Sen. Elvi Gray-Jackson of Anchorage, a leading Democrat in the Alaska Senate, has announced some of her early-filed legislation, some of which interferes with schools’ ability to improve students’ basic skills.
Three items involve education mandates that take students away from core courses and the fourth puts law enforcement officers in danger, by not allowing them to subdue a dangerous subject with a chokehold, if necessary.
Here are some of Gray-Jackson’s early bills for the legislative session that gavels in on Jan. 21:
Asian American/Pacific Islander Program: This bill will mandate the inclusion of Asian American/Pacific Islander history and culture in the curriculum of all Alaskan public schools. “It’s crucial that our students have a comprehensive understanding of the diverse history and contributions of all communities that make up our state,” she said.
Alaska is home to some Pacific Islanders, about 19,000 or about 3% of the state’s population. Some areas of the state have few Pacific Islanders, while other areas, like Anchorage, have more. The Asian American population is about 65,000 people, or up to 5% of the population.
Just .37% of the population in the Nome Census Area is Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander. The reading and math scores in this same region are abysmal. At Nome-Beltz Middle/High school, only 8% of students score at or above proficient in reading, compared to the state average of 27%.
In Valdez-Cordova Census Area, just .26% of the population is Pacific Islander.
Alaska schools are already required to include Alaska Studies, including social, economic, and political history of Alaska, as well as the history of Natives.
CPR Curriculum: Gray-Jackson wants to require school districts to teach CPR to students “at appropriate grade levels.” This is another distraction from reading, writing, math, science, and other life skills needed by students, who can learn these skills in extra-curricular settings.
According to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, 39 out of 50 states have passed laws requiring CPR and automated external defibrillator training for high school students. But researchers found that rates of bystander CPR were barely higher in states requiring CPR education in high school versus those that did not: 41.6% vs 39.5%, respectively.
Mental Health Education: Gray-Jackson wants to require all school districts to integrate age-appropriate mental health curriculum into the mandated health curriculum. Many conservatives see this as a dog-whistle for woke education that may include gender politics and sexual-orientation indoctrination.
Chokehold Ban: For a third time, Gray-Jackson wants to ban the use of carotid holds and tracheal holds, as well as any restraint that impedes a person’s breathing or circulation in a way that could produce a loss of consciousness.
“This legislation aims to enhance public safety and prevent tragic outcomes,” she says.
What she does not say is that by hamstringing public safety frontline people, she puts their lives in danger, as the drug addicts on the streets become more and more dangerous. The senator is offering this legislation for the third time time; it failed in 2021-22, 2023-24, and has a better chance in 2025, since the Legislature has been taken over by the Democratic Party.
Deaths resulting from neck restraints are less than 1% of officer-involved killings. Eliminating them as an option would have little impact, other than requiring an officer to use even more deadly force.
Next time the cops get a upset suspect they need to get elvi to make the arrest.
We don’t even teach enough American History in this country–why would we increase the teaching of Pacific Islander history? Yes, as part of world history, it should be taught. But why just because we have people of that ethnic background living here? There needs to be more encouragement of being an American and not about wherever you’re from. Otherwise, why did you move to America? There was nothing wrong with the term “melting pot” used years ago. Things like this only increase diversity but not in a good way.
Teach what an employer will pay for. R-R-R… no obscure crap of limited (or no) value. I’d bet a nickel this woman’s kids are dumb as a post and might occasionally benefit from a choke hold.
Mental health education should be learning that “pronouns” are a clue of affliction.
No chokeholds will get more 💩birds killed.
Elvis Jackson is SO behind the times. Race-baiting, race discrimination charges, race mongering,……..it’s all part of the 70’s 80’s 90’s, 2000’s. She can’t seem to step out of her time warp. Living in the past.
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Move along, little lady. Grow-up and quit being a whiner.
Julia, you are so right. Its her only plan, more of the same “Alaska is Racist” one track tune.
Jackson rears her ugly Woke idealism again! I thought she was out of the limelight. “Jesus…ENOUGH ALREADY!!!”
Governor is going to be busy vetoing garbage bills for the next two years.
The sad part is how little time will be spent on aligning our necessary priorities and finding solutions.
Increased BSA, Defined Benefits, and government growth will be front and center… When School District Consolidation, University Consolidation, Railbelt energy and social services and insurance services should be front and center to lower the cost of government.
Why doesn’t Elvi Gray-Jackson come up with some kind of legislation that benefits ALL Alaskans? What an absolute waste of time and money her leadership is. When is she up for reelection?
She is a radical leftist, always has been and always will be. The Republicans who have turned their back on the citizens of Alaska have put these people like her in power. We cannot trust our own politicians and people wonder why we have lost our faith in government.
I do believe it is changing with the Republicans not voting..I think they learned in this past election, they MUST show up and VOTE!!!. To get anything done.
If someone is truly trying to kill me or my friends it’s no hold’s barred. Clearly grey Jackson has never been in a fight for her life with an assailant. Touchy feely ends when the assault begins. More than likely her proposal is unconstitutional, every person has a right to defend themselves against an attack.
Exercise your right to self defense using lethal force.
Stand your ground jaws in Alaska allows private citizens to “gun down” any cretins who would threaten your person or others.
No more choke holds – exercise your 2nd Amendment rights.
No mercy on criminal scum
Careful with that kind of advice.
Even with stand your ground laws, you still need to be in immediate threat of grievous bodily harm.
So tired of ignorance from law makers. Who voted this person into public office? What a shame.
Ignorance is not the problem, their agenda to destroy
everything they can is the problem. Sen. Elvi
Gray-Jackson is a communist in every sense of the word.
Would it be courteous to remind Peoples Senator Elvi Gray-Jackson of Anchorage, leading Democrat in the Alaska Senate, that –nullification through noncompliance– is a viable option for American parents and assault victims who’ve damn well had enough of Democrats in general and this one in particular?
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Peoples Senator Elvi Gray-Jackson of Anchorage, leading Democrat in the Alaska Senate, is undoubtedly aware that even Imperial State Senators could be prosecuted by a Trump Justice Department under 18 U.S. Code § 242 – “Deprivation of rights under color of law” if what they do “…under color of any law, statute, ordinance, regulation, or custom, willfully subjects any person in any State, Territory, Commonwealth, Possession, or District to the deprivation of any rights, privileges, or immunities secured or protected by the Constitution or laws of the United States.”
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Just because Anchorage Assembly members started the trend with their kill-the-pedestrian policy and their mutilate-the-child education policies, the state senate’s gotta keep the ball rolling, kinda just to let the non-donors, the non-lobbyists, the peons know where they stand?
Morrigan I agree. Do these legislators actually run their proposed legislation by the states legal department.?? All bs bills. Mostly unconstitutional in my opinion.
Not sure “constitutional” means much in radical-Left Democrat calculations.
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Looking at the LeDoux trial farce and the fact that state grand juries aren’t allowed to investigate judicial corruption, you wonder how much you might be bucking a stacked deck when you’re arguing constitutionality before a judge whose job security depends on Alaska Judicial Council approval and legislative funding.
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So… maybe these are clues that popular pushback should start at the fed level, especially with the “Color of Law” statute because it’s so specific?
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(‘https://alaskagrandjurorsassociation.org/petition-4/)
(‘https://www.ajc.state.ak.us/about/index.html)
No choke hold?,go straight to beating senseless with the handy whoop -ass stick
No.
Trump won – we can tell the truth h again.
Utize your 2nd Amendment rights against criminal scum.
No mercy.
Just Justice.
For All
AKA Hippie stick….👍
Elvie Gray-Jackson. Commie to the core. Note that Dems will keep filing a failed bill until it passes. The Rs don’t do that. They just say “can’t” and give up. There is no such thing as bipartisan where the Dems are concerned, for them, there is just war until they achieve victory.
Reminds me of the hillside police vote in Anchorage.
Just keep on till they get what they want. Never quit.
Woke stupid – well-meaning ignorant stupid. All this will do is increase prejudice, ignorance, and job openings in police departments. Elvi obviously has not seen anyone on fentanyl-laced meth fight with police – the only way to subdue them without killing them, minimizing the risk of death, is with a carotid hold.
Praise the Jesus that the citizens of Anchorage keep not voting and letting intellects like this represent them.
Can’t we just dump the whole legislature, and start over?
Sometimes, common sense is delivered by a branded bird.
I have a GREAT idea!!! You tell me about your heritage and I’ll tell you about my heritage and then we’ll both tell each other why we’re PROUD to be an AMERICAN. The schools should not have individual classes for each other’s ethnicity. Reading, writing, arithmetic and American history. C’mon, let’s get back to basics. They don’t even teach kids how to write or penmanship, or phonics. The federal education department needs to totally dismantled. What works in New York doesn’t completely work in Alaska. Leave education up to the states.
I love our Asian/Pacific Islander population, but this is ridiculous. I don’t even think they are pushing for this. Quit trying to add woke agenda to our already watered down curriculum. Most Asians I know, are very disciplined academics and want reading, writing and math for their kids so they can be successful to go on to higher education. Vote this bozo out.
Perhaps we can focus on teaching our children how to spell CPR before enacting a new law requiring it be taught.
EVG is a racist, far-left extremist freak. The only people scarier than her are the idiots that vote for her.
Being born and raised in America and I believe our history should be that of the USA. My parents immigrated from Canada and Ireland. Coverage of Canadian and native American history was included; Ireland was merely a footnote. Most coverage was of the exploration and creation of this nation by Europeans as influenced by classic western civilization. To learn of the detailed history of Ireland or other areas would require non-mandatory courses. Pacific Island history should be given no more time than Ireland or Poland.
OK, remove the chokehold from the list of police tactical responses.
We can just go to shooting more people, I feared for my life…..
I could have subdued him with a chokehold….but two to the chest, one to head works too.
As Willy said:
It’s time the long arm of the law put a few more in the ground
Send ’em all to their maker and he’ll settle ’em down
Want to stop the cycle of violence in America?
Meet it head on with the same or greater force, end of discussion.
When inside traders get more prison time than rapist and killers, crap is broken.
Worst yet!!! Drug abusing, gun law violators get a pass from their Daddy…
Biden is the skidmark of American politics, so glad that sh**stain is almost out of office.
I can tell you patriots are ready for the call if stuff doesn’t get handled by the proper authorities.
This weekend is a wake up call. Terrorists are here and working actively…do not believe me?
New Orleans was a true make up call people.
Keep thinking you are safe because a handful of police are on duty.
You are 100% response for your own safety. At home, In public…EVERYWHERE.
Let her try to subdue a violent, stoned perp.
Alaska public education is child abuse.
It’s a shame that Senator Elvi-Gray Jackson fails to realize she is being used as a tool-a “useful idiot”- by Marxists/socialists. Marxists divide groups and pit them one against the other in order to conquer a nation. Read “The Naked Communist” parts of which were read into the Congressional Record in 1963. Please, Senator Elvi-Gray Jackson take some time to read and do some research into Marxism/communism.
Every time I read about an “aspiring rapper who is turning their life around.” dying because of police action it is because they are resisting the arrest and fighting the police. Perhaps instead of preventing the police from doing their job, she should dedicate her time to educating youth that compliance with police orders is the sure way to survive the encounter unharmed.
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Didn’t Chris Rock do a thing about “how not to get your a$$ kicked by the police?”
Senator Elvi forgets the first rule followed by every LEO. Make sure you go home after shift using whatever
tools you need to use.
And how does this secure the rights of Alaskans to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness? Seems more like dictating than legislating. Also seems more like a school board topic, not state law. Is this the best Anchorage can do?
“If you want to see the poor remain poor, generation after generation, just keep the standards low in their schools and make excuses for their academic shortcomings and personal misbehavior. But please don’t congratulate yourself on your compassion.” Thomas Sowell
While I agree with other comments that education should be focused on reading, writing, science, math and technology (especially vocational technology), in the spirit of a resolution to be more positive this year, I could get behind a requirement for CPR training, but I’d like to see it amended with a mandate for shooting proficiency and gun safety training.