For Good or Bad, Juneau Still Represents You
Well, my darling Alaskans, we’ve made it through the holiday season and now a real cause for celebration is upon us – the 2017 legislative session! I know, after so many “special sessions” it’s hard to really feel like this one will be special without the title, but we can all hope. I’m encouraged by the newly formed House bipartisan coalition. You know, the grown-ups in Juneau, working together to work for all of us. What a concept. In reading through the prefiled bills, I’m reminded of the old quote about paving roads with good intentions. Truth be told, with…
Photos: Gov. Mike Pence In North Carolina
Amongst the hurricane of controversies surrounding GOP Presidential candidate Donald Trump, his running mate is an eye in the storm. Focusing mainly on Hillary Clinton’s e-mail scandal Pence gave a speech in Greensboro, North Carolina, Monday night. Many of the signs being waved at this Trump/Pence rally were bright pink ones that read “Women for Trump.” In fact at this rally a cursory count showed an even number of women and men, once the event began. That didn’t stop the audience from yelling the usual phrases, though – “lock her up” was chanted more than once. I’ll have video interviews from the…
The Weekend Off – News You Missed
Alaska National Hazards Center – Losing Place and Losing Hope THE ALASKA NATIVE TOWN of Newtok is expected to be under water by 2017, according to the Army Corps of Engineers (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 2009). The town is hardly an exception; there are eleven other tribal communities in the Arctic Circle that are in the same predicament (GAO, 2009). However, it is unlikely that these towns will be able to move to higher ground any time soon without the creation of a federal framework that can assist, overlook, and fund their relocation. ADN.com – Fear of a Begich bid for…
The Weekend Off – News You Missed
Alaska ADN – BP settles over Prudhoe Bay spills BP Exploration (Alaska) Inc. has reached a proposed $450,000 settlement to resolve federal and state pollution violations in the Greater Prudhoe Bay unit. The settlement covers four oil discharges from BP-operated pipelines from 2007 to 2011. Juneau Empire – Authorities investigating whale, ferry collision KODIAK — Authorities were working Friday to determine if a 25-ton humpback whale died as the result of a collision with the state ferry Kennicott near Kodiak. Scientists believe the whale was alive when it was struck by the vessel. And Kate Wynne, a marine mammal specialist…
GOP Kills Violence Against Women Act
I sent a letter to House Majority Eric Cantor to bring to the floor a chance to pass the Violence Against Women Act that holds a provision giving Tribes the ability to go after offenders that have literally been getting a free pass to abuse and exploit American Indian / Alaska Natives for hundreds of years. The remoteness of reservations and rural villages makes us easy pickings and proving grounds for predators. The State and many staff with our federal delegation get so uneasy giving Tribes any sort of authority even though it is impossible for them, or fail to…
Wisconsin Republican Party Election Fraud Exposed: Breaking.
By Patrick DePula As if the Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice “recount” isn’t a big enough mess, It appears that the Wisconsin GOP has been engaged in widespread fraud surrounding their attempts to recall democratic senators. Inexplicably, the Republican Party of Wisconsin had relied heavily on people they hired from out of state to collect signatures against democrats, even paying to house these folks in hotel rooms. In all cases, they paid by the signature. Sounds like a recipe for disaster, right? The decision to pay out of state people when there are plenty of unemployed folks that reside in…