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Fairbanks assemblyman proposes amendments to ethics ordinance to reduce complaints

Suzanne Downing
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22
Fairbanks assemblyman proposes amendments to ethics ordinance to reduce complaints

In response to what he described as a growing misuse of the ethics complaint process, Assemblyman Scott Crass has introduced an ordinance that would significantly amend the Fairbanks North Star Borough’s ethics code.

The proposed changes, scheduled for the Assembly’s Thursday, June 26 meeting, would streamline complaint procedures, deter politically motivated filings, and clarify ethical expectations for public officials, particularly when the Assembly is acting in a quasi-judicial capacity. Recent ethics trainings and case reviews have revealed ambiguities in the current code and highlighted the need to clarify violations and codify standards for impartiality, Crass’s ordinance says.

Crass was involved in an ethics hearing concerning a former Assembly member Savannah Fletcher. During that hearing, Crass declared a conflict of interest due to a $136 donation to Fletcher’s state Senate campaign and because his wife and Fletcher served together on the HopeLink shelter board. He also stated he didn’t think he could fairly evaluate the concerns raised by complainant Rita Trommeter, leading to his recusal from the hearing.

His ordinance notes a rise in what it characterizes as “de minimis or purely technical violations,” that are filed not for oversight but as political grandstanding. Crass’s proposal would give the Borough’s Board of Ethics explicit authority to summarily dismiss complaints that are frivolous, harmless, self-reported, or duplicative.

One of the most consequential additions is the creation of a new initial screening process for ethics complaints. Under the ordinance, the Borough Clerk would be given the power to conduct an initial review to determine whether the complaint meets the legal standards and falls within the board’s jurisdiction.

Former Fairbanks Assemblywoman gets tap on wrist for running illegal radio ads in ’23

The Board of Ethics would then have 30 days to conduct its own screening, during which it may dismiss complaints that:

  • Present an existing adequate remedy,
  • Involve only minor or technical violations with no harm,
  • Were self-disclosed within 30 days,
  • Appear to be filed in bad faith, or
  • Are substantially similar to previously reviewed complaints.

Dismissals by the Ethics Board would be final and unappealable, though new complaints could be filed if new evidence emerges or circumstances materially change.

Complainants whose filings are rejected by the Clerk would have a 10-day window to amend and refile their complaints.

A new section — FNSBC 6.08.040 — would codify ethical conduct specifically for when the Assembly functions as a quasi-judicial body, such as during Board of Adjustment hearings. The ordinance mandates that members:

  • Make decisions based only on law and the record,
  • Act without personal or financial bias,
  • Disclose any relevant prior involvement,
  • Reveal disqualifying circumstances, and
  • Flag any potential conflicts of interest that could impair impartiality.

Amendments to existing code seek to tighten regulations on how Assembly members represent the body’s position in public. Members would be barred from misrepresenting themselves as official spokespeople unless specifically authorized, and they must clearly distinguish between personal views and the Assembly’s official stance.

Will there be any penalties for Savannah Fletcher?

An explicit prohibition on retaliation against ethics complainants or witnesses is also added, defining retaliation to include actions such as harassment, demotion, or denial of benefits.

The proposed ordinance also establishes a new section outlining how penalties will be determined. The Assembly would hold a public hearing to consider the Ethics Board’s findings, hear testimony from both the complainant and respondent, and then determine whether penalties are warranted under existing provisions.

Both parties would be allowed to submit evidence, speak publicly, and respond to each other before the Assembly makes its final decision.

The ordinance reflects a growing concern among local officials about the abuse of the integrity and efficiency of the ethics oversight system.

Fairbanks leftist Savannah Fletcher has a huge conflict of interest she did not disclose
Document drop: Court filing exposes conflicts of interest of Fairbanks borough assembly members
Fairbanks leftists seek to quash free speech of conservatives through bogus ethics complaints

Planned Parenthood loses at Supreme Court — what it means for Alaska

Suzanne Downing
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28
Planned Parenthood loses at Supreme Court — what it means for Alaska

The US Supreme Court ruled Thursday that states can lawfully exclude Planned Parenthood from receiving Medicaid funds, handing a significant win to the pro-life movement and raising new questions about how the decision could affect states like Alaska. The vote was 6-3.

In Medina v. Planned Parenthood South Atlantic, the justices upheld South Carolina’s decision to disqualify Planned Parenthood from its state Medicaid program.

Writing for the majority, Justice Neil Gorsuch said Medicaid recipients do not have the federal right to challenge a state’s decision to deny funding to a particular provider. Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett joined the opinion. Justice Thomas wrote a concurring opinion.

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson wrote the dissent for herself and Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan.

The decision may embolden conservative states seeking to block Medicaid funds from reaching providers who aid in the killing of unborn humans through abortion services. It also opens the door for new legal and political challenges at the state level.

In Alaska, the ruling is complicated by the Alaska Supreme Court’s ruling on privacy.

Alaska currently allows Planned Parenthood to receive Medicaid funding for a wide range of services. The state uses funds to pay for what are deemed “medically necessary” abortions for low-income women, as mandated by rulings from the Alaska Supreme Court.

The Hyde Amendment, a federal law passed in 1976, prohibits the use of federal Medicaid funds for abortions except in cases of rape, incest, or when the mother’s life is endangered. In Alaska, this means federal Medicaid funds cannot be used for most abortions. However, Alaska’s state constitution, as interpreted by court rulings like the 2019 Alaska Supreme Court decision, requires the state to fund “medically necessary” abortions for low-income women through Medicaid using state funds. This allows Planned Parenthood in Alaska to receive state Medicaid funding for abortions beyond the Hyde Amendment’s limited exceptions, covering a broader range of procedures deemed necessary under state law. 

In 2022, Alaska Medicaid funded roughly 43% of the approximately 1,200 abortions performed in the state. Planned Parenthood is the largest abortionist using state-provided Medicaid in Alaska.

With the Supreme Court now backing the rights of states like South Carolina to cut off Medicaid funds to abortion-related providers, it’s unclear whether Alaska’s legal framework, as interpreted by the liberal Alaska Supreme Court, could be challenged, reinterpreted, or targeted in future litigation by carefully crafted legislation.

Although Thursday’s ruling does not directly override Alaska’s state court decisions, it may add pressure to revisit those precedents in light of evolving federal standards.

Cruz: China using Climate activism to undermine US energy independence

SENIOR CONTRIBUTOR
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7
Cruz: China using Climate activism to undermine US energy independence

By MORGAN SWEENEY

China coordinates with the “radical left” and uses climate activism as a cover to undermine American energy independence, Republicans said at a U.S. Senate committee hearing Wednesday.

Chair of the Senate Judiciary subcommittee on federal courts, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-TX, said China has masqueraded behind a feigned concern for climate change to influence American education and legal and political systems through organizations like the Energy Foundation China.

The Energy Foundation China is a nonprofit organization that awards climate research grants to American universities and is also involved in climate strategy events with American lawmakers. According to its website, the foundation “operated jointly with the United States Energy Foundation as a single institution” until 2019, when the institution split into two to “increase operational effectiveness.” Some of its leadership formerly held senior positions in the Chinese government, including its CEO. 

“There is a coordinated assault by the radical left, backed and paid for by the Chinese Communist Party, to seize control of our courts, to weaponize litigation against our energy producers, all in order to undermine American energy dominance,” Cruz said. 

The foundation also has contributed more than $12 million to American environmental advocacy groups, according to Cruz, that lobby for and against legislation and “routinely file lawsuits trying to block pipelines, trying to ban gas-powered vehicles and trying to bankrupt oil and gas companies.”

The campaign is all meant to undermine U.S. energy independence, Cruz said.

“First, foreign money from entities tied to the Chinese Communist Party flows into the United States to bankroll climate advocacy groups who litigate against American energy. Second, activist lawyers flood our courts with lawsuits designed not to win policy debates but to bankrupt energy producers and to dismantle energy infrastructure through sheer attrition,” Cruz said.

Donors to the foundation have also given to the Environmental Law Institute, which houses the Climate Judiciary Project, a group that works to educate the judiciary on climate-related matters – the third “prong” of the “radical left’s” strategy, according to Cruz.

“Third, the judiciary itself is being quietly captured and brainwashed as left wing nonprofits host closed door trainings that indoctrinate judges to adopt the ideological goals of the climate lawfare machine,” Cruz said.

Committee Democrats called Cruz and Republicans’ perspective a conspiracy theory and suggested conservatives are using it as a smokescreen to conceal the fossil fuel industry’s guilt in using the same tactics. 

“The hearing ignores that the fossil fuel industry has for decades benefited from secret funding to wage war on the American consumer by making energy more expensive and dirtier, higher utility bills, worse pollution,” said committee Ranking Member Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-RI, claiming that the fossil fuel industry spends much more on lobbying than environmental groups and also contributes to election campaigns.

Cruz questioned the foundation’s climate activism when China is known to be the world’s leading polluter. 

“If this is truly about reducing emissions, why isn’t China investing that money in reducing its own pollution? China is the number one polluter on planet Earth,” Cruz said.

The Attorney General of Kansas, Kris Kobach, also testified before the committee Wednesday, saying that climate activistists in blue states are setting policy for the entire U.S. 

“There are two new types of litigation we’re seeing just in the last few years. First, we are seeing laws or regulations coming from specific states that are extraterritorial in scope. In other words, the law doesn’t just regulate the state and the residents of that state. It attempts to regulate the whole country,” Kobach said.

Kobach offered California’s clean truck mandate as an example. Though California passed the mandate as a state law, because California has so many ports and is such an essential part of shipping and commercial transportation, the regulation would apply to trucks traveling through the state for “one bit of one day,” Kobach said, that it was a “nationwide rule” that’s in effect. Other states have passed similarly broad-reaching laws, which the Chinese American Planning Council lobbied for. Kobach described the council as “CCP-backed.”

The other kinds of lawsuits are lawsuits where the plaintiffs (perhaps a particular county or city) attempt to represent “the broadly writ health and welfare of the citizens of the state,” which Kobach says “usurps” the role of the state attorneys general. There are 30 such lawsuits against oil and gas companies currently underway across the country, according to Kobach.

While Kobach was reluctant to identify clear “China connections” because his “experience is greatest in the litigation,” he said Congress could help determine how these lawsuits, some of which have been happening for close to a decade without any awarding of damages, are being funded. 

“The money is coming from somewhere. The foundations are getting their money from somewhere. It’s reasonable to ask if China is part of that equation. And I think I would hope that there’d be bipartisan support for disclosing foreign funding of third party litigation,” Kobach said. 

Committee Democrats didn’t delve deeply into whether claims about China’s role in America’s shift away from fossil fuels had merit, but instead said the fossil fuel industry had knowingly hidden the effects of climate change to continue reaping economic gains.

The industry “actively lied and deceived people, spending millions of dollars on a deception campaign to cast doubt on science that the industry itself knew was correct,” according to David Arkush, director of the Public Citizen’s climate program.

Whitehouse said that he is sponsoring a bill that would “end dark money” in political campaigns and that Republicans have voted against it; Cruz challenged that claim and said he had sponsored a bill that would effectively eliminate super PACs and that Democrats had voted against it many times.

Governor Dunleavy vetoes SB 39, which would have capped interest rates on consumer loans

Suzanne Downing
-
11
Governor Dunleavy vetoes SB 39, which would have capped interest rates on consumer loans

Gov. Mike Dunleavy has vetoed Senate Bill 39, halting legislation that would have imposed a strict 36% all-in interest rate cap on consumer loans in Alaska. The measure, sponsored by Anchorage Democrat Sen. Forrest Dunbar, aimed to restrict what Dunbar described as predatory lending practices. Critics warned it would have unintended consequences for financially vulnerable Alaskans.

The bill would have prohibited lenders from offering loans — regardless of size, term, or borrower risk — with a total cost, including fees and interest, exceeding 36% APR. Dunbar argued the cap would protect low-income borrowers from exploitative rates. Opponents, however, raised concerns that the cap would simply restrict access to credit for those who need it most.

Research from states that have implemented similar measures paints a concerning picture. In Illinois, where an all-in 36% cap took effect in 2021, subprime borrowers — those with credit scores under 600 — experienced a 38% drop in the number of loans they received, according to a recent analysis of credit bureau data. The total dollars lent to these borrowers fell by 14%, with the hardest-hit groups seeing declines of up to 26%. Researchers estimated that roughly 34,000 Illinois households lost access to installment loans altogether.

The study also found that the average loan size increased by 35%, suggesting that lenders shifted to serving only higher-credit borrowers or offering larger loans to remain profitable under the cap. A survey of Illinois borrowers affected by the cap showed that 93% felt their previous loans had helped them manage their financial situations, and 79% said they would prefer to return to pre-cap lending conditions.

SB 39 would have disproportionately harmed women, minorities, and young adults — groups that more frequently rely on short-term installment loans to meet emergency expenses. Small businesses, too, stood to lose a source of fast, accessible capital.

Under a 36% cap, a typical $1,000 loan repaid over 12 months would generate about $200 in revenue for the lender — a margin that many industry experts say is not sufficient to cover overhead and defaults. As a result, loans of under $1,000 would likely disappear from the Alaska lending market.

The veto leaves Alaska’s current consumer lending framework in place.

Bill would limit consumer lending

Video: Sullivan leads Senate in honoring Korean War 75th anniversary, veterans who served in ‘Noble War’

Suzanne Downing
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5
Video: Sullivan leads Senate in honoring Korean War 75th anniversary, veterans who served in ‘Noble War’

US Sen. Dan Sullivan is leading an effort to ensure the Korean War is remembered not as the “Forgotten War,” but as the “Noble War” — a chapter in American history marked by courage, sacrifice, and the defense of freedom.

On Tuesday, the Senate unanimously passed his resolution commemorating the 75th anniversary of the war’s outbreak and reaffirming the importance of military readiness.

Sullivan, a member of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee and co-chair of the Senate Korea Caucus, said the resolution is meant to honor the men and women who fought in one of America’s most consequential but often overlooked conflicts. Alaska is home to more than 1,000 Korean War veterans, many of whom, Sullivan noted, served in brutal conditions and returned home with little recognition.

“On the 75th anniversary of the Korean War — the ‘Noble War’ — we should all remember the brave Americans who fought, died and sacrificed to keep another country free, the Republic of Korea, one of our strongest allies today,” Sullivan said.

The war began on June 25, 1950, when communist North Korea launched a surprise invasion of South Korea. Over the course of the three-year conflict, more than 1.7 million American troops served under the United Nations Command, over 103,000 were wounded, and 36,574 made the ultimate sacrifice. More than 7,500 remain unaccounted for.

The Sullivan resolution highlights the resilience of the South Korean people, who suffered enormous military and civilian casualties, and acknowledges the transformation of the Republic of Korea into a strong democracy, market economy, and steadfast US ally.

It also draws attention to the lessons learned from the war, particularly the high cost of unpreparedness, he said. Just five years after World War II, the US military had been drastically reduced in size and readiness. Sullivan’s resolution urges continued investment in military training, equipment, and support to ensure the U.S. is never again caught unready in a time of crisis.

Among its key points, the resolution:

  • Honors the service and sacrifice of US and allied forces during the Korean War;
  • Recognizes South Korea as a vital partner in promoting security and democratic values in the Indo-Pacific;
  • Emphasizes the enduring legacy of the war on US defense policy;
  • Calls for robust military readiness across all domains: land, sea, air, space, and cyber;
  • Encourages Americans to remember the Korean War as the “Noble War.”

The Senate’s unanimous passage of the resolution comes as veterans, their families, and allies across the country paused to reflect on the 75 years since the conflict began. With thousands of Korean War veterans still living — many in Alaska — Sullivan said the time to honor their legacy is now.

Car carrier Morning Midas sinks in North Pacific after weeks-long fire

Suzanne Downing
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13
Car carrier Morning Midas sinks in North Pacific after weeks-long fire

The Morning Midas, a 600-foot car carrier that had been burning at sea for nearly three weeks, has sunk in the North Pacific Ocean, according to an update from salvage operator Resolve Marine.

The vessel finally went down at approximately 4:35 pm local time on June 23, in international waters about 360 nautical miles from the nearest landmass, Adak. The water at the site is over 5,000 meters deep. The ship’s final moments followed weeks of firefighting efforts and worsening conditions that ultimately led to progressive flooding and structural failure, officials said.

The fire aboard the Morning Midas began on June 3, while the vessel was en route from Yantai, China, to Lázaro Cárdenas, Mexico. Smoke was first detected coming from a deck carrying electric vehicles. Despite the crew’s efforts to activate onboard suppression systems and emergency firefighting protocols, the blaze intensified rapidly. All 22 crew members were forced to abandon ship and were rescued unharmed by a merchant vessel.

Built in 2006 and sailing under a Liberian flag, the Morning Midas was transporting 3,159 vehicles when the fire broke out, including 65 fully electric vehicles and 681 hybrid electric vehicles. The ship was also carrying approximately 350 metric tons of gas fuel and 1,530 metric tons of other fuel oil, the Coast Guard said.

The Coast Guard confirmed that safety and environmental protection remain top priorities as recovery and monitoring efforts continue. Two salvage tugs outfitted with pollution control equipment are on site, monitoring for signs of oil or debris. No pollution has been reported so far, and all response crews remain safe. A specialized pollution response vessel is also en route to the area as a precaution.

The Morning Midas incident has drawn renewed attention to the risks posed by transporting electric vehicles and lithium-ion batteries at sea. The cause of the fire has not yet been officially determined.

For background on the original fire and crew rescue, see Must Read Alaska’s first report:

Inferno at sea: Crew rescued after massive cargo ship fire south of Adak

 

Passings: Thomas Porter of Palmer — Vietnam veteran, retired Juneau assistant police chief

Suzanne Downing
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4
Passings: Thomas Porter of Palmer — Vietnam veteran, retired Juneau assistant police chief

Thomas G. Porter of Palmer, born in Falfurrias, Texas on Sept. 29, 1946 to Thomas G. Porter, Sr. and Laverne Elizabeth Otto Porter, entered Glory on June 20, 2025.  

Tom and Carolyn McPhee married in 1980; they have one daughter, Jennifer Noelle Bailey, of Wasilla.

Tom grew up in Falfurrias, Texas and graduated from Falfurrias High School. He had two younger brothers, Ronald Karl Porter and Gregory Garth Porter. During high school he played baseball, obtained his private pilot’s license, and worked at his grandfather’s water well business. Tom was active in Boy Scouts of America and attained the rank of Eagle Scout. He was also inducted into the Order of the Arrow. After graduation he attended West Texas A&M University in Canyon, Texas. It was there he experienced snow for the first time.

While in college, he enlisted in the United States Army, Army Security Agency, attaining a top-secret cryptographic clearance.  Following additional training for his duties, he deployed to Vietnam and served in the Central Highlands with the First Infantry Division. He was later based in Berlin, Germany.

After receiving an honorable discharge from the Army, Tom attended Amarillo College, attaining an Associate’s Degree in Criminal Justice Administration. In 1971, he applied to and was accepted by the Amarillo, Texas Police Academy.  He remained with the Amarillo Police Department for 30 years, attaining the rank of Sergeant.  His duties included serving as a Field Training Officer, firearms instructor, and sniper on the S.W.A.T. team. Additionally, he was assigned to the Crime Prevention Unit as the primary Public Information Officer, and he was 1 of 2 ritualistic crimes investigators.  He served as a hostage negotiator, special crimes investigator, and was a robbery detective.

Tom Porter, longtime police officer in Amarillo, Texas.

Tom retired from the Amarillo Police Department after 30 years and accepted the position of captain of the Juneau Police Department in Juneau, where he later retired as the assistant chief of police. Following retirement from Juneau, he and Carolyn traveled in their RV for seven years, finally returning to Palmer.  

During this time, he was a contract law enforcement Instructor for the US Department of Justice. He taught law enforcement in Pakistan and Bangladesh. He also served as a Contract Court Security Officer for the United States Marshall’s Service.  

During his life Tom was active in firearms training, cowboy action shooting, fishing, reading, outdoor cooking, smoking meats, and traveling.  He was a member of Immanuel Baptist Church, Palmer; Veterans of Foreign Wars Post #9365; associate member of the Matsu Republican Women’s Club; former member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police; and numerous law enforcement and other professional organizations.    

Tom is survived by his wife of 45 years, Carolyn; his daughter, Jennifer Noelle Bailey and her husband, Thaddeus Bailey, and soon-to-be-born grandson of Wasilla; brother, Ronald Porter (Patricia), of Spring, Texas; and brother Gregory Porter (Julie), of Thorndale, Texas. He is also survived by his brother-in-law David McPhee (Carol) of Manitou Springs, Colo. and brother-in-law Chuck Bosnos, of Fountain Hills Ariz.; as well as many friends, several beloved nieces and nephews, and his brothers and sisters in law enforcement. He was preceded in death by his parents, Thomas (Ted) and Laverne Porter.  

A celebration of life will take place on July 12 at Immanuel Baptist Church, 7540 E. Cottrell-Campus Drive, Palmer. Burial will be at Fort Richardson National Cemetery in Anchorage at a later date.  

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Immanuel Baptist Church, Palmer, AK, the Matsu Republican Women’s Club, Tunnel to Towers Foundation, or Samaritan’s Purse.

Shell-BP merger rumors buzzing through oil markets

Suzanne Downing
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3
Shell-BP merger rumors buzzing through oil markets

Oil markets responded on Tuesday to reports that Shell is in early discussions to acquire rival BP, in what could become the largest oil industry deal in decades.

According to The Wall Street Journal, which cited unnamed sources familiar with the matter, the acquisition talks are in preliminary stages and could potentially value BP at over $80 billion.

Shell publicly denied any active negotiations and called the reports “market speculation,” in a statement aimed at quelling mounting investor questions. Still, the buzz sent BP shares sharply higher during early trading hours on June 25, with a spike of 6.5% to 10% before settling at a more modest 1.7% gain by the close. Shell’s shares, on the other hand, dipped between 1% and 3%.

If a deal were to proceed, it could reshape the global energy landscape by creating a European oil supermajor to rival American giants like ExxonMobil and Chevron. Such a move would face a complex web of regulatory scrutiny, particularly from competition and antitrust authorities in both the UK and the European Union.

Some sources, including CNBC, have suggested a full acquisition may be unlikely. One scenario under consideration involves breaking BP into parts to be sold off to multiple buyers — including Shell.

For now, talks appear to be progressing slowly, with no agreement on the table and no certainty that a deal will be finalized.

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