Posted by Jeanne Devon on April 30, 2021 · Leave a Comment
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED The legislature finalized House Bill 76 this week that allows Alaska to keep millions of dollars in critical federal covid-related funding. But it didn’t come easy. The House passed their version of the bill back in March, then it went to the Senate, which brought it to the floor with 41 amendments, and only 2 days to spare before the money evaporated. Republicans had some doozies. Majority leader Shelley Hughes (R-Palmer) had an amendment which said that “biological girls should play biological girls, and biological boys should play biological boys” in high school sports. Minority Leader Tom Begich (D-Anchorage) pointed out…
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Category Alaska, Alaska House Race, Alaska Legislature, Alaska Politicos, Alaska politics, Bill Wielechowski, Don Young, Elections, Headlines, Lisa Murkowski, Mike Dunleavy, Municipality of Anchorage, Republicans, Sen. Bill Wielechowski, Sen. Lora Reinbold, TALL Tales from Juneau · Tags Dan Sullivan, Lora Reinbold, Rep. Geran Tarr, Sen. Bill Wielechowski, Sen. Elvi Gray-Jackson, Shelley Hughes
Posted by Jeanne Devon on November 21, 2020 · 2 Comments
THE BIG BREAKDOWN It took two weeks, but at last we have the final numbers in Alaska’s 2020 election! We can officially say that in 2020, Alaska had more voters turn out than in any other election ever. That’s something! It’s also worthy of note that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris won in Anchorage, and performed better statewide than any presidential ticket since Lyndon Johnson! That means Democrats were motivated, showed up, and are a larger force in the state than ever before. The final was 42.8 Biden/Harris to 52.8 Trump/Pence. The state we match most closely with is Iowa,…
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Category Alaska, Alaska House Race, Alaska Legislature, Alaska Politicos, Alaska politics, Alaska Senate Race, Don Young, Election 2020, Elections, Headlines, Joe Biden, Lt. Gov. Kevin Meyer, Nation, Ohio Dan Sullivan, Oil & Gas, SB21, Sean Parnell, TALL Tales from Juneau, Trump · Tags Alaska election 2020, Alaska elections, Alaska Joe Biden, Alaska Kamala Harris, Alaska state races
Posted by Jeanne Devon on October 3, 2020 · Leave a Comment
It’s hard to know where to begin these days, but let’s start with something nasty that’s brewing which will directly affect the policy positions of Republican candidates, and tells us exactly what to expect if Republicans manage to take back the majority in the State House this November. HINT: It’s going to look a lot like the horrific beginning of last session only there won’t be anyone to stop it. WHAT AR THEY DUIN? A strained pun is about the best you can get out of the absolute fiscal disaster the Republican Party is cooking up. Remember when Tuckerman Babcock,…
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Category Alaska, Alaska House Race, Alaska Legislature, Alaska Politicos, Alaska politics, Alaska Senate Race, Election 2020, Elections, Environment, Gov. Mike Dunleavy, Headlines, Municipality of Anchorage, Pebble Mine, Rallies and Events, Republicans, TALL Tales from Juneau, Tuckerman Babcock, Voting · Tags Abe Williams, Anchorage, Bart LeBon, Calvin Schrage, Carl Johnson, Christopher Quist, David Nelson for House, Donna Arduin, Dr. Liz Snyder, Evan Eads, Fairbanks, James Kaufman, Kelly Cooper, Lance Pruitt, Lyn Franks, Marna Sanford, Matt Buxton, Mel Gillis, Mike Dunleavy, Nat Herz, Pebble Mine, Robert Myers, Roger Holland, Running debates 2020, Sarah Vance, Suzanne LaFrance, Tuckerman Babcock
Posted by Jeanne Devon on September 22, 2020 · Leave a Comment
TALL TALES from Juneau and the DC Debacle AND IT’S ALLLL ON TAPE Sometimes you know things, but it’s nice to have them proven right out loud, through dramatic and surreptitious means. Such is the case with the immediately infamous “Pebble tapes.” If you haven’t heard them, make yourself a beverage and get ready to be a fly on the wall as your beautiful state and all its salmon get sold down the river (not the beautiful blue Nushagak of today – the contaminated, cyanide-filled Nushagak of tomorrow). We now know what our elected Republican leadership thinks of us,…
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Category ACLU, Alaska, Alaska House Race, Alaska Legislature, Alaska Politicos, Alaska politics, Alaska Senate Race, Anchorage Police Department, Election 2020, Elections, Environment, Ethics, Gov. Mike Dunleavy, Headlines, Law & Order, LGBT, Lisa Murkowski, Lt. Gov. Kevin Meyer, Municipality of Anchorage, Ohio Dan Sullivan, Pebble Mine, Public Safety, Republicans, Skulduggery, TALL Tales from Juneau, Voting · Tags Alaska Division of Elections, Alaska Permanent Fund Corp., Alaska voting, Alyse Galvin for Congress, Bart LeBon, Ben Stevens, Casey Steinau, Corrupt Bastards Club, Craig Richards APFC, Dermot Cole, Dr. Al Gross for Senate, Gail Fenumiai, Gov. Mike Dunleavy, Joe Biden Pebble Mine, Kevin Clarkson, Lisa Murkowski, Matt Buxton, Mel Gillis, No Pebble, Pebble Mine, Pebble Partnership, Pebble tapes, Ronald Thiessen, Sen. Dan Sullivan, Suzanne LaFrance, tom collier
Posted by Jeanne Devon on November 14, 2019 · 3 Comments
Hey kids, it’s Word Thursday! Whether you find it grotesque, or humorous (or both), the transmogrification of Governor Dunleavy from a humble Wasilla man of the people into a self-glorifying Trump wannabe continues before our very eyes. And it’s not really a stretch to say that the governor thinks he’s Tundra Trump because he is literally saying it himself… while gazing meaningfully into the middle-distance. It’s not clear why the State Senator who voted against a budget so he could get thrown out of the caucus so he could justify quitting so he could get an early…
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Category Alaska, Alaska Governors Race, Alaska House Race, Alaska Legislature, Alaska Politicos, Donald Trump, Education, Elections, Headlines, Mat Su, Mike Dunleavy, Republicans, TALL Tales from Juneau · Tags Chris Birch, Kevin Clarkson, Mike Dunleavy, Recall Dunleavy, Tim Hale
Posted by Jeanne Devon on August 22, 2018 · Leave a Comment
Election Central is one of those weird Alaska traditions that make this state and it’s political life all the more interesting. It’s a spot where candidates can come talk to the local media, and where regular folks and politics wonks and candidates and staff can watch the returns pour in on all the races. And where there’s booze. Frankly, every state should have one, and much praise to The Anchorage Daily News and the Alaska Landmine for making it happen. This year, the festivities occurred at the Dena’ina Center in downtown Anchorage. There was some very strict totally-volunteer security happening…
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Category Alaska, Alaska Governors Race, Alaska House Race, Alaska Legislature, Alaska Politicos, Alaska Senate Race, Bill Walker, Don Young, Elections, Headlines, LGBT, Mark Begich, Walker-Mallott Unity Ticket · Tags Alaska 2018 primaries, Alaska Landmine, Alyse Galvin, Bill Walker, Byron Mallott, Charisse Millett, Dimitri Shein, election central, Gabrielle LeDoux, George Rauscher, Laddie Shaw, Mark Begich, Mike Dunleavy, Peter Micchiche
Posted by Shannyn Moore on August 12, 2018 · 2 Comments
Dear Reader, When last I wrote you, we were still waiting on salmon runs, the Red Sox were coming on strong, and the country seemed a little less insane than it does now. Sadly, too many of us are still waiting on the fish to come or have been shut down because of depressed returns. The Red Sox are first in the league and breaking their own records every week, and for this I am grateful. I’ve spent a few days wearing rain gear — not to keep dry, but to keep the mosquitoes from sending me to town for…
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Posted by Zach Roberts on June 1, 2016 · 2 Comments
It’s not that Alaska politics isn’t always interesting but the drudgery of the last couple of months has been draining. The Republican run state capitol has been nothing but frustrating – not passing anything of meaning for an entire session. Including a budget. So today, the last day to file as a candidate suddenly it suddenly became VERY interesting. There’s awesome news, some bittersweet news and some &^%*$ what is going on sort of news. Let’s get to the awesome news first. Friend of TheMudflats and life of the Union party, Vince Beltrami is running for State Senate. Now, while that’s pretty…
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Category Alaska, Alaska House Race, Alaska Senate Race, Election 2016, Elections, Headlines · Tags aflcio, Alaska, Cathy Giessel, Dan Sullivan, hillary, Juneau, Mayor Dan, state senate, trump, unions, Vince Beltrami
Posted by Jeanne Devon on November 5, 2014 · 60 Comments
On election night, one state in the nation voted to legalize marijuana, raise the minimum wage, and add an extra level of environmental protection for sensitive ecosystems facing development. It’s largest city also voted to overturn an anti-labor ordinance which was the brain child of a Mayor (running as a Republican for Lt. Governor) who appears to be about to go down in flames to a non-partisan gubernatorial ticket. That’s like a cool, edgy progressive place to live, right? What if I told you that this very same state has elected by a comfortable margin, a majority in the legislature…
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Category Alaska, Alaska Governors Race, Alaska House Race, Alaska Legislature, Alaska Politicos, Alaska Senate Race, Don Young, Election 2014, Elections, Environment, Headlines, Joe Miller, Labor, Lisa Murkowski, Mark Begich, Mayor Dan Sullivan, Nation, Ohio Dan Sullivan, Pebble Mine, Rallies and Events, Republicans, Scratch it, Sean Parnell, Ted Stevens, Vitamin Democracy · Tags Alaska election results, Begich Senate, Don Young congress, Forrest Dunbar Congress, Sullivan Senate, walker, Walker Governor Alaska, Walker Mallott
Posted by Jeanne Devon on November 4, 2014 · 21 Comments
Here we go again! 8:30 – No numbers yet. Sitting in a sweet spot with lots of plug-ins and within earshot of the table belonging to Ethan Berkowitz and the Party Planner who are interviewing talk bloviator Dave Stieren who is loudly and intently talking about Mark BAGitch (learn the name!) “Every election is about the next election,” he drops the pearls of wisdom on the floor for us to scramble after. Now something about Joe Miller, and the Democrats sending out flyers for Mark Fish the Libertarian candidate, hoping to split the Republican vote. The Party Planner nods in…
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Category Alaska, Alaska Governors Race, Alaska House Race, Alaska Lt Governors Race, Alaska Politicos, Alaska Senate Race, Don Young, Election 2014, Elections, Headlines, Mark Begich, Mayor Dan Sullivan, Nation, Ohio Dan Sullivan, Party Planner, Rallies and Events, Republicans, Sean Parnell · Tags Alaska election, Alaska Governors Race, Alaska Senate Race