Mission Road continued.

Circle:

  • May 13: Serious flooding reported within the town, with water levels exceeding previously reported records. The local powerplant was taken offline as a precaution, and community incident commanders established full accountability of community members.
  • May 14: The Yukon Division Supervisor confirmed significant flood damage to the school, post office, and multiple homes. Several homes were knocked off their foundations due to ice chunks, and additional homes were swept into the river.
  • May 15: The Washeteria was damaged, and the sewage lagoon overtopped. The water well will need testing before being placed online. Power to food freezers was taken offline. A FirstNet system is being deployed, and food and water supplies are being dispatched to the community. Fifteen homes in the downtown area were damaged, and three more homes downriver suffered damage.

Fort Yukon:

  • May 14: Low-level flooding occurred. Water levels are slowly falling. The drinking water system remained unaffected.

Stevens Village:

  • May 15: A Flood Warning was issued, which includes a large ice threat. The village saw a 10-foot rise in water levels. There was approximately 2 feet of freeboard on the river bank.

KUSKOKWIM DIVISION:

Red Devil:

  • May 13: Water inundated parts of the community and closed the airstrip. The water level was reported to already be dropping. A full damage assessment is pending.
  • May 15: Water receded from the runway, but the airport will remain closed until tomorrow morning.

Crooked Creek:

  • May 13: Serious flooding was reported within Crooked Creek. Some community members were reported to be unable to reach high ground and sheltered in the upper floor of the community store or homes.
  • May 14: Twelve people previously requesting assistance were safely located and taken to the school shelter location.
  • May 15: School generator is working. School resources are being used to feed the community, and the school gym is being used for sheltering. Water receded from airport surfaces, but the runway is still very soft and will remain closed for a few more days.

Napaimute:

  • May 14: The community began taking precautions against possible impacts from the ice jam.
  • May 15: Community reported active flooding with sheltering in the city offices. No damage reported.

GLENNALLEN DIVISION:

  • May 13: Flooding in downtown Glennallen impacted homes and businesses due to snowmelt and ground saturation.
  • May 14: Six homes damaged, the sewer system compromised due to flood water, and the IGA store inundated.
  • May 15: Glenn Highway is open with pilot car support. Environmental concerns with fuel spills and sewage.
Watch video: River floods Crooked Creek; Dunleavy declares disaster

Redistricting board accepts map approved by Supremes

Suzanne Downing
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5
Redistricting board accepts map approved by Supremes

The interim political boundaries for the 2022 election will remain the permanent ones for the next decade in Alaska, after the Alaska Redistricting Board decided to not challenge the Alaska Supreme Court’s decision to gerrymander downtown Anchorage and JBER through a judicial order.

Redistricting takes place once every 10 years, after the U.S. Census is completed. The attempt by boards around the nation is to even out the populations in the various political districts.

In Alaska, that redistricting process faced six lawsuits. In the end, the redistricting board won all but two of those Democrat-funded lawsuits when the Alaska Supreme Court sided with the Democrats to dilute the conservative vote at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, by adding the voters there into the liberal downtown district. The other district that had a slight adjustment was Cantwell in Senate Seat K.

The Supreme Court’s reasoning for the decision was issued in April, months after the actual decision. At Monday’s meeting of the board, the adoption of the final map, the one approved by the court, was already in the meeting packet when the commissioners sat down to deliberate.

To see the final maps, click on this link.

How to get rid of conservative talk radio? Eliminate AM radio in cars

Suzanne Downing
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48
How to get rid of conservative talk radio? Eliminate AM radio in cars

The electric vehicle revolution is now causing a wave of concern among a significant portion of the American public: Conservative talk show listeners.

Major car manufacturers such as BMW, Mazda, Tesla, and Volkswagen are sidelining a staple of American life: AM radio, removing AM receivers from their new electric vehicles, and saying that the radios create electromagnetic interference with the electric-powered engines.

Ford, a stalwart of the U.S. auto industry, said it will exclude AM radio from nearly all its new vehicles – both gas and electric – by 2024, citing data that suggests less than 5% of in-car listening comes from AM stations.

The transition isn’t just a switch of radio frequencies; it’s a fundamental disruption to the conservative talk show ecosystem. Talk radio has long dominated AM radio, while the alternative NPR has dominated FM radio. Some conservatives are crying “foul.”

“I think people want more options, not less options. And this would be a direct hit politically on conservative talk radio in particular, which is what most people go to AM radio to listen to,” said Sean Hannity on Fox News. “It’s not complicated to put in a radio system that allows you to have AM FM, Sirius XM, or the ability to plug in your own music from your own phone “And I think people want more options, not less options. So is there a political component to it? Certainly feels like it.” 

Hannity, whose show is broadcast on over 700 AM and FM radio stations, also noted that the car manufacturers are devaluing the AM stations.

“People paid a lot of money for those signals, and they pay that money to, you know, the federal government [that] gives out these licenses. What’s the point if they’re going to take away a significant percentage of the population’s ability to even get the station they would listen to the most while they’re driving?” Hannity said. 

The National Association of Broadcasters says 82 million Americans tune into AM radio every month, the majority of broadcasts consisting of news, talk radio, and sports.

In Alaska, AM radio is woven into the fabric of emergency response, capable of reaching remote areas and relaying urgent messages about floods, fires, or earthquakes. This function of AM radio is part of the nation’s Emergency Alert system; Americans rely on it for timely, crucial information.

For instance, one AM radio station in Glennallen — KCAM — can reach all the way to the Canadian border. With a 200-foot section of the Glenn Highway flooded this week at Moose Creek in the Cooper River Valley, being able to reach drivers with that information is possibly lifesaving, and cell phones are not always reliable.

In Alaska, AM radios are far more practical than electric vehicles.

Seven former FEMA administrators wrote a letter to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, emphasizing the public safety necessity of maintaining AM radio in vehicles. A rising tide of policymakers are championing the cause of AM radio, urging automakers to reconsider their stance and underlining its critical role during extreme weather events and natural disasters.

FCC Commissioner Nathan Simington voiced his support, asserting that the Commission “should make clear the vital importance of AM radio.”

“Implementing cost cutting measures at the expense of our nation’s emergency communications abilities is reckless and will have dire consequences for Americans that rely on AM radio in times of crisis,” NAB President and CEO Curtis LeGeyt said.

Senate passes SB 48, governor’s forest carbon offset bill

Suzanne Downing
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40
Senate passes SB 48, governor’s forest carbon offset bill

The Alaska Senate unanimously passed Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s bill to advance a carbon market in Alaska. SB 48, if passed by the House, would allow his administration to participate in the evolving carbon market.

SB 48 and its companion bill HB 49 establish a statewide carbon offset program through forest sequestration within the Department of Natural Resources. The proposed carbon offset program has the potential to generate additional revenue for the State of Alaska through biologic carbon storage projects that can offset a portion of carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere.

The carbon offset program bill seeks to grant DNR the ability to establish a carbon offset program and enable carbon offset projects on state lands that are not going to be used of forestry anyway.

It’s novel, but not an entirely new concept in Alaska. In 2018, Sealaska Corp. launched a carbon-offset project that was the first in Alaska to take part in California’s cap-and-trade program. The project contributed to Sealaska’s biggest net income year on record.

Current statutes do not allow for carbon offset projects. The carbon offset program will allow private parties to lease state land to undertake carbon offset programs and allow the State, through DNR, to implement its own carbon offset projects, the governor’s office said.

Greenpeace called the carbon trading programs a scam.

“Since the oil industry — Shell, Chevron, and others — were not prepared to actually slow oil production to halt global heating, and since they had no intention of aiming for zero carbon emissions, they invented ‘net zero.’ The ‘net’ requires that we subtract some carbon from total emissions to create the illusion of “zero” emissions. Thus, the patriarchs of petroleum profiteering came up with ‘carbon capture,’ a deception that has netted them billions of dollars and euros in public money,” Greenpeace said.

But Global Market Insights says carbon credits are a growing market, sanctioned by governments across the world.

“Carbon capture and storage market exceeded $6 billion in 2022 and is projected to expand at more than 20% from 2023 to 2032,” the company reported.

“A steady rollout of strict government regulations to reduce GHG emissions worldwide is set to positively shape the industry scenario. For instance, in May 2022, the U.S. government invested $2.3 billion to cut carbon pollution in the country. Such proactive emission control initiatives are creating a strong impetus for innovations in the field of carbon capture technologies,” GMI said in its January report.

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