Amazon is bound to disrupt Alaska retail even more as Peltola fights its competitors
Alaska House, Senate meet in nighttime joint session. There was a lot of political drama caused by some misinterpreting of the Alaska Constitution
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Sound and fury, signifying nothing
After a day of handwringing, wrangling, and caucusing, where there was probably some shouting and finger pointing, the House reconsidered an earlier vote and invited the Senate to a joint session to consider overriding the governor’s vetoes from last year…It was 8 pm when the two bodies came together to make law.
Here’s how the veto non-override went down
And it was all much ado about some willfully misinterpreted words in the Alaska Constitution … but this stunt involving grammar interpretation is going to come back and bite the legislature in the you-know-what in the years ahead.
High wind warning in Juneau, plus SB 140
From heavy snow to howling Taku winds in downtown Juneau, it’s been a wicked week of weather for the first weekd of session, but these Taku winds are normal for January. Meanwhile, Eaglecrest Ski Area on Douglas has had five feet of new snow in the past five days at the top, and 25” of new snow at the lodge. Or if you’re not skiing on Saturday or shoveling snow, you can give public testimony on SB 140, a bill that has been Christmas-treed-up with all kinds of things.
Amazon opens massive distribution center in Anchorage, could be market disrupter to Fred Meyer & Carrs, which are trying to compete
The free market is coming into Alaska with a big Amazon footprint, but Rep. Mary Peltola is obsessed with trying to stop the merger of Kroger (Fred Meyer) and Albertson’s (Carrs-Safeway), which are trying to combine to stay alive in the brave new Amazon-world. Peltola is doing the unions’ bidding to crush the little guys, but meanwhile, Amazon slipped in the back door to make it even tougher in Alaska retail.
Nenana gun burglar nabbed by Trooper lying in wait
Footprints in the snow. A State Trooper hiding for hours. This is a northern who-done-it.
Supreme Court takes up: Can government force fishing boats to pay for federal onboard observers? Law crafted by Sen. Ted Stevens is in play
The Chevron doctrine is central to Magnuson-Stevens, giving bureaucrats wide berth at determining what Congress may have wanted from a law. Let’s see how the Supremes see it now.
Update on this story later today or this weekend at www.mustreadalaska.com
Gig economy: Freelance workers sue Biden over labor rules pressuring them to be regulated as employees
Truck drivers and writers have something in common. The Biden Administration wants to force them into regular employment (so that unions can then force them to pay dues. Big skimming operation.)
Rep. Andy Josephson, Democrat warhorse in Alaska House, hit with multiple campaign finance complaints
He evidently did the same thing that APOC fined former Rep. Lance Pruitt for a few years ago. The difference is that Josephson is a lawyer and will probably take it all up a notch. The other difference is he is a Democrat. Let’s see what APOC does this time.
Bill Elam, Kenai assemblyman, files for House D-8
Elam joins John Hillyer in the race to fill the seat of Rep. Ben Carpenter, who is running against Sen. Jesse Bjorkman.
Alaska Revenue Commissioner Crum joins 29 other states opposing ‘Natural Asset Company’ land grabs
This is weird Securities and Exchange Commission stuff. Companies buy up public land and then sit on it so it cannot be productive? There is some kind of profit model involved. What can possibly go wrong?
Friday
House Judiciary
HJR 7 Constitutional Amendment: Permanent Fund dividend
House Labor and Commerce
HB 119 Marijuana tax
HB 186 Volunteer labor compliance office program
Senate Judiciary
HB 28 Access to marijuana conviction records
SB 17 Campaign contributions
Repeal of Ballot Measure 2, ranked-choice mess, moves from Committee
This bill may very well pass the House, but mind you, the Senate is dominated by Democrats and a couple of Republicans like Cathy Giessel, who won because of ranked choice voting and who very much support it.
Dunleavy introduces bills to keep rape kits moving
There is a problem the governor is trying to fix in the accountability chain. The new system requires health professionals to prioritize the exams and report back.
Bill to make PFD statutory formula constitutionally protected is in House Judiciary on Friday
The House Ways and Means Committee bill doesn’t say an amount would be actually guaranteed, but would demand that the Legislature follow the law on whatever the statute says the formula is.
FAA, Alaska Airlines keeps Boeing 737 Dash-9 MAX aircraft grounded; passenger lawsuits spread
Meanwhile, watch this crazy video of the CEO of United doing a drag queen performance. Because all these airlines are going so woke they are forgetting to focus on the mission.
Supreme Court declines to take Alaska gov’ worker union dues case
Homeland Security Committee finishes work and calls on House to impeach Secretary Mayorkas
We appreciate all generous Alaskans who keep this conservative enterprise going!
Cathy Munoz nominated as commissioner of Labor
She has been acting commissioner for one year. Now, it’s time for confirmation.
Backpedaling: Whites, blacks won’t pay more at Anchorage Museum; memo says race policy on pause
The policy of Natives-get-in-free was widely criticized and it even looked illegal. The museum is just saying it will stop and think about it some more.
Hall-Jensen, Dem. associate of Mayor Berkowitz and Gov. Walker, runs for House District 16, Anchorage
This gal is all-in for Democrats and has the credentials to show for it. Who is she? And is West Anchorage going to leave this seat to the Dems?
Boundary Commission to meet Friday for update on Hoonah request for new borough
The City of Hoonah wants to raise more taxes and so would like to expand its reach to Elfin Cove. There are currently 19 organized boroughs in Alaska. Xunaa would make 20
Question of the week
If a man undergoes penile inversion-vaginoplasty surgery and takes feminizing hormones, can he be rightfully called a woman?
This day in history
Jan. 19, 1983 Nazi war criminal Klaus Barbie was arrested in Bolivia. Barbie was known as the “Butcher of Lyon.”
Columns
Evelyn Dutton: Education freedom and school choice
School Choice Week is ahead. Read this personal story from Evelyn Dutton of Anchorage — and be encouraged.
Alexander Dolitsky: Israel-Gaza war would be over if…
If Hamas surrendered and returned hostages. So why don’t they?
Alex Gimarc: Alaska Railroad, feral corporation, feral board of directors
The railroad is having its way with rights-of-way, and writer Alex Gimarc is having none of it.
Linda Boyle: Dr. Fauci confesses the six-foot distancing rule ‘just appeared’ without science
Around the country, you can still see taped-off, six-foot-rule queues. How embarrassing that there was no science behind it.
Alaska oil: $78.42
Henry Hub gas: $2.87
Alaska North Slope Production: 442,166
Permanent Fund (principal and earnings reserve): $78,037,300,000
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