But who is the Regulatory Commission of Alaska anyway?

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If you pay an electric bill in Alaska, you may have noticed that our rates here are pretty high. In fact, they are the second highest in the country, coming in close behind Hawaii. Our high electric rates have a lot to do with the fact that we can’t share power in the same ways that states in the lower 48 can, but they also have a lot to do with our expensive fuel sources.

We have been living this way for years. Still, just a few weeks ago, Chugach Electric, our state’s largest electric utility, sent a proposal to the Regulatory Commission of Alaska to raise their consumer rates by 6%. After the Municipal Light and Power acquisition in 2018, Chugach was required to file a rate case to ensure they were charging both districts equally. The case has already been filed, so unfortunately, we cannot stop the rates from increasing. But how can we ensure that our rates don’t continue to increase in the future?
You may have noticed in energy headlines that we here in Alaska are heading nose-first into a gas crisis. The natural gas in the Cook Inlet is becoming too expensive to drill, and the solution put forward by many utilities is to import Liquid Natural Gas. Importing would, without a doubt, result in another rate increase. We must ensure that we are creating systems that conserve what cheap natural gas we have left and promote a fast transition to renewable energy. These systems can and should be part of this iteration of rate design at Chugach. We could introduce rates encouraging commercial and large-scale consumers to take energy efficiency measures or adopt renewable energy solutions. We could create incentive programs for rooftop solar that conserve our natural gas supply and bring us closer to a renewable energy transition. This is now out of Chugach’s hands and into the Regulatory Commission of Alaska, but who is the Regulatory Commission of Alaska anyway?

The Regulatory Commission of Alaska exists to regulate public utilities in Alaska. They are supposed to make sure our rates stay manageable, and our electricity is produced safely. They approved the rate increase that Aniak saw earlier this year and the BP-Hillcorp deal. When hearing new rate designs, they ensure that our rates adequately promote the conservation of resources used in electricity generation. These proposed rates have a way to go on that front, so we want them to hear about it.
The comment period for Chugach’s rate filing is open until August 4th. We need the Regulatory Commission to hear from Chugach ratepayers like you so they know we care about where our energy comes from. We care about creating rates that promote renewable energy, and we care about conserving resources to keep costs low for as long as possible. If you want to comment, you can follow this link and submit a comment on case TA544-8.

We want to keep our rates low and invest in the future of Alaska, not the quick fixes that push our money and our jobs out of the state. Let the Regulatory Commission know that we know who they are and we are watching what they do.

Together for a renewable future,
The Alaska Center

We’re Done (-leavy)

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[cs_content][cs_element_section _id=”1″ ][cs_element_layout_row _id=”2″ ][cs_element_layout_column _id=”3″ ][cs_element_text _id=”4″ ][cs_content_seo]This state has endured a lot over the course of the past four years. Beginning with the horrors of the first Dunleavy Budget, which would have ended Alaska as we know it (under the calm and cool guidance of a budget-decimating tourist named Donna Arduin.) Dunleavy was then cheered on, from a Florida veranda, by the blogger Suzanne Downing and by a complicit extreme far-right group of lawmakers spawned from the acrimony and fever swamp of the Trump years. We then hit COVID and the head-in-a-vice sensation of hunkering down while Republican politicians nationally and in Alaska churned the situation into a cynical warzone. 
Pressured by his Trump minions in the legislature, Dunleavy wasted state money joining a frivolous national lawsuit to overturn the free and fair 2020 election results. The state has soaring opioid addiction and overdose rates, sexual assault and violence, suicide, houselessness, and other real problems. That a Governor would waste time feeding a national lie because a few ineffective extremist lawmakers told him to – well, that says it all. The Dunleavy Administration has been like a ship without a steering system. It has a rudder, yet the rudder is seemingly not attached to anything as the ship careens wildly at the mercy of the waves.
Our Nation’s only Arctic state is in the middle of the most significant climate crisis in a million years – sure, it makes perfect sense to cut the Alaska Climate Action Leadership Team! Let’s beg the federal government for disaster funding when fisheries collapse due to warming oceans, when villages are battered or washed away by climate-related flooding. Let’s simultaneously complain heartily about the federal government. Make sense? No.
Let’s claim to be a law and order candidate and then offer budgets that strangle the early childhood education system (where a healthy, lawful society takes root), underfund public safety, and cramp the corrections system. Speaking of corrections – 16 inmates have died in custody this year alone, which is the highest rate in 20 years. What in the hell is going on here? Don’t expect this administration to put much into it – they are too busy misusing state funds for campaign purposes this time of year. Or they are too busy filing unsuccessful lawsuits or defending themself in court against successful lawsuits for violating the constitutional rights of state employees. Or perhaps they are too busy hiring friends and cronies for state-funded contracts. Or dealing with the fallout from scandals, including Attorney General appointees with a history of sexual assault. Who knows what they are doing, and who cares anymore?
It is time for this experiment in angry, partisan, petty, and incoherent governance to end. “War all the time” is the title of a poetry collection by Charles Bukowski, and that line sums up the Dunleavy years. In a pinch while on the water, should your steering system be broken, you can put a pipewrench on the tiller arm and steer back to port. It is time to do just that so we can get back to port and make some repairs. While we are in port, let’s hire a new captain and send this one packing.

The Alaska Center\n\n[/cs_content_seo][cs_element_gap _id=”5″ ][cs_element_button _id=”6″ ][cs_content_seo]More Hot Takes In A Cold Place\n\n[/cs_content_seo][/cs_element_layout_column][/cs_element_layout_row][/cs_element_section][/cs_content]

Time to vote for reason.

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[cs_content][cs_element_section _id=”1″ ][cs_element_layout_row _id=”2″ ][cs_element_layout_column _id=”3″ ][cs_element_text _id=”4″ ][cs_content_seo]Election season can make a person approach their mailbox with caution. It is hard to know what new flood of glossy mailers will fly out when you open the box as we get closer to election day. As you struggle with the question of what to do with all of these flyers – recycle them, tack them on the outhouse wall, use them for their marginal fire-starting capacity or keep them around for posterity on the coffee table – one thing is clear, the enormity of the questions before us this year is driving this daily mailbox assault.
You must vote. Voting is your role in deciding the future of Alaska. This year, in addition to voting for your local candidate who will bring your values and voice to Juneau, we will also vote for a Governor who will shape the politics of the next four years statewide for better or worse. We will also vote for a Congressional delegation representing Alaska’s voice in Washington D.C., and whether to hold a Constitutional Convention.
Whether to hold a convention is before us every decade and Alaskans have always said no by a large margin. Still, this year, due to arguments over the Permanent Fund Dividend, public funding for education, women’s reproductive freedom, the independence of the judiciary, and a limitless number of other political divisions in the state, backers of a convention are hoping there will be momentum for a yes vote this year. We cannot understate the danger of a Constitutional Convention at this moment.
Some candidates backing a convention want to turn Alaska into a place where women and LGBTQ2S+ people have fewer rights than men. They want to turn our state into a place where the judiciary is a pawn of the Governor and where corporations and wealthy individuals unduly influence the outcome of elections. It is time to hold these candidates accountable. We do this by voting.
Far-right incumbents in the State House and Senate have enabled Governor Dunleavy in his efforts to undermine Democracy and cut the state budget to the point where it can barely function. These are not responsible lawmakers.
At every turn, legislators like Oathkeeper David Eastman of Wasilla (who was at the January 6th rally-turned-insurrection) obstruct, grandstand, and delay lawmaking. Thankfully, a lawsuit has determined that Eastman is ineligible to serve because of his membership in the insurrectionist Oathkeepers organization, and lawmaker Lora Reinbold is retiring. But these leaders used the Covid-19 public health emergency in their time to create a political circus. Unfortunately, they are followed by candidates like Jamie Allard, who also excels at grandstanding, controversy, and spiteful anti-semitic acts. All of these candidates need to pack their bags.
Kenai Peninsula legislators Sarah Vance, Ben Carpenter, and Ron Gilham defy their own oath of office to protect the Constitution by seeking to have Alaska join the Texas lawsuit that sought to overturn the results of the 2020 election. Candidates who do not believe in free and democratic elections, promote harmful and dangerous conspiracy theories and work to undermine our Democracy have no place in Alaska politics.
There should also be no place for candidates who work against climate solutions or support Pebble Mine, maybe the most unpopular mining proposal ever in the state. Candidates who happily cash donations from the Pebble CEO for their campaigns (Mia Costello, Stanley Wright) or who have voted to support a Pebble appointee for the Board of Fish (Tom McKay, David Nelson, Laddie Shaw, among others) are not the leaders we need to see in a state that’s experiencing the climate crisis at 10x the national rate.
Extremist candidates and lawmakers put a strain on the body politic. By voting in reasonable, thoughtful candidates, we send a strong message that Alaska policymaking is essential, makes a difference in people’s lives, and is a space that welcomes a diversity of opinions. This November, it’s time to get back closer to being on track. Alaska politics have always been wild and full of surprises, so we should be under no illusion that being on track means a straight line from point A to point B. The road ahead will be challenging, but we can travel the road with greater dignity by voting out extremist candidates and holding accountable those who want to take away human rights.
Absentee ballots for the November 8 midterm elections are hitting mailboxes. Early voting will begin on October 24. You can find information on early voting sites near you at this website: https://www.elections.alaska.gov/avo/

The Alaska Center IE\n\n[/cs_content_seo][cs_element_gap _id=”5″ ][cs_element_button _id=”6″ ][cs_content_seo]Make a donation today to help us elect leaders who share our vision and values.\n\n[/cs_content_seo][cs_element_gap _id=”7″ ][cs_element_text _id=”8″ ][cs_content_seo]Paid for and approved by The Alaska Center IE, 808 E St, Suite 100, Anchorage, Alaska 99501. Susan Klein, Chair. The top contributors to The Alaska Center IE are Farhad Ebrahimi (Boston, MA), and Service Employee’s International Union 775 Quality Care Committee (Seattle, WA), and Stephen D Robbins (Anchorage, AK).

This NOTICE TO VOTERS is required by Alaska law. The Alaska Center IE certifies that this communication is not authorized, paid for, or approved by the candidate.

A majority of contributions to The Alaska Center IE came from outside the State of Alaska.

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Indigenous Peoples Day

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Indigenous Peoples Day is on Monday. It was created as a state holiday through legislation signed into law in 2017 by former Governor Walker in a ceremony held during Utqiaġvik’s annual Nalukataq whaling festival. It replaces Columbus Day, and it is a small step toward atonement for the colonialism of our American and Alaskan history. 

On this Indigenous Peoples Day, let’s not focus only on the importance of Indigenous leadership in the historic, amazing, hopeful, wonderful, progressive, life-affirming, joyful, and extremely well-earned election of Mary Peltola, the first Indigenous Alaskan to ever in the history of planet earth, serve in the United States Congress. Let’s not only focus on the justice of the appointment of Deb Haaland to oversee Indigenous lands and waters as the first Indigenous Secretary of the Interior. Let’s not only focus on the myriad ways Indigenous leadership has and will continue to move policies forward in Alaska – from Tribal Recognition to Language Revitalization to Subsistence Rights and Salmon Protection.

On this Indigenous Peoples Day, let’s focus on and give thanks for the Indigenous leadership and stewardship that has created the Alaska we live in today. From Utqiagvik to Metlakatla.  Think of the thousands of years of human experience in the mountains and rivers, at the ocean shore, in the muskegs, taiga, forests, and tundra. Let’s give thanks today to those who lived and worked and played here for thousands of years and will for thousands of years to come.

We at The Alaska Center recognize the colonial structures inherent in the history of the conservation movement, including the historical displacement of Indigenous communities from land and policies that have negatively impacted Indigenous hunting and fishing rights. We will be celebrating Indigenous Peoples Day in honor of all those Alaska Native leaders on whose lands we are blessed to live and continue working toward a more equitable and just future.

We are in this together,
The Alaska Center Team

EVENTS YOU CAN JOIN:

Strength in Unity Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Rally

Indigenous Peoples Day Beading Workshop

Indigenous Peoples Day Hkaditali Ceremony w/APF

Indigenous Peoples Day Celebration

Why do you celebrate Juneteenth?

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[cs_content][cs_element_section _id=”1″ ][cs_element_layout_row _id=”2″ ][cs_element_layout_column _id=”3″ ][cs_element_text _id=”4″ ][cs_content_seo]This weekend, Alaskans and others across our country will commemorate and celebrate Juneteenth. Juneteenth marks the date in 1865 when enslaved people in Texas finally learned they were free, two years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation.
Juneteenth is a time to recognize and amplify Black excellence. It is also a call to action: that we must engage in anti-racism in every aspect of our lives to push back against the continued oppression of white supremacy throughout our education, government, and legal systems and throughout our communities. And it is a reminder of the growth and healing we are capable of when we learn about our true histories.
Juneteenth is also a time to reflect upon the importance of prioritizing freedom from over freedom to. For decades “states” and plantation owners thought they had the freedom to enslave human beings for profit. But we all must have freedom from enslavement, violence, misinformation, colonization, government retaliation, and brutality of any kind; and fight for freedom from attacks on our genders and identities.
Juneteenth is an opportunity to lift up all voices and ensure everyone can access and participate in the decisions impacting our communities and lives. To have a true democracy, all Alaskans must be able to vote and be reflected by the leaders we elect.
The Anchorage Juneteenth Citywide Celebration will be the largest ever, starting with a Freedom Rally at 12:30 pm on Saturday, June 18th at the Delaney Park strip. There will be over 100 vendors, games, and activities for the whole family, entertainment, dignitaries, a parade, a pageant, speakers, and more! We will be there running the KidZone (lots of fun activities!), and helping voters understand the new Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) system. We need more volunteer help, please email [email protected] if you can join us for a shift!
In Fairbanks on Saturday, we’ll be at NAACP’s Freedom Day from 10 am to 2 pm at Allridge Park. This picnic and party will have food, vendors, cultural presentations, and activities for the whole family.
We hope you can join us at these events or others in your community, celebrating freedom, standing in solidarity with others, and speaking truth to power toward a thriving, just, and sustainable future. See you out there!

\n\n[/cs_content_seo][cs_element_gap _id=”5″ ][cs_element_button _id=”6″ ][cs_content_seo]More Event Info\n\n[/cs_content_seo][/cs_element_layout_column][/cs_element_layout_row][/cs_element_section][/cs_content]

PRIDE!!!

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[cs_content][cs_element_section _id=”1″ ][cs_element_layout_row _id=”2″ ][cs_element_layout_column _id=”3″ ][cs_element_text _id=”4″ ][cs_content_seo]At The Alaska Center, we believe a true democracy is one in which all Alaskans feel safe, respected, and able to participate in the decisions impacting our communities; and when all Alaskans feel reflected and represented.
Today’s blog is dedicated to PRIDE Month. Pride is more than rainbow memes and merch; it is about the uplifting of Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Questioning (LGBTQ+) voices, hearts, and culture and the protection of LGBTQ+ rights. It is a declaration of direct action and care. It is the remembrance that our inalienable rights were not codified by pen and paper, but love and rage turned to action at an anti-police brutality riot in June 1969. This is the history our work builds from. As allies and activists, we must honor and remember this truth. We must hold this truth when we grow our movements, build our tables, and cast our ballots.
This year, rampant attacks on Transgender people and women’s bodily autonomy swept through the nation and played out right here at home, during the Alaska legislative session. SB140, a bill that would ban transgender girls from playing sports, narrowly passed to be then tabled by three votes on the Senate floor. Our House failed to pass HB17, the anti-discrimination bill that would protect LGBTQ Alaskans, again. In Anchorage, community spaces that should be places of safety, learning, and belonging- like our public library- are threatened by ignorant leadership and harmful actions like banning books.
For years, the policies and actions of our leaders have continued to tell LGBTQ+ Alaskans that they are not protected or valued. All of this is why diligence and action are essential. This is why voting accessibility and education matter so much. It’s why holding our leaders accountable to all our community members is paramount. And it’s why we must come together as a community and bask in our joyous resilience now.
Actively seeking and creating joy is a revolutionary act and ensuring that those joyful voices are heard is at the heart of our work.
Pride events are happening across the state, and we hope to be there to celebrate and amplify in as many spaces as we can this month!
Be sure to check in with your local LGBTQ+ leaders to support the events and communities in your area.

Girdwood is hosting a third annual Pride Parade on June 17 at 7 pm 

Homer Pride is hosting a Juneteenth X Homer Pride Community Walk on June 18 from 12-3 pm 

Anchorage, head down to Writer’s Block on June 25 from 12 pm-6 pm for the Fourth Annual Pride Block Party. More details on Facebook >>  

Fairbanks Queer Collective has an event guide! More info can be found on their Facebook page or website! 

Underground Pride and the Queen’s Guard is hosting a celebration for all of their LGBTQ+ families and allies in the Mat-Su Valley! 

Native Movement is hosting several events this month: their 3rd annual Diversity in the OUTdoors, individuals can submit videos until June 13

Indigiqueer/LGBT2S Caspeq Workshop June 18 &19, and Drag Story Hour June 30- see their FB page for more info! 

The League of Conservation Voters is hosting an “Out to Win” webinar”: LGBTQ+ candidates can face special challenges on the campaign trail, especially in more conservative parts of the country. They’ll talk with two LGBTQ+ elected leaders and hear their tips on successfully running and legislating. June 21, 2022, 10 am PT/1 pm ET Join the webinar.

Wherever you are we hope all of you find a reason to celebrate. To our queer friends, family, coworkers, and partners in this work- we love you so very much, and we will always fight with you.
Happy Pride Month!
The Alaska Center Team\n\n[/cs_content_seo][cs_element_gap _id=”5″ ][cs_element_image _id=”6″ ][/cs_element_layout_column][/cs_element_layout_row][/cs_element_section][/cs_content]

Hot Takes in A Cold Place: You Can Stop Pebble Mine

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[cs_content][cs_element_section _id=”1″ ][cs_element_layout_row _id=”2″ ][cs_element_layout_column _id=”3″ ][cs_element_button _id=”4″ ][cs_content_seo]TAKE ACTION TO STOP PEBBLE MINE\n\n[/cs_content_seo][cs_element_gap _id=”5″ ][cs_element_text _id=”6″ ][cs_content_seo]“Life is short, art long, opportunity fleeting, experience treacherous, judgment difficult” – Hippocrates
That nifty aphorism could apply to the fight against the Pebble Mine aside from the difficulty of judgment part. It is a long fight, seemingly a generational fight, but the one thing we know is that a majority of Alaskans have judged this project to be the wrong mine in the wrong place. Over 2 million comments have been sent to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) opposing the mine. As for opportunity – now is the time is now to stop this mine in its tracks. 
EPA took an important step on May 26 by opening public comment on a Proposed Determination: “to prohibit and restrict the use of certain waters in the South Fork Koktuli River, North Fork Koktuli River, and Upper Talarik Creek watersheds as disposal sites for the discharge of dredged or fill material associated with mining the Pebble deposit, a copper-, gold-, and molybdenum-bearing ore body located in Southwest Alaska.” In its draft determination, the EPA proposes prohibiting the construction and operation of Pebble’s 2020 mine plan and restricting any future mining of the Pebble deposit to a size less than Pebble’s 2020 mine plan.  
We know that the relatively modest but still unacceptable mine plan put forward by Pebble in 2020 is just the camel’s nose under the tent. The actual plans are to initiate massive industrialization of the Bristol Bay Watershed with roads, mines, power plants, pipelines, processing facilities, mine waste sites, oil drums, barges, trucks, dust, noise, halogen light, diesel exhaust, garbage dumps, mining towns, saloons, brothels, gambling, etc. Boxing in the Pebble project to a relatively “small” footprint means that the mine will not be developed. Due to the amount of earth that must be displaced and moved and dumped elsewhere and the infrastructure and power development needs for Pebble, only a gigantic mine would turn a profit. Small mine most likely means no mine.
Public comments are due on July 5. The proposed determination stage is when the public gets the opportunity to comment. After considering public comment, the EPA then prepares a recommended determination. After that, EPA makes a final determination. So, this is an important step in the process because it’s the one opportunity for public comment, but EPA still has a couple more steps to go after this. We’re hopeful that EPA will move forward to quickly get to a final determination and stop Pebble Mine for good! 
Raise your voice today in support of Bristol Bay, her salmon, and the cultures and livelihoods that depend upon them. This precious resource is breathtaking in its abundance, but it is under siege. In all of its ecological intricacy, the Bristol Bay watershed is protecting the viability and diversity of Bristol Bay salmon in the face of climate change, ocean acidification, and other threats. We must stand together to protect the watershed. Please submit a comment to the EPA supporting the protection of the watershed from the Pebble Mine.
Together we can do this!
Thank you for your voice,The Alaska Center Team\n\n[/cs_content_seo][cs_element_gap _id=”7″ ][cs_element_button _id=”8″ ][cs_content_seo]STOP PEBBLE MINE PREMANENTLY\n\n[/cs_content_seo][/cs_element_layout_column][/cs_element_layout_row][/cs_element_section][/cs_content]

A Problem of PFAS

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[cs_content][cs_element_section _id=”1″ ][cs_element_layout_row _id=”2″ ][cs_element_layout_column _id=”3″ ][cs_element_text _id=”4″ ][cs_content_seo]Like much of the nation, and the world, Alaska faces the problem of Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances, commonly known as PFAS.
PFAS are used to make products stain, grease, and water-resistant; including food packaging, carpet, upholstery, outdoor apparel, and cookware, for stick resistance. They are used in firefighting foam, industrial processes, and specialty products like ski wax. PFAS can easily transfer from their origin, resulting in contamination of our food, air, and water.
Water supplies adjacent to military bases and airports are often contaminated with PFAS from firefighting foams for Class B petroleum and chemical fires. In Alaska, the dispersive use of AFFF (aqueous film-forming foam) containing PFAS on military bases and airports has contaminated the drinking water of many Alaskans. At least 10 communities throughout Alaska have levels of PFAS in their drinking water that are deemed unsafe by the EPA. The use of PFAS also harms the health of firefighters, studies show that firefighters have a higher burden of cancers and other diseases associated with toxic exposures. There are safe alternatives that are effective, without the harmful impacts to the health of firefighters and communities.
State and Federal governments are increasingly asked to come up with a plan to deal with this hidden pollutant. Exposure to PFAS has been associated with adverse health outcomes: including cancers (such as kidney and testicular cancers), liver damage, increased risk of thyroid disease, harm to the immune system, decreased antibody response to vaccines, increased risk of asthma, decreased fertility, decreased birth weight, pregnancy-induced hypertension/pre-eclampsia, and increased cholesterol. Congress recently allocated $10 billion to start working on the problem nationwide and you can be sure this is just the tip of the iceberg as far as tax dollars are concerned. (In a just and reasonable world, those manufacturing companies that made money selling products containing PFAS would pay to clean it up.)
Bills dealing with PFAS in Alaska are working their way through the Legislature this year. Senator Jesse Kiehl’s SB 121 will be heard in the Senate Finance committee on Tuesday, April 12 at 9:00 a.m. According to the sponsor statement, Senate Bill 121 sets health-protective limits on the amount of PFAS in drinking water. The bill guarantees Alaskans in areas with known PFAS contamination will get clean drinking water and their blood levels checked. To prevent future pollution, SB 121 bans PFAS foams when the Federal Aviation Administration stops forcing airports to use them (unless some other federal law preempts).
PFAS, now incredibly prevalent, are called “forever chemicals” because they persist for thousands of years, and do not break down in the human body. Dealing with them will be a long process, but not a forever process. It will require curtailing and eliminating PFAS production and the sale of products in which they are used. It will require science and government working in tandem, community action, and educated consumers. We can do it. SB 121 is a great start.
 Plan to testify in support of SB 121 on Tuesday.
The Alaska Center\n\n[/cs_content_seo][/cs_element_layout_column][/cs_element_layout_row][/cs_element_section][cs_element_section _id=”5″ ][cs_element_layout_row _id=”6″ ][cs_element_layout_column _id=”7″ ][cs_element_button _id=”8″ ][cs_content_seo]Bills to Watch This Week\n\n[/cs_content_seo][/cs_element_layout_column][cs_element_layout_column _id=”9″ ][cs_element_button _id=”10″ ][cs_content_seo]More Bills This Session\n\n[/cs_content_seo][/cs_element_layout_column][/cs_element_layout_row][/cs_element_section][/cs_content]

Fair Maps and Power Grabs

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New legislative district boundaries are drawn every ten years based on the most recent census data. In 2021 the Alaska Redistricting Board adopted a final redistricting plan for Alaska, which delineates the districts legislators will represent. The politics of redistricting are rife with power grabs, and the maps are almost always litigated.

The balance of power in the Legislature is closely divided between Republicans and the Tri-Partisan coalition of Democrats, Republicans, and Independents. The Redistricting Board is composed of a majority of Republicans, and the outcome was a map that was challenged in court on numerous fronts. The central point was that the state Senate district pairing part of east Anchorage and Eagle River constituted an “unconstitutional political gerrymander.” The court agreed and gave the Redistricting Board until April 15 to revise its maps.

Each Senate District contains two House districts. In the case of the Eagle River/East Anchorage gerrymander, the Redistricting Board adopted a Senate District that, instead of combining the two staunchly conservative Eagle River House districts, merged one of the conservative Eagle River districts with a more moderate Muldoon district. Notably, that district in question has a much greater BIPOC population than Eagle River. Should the courts have left the Senate district in place, the effect would have been a district that watered down the voting impact of Muldoon residents. There was intense disagreement from Melanie Bahnke and Nicole Borromeo, the only two redistricting board members not appointed by staunch Republicans–and the only two Alaska Native women on the Board. Ms. Bahnke and Borromeo stood up to the rest of the Board when this plan was adopted on a majority line vote, and their fight for fair representation ultimately prevailed.

The Alaska Redistricting Board has been required by the courts to revise their maps so that Alaskan voices are more equitably represented. The Redistricting Board will take public testimony tomorrow (Saturday, April 2) at 2:00 p.m. To participate in:
Anchorage, call 907-563-9085
Juneau: 907-586-9085
Other: 844-586-9085.

This Saturday is a critical opportunity to submit comments to the Redistricting Board. If you cannot be at Saturday’s meeting, you can also submit written comments in advance at https://www.akredistrict.org/map-comment/

The main talking points are:

The Board should act immediately to comply with the court’s requirements and minimize confusion if this process is dragged out. It is in the public interest to swiftly adopt a map with final senate pairings so that voters can familiarize themselves with their new districts, precincts, and voting locations, on top of a new election system (RCV) and an unprecedented special election. The redistricting Board has an obligation to the public to resolve this quickly to avoid voter confusion and disenfranchisement.

In Anchorage, the Board should adopt the Senate pairings proposed by Redistricting Board member Melanie Bahnke instead of coming up with new pairings. These pairings, proposed by Melanie Bahnke, have been presented and considered on the record and were informed by public input and testimony. These pairings do not change districts’ underlying deviation and uphold the one person, one vote principle. In addition, they are the common-sense geographic and socioeconomic pairings (keeping Muldoon w/ Muldoon, West Anc. w/ West Anc, Eagle River w/ Eagle River, etc.).

Plan to participate and help secure Alaska’s more just and equitable redistricting map.

Thank you!
The Alaska Center

A DEC Budget Trap

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[cs_content][cs_element_section _id=”1″ ][cs_element_layout_row _id=”2″ ][cs_element_layout_column _id=”3″ ][cs_element_text _id=”4″ ][cs_content_seo]So far, only three states in the United States have assumed primacy for dredge and fill permitting in wetlands. One of those states – Florida – assumed permit primacy in the waning days of the Trump administration. Like Governor Sean Parnell before him, Governor Dunleavy wants Alaska to pay for wetland permitting that is now being paid for by the federal government. The rationale for this proposed forever budget increase paid for by our schools and universities and roads in lean years is that there is an expectation that there will be a return on investment. Through far more relaxed permitting requirements, zero Tribal consultation, and minimal enforcement, Alaska will see a massive influx of Mines.
Governor Dunleavy convinced the state House Finance Committee to add $5 million to the operating budget so that the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation could hire 32 full-time staff. This means 32 new full-time salaries, benefits, travel budgets, etc., to create a state wetland dredge and fill program that is equivalent to the program already paid for by the federal EPA. Perhaps the Dunleavy administration is going to pay these new workers peanuts. $5 million is a far cry from the cost estimate in 2013 when Governor Parnell foisted primacy on the Legislature. At that time – EPA had 49 positions administering its permitting program at a cost of $7.9 million in 2013 dollars. You don’t have to read a crystal ball to see how this will play out for Alaska should the Senate adopt the House numbers and we start a wetland permitting program. You can bet that if the Legislature agrees to this initial $5 million allocation, we should more realistically expect to pay at least a 10 million dollar figure, subject to inflation, moving forward in countless budget years.
It will require more money than was described initially by a less than trustable Dunleavy Administration and the former Pebble spokesperson running DEC now – you can bank on that as a fact. It will lead to costly litigation for the state – bank on that. It will be a messy and costly tug of war between the state and federal government–look at what happened in Florida.
In Florida, with a Governor who is predictably combative with the federal government, there is significant disagreement on the scope of what are to be considered wetlands. Florida continues to apply the Trump EPA version, a predictably and significantly restrictive definition. This definition (Waters Of The United States – WOTUS) was invalidated by a district court opinion, and the Biden EPA is applying a pre-2015 version of WOTUS to which Florida disagrees. Alaska has 65% of the nation’s wetlands and a Governor who loves nothing more than to spend state money fighting the Feds, so the Legislature should anticipate this allocation to DEC will also kick off endless increases in “Statehood Defense” spending. 
The return on investment for paying to take over wetland permitting is likely to be this: 1. Good grandstanding politics for Governors. 2. Mine development plans that factor in lax state permitting and no Tribal consultation, so Mines are freer to destroy salmon habitat, and 3. Jobs–mainly for State attorneys paid out of the General Fund to fight with the EPA. That sounds like a great deal!
The State Senate should say No to this allocation of our money.
Sincerely,
The Alaska Center\n\n[/cs_content_seo][/cs_element_layout_column][/cs_element_layout_row][/cs_element_section][cs_element_section _id=”5″ ][cs_element_layout_row _id=”6″ ][cs_element_layout_column _id=”7″ ][cs_element_button _id=”8″ ][cs_content_seo]Bills to Watch This Week\n\n[/cs_content_seo][/cs_element_layout_column][cs_element_layout_column _id=”9″ ][cs_element_button _id=”10″ ][cs_content_seo]More Bills This Session\n\n[/cs_content_seo][/cs_element_layout_column][/cs_element_layout_row][/cs_element_section][/cs_content]