Murkowski at Legislature
She talked infrastructure, bipartisanship, not much on border, fentanyl, or crime
Good morning from Somewhere in Alaska!
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Biden botches Alaska highways plan, so now what?
The Biden functionaries went full-tilt nitpick on the STIP, and made several of their own mistakes in doing so. They’re trying to make the Dunleavy DOT look bad. Now, the administration is in panic mode, sending two people up to Alaska to sort it all out. Things you are not reading in mainstream media. Question: Where was powerful Peltola when we needed her?
Ice floe or health care: Peltola votes in favor of eugenics
“QALYs” are the death panels that Sarah Palin warned everyone about. The mainstreamers laughed. The vote is in and Peltola supports them.
What’s up? More fun …
It’s Elizabeth (Wanamaker) Peratrovich Day in Alaska. Monday is President’s Day. Get your banking done today, as banks and the feds have Monday off.
Lincoln Day Dinners around the state:
We appreciate all generous Alaskans who keep this conservative enterprise going!
National debt: $34.2 trillion and counting
MRAK’s annual look at the U.S. Debt Clock is sobering. We’ll be $35 trillion in the hole by summer.
Rob Yundt files for Senate Wasilla Seat N
He’s more conservative than Sen. David Wilson, who caucuses with Democrat- dominated Senate and may end up paying for it at the ballot box.
Money race for mayor of Anchorage
Suzanne La France has raised more than Mayor Dave Bronson but has also outspent him. Bronson has a $67,000 cash advantage, as the Democrats’ candidate has outspent Bronson by $100,000.
Who has filed
Janice Park, a Democrat who ran for Alaska Senate against Sen. James Kaufman in 2022 (and has run other times), has filed for the primary, but didn’t indicate the seat. Kaufman isn’t up for reelection until 2026.
Dmitri Fonov filed for Matanuska-Susitna Borough, didn’t indicate the seat.
Victoria Sosa, a Democrat, filed for House, against CJ McCormick, representing Bethel. There’s history between them.
Rep. Louise Stutes filed for House for Kodiak / Cordova.
Lee Ellis filed for House District 9. He is a Girdwood nonpartisan. Republican Rep. Laddie Shaw is the incumbent but has not filed (and doesn’t appear likely to do so.)
Rep. Stanley Wright filed for reelection for District 22 Anchorage.
Capitol Notes
House Speaker Cathy Tilton is in Fairbanks for the Lincoln Day Dinner; having had to leave Thursday since no flights but the milk run were available out of Juneau on Friday.
Sen. Matt Claman is back at the Capitol, although he looks like he has been through quite a health ordeal in recent weeks. Get well soon, Senator.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski gave a long speech to the Legislature on Thursday, having been delayed from the original Wednesday schedule. She gave lots of “valentines” out, including to Sen. Cathy Giessel, Rep. Dan Saddler, and Rep. Craig Johnson, and made special mention of the largest freshman class of the House, complimenting its bipartisanship (another word for Democrat). She praised Rep. Andrew Gray, a Democrat, for leading that bipartisanship. She complimented Sen. Jesse Bjorkman and Rep. Jesse Sumner on the lumber-grading bill. She complimented U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola, another Democrat, for her work in Congress. You can watch it here.
Sen. Dan Sullivan will address the Legislature on Feb. 21.
Wednesday was the deadline for bill drafting, and Monday is the deadline for filing of personal bills (as opposed to committee legislation, etc.) Expect a new slew of legislation, some possibly coming from Democrat Rep. Zack Fields.
Rep. David Eastman filed a resolution, HJR 21, which says, in part, “requesting President Biden to make available the results of an evaluation concerning the president's mental fitness and ability to discharge the powers and duties of the Office of the President of the United States.” Read it here.
Keep an Eye on the Ethics Committee, as they have a David Eastman item on the agenda today and he has waived confidentiality. Here’s the agenda.
SB 140, with a $680 base student allocation increase, seems almost destined to pass both bodies and get the nod from the governor. But the pressure is still on with the unions swarming the halls.
Voters by the numbers
602,819 registered voters in Alaska. This month last year, the number was 604,454
143,188 Alaska voters are Republican. 74,943 are Democrat
The annual purge of voter rolls is in two weeks, so check back for an update. After last year’s update, the total voter count was 587,277.
Genius Star XI under way to San Diego
The beleaguered ship spent the last six weeks in the Aleutians after the lithium battery cargo hold caught fire. It’s almost across the Gulf now, heading south.
Teacher retention: Fact or fake news?
It’s always been hard to keep teachers in rural Alaska, but Anchorage seems OK, from what numbers we could find.
Vivek Ramaswamy endorses Nick Begich for Congress
The leader of the America First movement gives his first endorsement and it’s to an Alaskan.
World’s toughest snowmobile race: Iron Dog set for 40th year
They’ll be off to Nome in the morning.
Must Read Alaska Show
Listen to Nick Begich as he talks about electing the right team for D.C.
NBIII talks about Vivek Ramaswamy in this, one of the best episodes of the Must Read Alaska Show — it won’t disappoint.
This day in history
Feb. 16, 2005, the Kyoto Protocol went into effect. The global warming pact was ratified by 191 countries, excluding the United States.
Columns
Win Gruening: Juneau wrestles with funding for schools; enrollment falls
The Assembly is now getting involved in trying to figure out the funding.
Paulette Simpson: Saying ‘no’ to growth in Juneau has consequences
The Left doesn’t want kids. They don’t want private-sector growth. So why are they so mystified that the Juneau schools are losing students?
Rick Whitbeck: Thanks to fossil fuels, Anchorage averted a crisis
People would have died if not for the energy from natural gas in Alaska’s largest city.
Niki Tshibaka: Fredrick Douglass was America’s Moses
Douglass was a righteous man, and it’s worth revisiting his life and times.
Alexander Dolitsky: Economic development, traditional uses can coexist
If Alaska is to prosper, we’d better get on board with restarting our economy.
Alex Gimarc: Suzanne LaFrance is Assembly’s favorite candidate
If you like your assembly in Anchorage, you’ll just love LaFrance.
Scott Ogan: Our freedoms and liberties hinge on election integrity
Here is a review of some of the election-related legislation and how it adds up.
Dave Donley: A call for greater transparency in Anchorage School Board
When Donley makes a motion, he can’t get a second. Meeting minutes ignore his motion, as if he never tried.
Alaska oil: $82.56
Henry Hub gas: $1.58
Alaska North Slope Production: 459,649
Permanent Fund (principal and earnings reserve): $78,154,200,000
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