Sunday, May 10, 2026
Home Blog Page 907

Tara Sweeney kicks off campaign for Congress, names campaign manager Karina Waller, others in key positions

Suzanne Downing
-
13
Tara Sweeney kicks off campaign for Congress, names campaign manager Karina Waller, others in key positions

Tara Sweeney, a Republican running for Congress for Alaska’s newly open congressional seat, held her first fundraiser Saturday night with a packed house in the Geneva Woods area of Anchorage, with 50-75 people attending.

Sweeney named Karina Waller, a former legislative director for the late U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens, as her campaign manager. Waller has taken a leave of absence from running the Ted Stevens Foundation to manage Sweeney’s campaign.

Co-chairs for the campaign include retired Admiral Tom Barrett, prior president of Alyeska Pipeline Co.; Kristina Woolston, external affairs manager at Donlin Gold; and Kristin Mellinger, former CFO at ASRC and current president at V3 Strategic Solutions. Laura Edmonston, executive vice president at Bering Straits Native Corporation, is the campaign’s treasurer. Sweeney’s daughter Caitlin Sweeney will do scheduling for the campaign.

Sweeney is the former co-chair of the Alaskans for Don Young campaign in 2022, until the death of the congressman on March 18. She was appointed by President Donald Trump to lead the Bureau of Indian Affairs, a position she vacated upon the swearing in of President Joe Biden. Prior to that, she had been a major figure in Alaska Federation of Natives, where she was co-chair for a year.

She is Inupiaq and a member of the Native Village of Barrow Inupiat Traditional Government. She grew up in Wainwright, Bethel, Unalakleet, Utqiagvik and graduated from Barrow High School in 1991. She attended Cornell University, where she earned a bachelor of science degree in industrial and labor relations. She was the external affairs vice president for Arctic Slope Regional Corporation, and served in the administration of Gov. Frank Murkowski. She was the co-chair of Sen. Dan Sullivan’s campaign for Senate in 2014. She is married to Kevin Sweeney, a former aide to Sen. Lisa Murkowski.

Sweeney will be on the June 11 special election primary ballot along with 47 other names, including Sarah Palin, Nick Begich, Al Gross, Chris Constant, and Santa Claus.

For Sweeney, as well as all of the other candidates except Palin and Gross who can raise national money quickly, the challenge will be to raise campaign funds and build name recognition before the end of the election period. The ballots will be in the mail to registered voters on April 27, and the mail-in-only election ends in just 62 days. The four top vote-getters will proceed to the special election general ballot, which will be included with the regular primary ballot on Aug. 16.

Sweeney concluded her remarks by saying, “I won’t quit. I was in the Administration [Trump] working until the very last day. I’m not a quitter. I’m a fighter. I want to fight for you, with you and along side you.”

Budget passes House with $1,300 PFD and $1,300 energy relief payment for Alaskans for $2,600 combined check

Suzanne Downing
-
43
Budget passes House with $1,300 PFD and $1,300 energy relief payment for Alaskans for $2,600 combined check

After a long day of debate of dozens of contentious amendments, the Alaska House voted 25-14 in favor of a $7.7 billion state operating budget on Saturday.

The spending plan for state programs is $1.5 billion more than the budget Gov. Mike Dunleavy had introduced in December. The budget includes $2,600 for Alaska residents, characterized by House leaders as partly Permanent Fund dividend of $1,300 and partly energy relief payment of $1,300 — both would be paid as one payment that is still smaller than the statutory dividend would be.

The operating budget now goes to the Senate, where it may be added to or trimmed. The Senate has been working on the capital budget, which may be transmitted to the House for its consideration on Monday.

The vote to enact the effective date clause on the operating budget failed, needing two-thirds of the House to agree. The liberal majority agreed to the effective date clause but even with a few Republican votes added in, it fell short. A similar situation developed last year, with the House not adopting an effective date clause and the media spun up a lot of froth around government shutdowns that never occurred.

The House did not vote in favor of the reversing of the automatic sweep of unspent monies from the various state coffers into the Constitutional Budget Reserve. The conservative minority in the House has been holding back on the “reverse sweep” to use as a bargaining chip, it being the only item they have to hold spending down or to get full Permanent Fund dividends paid to Alaskans.

Wasilla-Chugiak Minority Leader Cathy Tilton said the budget took the money due to Alaskans and funded the anticipated education budget for the following fiscal year. She criticized the majority for once again pulling a number out of a hat for the PFD, rather than following statute.

If the statute was followed by the Legislature, this year’s dividend would be about $4,200.

Gov. Mike Dunleavy proposed in his budget a $2,600 Permanent Fund dividend, and a partial back payment for dividends that are owed to the people of $1,250 to each qualified Alaskan.

The Legislature has not followed statute on the formula for the Permanent Fund dividend since Gov. Bill Walker broke faith with the people of Alaska by arbitrarily cutting their dividends in half in 2016, saying that it was needed for government programs. Instead of using it for programs, however, it sat in the Earnings Reserve Account of the Permanent Fund. That fund, which now has over $16 billion, has been used since Senate Bill 26 was passed in 2018; SB 26 uses a formula to take funds from the Earnings Reserve Account and use it for government, to make up for diminishing oil revenues.

Those Walker actions opened the door for the Legislature to take half of the statutory PFD every year since 2016, under legislative leadership that prefers government spending over following Alaska Statute or having the legislative courage to change the statute that sets the formula.

The Legislature gaveled in 81 days ago. By statute, it is supposed to only meet 90 days, but has not followed that statute for many years. Instead, it stays in session the full 120 days allowed by the Alaska Constitution, and then almost always extends another 30 days or longer in special sessions. This year’s legislative calendar is shaping up to follow recent practice.

Last year, the Legislature was in session from Jan. 19 – May 19 , May 20 – June 18, June 23 – June 28, Aug. 16 – Sept. 14, and Oct. 4 – Nov. 2, for a total of 214 days, or 58 percent of the calendar year.

Sarah Palin wanted to bring Ted Nugent to Alaska GOP convention, but organizers said it’s not a fit

Suzanne Downing
-
45
Sarah Palin wanted to bring Ted Nugent to Alaska GOP convention, but organizers said it’s not a fit

Congressional candidate Sarah Palin is said to have offered to bring musician and hunting activist Ted Nugent to Fairbanks for the Republican Party convention, April 21-23. According to sources, the Alaska Republican Party demurred, and said it was unable to accommodate the appearance.

“The schedule was already tight,” Must Read Alaska’s source said. “There’s a reception on Thursday night and a big fundraiser on Friday night, and then meetings on Saturday. But she could do it on her own on Saturday night after the convention ends.”

Convention planning has been under way for months for the convention, which takes place every two years. Among those attending and speaking this year are Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniels and Florida Congressman Rep. Brian Mast. Gov. Mike Dunleavy is a keynote speaker, as is Senate candidate Kelly Tshibaka. With 16 Republicans now appearing on the special election primary ballot on June 11, the convention just got to be a lot more interesting. Palin has not attended a Republican convention in at least over a decade.

But in 2017, she visited the White House with Nugent and Kid Rock, when the three partied with President Donald Trump and got a tour of every room.

“Mr. Nugent — a guitar demigod, knife-between-the-teeth hunter and conservative provocateur — offered an inside glimpse of a gracious, relaxed and house-proud president with ample time to offer his thoughts on a wide array of topics, from entertainment to existential geopolitical perils,” the New York Times wrote at the time.

“Sean Spicer, the White House press secretary, described the meeting as ‘a long-planned’ token of the president’s appreciation for Ms. Palin’s support in the 2016 campaign. But Mr. Nugent said it was much more than that.

“’It was like a family reunion,’” he said. ‘None of us expected this. He showed us the bed in the Lincoln Bedroom and explained how that was where the president’s son died. He knew the designer of the chairs. He showed us the bulletproof glass.’”

According to the Times, the trio had dinner that was finished with a Baked Alaska in honor of Palin’s support for Trump during the 2016 presidential election. Topics over dinner induced “health, fitness, food, rock ’n’ roll, Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley, secure borders, the history of the United States, guns, bullets, bows and arrows, North Korea, Russia” and other issues, the Times wrote.

Palin’s competitors in the upcoming June 11 special election primary include Republicans Nick Begich of Eagle River, Tara Sweeney of Anchorage, John Coghill of Fairbanks, and several other contenders. Also running are Democrat-backed Chris Constant and Al Gross. The top four vote-getters in the special election primary will appear on a “ranked choice” ballot on Aug. 16, which will be held at the same time as the regular primary for the two-year seat.

The winner of the special election will serve as the placeholder in Congress until the regular election is completed in November.

Ballot roulette: What will your special election ballot look like for the congressional race?

Surprise: Sen. Holland and Sen. Reinbold throw support to Democrats’ Senate boundaries plan for Anchorage

Suzanne Downing
-
9
Surprise: Sen. Holland and Sen. Reinbold throw support to Democrats’ Senate boundaries plan for Anchorage

Former House members Lance Pruitt and Dan Saddler, both Republicans, testified in support of the nonpartisan plan for Anchorage’s political boundaries at Saturday’s Alaska Redistricting Board hearing.

So did Republican activists Judy Eledge and Jason Warfield. Not many Republicans were tuned in on Saturday, but plenty of Democrats were available to criticize what they say is partisan gerrymandering, as they do.

The board is considering a nonpartisan Map 3-B plan and a Democrat Map 2 plan. Both hurt Republican representation in Anchorage, but Map 3-B would do the least harm, although it still takes the city down to three Republican Senate seats, two Democrat seats, and two toss-up districts. Anchorage appears to be on the verge of losing a Republican Senate seat.

Option 3 – Fair Senate pairings that put together House districts with similar socio-economic profiles (local road boards, avalanche, wildfire and public safety): 

22 and 9 Eagle River and South Hillside 

10 and 13 Bayshore and Taku 

11 and 12 O’Malley and Abbott Loop (what was declared in November) 

14 and 17 Midtown and Downtown 

20 and 21 North Muldoon and South Muldoon 

23 and 24 JBER and Chugiak 

16 and 15 Airport and Sand Lake (what was declared in November) 

19 and 18 U-Med and Mountain View

The surprise proponents on Saturday for the Democrat political boundaries, known as Map 2, were Republicans Sen. Lora Reinbold of Eagle River and Sen. Roger Holland of South Hillside. Those two senators would be paired in the same district and would have to run against each other this year. Evidently they don’t want that to happen.

Map 2 has an adverse impact on the military community by disenfranchising their vote, by taking portions of military votes and lumping them in with majority-Democrat voters, diluting their vote. Map 2 would leave Republicans with just two senators in Anchorage.

Option 2: (Anchorage loses two Senate Seats and JBER):

 Districts:

9, 11 Hillside

10, 15 Bluff

12, 13 Midtown

14, 16 Govt Hill

18, 19 Mountain View

23, 17 JBER/Government Hill

20, 21 Muldoon

22, 24 Eagle River

Already in the race for Holland’s seat is former Sen. Cathy Giessel, who almost certainly would not succeed if Eagle River is paired with South Hillside into a Senate district. By testifying for the Democrats’ map to strip Eagle River of some of its power, Holland might face an uphill battle if his district is extended north.

It’s unclear if Sen. Reinbold will run again. She appears to comprehend that it will be hard to retain her Senate seat if South Hillside and Girdwood were included in that new conservative district, which would stretch from Chugiak all the way south to the ski community, hugging the uplands.

Supporting the two Republican senators who testified was Yarrow Silver, a founder of the leftwing group Anchorage Action and member of Lower Scenic Foothills Community Council. Silvers, a registered nonpartisan, is one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit that forced the Alaska Redistricting Board to return to the drawing table on the Eagle River Senate district lines, after the Supreme Court told the board to take more public testimony. Much of the testimony has come from Democrats interested in gerrymandering the map to their interests.

There is no testimony expected at the Wednesday meeting, which has been moved to 1 pm, until after the board takes a vote on the maps. Testimony may be taken after the vote. Another meeting may be on tap for 1 pm Thursday.

With 57 percent now fully vaccinated, Alaska’s Covid vaccine breakthroughs exceeded 52 percent in January

Suzanne Downing
-
92
With 57 percent now fully vaccinated, Alaska’s Covid vaccine breakthroughs exceeded 52 percent in January

In 2021, Covid vaccinations were all the rage across the country. That year, Alaskans were hounded to get fully vaccinated, yet the number of vaccine breakthrough cases kept rising. In fact, the higher the rate of vaccinations, the higher the rate of the Covid virus finding a way around the vaccine to infect people.

According to the latest report from the Department of Health and Social Services, 58,531 Covid-19 cases were documented among Alaska residents in January, 2022. That was the highest rate of infection yet in the state, since the virus arrived in March of 2020, and the Omicron variant was to blame.

Of those, 30,668 were among vaccinated individuals. An additional 7,234 cases occurred among Alaska residents who were considered partially vaccinated.

In January, more than 57 percent of Alaskans were vaccinated for Covid, and more than 52 percent of breakthrough cases were among the vaccinated. The reports by the DHSS are released monthly, but typically lag by three months.

Covid-19 vaccines were administered on a very limited basis in Alaska in mid-December of 2020. Mostly health care workers and first responders were allowed to receive the vaccine. Next came the elderly and medically fragile. By March 2021, all persons who lived or worked in Alaska over the age of 16 became eligible for vaccination, and it was widely available. After the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine was authorized for youth over age 12, eligibility expanded in May of 2021. In November of 2021, the vaccination was authorized for children between the ages of 5 and 11. Also in 2021, booster shots were recommended and available by September for those who had previously been considered fully vaccinated.

The department says prior infection provides some protection for about six months.

“While reinfections with SARS-CoV-2 are known to occur, they can be difficult to diagnose due to a lack of a widely accepted definition. Observational studies have found that prior infection with SARS-CoV-2 confers substantial partial protection against reinfection with Delta and prior circulating variants for at least 6 months.  The extent to which prior infection confers protection against infection with the Omicron variant is still being investigated. There is evidence that even in persons with a history of SARS-CoV-2 infection, vaccination provides an added layer of protection,” the state Department of Health and Social Services noted in its report.

In most cases, people who had breakthrough cases either didn’t have symptoms or had mild symptoms like sniffles and sore throats, and their sickness was of a shorter duration. The vaccination, while not providing complete protection against the virus, may have reduced the severity for those who were exposed.

For comparison, in Oregon during the week of Jan. 2–8, the state reported 45,334 cases of Covid-19. Some 33,363 of those (73.6%) were among unvaccinated and 11,971 (26.4%) were vaccine breakthrough cases.

Anchorage School District sued by two construction trade groups over policy that creates forced unionization

SENIOR CONTRIBUTOR
-
11
Anchorage School District sued by two construction trade groups over policy that creates forced unionization

By DAVID BOYLE

At the same times voters in Anchorage denied the Anchorage School Board its $111 million bond request, the two largest construction trade associations in Alaska are suing the Anchorage School District, citing discrimination and pointing out the rising costs of recent board policies. 

This lawsuit comes after the Anchorage School Board had approved a community work agreement for future construction contracts. The agreement requires all workers to be hired through union halls; non-union workers must pay union dues and pay into pension plans; and union rules must be applied to projects. 

In voting for this policy, Anchorage School Board members decided to require all construction companies to pay union dues whether their employees belong to a union. Basically, this is forced unionization for nonunion companies that want to bid on projects. 

The policy applies to all projects with budgets over $1 million, which would be most all the contracts the awarded by the district.  Only minor construction projects would not be included 

The Associated Builders and Contractors/Alaska (non-union) and the Associated General Contractors (union) base their lawsuit on the violation of equal protection, because the policy sets hiring preferences with no justification. 

Anchorage School Board votes for construction monopoly by labor unions

“It’s unfortunate it came to this, but a lawsuit was necessary to stand up for the hundreds of contractors being illegally discriminated against by the school board,” said Alicia Maltby, president of ABC.

“AGC believes the choice of whether to adopt a collective bargaining agreement should be left to the contractor-employers and their employees, and that such a choice should not be imposed as a condition to competing for, or performing on, a publicly funded projects. Government mandates and preferences for project labor agreements often restrain competition, drive up costs, cause delays, lead to job-site disputes, and disrupt local collective bargaining. This lawsuit is our way of advocating not only for our members, but also local taxpayers who will ultimately pay the price for the school board’s largesse,” said Alicia Amberg, executive director of AGC.

The community work agreement was crafted by the school board and Local 341 Laborers Union. Neither ABC and AGC were invited to the table when establishing this new process. 

ABC voiced strong opposition to the community work agreement policy and asked the board to hold off to determine the consequences of the policy. District management also opposed the policy due to the adverse impact on construction costs.

There will be fewer bidders and needed project construction costs will go up due to less competition. Some projects will be awarded on a sole-source basis because there may be only one union company bidding.

The community work agreement will shut out about 75 percent of Alaska’s non-union contractors. Unfortunately, their workers will also be out of work. Many of these are minorities and women-owned businesses.

The district recently enacted an equity policy, but it appears to not apply to construction contracts with nonunion shops.

At least three of the current school board members who voted for the community work agreement are associated with unions.  

The Anchorage School Board has tied the hands of the Administration for managing construction projects and taxpayers will pay the price.

Now the ABC and AGC have filed an injunction to stop all Anchorage School District construction projects pending litigation.

.

School industry will again ask for more money for ever-failing schools, and will not hold itself accountable for poor outcomes

Anchorage election results: Friday edition

Suzanne Downing
-
27
Anchorage election results: Friday edition

Friday results from the Anchorage Election Office, as of 6 pm:

A total of 62,695 ballots have been counted of the 235,882 sent to voters. This is 26.58% percent turnout.

Eagle River District 2: Kevin Cross has won.

West Anchorage District 3: Kameron Perez-Verdia has won over Liz Vazquez.

Midtown District 4: Meg Zaletel will probably win, with a 462-vote lead.

East, District 5: Stephanie Taylor has lost to incumbent Forrest Dunbar.

South District 6: Randy Sulte retains his lead over incumbent John Weddleton.

The school board incumbents have won reelection.

Two bond issues appear to have failed. Prop 1 and Prop 2 failed narrowly, while the other bond propositions passed.

More ballots will be counted on Monday.

Anchorage Assembly

Eagle River: District 2 Seat A

  • Kevin Cross – 6,030
  • Gretchen Wehmhof – 3,350
  • Vanessa Stephens – 482

West Anchorage: District 3 Seat D

  • Liz Vazquez – 4,558
  • Kameron Perez-Verdia –5,894
  • Nial Sherwood Williams – 564

Midtown Anchorage: District 4 Seat F

  • Kathy Henslee – 4,791
  • Meg Zaletel – 5,253

East Anchorage: District 5 Seat H

  • Stephanie Taylor – 4,670
  • Forrest Dunbar – 6,199
  • Christopher Hall -287

South Anchorage: District 6 Seat J

  • Randy Sulte – 7,924
  • John Weddleton – 7,471
  • Darin Colbry – 252

School Board Open Seats

Seat A:

  • Mark Anthony Cox – 23,456
  • Margo Bellamy – 28,471
  • Dan Loring – 1,829
  • Cliff Murray – 4,224

Seat B:

  • Rachel Ries – 24,119
  • Kelly Lessens – 29,369
  • Benjamin R. Baldwin – 1,978
  • Dustin Darden – 2,752

Prop. 1 – ASD capital improvements bonds

Yes – 30,509

No – 31,441

Prop. 2 – Facilities capital improvement project bonds

Yes – 30,241

No – 31,640

Prop. 3 – Public safety and transit bonds

Yes – 33,913

No – 27,918

Prop. 4 – Road and storm drainage bonds

Yes – 37,520

No – 24,411

Proposition 5 – Parks and Recreation bonds

Yes – 33,801

No – 27,763

Prop. 6 – Fire protection bonds

Yes – 38,189

No – 20,487

Election results: Thursday update as Sulte solidifies support in South Anchorage Assembly race

Anchorage election update: Wednesday numbers

Anchorage election update: Wednesday numbers

Former House Rep. Chuck Anderson passes

Suzanne Downing
-
4
Former House Rep. Chuck Anderson passes

Former Alaska Rep. Charles “Chuck” G. Anderson Jr. passed away on March 30, 2022. He was 92. His services were Friday at Changepoint Church in Anchorage.

Rep. Anderson was born on Long Island, located 20 miles from Kodiak, where he and his family were the sole inhabitants. His mother was Russian and Aleut; his family brought a midwife to the 1,259-acre island when he was born on May 18, 1929. He spent his early years on Long Island, before the family moved to Kodiak when he was 7 or 8; they owned a mink farm and lived a subsistence life.

Long Island was, in 1941, home to a World War II coastal defense fort that was abandoned in 1947. The historic sites on the island are still somewhat visible under the moss, and there are some abandoned military roads. The island is now owned and protected by Leisnoi, Inc., a village corporation.

He began his lifelong dedication to public service with the United States Army during the Korean War. His law enforcement career started when he joined the Anchorage Police Department in 1953, moving up the ranks and serving as chief of police for the last seven years before retiring in 1980.

He was elected to the Alaska State House of Representatives, serving one term. He told a writer that being in partisan politics was not for him, and he didn’t like having to raise money.

Anderson served on the CIRI Board of Directors for nearly 30 years before retiring as chairman emeritus. He recently served on the Southcentral Foundation Board of Directors as vice chairman until his recent retirement. In his the Charles Anderson Scholarship Fund is being established by the CIRI Foundation for annual awards towards the law enforcement field of study.

Rep. Anderson was married to his wife, Georgia, for 70 years. They raised two children, Charlie and Patti. He is survived by his wife, Georgia, daughter, Patti Juliussen, grandson, Charles “Chas” Anderson IV, and granddaughter, Katrina Juliussen-Mack.

Gov. Dunleavy has ordered that Alaska and United States flags fly at half-staff between sunrise and sunset on April 8 in his honor.

Bronson adds funds for police, fire in revised budget

Suzanne Downing
-
11
Bronson adds funds for police, fire in revised budget

Anchorage Mayor Dave Bronson announced first quarter budget revision process for the 2022 budget, adding $5.5 million for the Anchorage Police Department and Anchorage Fire Department to fully fund their operations.

The revised budget is $5.8 million under the tax cap and relies on $4.6 million less in property taxes compared to the Fiscal Year 2021 Budget. The mill rate overall goes down 1.34 mills. 

The lower mill rate translates into $134 savings per $100,000 of assessed value, or $563.00 on an average priced home of $420,000.

“My budget reduces the property tax burden on homeowners, respects the Charter by staying under the tax cap, and prioritizes public safety for the citizens of Anchorage,” said Bronson. “We are making government leaner, more efficient, and accountable to the people, while keeping our city safe. With record inflation eating away the earnings of our friends and neighbors, I am committed to keeping government spending and property taxes in-check.”

The revised FY 2022 budget will be sent to the Anchorage Assembly for approval. The Assembly must approve the budget by May 1, for mill rates to be set and determine the total amount of property taxes to be collected in 2022.

1...906907908...1,781Page 907 of 1,781

About us

Must Read Alaska is news of people, politics, policy, culture, and happenings in Alaska.

Contact
4021 West Hill Road,
Homer, AK 99603
[email protected]

The latest

Motherhood as God Intended: Strength for Today’s Mothers

Faith Watch 0
I have often heard that honoring mothers for just...

Survey Series: Gubernatorial Candidates Evaluate Climate Change Consensus

Columns 0
By Nathaniel Herz This piece was originally published in Northern Journal, a...

RNC Chair Joe Gruters Speaks at 2026 Alaska Republican State Convention

Politics 0
On May 8, 2026, Chairman of the Republican National...

© Must Read Alaska