Category Archives: news

Republicans a no-show at first statewide candidate forum

The first statewide candidate forum of the year was last night. Three people running for lieutenant governor answered questions posed by KTVA reporter Rhonda McBride at the YWCA in downtown Anchorage on Tuesday night. Two Democrats — Alaska state Sen. Hollis French, Palmer math teacher Bob Williams, and independent Craig Fleener — fielded questions from McBride, a seasoned reporter, about education, tribal rights, federal regulations, natural resources, health and public safety, just to a name a few.

One of the two Democrats will be running with Byron Mallott in the general election. Fleener, who will skip the primary process, will be running with independent candidate Bill Walker.

The two Republican candidates, Anchorage Mayor Dan Sullivan and Alaska state Sen. Lesil McGuire didn’t show up for the forum. At the time the event was announced, Sullivan said that he had a personal engagement that evening. McGuire called in sick at the last minute. It was too bad. McGuire, who is a moderate Republican, shines no more brightly than when she’s speaking extemporaneously in front of a crowd.

French said that neither of the Republican showed because they wouldn’t be able to defend Gov. Sean Parnell’s record. Namely his decision not to accept federal money to expand Medicaid, which would insure up to 40,000 Alaskans on the federal dime. Then there was the issue about new regulations on Medicaid-funded abortions which made news earlier that day. The issue was only alluded to at the forum. Had McGuire showed, however, she would likely have been asked about it.

Throughout the night, Williams and French generally held the Democratic line. Fleener, a Gwich’in Athabascan from the Interior, and former Marine and currently a major in the Alaska Air National Guard, as well as the state’s former deputy commissioner of Fish and Game, displayed more of an independent streak. He’s more inclined to talk about giving parents more choice over education options, had stronger words for federal government encroachment, and mentioned, more than once, that as an independent, he’s “free from party and political corruption.”

When asked to give Gov. Sean Parnell a letter grade for the job he’s doing so far, French gave him a “D,” Fleener a “C-“ and Williams an “F.”

Williams, an up-and-comer to watch in the Democratic Party, called Parnell a “wimp,” which stands for “wildly inaccurate, misleading, and partisan.”

It doesn’t exactly work as an acrostic, but it was the line of the night, the delivery was spot on, and if nothing else, last night showed that Williams is a politician to watch.

Contact Amanda Coyne at amandamcoyne@yahoo.com

Parnell administration hands huge victory to pro-life advocates

After two decades of fighting, pro-life Alaskans won a huge battle in the state. As of Feb. 2, new regulations dictate that the State of Alaska’s Medicaid program will no longer pay for abortions unless a doctor deems such abortions “medically necessary.” The regulations were proposed and will be enforced by the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services, which regulates Medicaid, and were certified by Lt. Gov. Mead Treadwell on Jan. 3.

According to the state’s Bureau of Vital Statistics, roughly 35 percent of reported 1,629 abortions performed in the state in 2012 were paid for by Medicaid, a joint state and federal medical insurance program for poor Alaskans.

The new regulations require that doctors fill out a form prior to a Medicaid-funded abortion that says that the pregnancy was the result of rape, incest or performed to save the woman’s life. A second option says that the abortion is necessary due to “impairment of major bodily functions” such as “diabetes with acute metabolic derangement or severe end organ damage,” and “renal disease that requires dialysis treatment,” and “coma.” In all, 23 options are provided.

While a handful of Democratic legislators issued blistering responses to the new rules, Republican state Sen. John Coghill, from Fairbanks, praised Gov. Sean Parnell’s “initiative on this matter.” Coghill introduced a bill last session that mirrored the regulations.

Even though the regulations go into effect on Feb. 2, the fight is far from over. The Alaska Supreme Court ruled in 2001 that such “medically necessary” restrictions for state funded abortions are unconstitutional. Josh Decker, the director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Alaska, said that the ACLU is disappointed in the rules and is “looking at all options,” including a legal challenge. If it doesn’t come from there, it will likely come from Planned Parenthood, which sent out a press release calling the decision unconstitutional.

Since 1993, the state has allowed a doctor to use his or her professional judgment to determine whether abortion is necessary. An administrative code provided guidance. The code said that a woman would be eligible to receive a publicly funded abortion if the pregnancy was a result of sexual assault, abuse or incest. It would also be covered if the procedure was necessary to prevent her death, cause her to be disabled or to “ameliorate a condition to her physical or physiological health.”

Pro-life Alaskans have chafed under the vague terms. Parnell went as far as to veto bipartisan legislation to expand health insurance coverage for impoverished Alaskan families — including more than 1,300 children — because it paid for what he called “elective abortions.” He said that without guidance about what is and isn’t medically necessary, the state will be in a perpetual state of “confusion and turmoil.”

If the federal government is asked to pick up the cost, the abortion provider must certify that the abortion was performed because of rape, incest, or because the life of the mother is at risk. At various points in history, the Legislature has tried to impose those same standards for Alaskan women.

In 2001, however, the Alaska Supreme Court ruled that although the Feds can impose such standards, the state cannot “selectively deny necessary care to eligible women merely because the threat to their health arises from pregnancy.” In other words, the state can’t decide to pay for a medically-necessary birth for one woman and deny a medically-necessary abortion to another.

Contact Amanda Coyne at amandamcoyne@yahoo.com

Murkowski breaks ranks with Republicans over unemployment benefits

Once again flexing her moderate muscles, Republican U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski voted with a majority of Democrats and five other Republican colleagues to extend the debate over emergency unemployment benefits. About 1.3 million Americans have been taken off the benefit rolls since Dec. 28.

Republicans had been threatening to block debate unless they got to vote on a temporary repeal of the ObamaCare mandate. According to Politico, that the bill advanced with Republican votes “shocked Democrats, who appeared ready to strafe the GOP with charges of obstruction should the legislation stall on the floor.”

In a press release, Murkowski said that it’s “important that we have compassion for those Americans caught up in the administration’s economic policy failures,” and warned that the benefits can’t be extended indefinitely. “Instead, we need to see far more productive actions to strengthen job creation and restructure existing programs – not just ongoing safety net extensions – while seeking ways to not add to this nation’s deficit. That’s why I cast my vote today to have a responsible, solutions-based conversation about the unemployment problems facing this nation,” she said.

Debate will continue in the Senate as to how to pay for the $6.5 billion bill.

Contact Amanda Coyne at amandamcoyne@yahoo.com

Joe Miller’s stealth Senate campaign

The fourth quarter officially ended on Dec. 31 and now, federal candidates — Dem. U.S. Senate Mark Begich,former DNR Commissioner Dan Sullivan, and Lt. Gov. Mead Treadwell — are busy preparing their reports due to the FEC by Jan. 31. It’s hard work. Each receipt has to be accounted for, and politically suspect contributors need to be checked, and in some cases scrubbed and their checks sent back. Some, particularly the ones who have raised lots of money and have lots of checks they are accounting for, are spending more time than others.

Senate candidate Joe Miller, for one, likely isn’t spending tons of time with all of that. From looking at his past reports, he’s not putting much time and energy into fundraising, nor is he engaging in high-profile events that catch the eye of the media. What he appears to be doing instead is taking a page out of his own playbook: he’s slowly, but surely, building grassroots support, far from the eyes of the media. Just this past weekend, for instance, he met with living-room groups in Anchorage, Wasilla, and Sheep Mountain.

Mike Coons, who is the former head of the Conservative Patriot Group and writes for a blog The Alaska Conservative, attended one of those meetings. He said that the room was packed.

Coons supported Miller in 2010, the last time he ran. This time, he hasn’t yet decided who he will vote for in the Republican primary. Treadwell isn’t conservative enough for him, and hasn’t yet heard much from Sullivan. He’s leaning strongly towards Miller because of his conservative values and because he’s reaching out to people like him.

“Stealth mode has advantages,” Coons said, who saw how it worked for Miller in 2010, when seemingly out of nowhere, Miller beat Murkowski in the Republican primary.

Indeed, in 2010, Miller didn’t file for that race until April, and only a few months prior to that, Murkowski’s polls had her positives at more than 60 percent. Murkowski had a war chest. Miller was a pauper in comparison.

Yet he won the primary. As Miller’s spokesperson, Randy DeSoto put it then: “If your message is good and it resonates with people, the person with the biggest bank account doesn’t necessarily win.”

One Valley political activist noted that people are so committed to Miller’s message, that his gatherings are reminiscent of revivalists meetings. The other candidates may have a lot going for them, but none, as of yet, have that.

Contact Amanda Coyne at amandamcoyne@yahoo.com

Andrew Halcro calls education task force a ‘charade’

Former Anchorage legislator Andrew Halcro, who has never been known to mince words, took his disagreements with the education task force, of which he is a member, to Facebook on Friday. He called the task force, a “poorly organized charade,” and said that the only intention of the group was to “weaken education.”

The Alaska House of Representatives’ Sustainable Education Task Force has been meeting for four months to come up with education funding and other recommendations to bring to the governor and the Legislature, which is scheduled to convene on Jan. 21. It was comprised of Halcro, four other community members and three Republican House members: Tammie Wilson of Fairbanks, Lynn Gattis of Wasilla and Charisse Millett of Anchorage.

Halcro is the president of the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce. Among the other public members were lawyer and oil and gas consultant Brad Keithley, who has been talking about running for governor on a fiscal conservative platform.

The overall conclusion was that the state was going to have to cut education funding. Halcro, however, disagreed.

Here’s Halcro’s Facebook post in full:

“The truth is that this task force was never intended to reach any other conclusion than to weaken education. Ironically, all of the recommendations reached would require additional funds, which the committee then said we couldn’t afford to make. This was a four month, poorly organized charade. Out of the eight committee members, only two of us actually have a direct role in hiring graduates. The rest of the committee was comprised of a former educator who after 28 years in the system had no productive ideas on how to improve education, a lawyer who has only been registered to vote in Alaska for the last three years and as far as I can tell has no experience in hiring graduates…and three current lawmakers who by their own admission have spent us into deficits. A four month charade.”

The group urged the state to begin thinking about the following:
Invest in technology that is compatible with local infrastructure.
Establish regional residential education centers to enhance secondary education.
Expand public choice in education opportunities to include: boarding, charter, virtual, homeschool and neighborhood schools.
Evaluate the current level of facility cost sharing between the state and localities. Consistent with local control, increased local contribution may not only be necessary but a better way to ensure that facilities are built and maintained efficiently.
Standardize school facilities, with the goal of reducing overall construction and maintenance costs using “recognized best practices.”
Analyze the potential benefit of school district consolidation and shared services between school districts and other entities.
Review and eliminate unnecessary regulations.

Contact Amanda Coyne at amandamcoyne@yahoo.com

Political predictions for Alaska and beyond in 2014

Among other things — hangovers, for one, and vows to never have another hangover — the end of the year produces clairvoyance. Everyone with a blog or a column is suddenly a great predictor. None of the other bloggers, however, have the gift of prognostication that I have, nor use a crystal ball, the Ouija board, or that special licking-finger-checking-wind thing. I should say here, that not all of these predictions make me happy. If I had my way, I’d change about half of them. But the future, my friends, isn’t always pretty, so says the great, low voiced oracle in me. Here it goes:

Governor’s race: Let me get this over with and take my lickings from the Dems. Gov. Sean Parnell will be reelected, but he’ll be so by a slimmer margin than what he now believes. Democrat Byron Mallott will come in second followed by independent candidate Bill Walker.

U.S. Senate Republican primary: Former DNR commissioner Dan Sullivan will win the Republican primary. Joe Miller, who’s running a stealth campaign far from the eyes of the media, will come in second, and Mead Treadwell will come in third if he lasts that long.

U.S. Senate general election: Sen. Begich is one of the best nuts and bolts politicians out there. He has the instincts of a raven, understands retail politics and learned a long time ago the value of scrounging for every last vote. Is that enough to overcome the fact that he’s a Democrat in a fundamentally red state? I say this is a tossup, leaning towards Begich. DNR Dan Sullivan, who I predict will win the primary, will have a huge war chest, has a dream resume, and is funny, smart and all those things you want in a candidate. However, he’s a political neophyte. He’s never had to knock on doors, listening to real people and their problems. He’s never had to shake hands in grocery stores. He’s not had to spend hour upon hour at community council meetings, or assembly halls, or state legislative caucus meetings. He hasn’t been forced to internalize people’s fears, hopes and dreams. Begich has. Besides, Begich has an experienced team. Sullivan doesn’t.

Control of the U.S. Senate: There are 35 senate races in 2014. For the Republicans to take control of the Senate, they need to gain 6 seats. Right now, the Republicans appear to have a good chance of picking up South Dakota, West Virginia and Montana. The next three seats that appear to provide the Republicans with the best chance for potential gains are Arkansas, Alaska, and Louisiana. My prediction is that the Senate splits 50 – 50, meaning that the Democrats will maintain control with Vice President Biden, as the presiding officer of the body, casting the decisive vote.

Control of the U.S. House of Representatives: Republicans will safely maintain control of the House. Democrats would have to pick up 17 seats which appears highly unlikely.

Repeal of AK Senate Bill 21: Alaskans will not repeal SB 21 for fear of damaging the state’s economy. Proponents of the repeal will not be able to raise enough money to go head to head with the funds that will be spent to beat it down. The biggest indicator: Vince Beltrami, head of the AFL-CIO told me recently that his organization is staying out of the fight. Last year, the AFL-CIO put more than $700,000 into keeping a bipartisan Senate, which would have blocked the tax bill. It lost. Apparently, he sees this one as a losing fight, also.

Marijuana initiative: Unless the pot people get so stoned that they mess this up, which is not unheard of, this will pass easy squeezey.

Minimum wage initiative: Assuming the measure qualifies for the ballot, this initiative will fail.

Bristol Bay initiative: The Pebble Mine is dead for now, but some people want to pound that last nail in the coffin. This initiative would effectively do that. Anti-Pebble zillionaire Bob Gillam will be funding the effort, and he’s proven to be one of the most powerful political forces in the state. But then again so is the mining industry. Powerful, that is, with the Pebble Partnership’s money, which left when Anglo America did. This is a tortured way of saying that the crystal ball on this one fuzzes over, the Ouija board’s planchette shuffles between “yes” and “no,” the wind is blowing from the east on my thumb and the west on my pinky.

School choice legislation: A majority of legislators in both houses will be supportive; however, since it is a constitutional amendment, it requires an affirmative vote of 2/3rds of the legislature. And with the NEA as strong as it is with the Alaska Dems, there’s no way enough of them will cross over on this issue.

House Bill 77: The Parnell administration supports this bill, which is intended to streamline the state’s permitting process and the House already passed it. The bill is currently sitting in the Senate Rules committee, where, barring a big re-write, I predict it will stay under Rules Chair Lesil McGuire’s boot. The bill goes too far, and senators, particularly Sen. Peter Micciche, are listening to their constituents on this.

Anchorage mayor’s race: Andrew Halcro is the darling of tailors and us journo types all across the state who have been awaiting his next political move. I predict that it’s coming this year with an announcement that he’s running for mayor. It makes sense. The race is non-partisan and is perfect for Halcro, who is a moderate Republican. Then there’s Paul Honeman, who will likely jump in and provide color. Finally, I predict that Dan Coffey, who has already announced, has more fundraisers than Hacro has ties.

The Turnagain House legislative race: While I have chosen not to predict every legislative race, this seat is different and has piqued a lot of interest. Rep. Lindsey Holmes won reelection in 2012 as a Democrat and shortly thereafter switched her party affiliation and joined the House Republican Majority Caucus raising the hackles of many of her friends and supporters. A recall effort ensued, she’s got two Democratic challengers, another on her right, and she’s been all but invisible. Still, I say she wins this one again, but by a razor-thin margin. The Republican money will be behind her, and most importantly, she grew up in the hood.

Disagree? Did I miss something? Leave a comment if you think so.

Amanda Coyne at amandamcoyne@yahoo.com

Team Obama promotes successes of health care law

Given the problems with healthcare.gov, it’s nothing if not ironic that Obama’s advocacy arm, the nonprofit Organizing for Action, is so skilled at making websites. In the lead-up to passing Obamacare in 2009, a version of the same group gathered stories from all across the country detailing the horrors they encountered with the medical and insurance industries. Few people saw the website, however. Obama’s people might be skilled at creating websites, but they’re lousy at disseminating those stories through the media.

Now, the group has another website, this time highlighting personal stories, some from news accounts, from all across the country of people benefiting under the health care law.

Here’s one from a woman that goes by Lara Imler who lives in Alaska, culled from public radio:

“Being self-employed, getting my premium at anything reasonable wasn’t happening,” she says. “I think my last quote was $1,200 a month for myself.” About two hours after she started, she landed on a screen that told her she had successfully enrolled. She was pleasantly surprised by the price. Imler qualified for subsidies and chose a mid-level plan that will cost her $110 a month. “The website sucks. I’m not going to lie,” she says, “But the idea that I might be able to afford health insurance, is huge to me. It will be a huge burden off my family.”

As I said, Obama’s on-the-ground people are good with technology and putting together websites. However, in the past at least, they aren’t so good at knowing what to do with them once they’re up. There are lots of good stories out there about the new law. Let’s hope they’ve learned how to spread them.

Contact Amanda Coyne at amandamcoyne@yahoo.com

Best and worst of Alaska politics in 2013

Because making lists appears an imperative for opinion writers and bloggers everywhere, I tried my hand at it. There are, no doubt, things left out and things people will disagree with. But this is what I came up with for the best and worst of Alaska politics and government in 2013, with some random mentions thrown in. There aren’t many fireworks here. The last year in politics in Alaska was understated. But it wasn’t without its good and bad times, good and sometimes difficult lawmakers, its light controversies and big boondoggles, and great shoes. Read on:

Freshman legislators of the year: Sen. Peter Micciche (R – Soldotna) and Rep. Lynn Gattis (R-Wasilla) get this award. Micciche got loads of flak last year for being a senator and working as the natural gas plant operator for ConocoPhillips. But he handled the criticism with aplomb and made the bill that repealed oil taxes tougher on the oil companies than it would have otherwise been. In his first year, the former Soldotna mayor has established himself as hardworking, thoughtful and most importantly, not afraid to speak his mind without alienating his colleagues. For her part, Gattis has proven herself to be about as tough, smart and plain spoken as they come. Expect much from both of them.

Worst legislative decision: This award goes to the new lease for the Anchorage Legislative Office building and members of the legislative council who negotiated the lease. Supposedly, Legislative Council Chairman Rep. Mike Hawker (R- Anchorage) alone negotiated the lease with politically active real estate developer Mark Pfeffer. That may be true, but all of the 16 members of the council share the blame. It happened under their watch. The no-bid project expands, renovates and adds glass elevators to the downtown legislative office building. Total renovation costs to the state: $7.5 million. Total yearly rent: $5 million a year for ten years. Currently, the state is paying $682,356 a year. All of this, and the state doesn’t even get to own the building. Pfeffer and his partners do. It’s surprising that the deal was approved. Hawker, who is a CPA, is also one of the state’s smarter legislators and knows how to read fine print. It’s also surprising that Pfeffer, a master at getting no-bid state contracts, would push for such a controversial deal for the state. Legislators, media and the public won’t soon forget. (Kudos to ADN’s Lisa Demer for staying with this and nearly every other big story in the state.)

Most spiritual: I have to confess, during an interview with Sen. John Coghill last year, I nearly broke down and asked him to pray with me. And Sen. Fred Dyson’s stories about being a Jesus freak amongst the hippies in Berkley in the 1960s gives me hope for humanity, and for myself.

Biggest boondoggle award: The more than $100 million dollars that has gone into the Knik Arm Bridge and Toll Authority, which is charged with building a bridge from Anchorage spanning the Knik Arm. The agency was created by Gov. Frank Murkowski in 2003. By 2006, the idea to involve the private sector in the financing was beginning to take hold. Kevin Hemenway, a senior financial adviser for KABATA, wrote that the private sector involvement was “the best test of all” as to the success of the project. Soon, Valley legislators and KABATA were using the private sector involvement as a talisman against naysayers. Former Alaska state Sen. Linda Menard put it best when she said, “(C)ompanies don’t waste their time on a project unless they know it’s viable.” No, they don’t. Gov. Sean Parnell also came to that same conclusion recently, when he decided the most prudent move would be to cut the private sector out of the project, because the private sector wouldn’t take the risk. His solution? Throw $55 million more of public money at the project in the next budget. It is, after all, an election year, and the Valley vote might very well decide the race.

Best voice of 2013: If you’re ever in a room in Juneau, and hear someone and think, “God, that guy should be on the radio,” chances are that Sen. Dennis Egan (D-Juneau) is somewhere near.

Most intransigent legislators: Take it from me, being “intransigent,” or using the more common patriarchal term, “difficult,” is not necessarily a bad thing. It often means that you’re right. However, sometimes, particularly in politics, you can be so right that you’re wrong. Let me present freshman Republican legislator Rep. Lora Reinbold (R- Eagle River) and Democrat Rep. Les Gara (D – Anchorage). Both are philosophical ideologues from opposite ends of the political spectrum, and both appear to choke on the word “compromise.” Gara, however, has been around for a long time, and he has great, loyal staff, and a Harvard law degree to boot. And although he does so with a grimace, he will give. Reinbold, on the other hand, goes through staff like the state goes through money and she was the only legislator to vote against making July 21 Jay Hammond Day. Whatever you think of that no vote, it took courage to do so. Remember: we always need some of these in government and we have just enough of them. They keep us honest. And keep journalists busy.

Nicest legislators: Once again, this award is shared on both sides of the aisle. Everyone loves Rep. Ben Nageak (D-Barrow). The room lights up when he smiles. On the right side, you’ve got Sen. Kevin Meyer (R- Anchorage). Even as the powerful co-chair of the Finance Committee, he is always one of the nicest and kindest elected officials in the Capitol building. On the left, again, is Rep. Beth Kerttula (D-Juneau), who makes you want to cry sometimes she’s so nice and understanding, particularly when you’re being difficult.

Most powerful legislative staffer: Tom Wright, who works for Speaker Mike Chenault, is often referred to as the 41st House member. He understands the game, the rules governing the legislative process and has tremendous institutional knowledge. He understands power, has it and knows how to use it.

Best dressed: He doesn’t get points for cutting-edge style, but Gov. Sean Parnell is by far the best dressed politician in Alaska. He’s always dressed appropriately, even when he’s wearing jeans.

Biggest political blunder: Gov. Sean Parnell’s decision not to accept federal dollars to expand Medicaid could be considered heartless, but it likely won’t hurt too much at the ballot box. But not naming a labor representative on the newly created Alaska Gas Development Corporation might. Word has it that unions expressed interest, and when Parnell didn’t bite, labor was upset, maybe upset enough to go after him. They’ve got the pockets to do so.

Worst votes for Alaska: This award goes to Alaska’s two U.S. Senators, Begich and Murkowski, for their confirmation votes for Secretary of Interior Sally Jewell. The Secretary has been anything but friendly to Alaska’s interests. First, she’s come out strongly against opening portions of ANWR to oil and gas development and more recently against opening the King Cove Road. Her decisions, particularly the later , which a good Republican candidate could have a heyday with, might just have lost the state not only the road, but the re-election of the last Democratic federal official we’ll see for a very long time.

Alaska’s best political fundraisers: We’ll know for sure on Jan. 30, but word is that political neophyte and former DNR Commissioner Dan Sullivan is going to easily out fundraise Lt. Gov. Treadwell, and maybe even incumbent Mark Begich, in the fourth quarter. On the state side, Gov. Sean Parnell is said to be raking it in, and earlier this year, I referred to Rep. Gabrielle LeDoux as an “uber” fundraiser, because she was, and she still is.

Best Alaska political consultant: Art Hackney has worked for Karl Rove and has handled the campaigns for Republican members of our congressional delegation for over two decades. (Full disclosure: he designed the logo for this site.) This year, he took over as President of the American Association of Political Consultants and then got elected to the board of directors of the International Association of Political Consultants, becoming the first to do so simultaneously. He also ran a stealth, winning campaign against alcohol taxes in the Valley, and fought with Bob Gillam against Pebble Mine, which looks all but dead.

Most underrated political force in Alaska: Bob Gillam took on one of the largest mining companies in the world, and it looks like he won. After Anglo America pulled out in September, the Pebble Partnership now has only one partner: Northern Dynasty, of which Rio Tinto owns 19 percent. And now Rio Tinto is considering pulling out. It appears likely that it will do so.

Best shoes: Let me get something straight: It’s not just the shoes, but it’s how you use them. And for that, Sen. Lesil McGuire gets this award. Not only are hers drool-worthy, but her stilettos double as ice picks down the slippery Juneau streets, she also uses them to grind down bad bills as the chair of Senate Rules.

Best political spouses: Becky Huggins, wife of Sen. Charlie Huggins, is likely smarter, and definitely more charming and tougher than he. That’s saying a lot, considering that he is one of the most decorated veterans in Alaska and can do more one-armed pushups than anybody I know. Speaking of charming, Sandy Parnell’s charm and empathy is the most underutilized weapon that the governor has. Rep. Harriet Drummond’s husband, Elstun Lauesen was writing political analysis before I even knew Alaska existed and is still always one of the smartest guys in the room.

Best posture: While politicians know a lot about political posturing, one legislator stands out for her perfect posture – – Sen. Cathy Giesel (R- Anchorage). Her committees are also run like her gait: with grace and purpose.

Most embarrassing floor action: To give you an idea of how tame the current slate of lawmakers are, Rep. Scott Kawasaki (D- Fairbanks) wins this designation hands down for being caught on camera sticking his tongue out during a legislative debate. I thought it was funny, but Republican legislators were all like, scolding. Like, how could you. They were like, you embarrass us and this great institution. They were all like, next time you stick your tongue out at us, we’ll stick it out at you! Anyway, that’s what I got out of the press conference following the incident, dubbed by the clever folks at KTOO at the “tongue depressor.”

Most courageous thing ever said at a hearing: Speaking of things that weren’t said that we’ve all wanted to say, Wilda Laughlin, the legislative liaison for the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services, went ahead and did it. During one of those excruciatingly long legislative hearings, Laughlin yelled at Rep. Bill Stoltze to ““shut the f#%k up” over a hot mic.

Biggest government pay raise: This award goes to Bryan Butcher who almost doubled his salary when he left his post as commissioner of the Department of Revenue and became the executive director of the Alaska Housing Finance Corporation.

Most employable politician: If this politics stuff doesn’t work out for him, and he needs to get a real job, Sen. Donny Olson (D-Nome) can always go back to being a doctor, a lawyer, reindeer herder or a pilot.

Wiliest: Although they appear to be diametrically opposites, House Speaker Mike Chenault and Sen. Charlie Huggins have proved to have more in common than what it first appears. They both carry a good-old-boy charm. They’re both extraordinarily patient with the respective members of their caucuses. And while they’re both gentleman, they’ll cut your guts out if they need to. Chenault would likely do so with a fishing knife. Huggins might be more comfortable with the kind of army issue knife they gave to Vietnam combat vets.

Elected officials with the best political instincts: U.S. Sen. Mark Begich and state Sen. Johnny Ellis. Both of them are like animals.They don’t think, they act. They understand how to seize an opportunity and make it work.

Best Trivial Pursuit partner: On my team I’m picking Rep. Billy Stoltze, who has an uncanny memory and recall of facts, and is a tremendous student of history.

Best government flacks: I know that I’m biased here, but I can’t avoid it. This goes to those who, this year and in years past, answered my questions to the best of their abilities or found someone to do so, who understood deadlines, and who didn’t take the process personally. Thanks to Zack Fields with the Alaska Democrats, Stacy Schubert with Alaska Housing Finance Corp., Mark Gnadt with the House Minority, Carolyn Kuckertz with the Senate Majority, DOT spokeswoman Jill Reese, Cori Mills, an assistant attorney general with the Department of Law.

Contact Amanda Coyne at amandamcoyne@yahoo.com

Confusing quote of the day

“The inadequate rate of reimbursement by the Indian Health Service to Alaska’s tribal health system is another example of a broken promise by the federal government. The State of Alaska should not be expected to backfill this expense.”

Gov. Sean Parnell’s spokeswoman Sharon Leighow in an ADN story about how Medicaid expansion would boost federal funds for Alaska Native healthcare. But had Parnell chosen to expand Medicaid, the federal government would backfill this expense by paying 100 percent of the cost for three years and 90 percent after.

D.C. publications focus on Alaska Senate race

On Sunday, two inside-the-beltway publications, Roll Call and The Hill, featured stories focusing on the 2014 Alaska Senate race.

Roll Call headlined its article as one of its 12 “Most Fascinating Races of 2014: Alaska Senate.” The publication announces what Alaskans had known for years: Democratic Sen. Mark Begich is vulnerable. According to the article, the race is currently rated a Tossup/Tilt-Democratic by Rothenberg Political Report/Roll Call. Roll Call said the fight between the top two Republican candidates — Lt. Gov. Mead Treadwell and former DNR Commissioner Dan Sullivan — is less about ideology and more about who can beat Begich, which is kind of true. However, Treadwell has increasingly positioned himself to the right, particularly on social issues, while Sullivan has steadfastly refused to go there.

In any case, the first real fundraising test is coming up. FEC financial disclosures are due on Jan. 30.

Enter the money game.

The Hill’s article, “Five Fundraising Numbers To Watch,” focuses on the importance of former Alaska DNR commissioner Dan Sullivan’s year-end campaign cash totals as a number to watch:

Republican strategists have been predicting a big fundraising quarter from Sullivan, a former Bush appointee with close ties to a number of national Republicans. His brother is a top fundraiser for Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio).Sullivan’s main primary opponent, Alaska Lieutenant Gov. Mead Treadwell (R), has struggled so far with fundraising, bringing in just $200,000 last quarter. If Sullivan can post a huge fundraising quarter, it could help establish him as the clear front-runner on the GOP side. But if he fails to live up to the hype, the primary could turn into a slugfest.

If nothing else, the article suggests that Sullivan’s D.C. Republican squirrels have been chirping into the ears of reporters, which I suppose is indicative of a campaign that’s capable of raising money. But it’s also worthy of note that those chirpers likely themselves have a financial interest in Sullivan’s fundraising prowess.

Contact Amanda Coyne at amandamcoyne@yahoo.com

Gay marriage wins in December

First New Mexico on Dec. 19 ruled for gay marriage, then Utah did so on Dec. 20. Three days later, a federal judge in Ohio ruled on a case which chips away at the state’s gay marriage ban. Jeff Toobin from the New Yorker calls the Ohio case the most important decision yet:

“(T)wo days before Christmas, a federal court in Ohio issued a lower-profile decision that may have been the most important of all. James Obergefell and John Arthur, who lived together in Cincinnati, married in Maryland at a time when Arthur was gravely ill. In anticipation of Arthur’s death, the couple petitioned the state of Ohio for Arthur to be listed as ‘married’ on his Ohio death certificate, and to record Obergefell as the ‘surviving spouse.’ Ohio, which does not allow same-sex marriages, refused, but federal judge Timothy S. Black ruled against the state and in favor of the couple. The judge said it was ‘not a complicated case.’ Throughout Ohio’s history, Ohio has treated marriages solemnized out of state as valid in Ohio. ‘How then can Ohio, especially given the historical status of Ohio law, single out same-sex marriage as ones it will not recognize?’ Black asked in his opinion. ‘The short answer is Ohio cannot.'”

If the Utah ruling stands, the number of states that allow gays and lesbians to wed will be 18, up from nine states, plus the District of Columbia in January. Still, 32 states prohibit same-sex marriage, and 28 of them, including Alaska, have prohibitions in their state constitutions. None of those states have overturned those prohibitions.

Contact Amanda Coyne at amandamcoyne@yahoo.com

Chenault takes swipe at Parnell’s administration

Recently I wrote about how Democratic Reps. Les Gara from Anchorage, and Scott Kawasaki from Fairbanks, sent an email out to all members of the Legislature, trying to get support for a bill that would deny recommended pay raises for Gov. Sean Parnell, Lt. Gov Mead Treadwell, and the governor’s hand-picked commissioners. The bill was seen by some as a partisan move.

Now, however, it looks less so. On Monday, two days before Christmas, Alaska state Speaker of the House Mike Chenault also sent out an email to members of his caucus, which is primarily composed of Republicans, pitching a bill that would also deny the pay raise.

The raises were recommended by a state commission, which said that raises were “consistent with increases received by the majority of state employees.” The Legislature must act in the first 60 days of session, otherwise the pay raise automatically takes effect.

Parnell has already declined his salary increase, which would have bumped his pay from $145,000 to $154,644 by fiscal year 2015.

However, Parnell supports the other pay raises, which include bumping the lieutenant governor’s salary from $115,000 to $122,649 by 2015 and commissioners from $136,350 to $149,796.24 by 2015.

Dozens of state works and at least 40, if not more, members of unions working for the Municipality of Anchorage make significantly more money than either the commissioners or the governor.

The raises would cost the state roughly $140,000 a year by fiscal year 2015.

Some are surprised that the Republican leader of the House has taken such a swipe at his party’s Republican administration. Some see it as a way for Chenault’s caucus to regain the fiscal conservative label following the financial debacle surrounding the lease for the Anchorage legislative office building, the hundreds of millions spent on a natural gas pipeline that has yet to be built, and tens of millions spent on trying to build a bridge across the Knick Arm, famously dubbed one of the “Bridges to Nowhere.” To name a few projects that by most accounts, could be deemed less than fiscally responsible.

In other news: Merry Christmas.

Contact Amanda Coyne at amandamcoyne@yahoo.com

King Cove decision will provide fodder for Republicans eyeing Begich’s seat

Although both of Alaska’s U.S. senators voted to confirm Interior Secretary Sally Jewell, both Sens. Mark Begich and Lisa Murkowski expressed outrage over her decision to block the building of a gravel road that would allow King Cove residents access to Cold Bay.

“It’s the same sad story—a federal agency that doesn’t listen to Alaskans,” Begich said. Murkowski called it “heartless.” Rep. Don Young, as is his wont, was more colorful. He called it the “largest pile of horse manure ever delivered on Christmas.”

For dozens of years, residents of King Cove — a village of about 900 on the Aleutian chain –have been lobbying for a small, gravel road that would allow residents access to medical care through the all-weather airport in Cold Bay. The state of Alaska and King Cove Native Corp. have offered a land exchange for the gravel road The state and King Cove proposed giving up nearly 60,000 acres of land for the nearly 2,000 needed for the road, which would include 200 acres from the Izembek National Wildlife Refuge.

On Monday, Jewell said that the proposed land exchange wouldn’t compensate for the loss of food for migratory birds that stop in the region. “(T)o place eelgrass and waterfowl above human life is exactly what I would have expected from the Grinch, but not from an Administration that preaches access to quality healthcare for all,” Young said.

Because Young is a member of the House of Representatives, he didn’t vote on Jewell’s confirmation, but Murkowski and Begich both voted yes in April, 2013. Eleven Republicans voted against the nomination. It’s unclear what the ramifications of that vote will be for Murkowski when she is up for reelection in 2016. However, those who are eyeing Begich’s seat have already been making his vote an issue, and the decision today will provide fodder.

Last month, Republican candidate Joe Miller took Begich to task over his vote after Jewell said in a speech that there are areas “too special to develop,” including the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. She also said that the Obama administration would consider taking unilateral action to “protect” certain lands.

Begich wrote a letter to Jewell in response, warning that he would “fight any effort by the Obama Administration to make ANWR off limits.”

“It is a mystery to me how Mr. Begich can imagine that he has any credibility on this issue when he is, at least in part, personally responsible for elevating the very people to power who are blocking access to Alaska’s resources,” Miller said.

Begich campaigned on opening ANWR in 2008, when he ran against the late Sen. Ted Stevens. His claim then was that it would be more effective to have at least one Democrat in the state’s congressional delegation to fight to open the refuge. That was five years ago. The area is still closed to drilling and it looks like nothing is going to change soon.

Republican candidate Dan Sullivan issued a press release on Monday, following Jewell’s decision.

“This decision once again highlights Senator Begich’s ineffectiveness within his own party. Sally Jewell should have never been confirmed as Secretary of Interior without a commitment to move this road forward.” Sullivan said. “Senator Begich was sent to Washington to work and educate the White House and his fellow Democrats in Congress, but has again failed to deliver for our state.”

Begich’s staff was immediately unable to say whether or not Begich spoke with Jewell about the King Cove road situation prior to confirmation.

Contact Amanda Coyne at amandamcoyne@yahoo.com

Pay raise flap continues

Democratic Reps. Les Gara from Anchorage, and Scott Kawasaki from Fairbanks, have gotten a lot of attention recently for opposing a proposed pay raise for Gov. Sean Parnell, Lt. Gov. Mead Treadwell, and the 14 commissioners in Parnell’s cabinet. The publicity has had an impact. On Saturday, Parnell announced that he would not accept the pay raise that would have jumped his salary from $145,000 to $154,644 by fiscal year 2015.

However, Parnell supports the other pay raises, which include bumping the lieutenant governor’s salary from $115,000 to $122,649 by 2015 and commissioners from $136,350 to $149,796.24 by 2015.

“The proposed increases are consistent with increases received by the majority of state employees,” the state commission that recommended the salaries wrote. Indeed, dozens of state works and at least 40, if not more, members of unions working for the Municipality of Anchorage make significantly more money than either the commissioners or the governor.

Parnell’s announcement hasn’t dampened Gara and Kawasaki’s enthusiasm to pass a bill next legislative session that would deny the others the raise. On Tuesday, Gara sent out an email to all 60 legislators, looking for additional sponsors.

Unless the legislature acts, raises will take place automatically, a procedure that Gara and Kawasaki both voted for in 2008, when they also voted to double legislative salaries from $24,012 a year to $50,400.

Since the legislative raise took place, legislators who live outside of Juneau get paid about $238 in per diem a day for the 90 day session, and for any days beyond the regular session. In 2012, the maximum per diem was $24,439. This is on top of their salaries.

In addition to their salaries and per diems, each legislator gets money to travel for state business and House members get $16,000 a year and each senator $20,000. Ostensibly, this money was to be used for office expenses. However, until recently, legislators could pocket the money to use as income if they chose to do so. (It should be noted that in 2012, Gara only used $8,000 of his allotted funds.)

Neither commissioners nor the legislators have to pay any monthly premium for what’s considered today to be “Cadillac” insurance.

Most legislators do work between legislative sessions. Last session, however, Kawasaki didn’t want to work between sessions, nor do all of them want to stay when a special session is called. Last session, for instance, Kawasaki asked if he could be excused from the call of the House from the time the legislature was set to gavel out in mid-April until the time they are back in session next January. He was told by House leadership that he couldn’t.

Contact Amanda Coyne at amandamcoyne@yahoo.com

Clarification: Gara and Kawasaki voted against the final bill to establish a salary commission.

Group attacks Begich for packing court with ‘liberal’ judges

The conservative Judicial Crisis Network will begin airing an ad in Alaska today attacking Sen. Mark Begich for voting to confirm “every single one of President Obama’s liberal activist judges.” The group said it will spend more than $100,000 airing the ads.

As of Dec. 11, the Senate has confirmed 211 Obama-appointed judges. However, the ad seems to be more interested in Begich’s yes vote for the two Supreme Court justices, as well as his recent votes, following filibuster reform, on the nominations that had been blocked by Republicans. It should be noted that Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski has also voted to confirm some of these nominees.

The ads might hurt Begich. Most of what Alaskans know about Begich is filtered through news about the state. Aside from the Supreme Court nominees, not much has been made about Begich’s judicial voting record and its potential impact on Alaskans. Nor has much been made about his recent votes on nominees to the D.C. courts .These courts are considered the most important courts in the nation because they handle cases regarding federal regulations, including EPA regs.

Contact Amanda Coyne at amandamcoyne@yahoo.com