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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Special Counsel John Durham let loose with the unvarnished truth on the FBI’s Trump-Russia probe.
In a report released Monday by the Justice Department, Durham suggests the FBI exhibited a double standard, pursuing allegations of Russia’s links to Trump’s 2016 campaign with unmatched intensity, while barely scratching the surface of serious claims about foreign entities striving to exert influence over Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton.
Durham, in his investigative role for four years, delivered a 306-page report that was made public on Monday.
The report critiques the bureau for a “lack of analytical rigor,” in probing whether the 2016 Trump campaign was coordinating with Moscow.
His report discusses efforts by foreign agents to sway Clinton through campaign donations. The report concludes that FBI had evidence the Steele Dossier could have been sourced to Russian disinformation. The agency didn’t disclose this fact.
The report says that while Clinton was briefed on such attempts by Russians to infiltrate her campaign, Trump and his aides were not briefed about the FBI’s suspicions of influence attempts.
“The objective facts show that the FBI’s handling of important aspects of the Crossfire Hurricane matter were seriously deficient,” the report says, of the code name “Crossfire Hurricane,” the agency’s operation.
Durham doesn’t plainly accuse the FBI. of making decisions based on political bias. Instead, he suggests the presence of a “confirmation bias,” with some FBI agents holding strong political views that made them lean towards the “Russia plot” theory of the Trump campaign.
As Alaska’s graduates start pounding the pavement (or gravel) for work, many of them may end up in nonprofit organizations. A significant part of Alaska’s economy is built on the backbone of the nonprofit sector.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, at least 10% of the state’s workforce, or approximately 33,750 individuals, are employed by nonprofits. Alaska ranks 15th in the nation in terms of the percentage of the employed population working in nonprofits.
The Washington Post’s data desk found that the highest number of nonprofit workers is in the nation’s capital, where 73,069 workers, or a 19.5%, are in the sector. It’s unsurprising, since many nonprofits like to have a Washington, D.C. presence, in order to protect government grants.
Contrast this with Texas, where only 5.7% of the workforce is in nonprofits, or Nevada with 3.8%.
The figures tell only half the story. As it turns out, a significant number of these jobs, nearly one in five, are in hospitals, and one in three are in the health sector more broadly.
According to the Post, 38% of all nonprofit jobs are in hospitals, and nonprofit hospitals employ more individuals than colleges, private schools, or religious organizations, which constitute the next largest nonprofit industries.
This reality is reflected acutely in the state of Alaska, where the health care sector is the largest economic driver in the state. In 2021, Alaska’s health care workers earned nearly $3 billion, more than any other industry in Alaska. Health care wages made up 12% of all state wages, having grown by 28% since 2016, according to the Alaska Hospital and Healthcare Association.
This is the second part of our series of articles to describe an education model for the new Chugach Regional Borough. As we have discussed and will repeat, our goal is to first protect the future of the children of our community. After all, isn’t it always about the future?
This second article discusses the current framework for school district authority in Alaska and the rights of parents. We believe that the better our community discusses and analyzes this authority framework, the better we can ensure that the ultimate authority and rights belong to parents and the better information for you, our readers.
The Authority of School Districts in The State of Alaska
In Alaska, the authority of school districts over children is established through a combination of state laws, regulations, and case law. The state’s laws, regulations, and court decisions have created a framework for the powers and responsibilities of school districts in educating and caring for the children of the state.
It appears that these legal sources give school districts a more favorable position compared to parents in making decisions about the education and upbringing of their children.
The Alaska Constitution provides a foundation for the authority of school districts over children by guaranteeing the right of all residents to a public education. The state’s courts have interpreted this constitutional right to provide significant authority to school districts in making decisions about the education and upbringing of children.
Title 14 of the Alaska Statutes governs education and sets forth the laws that apply to Alaska school districts. For instance, Alaska Statutes (AS) 14.03.120 gives the State Board of Education and Early Development the power to adopt regulations for public schools, while AS 14.07.099 outlines the powers and duties of school districts. These laws provide guidance and support for the authority of school districts to direct the education and upbringing of children.
The State Board of Education and Early Development also has the authority to adopt regulations that provide further guidance for Alaska school districts. These regulations cover a range of issues, including budgeting, hiring personnel, and providing education services to students.
It is further noted that the Alaska State Constitution provides no limitations regarding the number of school districts a local government may regulate, especially through a home rule approach.
Alaska School District Rights
The rights of Alaska school districts over education and control of children are determined by a combination of federal and state laws, regulations, and case law. Here are some of the key authorities that Alaska school districts have:
Authority to set curriculum: Alaska school districts have the authority to establish and set the curriculum for their schools, including determining the subjects and courses of study.
Authority to regulate student behavior: Alaska school districts have the authority to regulate student behavior and enforce disciplinary actions, including suspension or expulsion of students who violate school rules or engage in disruptive or dangerous behavior.
Authority to provide special education: Alaska school districts have the responsibility to provide special education services to eligible students and not just exclusively to those with disabilities.
Authority to control access to school property: Alaska school districts have the authority to control access to school property, including setting rules and regulations for who is allowed on school grounds and when.
Authority to manage school resources: Alaska school districts have the authority to manage and allocate school resources, including funding, personnel, and facilities.
While Alaska school districts have these authorities over education and control of children, they must also operate within the bounds of the law and respect the constitutional rights of students and their families.
Can a local government’s home rule charter further regulate these authorities? We believe it can.
As per the laws, regulations, and case law in Alaska, parents have the following rights regarding their children’s education:
Right to Enroll: Parents have the right to enroll their children in a public school within the district or to choose alternative education options, such as private or homeschooling.
Right to Access: Parents have the right to access their children’s education records and to participate in their children’s educational planning and decision-making.
Right to Review: Parents have the right to review and challenge instructional materials and assessments used in their children’s education.
Right to Participate: Parents have the right to participate in school-related activities, such as parent-teacher conferences, school board meetings, and educational programs.
Right to Provide Input: Parents have the right to provide input on school policies and programs that affect their children.
Right to Religious Instruction: Parents have the right to provide religious instruction for their children outside of school hours.
Right to Homeschool: Parents have the right to homeschool their children, if they meet the requirements set forth by the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development (DEED).
Right to Seek Alternative Education: Parents have the right to seek alternative education options, such as private schools or out-of-state schools, if they are dissatisfied with the education provided by their school district.
Alaska school districts do have an authority over directing the education and consequently the upbringing of children. It is critical to understand that a local government such as the Chugach Regional Borough may balance these rights through its charter to ensure that parents retain control over important aspects of their children’s education.
Understanding these legal sources and how they apply to the operations of Alaska school districts is part of informed decision-making and effective governance.
In the next article we will continue to discuss this new borough’ education model. We look forward to continuing the conversation and working towards a brighter future for the children of the Chugiak-Eagle River area.
We encourage you to get involved, too! Feel free to call us anytime, and don’t hesitate to come to our weekly Tuesday evening meetings at the Cozy Carpet Warehouse behind the store at 7 pm.
Sean Murphy came to Alaska in the Army. Met his wife and moved to Eagle River in 1999 with his family. He is a retired Anchorage School District educator and administrator. He is active with his community council and is the new chair of Eaglexit.
Crooked Creek at mile 5.14 by Donlin Gold was flooding on Sunday, and across the Yukon River drainage waters rose and receded Monday as breakup is underway on Alaska’s major rivers. Gov. Mike Dunleavy has declared a disaster in order to free up resources to assist communities, and has disaster officials on the ground in affected areas.
Residents say that in Circle, it’s the worst flooding they ever seen. Houses and fuel tanks were seen floating down the Yukon River. The general store is closed due to flooding, which reached as far as the Circle Post Office.
Sources said when the ice broke, it flooded quickly, causing people to dash to higher ground.
Flood warnings have been issued for Crooked Creek on the Kuskokwim River and Circle on the Yukon River, as water levels rise and conditions worsen. Flood watches are in place for Fort Yukon and Aniak.
Crooked Creek bore the brunt of significant flooding Sunday, with water levels oscillating unpredictably, according to the State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management.
The Kuskokwim River Watch team, having landed in Crooked Creek yesterday, stayed in communication with community leaders throughout the night. The majority of residents are taking refuge at the local school, which is situated on higher ground.
Circle, Alaska, with ice floes on the Main Street, after the water receded.
In a concerted effort to monitor the situation and provide aid, the Kusko River Watch team has also been in contact with the State Emergency Operation Center, Alaska State Troopers, Yukon Kuskokwim Health Corporation, Alaska National Guard, and Alaska Village Council Presidents.
Circle is currently battling flooding as a result of a 90-mile ice run pushing past the community. Activating their flood plan, residents have moved to safer, higher grounds. The Upper Yukon River Watch team will conduct an aerial survey today to provide updates to Circle and Fort Yukon. Additionally, two Emergency Managers from the Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (DHS&EM) River Watch team will be on site to assist with flood response.
Meanwhile, Glennallen is grappling with flooding due to snowmelt. An Emergency Management Specialist from the State Emergency Operation Center has been dispatched to assist the local emergency management team.
In response to the escalating situation, Governor Mike Dunleavy issued a disaster declaration yesterday for the following:
Alaska Gateway REAA (City and Native Village of Eagle)
Yukon Flats REAA (Circle)
Kuspuk REAA (Crooked Creek)
Copper River REAA (Glennallen)
The measure will expedite resources and aid to communities as they grapple with the flooding affecting the region.
