Posted by Jeanne Devon on April 18, 2019 · 4 Comments
TALL TALES from Juneau Eyes on the Dunleavy/Babcock administration The Governor’s appointments and how they went down THUMBS UP/THUMBS DOWN Well, that was a whopper. The governor’s appointees to commissioner positions and to boards and commissions were up for confirmation yesterday, and the joint floor session with members of the House and Senate took 7 hours and 48 minutes to wind up. At the end, all of the governor’s picks for Commissioner positions (even the most controversial) were passed with a majority of votes, but 6 appointees to the many boards and commissions in the state were rejected. And…
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Category ACLU, Alaska, Alaska Board of Game, Alaska Legislature, Alaska Politicos, Anchorage School Board, Bill Wielechowski, Environment, Ethics, Fairbanks, Headlines, Health, Law & Order, LGBT, Mat Su, Mayor Dan Sullivan, Oceans, Pebble Mine, Public Safety, Republicans, TALL Tales from Juneau · Tags Adam Crum, Adam Wool, Al Barrette, Alaska Psychiatric Institute, Amanda Price, Bill Wielechowski, Board of Realtors Alaska, Bob Griffin Alaska, Cathy Giessel, Chris Birch, Chris Tuck. APOC, david eastman, Elvi Gray Jackson, Fairbanks PFAS, Gabrielle LeDoux, Grier Hopkins, Ivy Spohnholz, Jason Brune, Jesse Kiehl, Karl Johnstone, Kelly Merrick. Sara Rasmussen, Kelly Tshibaka, Kevin Clarkson, Lora Rinebold, Marijuana Control Board Alaska, Matt Claman, Mayor Dan Sullivan, Medicaid block grant, Natasha Von Imhof, North Pole toxic water, Ocean Rangers, Pebble Mine, Peter Micchiche, Sara Vance Homer, scott kawasaki, Senator David Wilson, Shelley Hughes, Tiffany Zulkosky, Tom Begich, Vivian Stiver, zack fields
Posted by Jeanne Devon on April 12, 2019 · 1 Comment
TALL TALES from Juneau Eyes on the Dunleavy/Babcock Administration The House Minority goes off the rails *Quick refresher: The House Majority is made up of a coalition of Democrats, Republicans, and Independents who came together because they shared the desire to get something accomplished, and together they represent the majority of legislators who couldn’t abide the thought of the far-right types running the show. The House Minority is made up of the leftovers (all Republicans) who think Dunleavy’s budget is super great (or doesn’t go far enough), that moderate Republicans are “traitors,” and Democrats are all socialists who are out…
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Category Agriculture, Alaska, Alaska Legislature, Alaska Politicos, Headlines, Mike Dunleavy, Republicans, TALL Tales from Juneau · Tags Alaska budget, Alaska State House, Alaska Survey Research, david eastman, Donna Arduin, Gary Knopp, Governor Mike Dunleavy, Havemeister Dairy, Josh Revak, Lance Pruitt, Matt Buxton, Pat Race
Posted by Jeanne Devon on March 14, 2019 · 1 Comment
TALL TALES from Juneau… and BEYOND! PANTS ON FIRE! Reports are coming from far and wide that the new Senate Majority response to Alaskans who suggest revamping our oil tax credit structure is more or less this: “Oh, we got rid of oil tax credits. They’re gone. They don’t exist anymore. So… ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Don’t know what you’re talking about!” Sorry, we call moose nuggets on that one. If anyone tries to flim-flam you with the “we don’t do that anymore” nonsense, here’s the deal. Cathy Giessel, Lora Reinbold, Shelley Hughes and others are regurgitating a bizarre talking point, and…
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Category Alaska, Alaska Legislature, Alaska Politicos, Anchorage School Board, Education, Elections, Environment, Fish & Wildlife, Headlines, Health, Lisa Murkowski, Mike Dunleavy, Municipality of Anchorage, Oceans, Ohio Dan Sullivan, Oil & Gas, Pebble Mine, Republicans, Resource Development, Rural Issues, Skulduggery, TALL Tales from Juneau · Tags Alaska Democratic Party, Alaska ferries, Alaska Marine Highway System, Cathy Giessel, David Nees, Green New Deal, Lora Reinbold, Ocean Rangers, Pebble Mine, Pebble Project, Senator Dan Sullivan, Shelley Hughes, tom collier
Posted by Jeanne Devon on March 11, 2019 · 1 Comment
TALL TALES from Juneau Eyes on the Babcock/Arduin/Dunleavy administration Subscribe to TALL TALES here HOORAY! YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE GAY… Kelly Tshibaka, Gov. Dunleavy’s replacement pick for Commissioner of Administration (after first pick, Jonathan Quick, the “yogurt entrepreneur” was found to be lying on his resume) is certainly qualified for the job on paper. Nevertheless, she has some ideological issues which ought to raise serious concerns for someone wanting a position overseeing a very large and diverse government workforce. In 2002, Tshibaka (under her maiden name Kelly Hartline) wrote the following in the Harvard Law Record about “National…
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Category Alaska, Alaska Legislature, Alaska Politicos, Anchorage Assembly, Education, Elections, Headlines, Mike Dunleavy, Municipality of Anchorage, Republicans, TALL Tales from Juneau · Tags Al Wall, Alaska Governor, Alaska Psychiatric Institute, Crystal Kennedy, Donna Arduin, Gov. Michael J. Dunleavy, John Francis, Kelly Hartline, Kelly Tshibaka, Lora Reinbold, Mike Dunleavy, Oliver Schiess, Representative Sarah Vance, Sarah Vance, Sen. Lora Reinbold
Posted by Jeanne Devon on March 7, 2019 · 1 Comment
TALL TALES from Juneau Eyes on the Babcock/Arduin/Dunleavy administration Oh yes, they DID. It’s been a week of face-palm inducing, cringe-worthy, jaw-dropping gaffes and goofs in Juneau and beyond. It’s hard to know where to begin. So, we may as well start with the “beyond Juneau” part. SEN. DAN SULLIVAN The Senate Armed Services Committee recently questioned top generals on President Trump’s “national emergency” declaration along the U.S.-Mexico border. Sen. Dan Sullivan was unsurprisingly supportive of the national emergency. To justify this support, he asked U.S. Northern Command General Terrence O’Shaughnessy how many Americans were killed by opioid…
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Category Alaska, Alaska Legislature, Alaska Politicos, Anchorage Assembly, Elections, Headlines, Law & Order, Mike Dunleavy, Ohio Dan Sullivan, Public Safety, Republicans, TALL Tales from Juneau · Tags David Pruhs, Donna Arduin, Dustin Darden, Kelly Tshibaka, Lance Pruitt, Liz Vazquez, Mary Ann Pruitt, Sarah Vance, Senator Dan Sullivan
Posted by Jeanne Devon on March 2, 2019 · Leave a Comment
TALL TALES from Juneau Eyes on the Babcock/Dunleavy Administration Open up! FALSE CHOICES ARE YUCKY In case you haven’t noticed, Republicans are holding your nose and trying to shove a spoonful of false choice down your throat. And the false choice goes like this: Would you rather have: A full PFD, and a state with sub-par education, a crippled university, devastated health care and no viable transportation in southeast Alaska, OR A state you want to live in, and give up part of your PFD. But imagine if you will, a different choice, perhaps something like this: Would you rather…
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Category Alaska, Alaska Legislature, Headlines, Mike Dunleavy, Native issues, Oil & Gas, Republicans, Resource Development, Skulduggery, Strategery, TALL Tales from Juneau · Tags Alaska budget, Alaska oil tax credits, Anchorage School Board, AOGCC, Dave Donley, Donald Trump Alaska, Hollis French, Kevin Clarkson, Mary Ann Pruitt, Mike Dunleavy, SPLC Alaska
Posted by Jeanne Devon on February 20, 2019 · 2 Comments
TALL TALES from Juneau Eyes on the Babcock/Dunleavy Administration ‘Take it easy there, big fella’ Edition REPUBLICANS, BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU TELL EVERYONE YOU WISH FOR We’ve been hearing for years now from Republicans in the legislature (after Parnell gave away the farm to the oil companies, and signed budgets that drained our billions in savings) about how we need to cut. Cut, cut, cut our way to prosperity, they said! The budget was cut by 40 percent, and STILL they said more cuts! Well, guess what? Republicans now have that balanced budget they’ve been yelling about, and…
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Category Alaska, Alaska Legislature, Alaska Politicos, Education, Headlines, Health, Mike Dunleavy, Native issues, Republicans, Rural Issues, Skulduggery, TALL Tales from Juneau · Tags Alaska Democratic Party, Alaska house of representatives, Alaska Senate Finance committee, Colleen Sullivan-Leonard, Donna Arduin, Dunleavy budget, Gary Knopp, Gov. Mike Dunleavy, Josh Revak, Michael J. Dunleavy, Sen. Dan Sullivan, Sen. Lisa Murkowski, University of Alaska
Posted by Jeanne Devon on February 26, 2018 · Leave a Comment
Let’s talk about why some Republican Senators actually said right out loud that the public should be kept in the dark about ethical issues surrounding legislators who may be voting despite a declared conflict of interest. Let’s just say for a minute that you work for a candy manufacturer. Pick your favorite. Mine is Butterfinger, so we’ll use that here. So, there’s a big Butterfinger factory somewhere in Alaska, and you work there. And let’s also say you’re a member of the Alaska legislature – a senator. Butterfinger is happy to let you work 7 or 8 months of the…
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Category Alaska, Alaska Legislature, Ethics, Headlines, Oil & Gas, Republicans, SB21, Voting · Tags Alaska Legislature, conflict of interest voting, legislative ethics, Senator Berta Gardner, Senator Cathy Giessel, Senator John Coghill, Senator Kevin Meyer
Posted by Jeanne Devon on February 20, 2018 · 2 Comments
Monday, the Alaska House of Representatives voted to legalize the farming of industrial hemp (the kind that doesn’t get you high). The Senate passed the vote unanimously but only after Sen. Johnny Ellis, the Democrat at the helm retired and gave the bill to a Republican to carry. Because anyone knows that good ideas can NEVER EVER come from Democrats. And by gum, we’d rather stop entrepreneurs from launching new businesses, and stonewall local farmers, let great legislation wither and die in committee, and fold our arms in the corner than give credit where credit is due. Things I learned in…
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Category Agriculture, Alaska, Alaska Legislature, Alaska Politicos, Don Young, Headlines, Law & Order, Lisa Murkowski, Nation, Republicans, Shake it · Tags Alaska cannabis, Alaska industrial hemp, Alaska marijuana, Alaska SB6, jeff sessions, John Coghill, Johnny Ellis, Sen. Johnny Ellis
Posted by Jeanne Devon on February 15, 2018 · 3 Comments
As Mike Dunleavy (R-Wasilla) steps down from the state senate to run for Governor, Gov. Bill Walker was tasked with choosing one of three possible replacements to fill out Dunleavy’s term. Walker opted to choose from outside the shallow pool of nominees from the Mat-Su Republican Party’s options, and appointed Mat-Su Borough Assemblyman Randall Kowalke. The fabulously-coiffed Kowalke was at least an already-elected official in some capacity. Walker took a risk by choosing from outside the list, and quickly felt the wrath. The arguments on the surface were difficult to discount. It’s the normal custom of the Party to…
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Category Alaska, Alaska Legislature, Alaska Politicos, Bang it, Barack Obama, Donald Trump, Headlines, LGBT, Mat Su, Nation, Republicans · Tags Alaska senate, Gov. Bill Walker, Mat-Su Republicans, Mike Dunleavy, Randall Kowalke, Tom Braund