Will Alaskans for Honest Elections get its final signatures this month?
And the NTSB says the voice recorder from Flight 1282 was accidentally recorded over because no one turned it off
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Today the Alaska Legislature releases the first tranche of “prefiled” bills, as we head into the new legislative session, which starts next Tuesday. Last year’s prefiled bills can be seen at this link.
Check back with MustReadAlaska.com later today for summaries of the first set of prefiles for 2024, the second session of the 33rd Legislature.
Alaska Airlines jet has fuselage blow-out, returns to Portland
A Friday night to remember for passengers on the flight to Ontario, Calif. All survived.
Watch the NTSB B-roll from its inspection of the plane on YouTube here.
Officials from the NTSB say that both flight recorders of Alaska Airlines' cockpit voice recorder have been sent to its lab in Washington, D.C. … But the data was mistakenly overwritten because no one turned it off, and so it began recording again over the section in question.
Passengers scramble for alternatives as Alaska Airlines cancels 160 flights
The missing door plug was found in the garden of a school teacher named “Bob” in Cedar Hills, southwest of Portland. At least two iPhones have been found — they fell from the plane but were operational after the fall of 16,000 feet.
Stock prices
Boeing shares tumbled nearly 9% in early trading on Monday, but recovered. Alaska Airlines stock appeared to trade normally.
Military secrets: Secretary of Defense Austin hospitalized for days before anyone knew
He went into the hospital on Monday and for three days the president, on vacation out of the country, wasn’t told Austin was in the ICU.
Tshibaka cleared: All allegations dismissed by APOC
The ongoing legal harassment of former U.S. Senate candidate Kelly Tshibaka by attorney Scott Kendall and the dark-money group Alaskans for Better Elections.
We appreciate all generous Alaskans who keep this conservative enterprise going!
Former Valley legislative candidate sentenced in fatal road-rage shooting
Gavin Sullivan Christiansen, a 41-year-old resident of Palmer who ran for State Senate in 2020, received a sentence of 25 years.
Official homelessness count for Alaska — not as bad as some place
There’s a lot of handwringing about the increase in homelessness, but Alaska doesn’t even make the top five list of states. California has the winning ticket.
NRA’s LaPierre is stepping down
He’s embroiled in a lawsuit by the attorney general of New York over use of funds. But it’s a witch hunt. You don’t see Letitia James going after George Soros.
Judicial Watch files lawsuit on behalf of Ashli Babbitt’s family
In “insurrection news,” Babbitt was unarmed but shot to death by Capitol Police, although she posed no threat to life. Now, her family says the government must be held accountable.
LeDoux election fraud trial setting conference Monday
Justice delayed? This trial never seems to get off the ground. It involves a former Alaska lawmaker who is accused of encouraging people outside her district to vote for her. The original offense was in 2018.
Biden vs. America: William Penn historic statue to be canceled by Park Service
The defender of religious freedoms and friend to indigenous residents, William Penn is just not woke enough for the leftists. He must go.
New Hoonah borough meeting
Local Boundary Commission staff will conduct a public informational meeting concerning the Xunaa Borough Incorporation petition on Jan. 9, 7 p.m. in the Council Chambers, Hoonah City Hall. Information here.
House, Senate Committee on Ethics
The House and Senate Committee on Ethics meets Jan. 9 at 8:30 am. The agenda is at this link.
Alaskans for Honest Elections reaches signature goal, except in one district
The group trying to get a do-over on 2020’s Ballot Measure 2 (Wild West primaries, ranked-choice voting) has 40,000 signatures, needing only 26,000 to qualify for the ballot — either this year’s primary or general. There’s evidently only one district — District 19 (east of Merrill Field, represented by Rep. Genevieve Mina-D) that lacks the signatures required. Alaskans for Honest Elections is looking for 119 people in District 19 to sign.
The Alaskans for Honest Elections group is led by Art Matthias. It will soon need to submit the signatures to the Division of Elections for review. Sponsors’ deadline to file them with enough signatures to place the initiative on the ballot is Feb. 7.
Meanwhile, Alaska Public Offices Commission has fined the organization $94,000 for using a church as a base of operations and not identifying material properly. That came to light when Alaskans for Better Elections (the people who are defending ranked-choice voting) sent a mole into the Alaskans for Honest Elections campaign and he dug around to see how they were operating. Alaskans for Better Elections is like that.
Question of the week
Will Joe Biden end up pardoning Hunter Biden?
This day in history
Jan. 8, 1828, The Democratic Party of the United States was organized.
Columns
Scott Ogan: Top 10 ‘left fork-in-the-road’ policy proposals
An analysis of some bills that are left over from last year that are decidedly leftist.
Bob Bird: Recon and the 14th Amendment
An analysis by the chair of the Alaskan Independence Party.
Todd Lindley: Storage to shortage — The Cook Inlet natural gas crisis
History of how natural gas has been managed and how the Alaska public is being played on carbon.
Alaska oil: $$79.52
Henry Hub gas: $2.89
Alaska North Slope Production: 427,015
Permanent Fund (principal and earnings reserve): $78,408,400,000
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