For the last several weeks, a coalition of Alaskan organizations successfully organized statewide Election Protection programs to support generating historic voter turnout in our communities. This investment by the Alaska Civic Engagement State (AKCES) Table made Alaska the 40th state in the country to affiliate with the Election Protection Coalition – a national, nonpartisan coalition working to advance and protect …
With our futures on the line, Supreme Court nomination process must not be rushed
Supreme Court justices leave a legacy, and that legacy includes a lasting impact on our nation’s ability to address the climate crisis. With the recent death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, so much hangs in the balance. Here in Alaska, we will be impacted by rulings on public lands, air pollution, and environmental justice for frontline communities. Finding the right …
Alaska’s latest election lawsuit would give absentee voters a chance to fix mail-in ballot errors
A lawsuit is seeking to give absentee voters in Alaska a chance to fix mail-in ballot errors that would prevent their votes from being counted. The lawsuit was filed last week by the Alaska Center Education Fund, Alaska Public Interest Research Group and Sitka resident Floyd Tomkins. While voters are able to fix ballot mistakes in some municipal elections, Alaska …
Alaska groups call on Gov. Dunleavy to ‘carefully consider’ attorney general appointment in wake of resignation
A coalition of eight Alaska organizations is calling on Gov. Mike Dunleavy to “carefully consider” the state’s next attorney general in the wake of the resignation of former Attorney General Kevin Clarksonin August. Clarkson’s resignation followed a Daily News report that revealed Clarkson had been on unpaid leave for the month of August after sending hundreds of unwanted text messages …
Group of Alaskans call out EPA clean car rollbacks
A group of Alaskans, including elected officials and local advocates, are calling for a return to previous federal Environmental Protection Agency clean car standards. The EPA rolled back the standards for lowering the fuel efficiency and emissions standards for new vehicles in March. The rollback still increases the stringency of corporate average fuel economy and carbon dioxide emissions standards by …
The Alaska Center Stands Among Those Calling for Racial Justice, Accountability, and an End to Violence
The Alaska Center and The Alaska Center Education Fund board and staff grieve the murders of Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and countless other Black lives. We call for accountability for those who have taken these lives and continue to perpetuate violence under the badge of the law. Violence against people of color includes the crisis of Missing and …
Some Alaska summer camps prepare to reopen with new rules, reduced capacity
Trailside Discovery Camp director Vicki Long-Leather always has a lengthy list of supplies to order for her summer programs in Anchorage and Palmer. But, this year, there’s even more to buy, including more hand sanitizer, thermometers, disinfectant wipes, face masks and art supplies. “Every camper is going to have to have their own individual Ziploc full of glue sticks and …
Our economy won’t recover without child care reform
Economy means management of home. But the short-sighted efforts to “reopen the economy” reveal a fundamental misunderstanding of what a whole, healthy and functioning economy looks like, and a complete disregard for the foundation of home: our families. Our economic production is dependent upon child care, yet our economic model has neglected to put our home and families at the …
Lucky to have member-owned electric service
Let’s take advantage of this. We in the area serviced by Golden Valley Electric Association are lucky in that we, the ratepayers, are actually member-owners rather than customers of a private, for-profit energy provider. This gives us several advantages, not the least of which is being able to vote for the directors of our co-op in order to influence the direction …
Just Transition Summit hopes to share ideas about moving away from single resource economies
A summit next month in Fairbanks hopes to build collaboration and strategies that address the challenges of relying on oil-and-gas development. Organizers hope that the Just Transition Summit – January 8-10, 2020 – provides a space for “Indigenous and non-Indigenous collaboration to build critical thinking around economic and social transition.” “Just Transition is an exciting concept … about building a …