Tag Archive for: akleg

The Early Birds

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Bills submitted for early release before the session begins (also known as prefiled bills) can offer some hints about those issues that are burning in a lawmaker’s mind. They do not indicate an overall trend for the legislative session, and there is no preferential treatment for bills simply because of their release date. The early release does not guarantee or even indicate success. The beauty of a prefiled bill is that they exist in silence before the legislative session convenes, so they are on a pedestal, isolated, and have a glow for a short time. As soon as the legislature gavels in on 1/17/23, a whole noisy crowd of new bills hits the field, and the pre-filed bills are just bills among other bills jostling for approval.

The first round of prefiled legislation was released on January 9th, and the second round was released today. From what we have seen so far, the repeal of a popular citizen’s initiative is high on the agenda for some lawmakers. Three separate, far-right lawmakers have introduced bills to repeal Ranked Choice Voting and Open Primaries. These bills intend to ensure that political parties regain some of the king-making power that they were stripped of when the citizens of this great state decided that closed/partisan primaries were generating too many extremist politicians. A system like Ranked Choice Voting and open primary elections could temper this trend toward extremism, so Alaskans voted in a bold new system. Considering the Senate President and Senate Majority Leader’s success is partially owed to RCV, despite Republican party opposition, the chance that this item on the Republican Party’s wish list (repeal of RCV) passes the legislature is slim to none and most probably none.

While many lawmakers throw bills into the ring to fulfill campaign promises and appeal to their base voters, some still take a pragmatic approach, focus on actual problems, and propose bills to solve them. Senator Scott Kawasaki has crafted SB 19 with what appears to be elements from a compromise bill that was gaining some steam at the end of the last legislature. There is a provision in the bill that would require all by-mail ballots to have a postage-paid return envelope and a provision that allows a voter to “cure” or correct an identifier or address mistake that would otherwise cause their ballot to be invalidated. To appease those on the right who think there is a giant problem with ballot “harvesting” or the collection of ballots by a third party, SB 19 puts sideboards on the practice and makes it a crime if one fails to meet a set of criteria in collecting ballots. The bill also establishes a free online ballot tracking website where people can go to “confirm that the voter’s ballot has been sent by the division; track the date of the ballot’s delivery to the voter; confirm the division’s receipt of the voter’s ballot; determine whether the voter’s certificate has been reviewed; and determine whether the voter’s ballot has been counted.” If this provides voters peace of mind, we are all for it. If it calms the intentional fever dream of stolen ballots that the right still harbors, even better.

One proposal that we are glad to see among the early bird bills is SB 17, legislation that would establish limits for political contributions. Our contribution limits were already overturned by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling for being too low. Last year, the legislature proposed a bill to increase the contribution limit. This bill did not pass, so last year was an election cycle where unlimited contributions were allowed. This situation leaves our politics vulnerable. Those who can contribute more should not be able to have more of a political voice than those who cannot contribute. We know that the oil and gas industry has an outsized influence on politics in Alaska because they invest heavily in political races. We need to be sure that our lawmakers’ victories are not, in essence, “purchased” by extremely wealthy individuals. We need honest campaign limits in the spirit of the $500 level established in the 2006 citizens initiative approved by 73% of the voters.

Every legislature promises a blend of new ideas, promises, old ideas, good and bad ideas, half-formed or ill-conceived ideas, potential ideas, and so forth. Whatever the idea, it is out there to be poked and prodded and molded by 60 different lawmakers, and then if it is lucky enough to make it through the process, it must stand before the Governor for final approval. We know that these first few bills are calling upon us to take special heed of them, and we are excited to see what else lies ahead.

A New Year In Youth Engagement

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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]With each new year comes new opportunities. Many of us sit down with family, friends, and loved ones to make resolutions: exercise more, eat better, and scroll less. With these resolutions, we want to build a better, brighter future for ourselves. But what about our communities? What resolutions can we make this year to build ourselves and each other up? The answer lies with the present and the future. It lies with young people.
Young people are the next generation of community leaders. They are coming into leadership now through elections, organizing, and programs like AYEA. Although young people are ready to harness their voices and work for their communities, they are frequently left out of vital decision-making. Corporation CEOs, Governors, United States Senators, and people in power making money from big oil avoid facing youth who bear the burden of climate change and climate anxiety. In Alaska, where the arctic is warming at double the global average and communities face more extreme impacts of climate change, this issue is particularly prevalent. Alaska’s teens deserve the tools, the network, and the hope to leverage their power against these giants and create a bright future for themselves and their communities. You can help them access it.
This past fall, 12 young Alaskans gathered in Anchorage for AYEA’s annual Youth Organizer Summit to imagine a better future together. Youth Organizers chose and began to plan their statewide project to protect & increase Alaskans’ access to local food through action & education. Throughout the pandemic and as climate change impacts worsen, the challenges surrounding food access and Alaska’s supply chain have become increasingly evident and extreme, showing that food security and access are significant issues across the state. AYEA Youth Organizers hope to make a difference for their local communities and Alaska through their ongoing project. They have big plans this next year. They will build out local AYEA chapters and raise awareness around the issue of food insecurity and access by bringing attention to food costs and access in rural Alaska. Collectively they will uplift the stories of those most impacted, learn and teach about traditional foods and subsistence practices, provide hunter training, and build greenhouses and community gardens. They will continue their advocacy throughout the year, culminating in Juneau during our annual Civics & Conservation Summit.
As our ocean rise, our climate becomes more extreme, and our food systems destabilize, leaders continue to invest in false solutions. It’s time leaders prioritize youth. It’s time they hear the facts and face the truth.
Alaska Youth for Environmental Action will be helping young people make their voices heard in Juneau at the 2023 AYEA Civics & Conservation Summit. The Civics & Conservation Summit is a unique opportunity for Alaskan teens to travel to Juneau, learn more about the AK State Legislature, connect to their representatives, and impact the passage of bills. The summit breaks down barriers between delegates and the Alaska State Legislature. By focusing on specific bills within the current Alaska State Legislative session, delegates will gain communication, advocacy, and civic participation skills. The summit culminates with constituent meetings between delegates and their legislators – when they can advocate for the bills and topics they care about!
Alaska’s young people are smart, creative, and passionate. With the tools, network, and support they deserve, young people can leverage their power and influence positive change for their communities. Any Alaskan teen 13-18 can apply to attend the summit themselves, and adults are encouraged to nominate delegates.
The new year is a time to be hopeful, and there’s good reason to be. At The Alaska Center, we work with inspiring, brilliant young Alaskans working tirelessly towards healthier, happier communities. It’s hard not to be hopeful. Help us kick off AYEA’s 25th year to a great start, and know that you are an integral part of the fight for a better tomorrow. Join us this year in making a new resolution: to support Alaska’s youth in becoming our next generation of community leaders and changemakers. 

P.S. Make good on your promise by nominating a young person today as a delegate to the 2023 Civics & Conservation Summit, March 17-21 in Juneau.
Nominate a teen by Jan 7th, apply to be a delegate by Jan 15th, or learn more at ayea.org or by emailing ayea@akcenter.org.
The Alaska Center

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Climate Progress Ahead

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There is a thread in these facts. Joe Biden is arguably the most aggressive president on climate we have had, and this administration has shepherded through Congress the most significant investment in clean energy our country has ever seen. A national party has a majority in the U.S. Senate and will hopefully treat climate change as the dire threat it is. Alaska just elected the first Indigenous Alaskan woman to Congress who knows first-hand the impacts of climate change on northern lands, waters, and communities. The Governor, no great champion of Salmon or Democracy, has put forward bold renewable energy policies in the past and is compelled to diversify energy sources by a looming Southcentral natural gas shortage bearing down.

Similarly, major electric utilities are awakening to the fact that they must quickly diversify. The State Senate has organized a moderate bi-partisan majority with the goal of driving down energy costs as a key pillar of the coalition. While the State House has yet to organize, it will be hard for any majority to oppose further clean energy investment and legislation if it helps drive down costs for Alaskans. If we mind the connections, progress seems inevitable – but that is never the case. Progress will take a lot of work, a lot of voices, and a little time.
The Alaska Center understands that there are enormous resources now available to states, local governments, and utilities from the Inflation Reduction Act and that the political stars are fairly aligned. For our climate-oriented legislative priorities we will be working to pass a suite of state legislation that will move the needle on climate impacts. Our top priority is a bill that authorizes and provides clear guidelines for community solar projects. We will also be working with a coalition of organizations to pass legislation that sets a renewable portfolio standard for railbelt electric utilities, creates a clean energy investment bank, and extends the Renewable Energy Fund to facilitate utility-scale renewable energy projects.

All Alaskans should have access to the cost reductions and pollution reductions available to those with the financial means to take advantage of residential solar. Alongside individual and large-scale solar, Community Solar is a way for everyone to benefit from solar energy, even if they cannot afford or install a solar PV system. An array is built, and residents, from homeowners to business owners to organizations, can invest in the array. The production of that array will be reflected in our energy bills. This array can be managed by a utility or a community for off-grid regions and villages. Electric utilities like Chugach and Homer Electric Association have come close to adopting versions of community solar programs. We believe that providing a clear statutory framework for utilities and the Regulatory Commission of Alaska to follow will provide for community solar arrays in underserved communities.

Electric utilities in Alaska have been told by the sole provider of natural gas in Southcentral Alaska that long-term natural gas contracts will end after 2024. This injects instability into future budget forecasting for utilities, and monopolistic control of the gas supply generally guarantees utility customers will pay increased premiums for the cost of power from natural gas. A renewable portfolio standard bill must be re-introduced to push our utilities toward the inevitable and the cost-effective: more renewable energy, lots more, and fast. When Congress passed the Inflation Reduction Act this year, they authorized a provision that non-profit rural electric cooperatives across the nation have sought for years – direct payment equivalent to the federal tax credit that for-profit utilities and Independent Power Producers claim. This means that our utilities have significant federal backing for numerous shovel-ready renewable projects, which also deeply undercuts the utility manager’s argument that individual utilities cannot afford a massive transition to renewables and battery storage. As envisioned by the Governor last session, a renewable portfolio standard would have utilities reach 80% renewable generation by 2040. We will be working to see this framework pass the legislature.

Our other policy goals align with and will help our state achieve the 80% goal. Reauthorization of the Renewable Energy Fund (REF)-due to sunset this year, will maintain an essential space for new utility-scale renewable projects to be vetted and funded. Funding for the REF has lately been derived from the earnings of the Power Cost Equalization endowment. When the state was flush with oil money, the REF was capitalized by appropriations from the general fund. We must maintain a way to provide direct grants for large-scale renewable projects as we simultaneously mandate that utilities incorporate more renewable energy.

Alaska needs a clean energy investment organization to help coax the private lending industry into making low-interest loans for large-scale energy efficiency projects, clean transportation, and clean energy programs. The Inflation Reduction Act authorized the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF), a $27 billion clean energy deployment bank housed at the Environmental Protection Agency. The GGRF is the largest single pot of funding enacted in the IRA. It gave EPA broad discretion to invest in clean energy technologies through Green Banks (entities that leverage public funding to attract private financing and advance green energy or energy efficiency projects). We will be working this session to ensure a state office is established to take advantage of federal GGRF funds, a significant portion of which is designated for investment in underserved communities.

The Biden climate investment, favorable political conditions in Alaska, decreasing natural gas supply and price certainty, and the upcoming legislative session are primed for clean energy progress.

2023 can be the year for clean energy progress in our state if we keep pushing our leadership to enact policy that works with and for all Alaskans.

To the future!

The Dust Settles and the Future Takes (a bit of) Shape

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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]After the fanfare of the general election fades away and the nail-biter races are called, the action moves to the task of legislative organization – who will be in charge of what, who will wield the levers of power, and who will not. This can take no time or a very, very long time, depending on the ideological schisms of those elected.
The State Senate has rapidly coalesced around a 17-member bipartisan majority. Likely this formation was in the works after the August primary numbers came in, given the patchy trend (but trend indeed) of voters electing the more moderate candidate. This organization has many strong champions of education at the helm, and recent statements indicate that the coalition’s focus will be to protect education, grow the economy and address high energy costs in Alaska. At this point, we are prepared for a pretty low-key fireworks show in the Senate compared to the last four years. We anticipate the Senate will be a strong barrier against Governor Dunleavy’s more damaging budget proposals.
The fact that the Governor previously proposed a Renewable Portfolio Standard and a Green Bank for clean energy investments last session, the fact that long-term natural gas supply contracts in SouthCentral Alaska are ending in 2024, the fact that the floodgates are open on federal clean energy infrastructure program money, and the fact that the state Senate is clearly indicating it wants to work on energy costs – are good facts for our legislative priorities at The Alaska Center.
Our priority goals to help Alaskans lower energy costs and to address climate change are as follows: 

Pass a Renewable Portfolio Standard that will allow Alaska Railbelt utilities customers to purchase energy from 80% renewable sources by 2040.
Pass Community Solar legislation that will allow more Alaskans to benefit from renewable energy.
Extend the Renewable Energy Fund. 

Stay tuned for more on these and other clean energy priorities in our next blog!
Whether the State House will rally around similar general goals (education, economy, energy) as the Senate is now an open question. The House is in a more protracted organizing process and will not know until after December 21 if one member is eligible to take his seat until the courts determine if he is in violation of the Alaska Constitution’s Disloyalty Clause. However the House organizes, the numbers trend toward moderation with 6 Independents, 13 Democrats, and 21 Republicans. We hope for a continued Bipartisan Coalition in the House that will work towards a more thriving, just, and sustainable future.
If the Governor is moderated by the Senate bipartisan coalition, the House Republicans will be moderated by the Governor’s goals – that is our prediction anyway. It bodes well for meat and potato issues like driving down energy costs for Alaskans through increases in clean energy, and we can work with that.
Talk to you soon,
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The Results Are In

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Hi friends,
We finally know all the election results!

Alaska voters had to decide on quite a lot this year: 59 state legislative seats, the Governor, our US Congressperson and Senator, and whether to hold a Constitutional Convention. The Alaska Center Board of Directors’ endorsements included more than 30 state legislative candidates (with multiple ranking recommendations), as well as Mary Peltola for the US House, and Les Gara and Bill Walker for Governor.

The Alaska Center Independent Expenditure focused the political program on maintaining the bipartisan coalition in the State House and building the opportunity for one in the State Senate. While we won’t know whether these bipartisan coalitions come to fruition until announcements are made, the future is looking bright for a new Senate bipartisan coalition. We’re hopeful for a continued coalition in the State House.

Multiple newly elected leaders in the House make a bipartisan coalition possible. Cliff Groh in North Anchorage has unseated David Nelson and was the focus of much of The Alaska Center Independent Expenditure’s program. We encouraged voters to rank both progressive candidates in this race, and we’re pleased that so many used their votes to their full power. Two new women are headed to the legislature, Maxine Dibert from Fairbanks and Donna Mears from East Anchorage, who have a lot to be happy about. Both are long-time community servants and leaders, and we’re ready for their time in Juneau.

As with every election, there are tough losses for some of our endorsed candidates, including Ted Eischeid and Denny Wells. We hope to see these leaders run again to serve their communities, and we will continue to fight for candidates who will support a thriving, just, and sustainable future. Additionally, Denny Wells’ loss by four votes should remind us all that every door you knock, phone call you make, and friend you speak with matters.

Finally confirmed by ranked choice vote tabulation, Mary Peltola is our re-elected Congressperson! We’re thrilled that Alaskans re-elected the only pro-fish candidate in the race. We’re excited to work with her and the newly re-elected Sen. Murkowski to effect positive change for Alaska.

Alaskans said no, as they have again and again, to a Constitutional Convention. With the prospect of that off the table, we know we’ll have work to do in accountability with Governor Dunleavy’s re-election to a second term.

We should know better now than ever that our democracy is sacred and that we must protect it. Even when we don’t like the results of an election, the fact is that Alaskans used their voices to elect leadership, and that’s an amazing right we must maintain. We’ll keep defending our right to vote–plus, we’re expecting that ranked choice voting and open primaries will be under attack next year.

We will continue to inform you how to get involved to protect our system. Thank you for voting and working to make our democracy strong–we’re in this with you.

In solidarity,
The Alaska Center

Bringing Community Solar To Alaska

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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]Renewable energy has become quite the buzz phrase in our world these days. Sometimes it takes other forms; clean energy, green energy, sustainable energy, but it is scattered through ads on radio stations, tv commercials, and even announced over the loudspeakers at airports. Sometimes through all this noise, it is hard to understand what renewable energy means to the average person. 
The Inflation Reduction Act passed this summer included groundbreaking funding for renewable energy projects, as did the Bipartisan Infrastructure Package that passed in the months before. With this new funding, utility cooperatives across the state are (or at least should be) looking for new renewable energy projects to bring onto the grid, which will benefit all Alaskans. 
Transitioning our state away from fossil fuels and into cleaner energy sources creates better air quality, and less pollution to our water sources and wildlife habitat. It will ultimately give us cheaper and more sustainable energy. However, right now in Alaska, affordable renewable energy is more accessible for folks with resources to invest in their small-scale solar or wind projects. It is time for that to change. 
Community solar is a system where individuals can invest in and share the benefits of a solar array not located on their property. Each person who holds a share of the community solar array will see their portion of clean, sustainable energy on their utility bill each month. You can start to reap the benefits of having a solar setup without the upfront cost that so many of us can’t afford. This also opens up solar energy to people who have yet to participate: renters, condo owners, and anyone who doesn’t have space in their backyard or roof for a solar system can join the solar movement. It democratizes the energy transition and allows more Alaskans to contribute to and earn returns from renewable energy. 
While 41 states already have community solar arrays, the great state of Alaska is one of the few without one installation. Many people may not think of solar when they think of Alaska, yet they should. Our winters may be long and dark, but the sunlight hours we have access to in the summer make up for the winter and then some. In fact, for seven months out of the year, Anchorage gets more hours of daily sunlight than anywhere in the contiguous US! 
Community solar is a step forward for our state that can be unlocked with policy change. Our leaders in Juneau can make community solar available to all Alaskans with some simple regulatory changes. Community solar is just one of many great opportunities for Alaska; we have immense renewable energy potential that our elected leaders can and should tap into. This coming legislative session, we can push them to do it. We will keep you updated as the legislative session unfolds on how you can take action to make Community Solar a reality in Alaska.

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A Just Transition to an Indigenized Future

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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]November is Native American Heritage Month. Here in Alaska, this means centering the people who have shaped this land since time immemorial. Around 20% of Alaska’s population is Indigenous, but Native culture plays a much more significant role in our history and in our future. Alaska Natives have stewarded these lands successfully for 10,000 years – we live every day on Native Land. Native American Heritage Month is a time to reflect on this legacy of stewardship and look forward.
To heal from past crimes and solve our most dire social and political problems, we must work to Decolonize and Indigenize our ways of life. As a conservation organization, this means owning our place in colonizing history. It also means looking at new ways to understand and build a future together. It means learning from elders and revitalizing Native languages; upholding self-determination for tribes and shifting funding to Native tribes, villages, and organizations; living within the limits of the land and eating local foods, and deep listening. Everyone who lives in Alaska – Native or not – can do these things.
This reframing, collective healing, and visioning are what a Just Transition aims to do. “Just Transition” refers to a transition away from extractive industries and practices like oil and gas and historically colonial ideas of community and economy. A Just Transition moves us towards practices informed by Indigenous knowledge. A Just Transition doesn’t aim to return us to the world as it was before settlers set foot in Alaska; a Just Transition seeks to choose policies that will be best for all Alaskans.
We already see examples of Just Transition principles at work. We see it in the recent election of Mary Peltola, the first Alaska Native woman in Congress. We see it in the failure of ANWR lease sales and the emergence of small-scale solar projects in rural Alaska. We see Just Transition embodied in Native leadership at all levels of government, including in the co-management of Alaskan lands and waters. And we see it in the reemergence of Native languages in our schools and towns. These accomplishments, and many more, are thanks to the hard work and vision of Indigenous leaders across the state.
But we have so much work left to do.
Next week, our state and country will head to the polls. These are the lands of the Dena’ina, Tlingit, Haida, Ahtna, Sugpiak, Tanana Dene, Yup’ik, Inupiat, and so many more, and our politics must reflect this. We must ensure that Native communities have full and unrestricted access to voting by translating ballots and information into Native languages, providing voting assistance for elders, and streamlining voter registration and voting by mail. We must elect leaders who will represent all Alaskans. We need Native leadership and leadership that listens to Native communities. The table needs to expand. A transition is inevitable; justice is not. However, those sitting at our decision-making tables can ensure that the transition is a just one and no Alaskans are left behind.
Voting is a vision for the future. Our choices at the polls must reflect our understanding and history with these lands, but they also must shine a light toward a thriving future for All Alaskans.
Happy Native American Heritage Month, and happy voting.
Don’t forget to have your absentee ballot postmarked or go vote in-person by November 8. This is a huge election and our values are on the line.
The Alaska Center

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Climate Action Plans are Community Care

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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]Let’s talk about the beloved Climate Action Plan, where everyone from artists, foragers, to bus drivers are climate action experts. At the intersection of immense natural disasters and a lack of systematic preparedness, Climate Action Plans (CAPs) provide a necessary opportunity for neighbors to create the solutions to a crisis they all face.
Every year, the climate crisis clarifies two things: we are collectively unprepared, and our definition of suffering is expanding. We know the thousands of dollars of damage to our homes and cars from the snow and ice. Neighbors are traumatized from the fire evacuations; their empty suitcases are still by the door. Some of us can still hear the rumble of a mudslide burying a part of town. Others are now buying inhalers because the smoke was that bad.
Preparing for a crisis is hard when you’re currently in multiple. However, in these moments, the people suffering have the solutions to the crises. CAPs remind us that we need not know all the answers. Together, we are the solution.
Since the early 2000s, tribal governments and cities across the state came together to create their own Climate Action Plans: Pedro Bay, Homer, Sitka, Anchorage, and Juneau. Fairbanks is next on the roster as their Borough is currently soliciting feedback to draft their Climate Action and Adaptation Plan. Fairbanks Borough residents are encouraged – now needed to join the CAAP Public Summit Event Saturday, August 13, from 10 am – 3 pm at the Borough Chambers. This summit is an opportunity to share the solutions residents need the Borough to implement.

More About Fairbanks’ CAAP >>>
Our leaders need to hear the breadth of the issues residents face. They need to see the wealth of ingenuity our communities have to offer. Without it, the CAAP will fall short.
For Alaskans outside of Fairbanks, you can support this momentum by ensuring we elect climate action champions in the Special, General, Midterm, and local Municipal elections. A CAP’s success relies heavily on climate action-oriented community and government leaders. On August 16, voters can ensure those leaders can help bring climate action to fruition. From voting to testimony, CAPs will require many forms of engagement to be successful. When we do this work together, the future looks bright. These are our communities and these should be our Climate Action Plans. Nothing for us without us.
The Alaska Center

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Simple Steps for Salmon Protection

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When the legislation creating a Wild Salmon Day for Alaska was considered in the Alaska State Legislature, we knew it was an important bill. Even if it is mainly a symbolic gesture of our collective goodwill toward the salmon that swim through the life of our Alaskan society and culture, it was a good bill because it was a simple bill.

At the same time, in hindsight, there is nothing simple about our relationship with salmon. Those who have relied on salmon and protected them for millennia might see the designation of a calendar day in honor of salmon as cheap, considering that it is integral to the existence of their people. There is also nothing terribly simple about the economic impact of wild salmon. Sport and commercial fishers view the same wild salmon run on often sharply divergent terms, and the management of these fish can raise all sorts of claims of political bias.
Wild Salmon Day, if anything, provides us with a point of reflection, and for that, it is crucial. We, who are so blessed to experience, eat, watch, hook, net, paint, write about, and otherwise contemplate these salmon, also are called upon to protect them. When it comes to protection, there is also a level of complexity; the simple answers are there but none are a fix-all.

We had great runs this summer in Bristol Bay, partly due to global warming trends increasing the freshwater food for juvenile salmon. While the salmon were flooding into Bristol Bay, catastrophic low returns have beset the Yukon and Kuskokwim rivers. The trawl sector undoubtedly bears some responsibility for killing off thousands of Y/K bound salmon as bycatch. So too do the Area-M fishers. And beyond that, the causes are giant, terrifying, and vague: ocean warming, river warming, ocean acidification, competition from hatchery fish, ocean regime change? The answers to the questions on how we protect wild salmon should be clear, but they are manyfold.

We know these things: we need to keep voting the right people into office who value salmon and will push for policy to protect their habitat, ensuring that our salmon runs thrive in all parts of our state. We must respect Indigenous stewardship and sustainability practices as we work to protect our wild salmon from future harm. We must come together in community to celebrate and honor the resource.
We must work throughout the year to protect our salmon for future generations. It is that simple.

On August 10 in Anchorage and August 14 in Fairbanks, come together to celebrate Wild Salmon Day and learn about how you can use your voice in a multitude of ways to protect our salmon.

Now through August 16, you have the chance to vote for leadership that will protect our salmon. We have endorsed Mary Peltola in part because of her commitment to protecting our salmon. Learn more about our endorsements and how and where to vote this election.
Today until September 6 you have the opportunity to have your voice heard to ensure EPA protections and to Stop Pebble Mine once and for all.

The solutions to the myriad of salmon issues we face aren’t simple but the end goal is: Protecting our Salmon for generations to come.
The Alaska Center

RANKED-CHOICE VOTING IS HERE!

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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]In 2020, Alaskans voted to approve a new voting system for statewide elections. Starting this year, we will use a system that combines an open primary with ranked-choice voting. This means that the four candidates with the most support will advance to the general election, regardless of their political party. Voters will then rank candidates in order of their preference, from first to last.

In the special election, the ranked-choice voting system will be used for the first time on August 16th, 2022, to fill former Rep. Don Young’s seat in the House of Representatives. The open primary in June narrowed the field of primary candidates down to four: Sarah Palin, Nick Begich, Mary Peltola, and Al Gross, who recently dropped out of the race. At the same time, they rank candidates for the special election, voters will also choose one primary candidate to advance to the general election for the permanent House position.

After voters make their choices on August 16th, their first-place choices will be tallied. If no candidate gets over 50% of the votes in the first round, the least popular candidate will be eliminated, and the votes for them reassigned to their voters’ second-choice picks. This process will continue until one candidate has over half of the votes. While it is not required to rank all four (or, in this case, three) candidates, it is recommended because it means that your voice can be heard throughout the entire election, not just in the first round.

While ranked-choice voting is brand new in Alaska, it’s been used successfully in states and cities throughout the country, including for federal elections in Maine and recently in the election for New York City mayor. Ranked-choice voting is just as secure and effective as more traditional voting forms. The new system means that our votes will go further, and our preferences will still be counted even if our first-choice candidate doesn’t win.

Because the August 16th election is a General Election for the Special Primary, and a Primary Election for the Regularly scheduled election, it will be conducted in person at local polling places, unlike recent Anchorage Municipal elections and primaries. Anyone who wishes to vote by mail for any reason must request an absentee ballot at least ten days before election day and make sure that their ballot is postmarked on or before election day to be counted.

The Alaska Center Education Fund is putting on a series of events this summer to help Alaskans learn about, and practice ranked-choice voting before putting it into practice in August. Join us on July 19th from 6-8 p.m. at Fairview Lions Park for free dinner and ranked-choice voting fun or check out our website or social media for more information on our events for this summer!
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Make a plan, register to vote, and get ready to ranked-choice vote!

Olivia was born and raised in Anchorage and is currently a Junior studying Political Science and Spanish Language and Literature with a minor in Peace and Justice Studies at Fordham University. She is passionate about civic engagement and is excited to continue her work empowering and educating voters as a Youth Civic Engagement Fellow with The Alaska Center Education Fund.

Originally published July 25, 2022 by Sol de Medianoche.\n\nPicturePicturePicture[/cs_content_seo][/cs_element_layout_column][/cs_element_layout_row][/cs_element_section][/cs_content]