Discover more from Must Read Alaska
Welcome to the playoff edition of the Must Read Alaska Newsletter. Who will make the Super Bowl this year: Philadelphia? Kansas City? Cincinnati? San Francisco?
I appreciate everyone who has been so incredibly supportive of MRAK switching to this new newsletter platform, which also has a way for Alaskans to contribute to Must Read Alaska without having to use PayPal, which some readers don’t use. All of your comments have helped me improve the newsletter, which I’ve published since 2015. Also visit the website at www.mustreadalaska.com for updates throughout the day.
MRAK has 36,000 subscribers to this newsletter, mostly Alaskans. If you know someone in or out of Alaska who enjoys keeping up on Alaska politics and news, please share away. See you at www.mustreadalaska.com later this morning for more news.
Are Peltolas violating federal laws against influence peddling?
Gene Peltola wasted no time getting into the lucrative carbon credit business, what with Mary Peltola on the way to Congress last summer. He was setting up companies and meeting with the governor, even while serving as the top guy for the BIA region in Alaska. Did the he break federal law? The optics are just terrible for the two.
Principal who was shot up with psychotropic drugs has lawyers now
Her lawyers confirm to MRAK that she was tied to a gurney and drugs were forced on her through injection, then left in a room for three days. What was the hospital thinking?
No logging for Alaska: Biden finalizes the rule to lock up Tongass again
There was some hope that the roadless rule carve-out for the Tongass made during the Trump Administration would stick, but it’s not to be. The forests may burn, but they’ll not be cut.
Remembering Mike Dalton
Kathleen “Mike” Dalton died at her Fairbanks home on Jan. 28, 2019 at age 93. She was the originator of a wonderful political newsletter in Fairbanks, the Interior GOP email newsletter, which she founded in 1998 and continued for 18 years. Four years have gone by since her passing but I miss her wit and wisdom still. Read about my last visit to see her in November of 2018.
Facebook to restore Trump’s account
Meta admits it has some special sideboards on The Donald. They’ll swoop in again and lock him out, if he tempts them. Is this an admission that Twitter is winning?
Power the future: Biden would veto bill that would protect oil reserves
The Strategic Petroleum Reserve is meant to be used strategically for emergencies, not as a way to handle high gas prices. President Biden is merely trying to protect his own image, with no regard for the long-term consequences.
Legislative bits and pieces
Legislative Staff List has been published. Pick up your copy here.
Want to refresh on legislative acronyms? This is your guide.
Senate Education: The committee heard from activists that there were 400 unfilled teaching positions around the state when school started last summer. The Association of Alaska School Boards is asking for a $860 increase to the Base Student Allocation. The most recent increase to the BSA occurred six years ago — in 2017.
The Coalition for Education Equity presentation said that from 2011 to 2022, the BSA has increased only 4.29% while Alaska’s urban consumer price index has risen 24.6%.
Senate Education is chaired by freshman Democrat Sen. Löki Tobin, the handpicked replacement for Sen. Tom Begich. She represents downtown Anchorage. Also on the committee is Senate President Gary Stevens as vice chair, Jesse Bjorkman, Jesse Kiehl, and Elvi Gray-Jackson. This is a group that will push for more education funding and a higher BSA.
Senate Labor & Commerce: Committee learned from the Hospital and Health Care Association that the health care industry in Alaska has $3 billion in direct wages — more than any other sector in Alaska. It outpaces military, natural resource sectors and provides 43,000 jobs, which is 11% of Alaska’s workforce, second only to retail/wholesale. “When this is expanded to include the multiplier effect, the total impact of Alaska’s healthcare sector was 75,060 jobs across the state’s economy with a total Alaska income impact of $4.4 billion in 2021.”
AHHA is formerly the Alaska State Hospital & Nursing Home Association (ASHNHA). In May, 2022, the board passed a resolution to change the association's name. So ASHNHA is now AHHA, but still a big player in Juneau.
Price of Alaska oil: $83.86
Price of Henry Hub gas: $2.94
Alaska North Slope Production: 489,680
Permanent Fund (principal and earnings reserve): $78,524,400,000
Infrastructure bill brings $285 million to Alaska ferry system
Replacing the Tustemena, repairing docks, upgrading vessels and … the purchase of an electric ferry. Yup. For Alaska.
Appeals court rules against baker in ‘gender transition cake’ refusal
Jack Phillips lost in a Colorado appeals court on Thursday. He has won at the Supreme Court on this issue, and it appears he will be heading back to the Supremes. He doesn’t give up, but neither do the persecutors — or do we still say prosecutors?
COLUMNS
Downing: Biden created an emergency at Strategic Petroleum Reserve
President said he’d refill the SPR in 2023, but his administration cancelled the first bids this month. The price of oil is going up again.
Art Chance: We just saw how fragile our civil rights really are
What happened to Mary Fulp could happen to anyone. Pay attention.
Michael Tavoliero: Sexual grooming of our children must end
The officials at local and state level seem unconcerned with porn in schools.
Rick Whitbeck: A neighbor weaponizes climate change
The climate cultists won’t leave our kids alone. One dad started talking trash about another dad who defends jobs and the economy for a living. This parent isn’t standing for it.
Linda Boyle: The battle for back pay continues for our warriors
Those who refused the Covid shots are still hung out to dry.
Alex Gimarc: The lying liars who lied on Ballot Measure 2
The Legislature needs to repeal it, but Alaskans for Better Elections is running an ad campaign telling Alaskans just how much they love ranked choice voting. Alaskans for Better Elections is all dark money.
Win Gruening: Juneau Assembly review of dock proposal raises questions of conflict
The Assembly’s anxiety about major city waterfront development is understandable but that should not interfere with evaluating and approving private projects like this. Unfortunately, the default position at the city is, “how can we throttle this project back?”
Patrick LeMay: My business was libeled by Ship Creek Group blog
Business owner in Anchorage sets the record straight after being accused of wrongdoing by a leftist political consultancy’s blog. The dustup at City Hall involves the Tshibaka family.
Fritz Pettyjohn: What divides us — beer and wine
A thousand generations ago, in the pivotal event of societal evolution, beer was invented. With beer, men were domesticated.
Beer festival Friday and Saturday
Speaking of beer and men, there’s a great beer festival in Anchorage on Friday and Saturday.
MUST READ ALASKA SHOW
Tune in to hear Kelly Tshibaka talk about her new nonprofit that will educate the American public about the reality of Ranked Choice Voting.
Tune into the Must Read Alaska Show for an interview with Wall Street Journal's Kimberly Strassel. You can watch it here on Facebook.
Must Read Alaska LLC | 200 W. 34th Ave. #220, Anchorage, AK 99503
www.mustreadalaska.com
Subscribe to Must Read Alaska
Must Read Alaska Newsletter