GOP Senators vs. Polar Bears
In case you missed it today, the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in the capital of our fair Republic (Washington DC, not Juneau) upheld the 2008 decision of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to include polar bears on the list of threatened species. Because they are. But like another Wasilla Republican we know, Senate President Charlie Huggins finds himself disappointed with the facts. “The federal appeals court decision is incredibly disappointing,” he sniffed. “America could be on its way to energy independence if only the federal government would free us to develop our vast natural resources. Federal overreach is…
Sen. Coghill Needs a Doctor STAT!
John Coghill can’t seem to find credible doctors to attack Alaskan women’s reproductive health. Imagine that. In a hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee Wednesday, not a single doctor from Alaska was allowed to testify for or against a bill that would restrict access to safe and legal abortion for low-income women in our state. Gems of wisdom from the out-of-state doctors that the bill’s sponsor Senator John Coghill chose to testify on SB49 include these debunked falsehoods: “Abortion exacerbates existing mental health illness,” and “Women who have an abortion have an 81 percent increased risk for mental health problems.” –Dr….
Former First Lady Smacks Down Gov’s Oil Tax Plan
Today former Governor Jay Hammond’s widow Bella and his daughter Heidi Hammond have called for a TV ad from a group calling themselves “Resource Full Alaska” exploiting Jay Hammond to be stopped immediately. The ad has the brass cojones to compare Jay Hammond, arguably Alaska’s most popular former governor, to its current oil shill CEO Sean Parnell. The ad calls on the legislature to pass Parnell’s oil tax plan which would drain the state’s coffers to the tune of $2 billion a year. “I was never consulted about this television ad,” said the former First Lady. “Jay Hammond never would…
R’s with Cold Feet Avoid Constituents (PHOTOS)
During a day of passionate activism, and constituent engagement, it was interesting to note which elected officials showed up to listen, and which did not. At the Loussac Library in Anchorage, the troops were out in force. It was a rare moment. Because Alaska’s capital, Juneau, is not on the road system, it means to to look your elected officials in the eye during the legislative session requires a $400 plane ticket, and a day’s worth of travel time. Many are irked by this arrangement of geography and politics, so when Anchorage legislators come to town to hear testimony…
Socialists? Marxists? No – Republicans!
I want to be a Republican and I want a time machine. Oh, I’m not going all Lindsey Holmes on you; I need a time machine to find the Grand Old Party. I have to thank Mayor Dan Sullivan for starting me on this quest. A few weeks ago, at five minutes until closing time, the mayor announced a plan to roll back more than four decades of labor policy in Anchorage. It wasn’t the first shot in his war on working men and women in our town — but this was the nuclear option. I take it as a…
Legislature Takes Dump on Alaska
Despite massive public outcry, and good efforts by Democratic lawmakers, the legislature has voted to pass a bill that will loosen restrictions on the cruise industry, and lower water quality standards for coastal waters. HB80 now heads to the Governor’s desk. None of the Democratic amendments which would have required dumping at least 3 miles offshore, not next to marine parks or game refuges, public notification of the location of dump sites, and water monitoring passed. The bill was voted through as it was, and zipped through the senate with a vote of 16-4. The yes votes included Democratic Senator…
Mayor Misrepresents Student Performance
I look forward each week to Sunday’s Alaska Ear column in the Anchorage Daily News, as penned by formerly-anonymous reporter Sheila Toomey. For many years I considered it purely entertainment, until I got involved with the fetid swamp known as Alaska politics. It was then that I discovered the accuracy of The Omnicient Oriface’s information. So it was with great interest that I read this tidbit from Sunday’s column: “. . A couple of weeks ago earwigs reported our new school superintendent, Jim Browder, walked out in protest while Mayor Sullivan made a presentation at some big public meeting. The…
BREAKING: AK Lawmaker- No Room for Transparency
Alaska Senator Pete Kelly (R), Co-Chair of the Finance Committee, has a space problem. Alaska has a transparency problem. While Republicans in the Senate are stripping bills from certain oversight committees, that doesn’t seem like enough. Now Senator Pet Kelly just wants a hiding spot. In a memo sent to lawmakers on February 14, Kelly announced Alaska’s business, because of lack of room, would be holding meetings in the private offices of lawmakers. I know! I was hoping for flowers and got a hacked up version of Democracy. He wrote: “Due to the hectic Nature of the 90 day session,…
Recall Lindsey Holmes Meeting Sunday
They say elephants never forget. Donkeys apparently don’t either. This Sunday will be an organizing event for the effort to recall Rep. Lindsey Holmes. She’s the one who ran as a Democrat, raised money from Democrats, joined in on fundraisers with other Democratic candidates, garnered campaign workers from a thinly stretched pool of Democratic volunteers during a busy election cycle, and then decided to become a Republican before she was even sworn into office. The price of her political soul? A seat on the finance committee. Not a co-chairmanship, a SEAT. While there are Democratic legislators who choose to caucus…
Parnell Pees in the Pool
The critical vote on a controversial bill involving the dumping of cruise ship waste in Alaska waters has been put off until next week. This is good news. Your outrage, and contacts with your legislators are having an impact. The cruise ship dumping legislation favored by Governor Sean Parnell would kill key provisions of a 2006 citizen’s initiative, voted in by the people, that required cruise ships to meet clean water standards at the point of discharge by the 2016 cruise season, instead of allowing them to release sewage, heavy metals, and other waste into “mixing zones.” Mixing zones are…