Next holiday season

Andrew Halcro has thrown his hat into what is turning into an exciting Anchorage mayoral race. He’s a big personality, as is the frontrunner Dan Coffey. And it’s made all the more interesting that Halcro’s father, Republican booster Bob Halcro, donated $500–the max– to Dan Coffey’s campaign shortly before the first of the year.

The Legislature has a new public website! Click here for information about past and current legislators, bills, floor schedules, and links to live streaming of hearings. This is the first redesign of its webpage since 2007.

Monique Martin from Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium has joined the DHSS commissioner’s office as the Deputy Director of Health Care Policy. This job was previously held by Josh Applebee.

Why is Matt Mackowiak still listed as a state employee? Mackowiak, the relentlessly self-promoting Republican communications consultant from Texas was hired by former Gov. Sean Parnell to provide “communications” advice, coincidentally during the campaign. We all know that it’s against ethics laws for a state employee to work on a campaign on state time. I’m sure that Mackowiak and Parnell and Parnell’s adviser Cindy Sims were all very careful to keep the two separate.

Speaking of Parnell: One of the big political mistakes of the his administration was its lack of inclusion of a member from organized labor on the Alaska Gas Development Corporation’s (AGDC) board of directors. With the Walker administration’s termination of three of AGDC’s board members, there’ll be some open slots and it’s probably a safe bet that the new governor won’t be dumb enough to make the same mistake as Parnell. Any bets on who it might be? Rick Boyles of the Teamsters? Laborers’ Joey Merrick? Or the AFL-CIO’s Vince Beltrami?

Political fortunes can turn in an hour, sometimes even less. Last year, Speaker of the House John Boehner was in Alaska and a fundraiser was hosted in his honor. (I can personally attest to the fact that Boehner cried in front of his Alaska audience.) Back then, the former president of the Anchorage Women’s Club, Judy Eledge, was all aflutter, eagerly trying to pose to get her picture taken with the speaker. This past week, she’s been on a tirade on Facebook against Boehner, applauding and hero-worshipping those Republicans who voted against his bid for speaker.

The institution commonly known as the Bob and Mark show is now missing a Mark. Apparently, there were irrevocable differences:

Also, rumor has it that Joe Miller will be hosting his own talk show on KOAN, the home of Dan Fagan, Glen Biegel, Tom Anderson, and Eddie Burke.

Lacey Wilcox, who was on the third floor during the Murkowski administration, and then went to the Department of Revenue, will be moving back to the third floor of the capitol where she’ll serve as the governor’s deputy legislative director. Cue the Hotel California.

Bob Penney and DC lobbyist Jack Ferguson hosted a dinner on Tuesday evening, after all the congressional swearing-in brouhaha. Rumor has it that each of the guests, about 25 – 30, raised their wine glasses and each made a toast to someone that inspired their life. Ted Stevens was off limits because of his iconic status. Hugh Ashlock toasted Anchorage furrier Perry Green and Jack Ferguson toasted attorney and former state Senator Cliff Groh. With the exception of Lisa Murkowski, no one remembered Groh, which is a reminder to all of us about how soon we all forget and are forgotten.

Rep. Don Young’s new executive assistant and scheduler, Paula Conru, is accomplished in her own right, but she’s also Kip Knudson’s wife. Knudson is director of the Alaska state office in D.C. He was hired by former Gov. Sean Parnell and many have been wondering if Gov. Bill Walker will keep him employed.

Also on Tuesday night in DC, Saltchuk’s Harry McDonald, Alaska lobbyist Kris Knauss and Sen. Charlie Huggins were spotted at the BLT Steak House on I Street sitting next to a table where former governor and White House COS John Sununu was holding court. The ever amiable Knauss is said to have engaged the former governor in conversation.

A tip from me: If you’re in D.C. make sure you grab a cupcake from Baked and Wired in Georgetown, if nothing else so you can say that you grabbed a cupcake in D.C.

And I’m disappointed that no one spotted me having breakfast Thursday morning at the Old Ebbitt’s Grill with Obama’s former COS Pete Rouse, who has ties to Alaska and worked for Lt. Gov. Terry Miller in the late 1970s and early 80s.

Speaking of me: I have some news. This will be my last post. AmandaCoyne.com will become inactive. I’ll be joining Sen. Dan Sullivan’s D.C. office as a senior adviser and speechwriter.

I’ve been hammering away at this blog for two years now. It’s been exhilarating, humbling, and exhausting. But what made it all worth it was the readers. The blog was premised on the theory that I could attract quality readers if I did my level best to report and to think and to write to the best of my ability. Sometimes, depending on my energy level, I was better at it than others. But if the blog is to be judged by the fruits of my labor—the number and quality of readers–then I guess I’d have to say it was an overall success.

I had to think long and hard about where my talents would be best served. I chose to work for the senator because of his intelligence, integrity and honesty. He has the potential and desire to be great for Alaska, and I think I can do at least a little to help him.

I will miss this blog keenly, though, and all of those who urged me along. Lynn Willis, who many know through this blog, has been an amazing support to me. I’ll miss his insights and his and Jon K’s epic battles. I’ll miss AH HA’s common sense and Garand Fellow’s plain-spokenness and Andy’s probing questions. I’ll miss Forecaster’s Walker-boosterism, and Straightlaced Radical setting us all straight. I’ll miss Tom Bodett turning the light on for us, and Crude is Rude’s strange rants. I’ll miss Mayor Dan Sullivan’s brave defense of his role in helping to build a dynamic city, which we all love. Thanks to all the readers, including the advertisers, particularly to the two longest ones: Geneva Woods and GCI, two great companies who took a risk in me. Thanks to Dan Fagan, Rick Rydell and Dave Stieren for all the shout-outs. Thanks to the always aggravating Ashely Reed, who was also always unfailingly encouraging. My father, the brilliant writer. who himself was a speechwriter for Presidents Nixon, Ford and Vice President Agnew, and the block off of which I’m a chip, has been the best editor and father than any girl can ask for.

I’ll miss Alaska state politics so much. I’ll miss all the very smart state workers who I talk to regularly, and those who I have never talked to but hear a lot about. I’ll miss the very many smart lawmakers and legislative staffers, many of whom are working so very hard to do what’s best for the state. I’ll even miss Rep. Lora Reinbold’s war again Common Core, Rep. Les Gara’s loquacity, and I’ll miss Sen. Cathy Giessel, egg timer and all.

I’ll still be in and out of the state, and anything can happen. So it’s not goodbye — something more like au revoir, as Hollis French might say.

Contact Amanda Coyne at amandamcoyne@yahoo.com

The post My Last Loose Lips: Oh, Christmas Tree. Grabbing a Cupcake in D.C. Au Revoir. first appeared on Amanda Coyne.

Senate President Kevin Meyer made the decision to hire Pierre, who will be paid around $30,000 for a four-month contract, less than what the Democrats say in the press release. Pierre will be replacing a full-time staffer in the majority’s communications office.

Meyer defended the hire. He interviewed several people and Pierre was the most qualified, he said. Pierre told Meyer that he did nothing wrong, and Meyer believes that “everyone is innocent until proven guilty.” He stressed that Pierre is on an at-will contract that can terminate at any time.

Meyer’s chief of staff, Suzanne Armstrong, is good friends with Pierre. Pierre’s wife. Lauren, is Sen. Anna MacKinnon’s chief of staff. Meyer’s own wife worked with Pierre at the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. Pierre’s father-in-law was the deputy commissioner of DMVA before moving to the Alaska Aerospace Corp.

Meyer admitted that Pierre was well known to many in the Capitol building, but he said that it made the hire easier. “I felt comfortable hiring him. I knew his talents and abilities, especially as a communications person,” he said.

Here’s the Democrat’s release:

Alaska’s Republican Senate caucus will pay McHugh Pierre approximately $10,000 per month during the upcoming legislative session even after Pierre had to resign in disgrace over the National Guard scandal.  Pierre got caught protecting his high school friend from punishment after that individual used drugs and committed sexual harassment during his tenure as a National Guard recruiter.

GOP Senator Kevin Meyer said there’s “no indication Pierre did anything wrong,” despite reports to the contrary.  In the fall, Alaska media reported on Pierre’s decision to defend a perpetrator of sexual harassment and other misconduct.  When Pierre resigned in September, the Alaska Dispatch News reported:

“Documents obtained by Alaska Dispatch News show that Pierre inserted himself into one of the inquiries into the alleged sexual misconduct of a married recruiter, an incident of which Parnell’s office was aware.

The recruiter, a high school classmate of Pierre’s from the late 1990s, was also accused of sexual harassment, of mistreating junior enlisted soldiers, of possessing steroids and committing assault. In June 2014, Cindy Sims, a senior staffer and close aide to the governor, received an email detailing the situation with this and dozens of other soldiers.

The document notes that this soldier, whose name has been withheld since no criminal charges were ever filed, was recommended for removal from his full-time position and to be separated from the service with “other than honorable discharge.” Nothing came of it, apparently, after Pierre gave input to Katkus and the assistant adjutant general, Brig. Gen. Leon Bridges.

After Pierre came forward, Bridges took over the case. He was to impose an action of General Officer Memorandum of Reprimand and a rank reduction of one grade, but the process — convening a board to review the discipline recommendations and then take action — has not moved forward.

State Senator Kevin Meyer announced the hire.  Like Pierre, Meyer’s wife worked closely with Tom Katkus during Katkus’ tenure as National Guard TAG.  Meyer has said that Pierre won’t work on National Guard issues, yet Pierre himself said that he’d be happy to offer his “insights” to legislators about the Guard scandal.”

The post Democrats respond to Senate majority hiring Pierre first appeared on Amanda Coyne.

The money is on Coffey, but Halco will give him a run for it.

The post Halcro files to run for Anchorage mayor first appeared on Amanda Coyne.

• Austin Baird with KTUU has the details of legislation heading to Juneau.  As Rep. Les Gara (D-ANC) put it, “This is going to be a session of bills that don’t cost money.” On deck? A bill that will open up the primary system, which is closed on the GOP side to Republicans and Independents.

• Dermott Cole leapfrogs off of Gov. Bill Walker’s widely published op-ed where he seems to be setting the stage for another oil tax fight.

• The AGDC board has slashed spending to the tune of $90 million, but the Dispatch reports that they are seeking clarification from the governor on confidentiality provisions.

• The Keystone Pipeline has just been gifted the clearance of a major hurdle by the Nebraska Supreme Court. Politico has the details as to why and how this state Supreme Court ruling is important.

• While the price of Brent crude oil is continuing its downward spiral, the Juneau Empire reports that North Slope construction is shaping up to be one of the strongest on record.

• The Washington Examiner has Sen. Lisa Murkowski’s plans for comprehensive energy legislation.

• The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner has the names of additional staff hires by Sen. Dan Sullivan.

• APRN wonders if SB21 working.

• The diesel fuel spill by an Alaska Petroleum Distributors Inc. tanker will be taken over by the EPA according to the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, because the responsible parties lack adequate insurance coverage and lacked the financial capabilities to complete the cleanup.

• The New York Times outlines Pres. Obama’s plan to make the first two years at a community college free for many students.

• The Kenai Peninsula Borough mayor wants to bring the borough’s old oil and gas liaison. According to the Peninsula Clarion, the position would total $67,000 for FY15.

• Ron Wyden (D-OR) is reintroducing legislation that will prevent mobile phone companies from being forced by the government to build “back-door” codes that would allow the federal government to listen in to Americans’ conversations without a warrant, per The Hill.

• The Peninsula Clarion lists the Kenai Peninsula Borough’s economy’s pros and cons. State economist Alyssa Rodrigues believes that the borough will weather better than the state as a whole with about a 3.5% job growth.

• Legislator-elect Cathy Tilton tweeted the link for the first batch of prefiled legislation.

• Barbara Boxer (D-CA) announced yesterday that she would be retiring when her present term ends in 2016.  This has caused The Hill to speculate on the potential $1B Senate Race that officially begins today in CA, but one thing is for sure; Condoleezza Rice will not be throwing her hat into the ring.

• The Ketchikan Daily News was on hand when the Ketchikan City Council began looking at how to cut $361,000 from its services and contracted services budget.

• Politico Magazine lays out its case as to why Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) will stay put in the U.S. Senate instead of entering the grueling and bloody professional sport that is a U.S. presidential race.

• The Juneau Empire has an article about one of the casualties of Gov. Bill Walker’s budget cuts:  Chinook research funding.

• The Frontiersman has the details for application submission for those that would like to replace former assemblyman Jim Colver as he begins his new representational job as state legislator.

• The cover art on the latest edition of the Alaska Journal of Commerce is causing Twitter to be all a flutter.

The post Inside/Outside morning news update for Jan. 9 first appeared on Amanda Coyne.

• Another fight over oil taxes? It looks like Gov. Bill Walker is laying the groundwork for another battle, per his column in the Juneau Empire. He says that the state will be paying more in production taxes this year than we’re taking in. Remember, that’s just production taxes. There are others. Too, it’s unclear if he’s including the huge tax credits that the state is still paying from ACES.

• Tim Bradner, with the Alaska Journal of Commerce, reports that although production is down, employment is up on the North Slope.

• Bill Walker goes on the defensive over his Alaska Gasline Development Corp. dismissals, while Becky Bohrer with the AP (and me) report that the state GOP sees red.

• The Globe and Mail explains a report from the Journal Nature that was just released which outlines the importance of leaving oil sands alone in order to meet climate target.

• KTOO and KTUU have the details about Sen.-elect Bill Stoltze’s legislative plan to move legislative sessions to Anchorage in the new Taj McHawker while keeping the state capital in Juneau.

• The New York Times reports that the Democrats are adjusting to the new lay of the land on the Hill by going back to what they do best; throw proverbial sand into the gears. According to the Times, they might not have the votes, but they do know their parliamentary procedures like the back of their left hands.

• Bill Walker plans to visit King Cove regarding the road following his meeting with Secretary Sally Jewel while he was in Washington, D.C. for Sen. Dan Sullivan’s swearing in ceremony. The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner has the details.

• The Senate GOP wants to switch the minimum workweek from 30 hours to 40 hours to be classified as full-time. What this means in the larger scheme of things is explained by Politico.

• Good news for anyone flying near Saw Ridge (roughly 20 miles from Ketchikan). The Ketchikan Daily News reports that the FAA is going to upgrade the area, thus improving communications.

• Speaker Boehner’s thirst for revenge hasn’t been sated. The Hill (any all of the nation’s political wonks) wonders who’s next on his hit list. What is known is that failed coup leader’s, Rep. Daniel Webster (R-OH) 2016 re-election bid is looking less supported by the establishment.

• APRN reports that the Mat Su Ferry might not be the wallflower of the state’s ferries much longer. It turns out that a European-based company has intimated interest to the Mat Su Borough’s Assembly in purchasing the ferry pending the boat’s abilities following a set of sea trials.

• Politico Magazine has the secret history of women in the U.S. Senate.

• The Peninsula Clarion reports that the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly will start its new legislative mandate to discuss ways to improve efficiency and rising health care costs. The Soldotna City Council will be focusing on handling its financial uncertainties and the unknowns that are to be 2015’s legislative session.

• The Washington Post explains the importance of presidential primaries as it ponders where 2016 candidates would fall on the Brownback-to-Clinton vote getting scale.

• Klawock City Councilwoman Sabrina Demmert was indicted Friday on felony drug charges according to the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner.

• The GOP is facing a divide within its ranks of ideology and age, according to the New York Times.

• The Kodiak City Council spoke with the Kodiak area legislative officials about budget issues affecting the city. While Sen. Gary Stevens presumably put the news in his gentlemanly manner, the news itself was not good.

• Now that the GOP is in charge of Congress, there isn’t a consensus on how to tackle or fix “the problems”, per The Hill.

• Popist wonders why are there so few women on Sunday morning talk shows.

• The Wall Street Journal points the finger at particular GOP Senators that are most likely to give Sen. Mitch McConnell grief (Sen. Dan Sullivan is presumed to be placed in party soldier column).

• Now that recreational marijuana is legal in the state, KTVA reveals that the Alaska Cannabis Growers’ Association aims to support growers for commercial, non-commercial, medical and recreational supply.

• Alaska Commons has the latest on the court case of evicting the Alaska Cannabis Club from the old Kodiak Lounge building.

The post Inside/Outside morning news roundup for Jan. 8 first appeared on Amanda Coyne.

AGDC is charged with preparing the state to build a bullet line that would carry gas from the North Slope to SouthCentral Alaska. It’s a fallback agency of sorts, in case that a big line doesn’t get built. A subsidiary of the corporation is also in charge of the state’s equity interest in the big line, if comes to fruition.

On Wednesday, Alaska Speaker of the House Mike Chenault, and Rep. Mike Hawker, creators of AGDC, sent a strongly worded release about Walker’s announcement, saying that they see this as a dangerous change of course on gas commercialization. Sen. Cathy Giessel, chair of the Senate Resources Committee, also sent out a release, expressing disappointment with Walker’s firings and also the decision not to allow his cabinet members to sign confidentiality agreements related to the AKLNG project and the bullet line. She went so far as to call it “foolhardy.” (See both of the releases in full below.)

Walker fired former Senate President Drue Pearce, former BP executive Al Bolea of Big Lake, and Richard Rabinow, formerly with ExxonMobil. Chenault said that the state was losing 60 years of knowledge with the firings. The state would feel the loss of Rabinow most acutely, he said, because he’s the only one on the board with gasline construction experience. Rabinow, who lives in Texas, was with ExxonMobil for 34 years, including as the president of ExxonMobil Pipeline Company. He is a former chairman of the Association of Oil Pipe Lines and the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System (TAPS) Owners Committee. He was appointed to the AGDC board early in 2014 by former Gov. Sean Parnell.

Here are the releases in full:

From Sen. Cathy Giessel:

Today, Senator Cathy Giessel, the continuing Chair of the Senate Resources Committee, issued the following statement relating to Governor Bill Walker relieving three members of the Alaska Gasline Development Corporation (AGDC) Board:

“It is within the Governor’s purview to act as he has done, but for an administration that has vowed to get Alaska’s natural gas to market, this deprives the state of necessary tools for success in a global scale LNG project.  The AGDC Board was crafted to bring the very best expertise the state can muster to commercialize our North Slope gas. Removing these individuals under the pretense of transparency gives the effect of implying a defect in these exemplary members, and gives the impression that this Governor is crafting complex policy decisions through press releases,” said Senator Giessel (NE Anchorage, Anchorage Hillside, Turnagain Arm).

Governor Walker also instructed the Commissioners of Labor and Workforce Development and Commerce, Community and Economic Development to not sign a confidentiality agreement for upcoming briefings.

“Anyone involved in municipal government that deals with labor agreements has to in most instances sign a confidentiality pledge.  It is foolhardy to think that a project in the billions of dollars, in competition with other sites around the world, does not benefit the people of Alaska by confidential briefings and negotiations to maintain a competitive edge.  We even expect our Permanent Fund managers to operate under confidentiality in order to generate the maximum benefit for the people of Alaska.  AGDC was created to function as an effective manager in representing our state’s interest in accessing our gas and getting it to market. The burden on the Governor is to show how his actions are not hampering the progress of this long sought goal,” said Senator Giessel.

From Speaker MIke Chenault and Rep. Mike Hawker:

The legislators who sponsored the bill creating the Alaska Gasline Development Corporation today released statements in light of Governor Bill Walker’s action firing three board members and ordering his appointees to not participate in the confidentiality process.

Alaska Speaker of the House Mike Chenault, R-Nikiski, and Rep. Mike Hawker, R-Anchorage, believe the three key AGDC board members were critical in advancing a natural gas commercialization project, and brought valuable perspective and acumen to the Board. AGDC was designed to bring gas to Alaskans and more revenue to the state via its Alaska Stand Alone Pipeline (ASAP) project working parallel to the AK LNG project, which it was facilitating for the State.

“I spoke to Gov. Walker after hearing that he had fired AGDC board members Dick Rabinow, Drue Pearce, and Al Bolea,” said Chenault. “The governor certainly has the power to do that; the Legislature granted the governor that power in House Bill 4, which created and directed AGDC. I’m disappointed that Gov. Walker has chosen to eliminate these board members, who have proven their worth and commitment to Alaska in the progress made already.

“It’s going to be hard to replace the 60 years of knowledge that these three board members bring – and in particular, the expertise of Dick Rabinow, who is the only board member to have actual gasline construction experience under his belt.

“My greatest concern is what delay is this action going to cost the AK LNG and ASAP projects? With a substantial turnover in leadership, how much longer will Alaskans wait for natural gas?”

“I am disappointed in the Governor’s action gutting the top quality board that was working diligently for Alaska,” said Hawker. “I’m deeply concerned that this signals a wholesale change of course for Gov. Walker on gas commercialization. An overwhelming majority of legislators approved creation of AGDC, and of its mission, which is clear in law – to pursue a natural gas project that delivers gas to Alaskans first, then to markets beyond.

“In creating AGDC, the Legislature carefully weighed the need for confidentiality in some issues with the need for public accountability. The legislature struck a balance between transparency to Alaskans, and the need to protect commercially sensitive information, third-party private company information, and information that, if known, could adversely impact the price Alaskans receive for its gas.

“I, too, am gravely concerned that this action by Gov. Walker will result in significant delays to the AK LNG and ASAP projects. All the key business agreements crafted by the State under confidentiality agreements will, by law, be brought back to the legislature for a fully transparent, public vetting and approval.”

Contact Amanda Coyne at amandamcoyne@yahoo.com

The post Legislators push back against Walker’s AGDC/confidentiality decisions first appeared on Amanda Coyne.

Wrong direction. Alaska is part owner of a commercial enterprise competing in a very challenging environment. You and I wouldn’t disclose our commercial strategy in our businesses; neither should the state. And you and I would want all hands important to the success of our business in the information loop; we wouldn’t want to blind key players by keeping them in the dark about our strategy. Neither should the state. Taking this position on confidentiality is two significant steps backward in the success of this venture. Treat it like the Permanent Fund (which regularly enters into confidentiality agreements) and give the LNG project the tools necessary to be successful…Competitive market rules are not suspended merely because one of the actors is a government. In a tightly competitive market — as is the market for grassroots LNG projects — information about what a competitor and potential supplier is doing provides a significant advantage to other projects and potential purchasers. Frankly, the primary beneficiaries of this decision, if it holds, are competing projects in Australia, East Africa, Canada and the US Gulf Coast, and potential buyers in Korea, China, Japan, India and elsewhere within the Pacific Rim market who will use the information to both to undermine Alaska’s competitive position and beat down the price that Alaska can extract from the market (and as a result, return to the state). And for what? Just because you or I can offer a vague suggestion here and there about how we would do things differently? Not worth it. It puts the project in jeopardy, and even if it survives, lowers the return the project is likely able to achieve. (And by the way, in the corporate world shareholders aren’t given this information, either, for the very same reasons.)

The post Quote of the day: Refusing to sign confidentiality agreement ‘step backwards’ first appeared on Amanda Coyne.

• Nothing says official in the 21st century like an updated Wikipedia page Read Sen. Dan Sullivan’s here.

• Nothing like a McHugh Pierre hiring to make McScandal headlines. The Dispatch writes about the hire

• Senate Minority Leader Berta Gardner isn’t expecting a boost in education funding this session, according to the Juneau Empire. In fact, she’ll consider it a win if education doesn’t take a cut. She also said that the minority is going to continue to push for Medicaid expansion.

• The Juneau Access Road might be part of Gov. Bill Walker’s spending freeze, but that hasn’t stopped forward movement on parts that have already been paid for. KTOO has the details.

• The Keystone Pipeline might have been the first piece of legislation for the GOP run congress, but don’t get your hopes up on another pipeline building boom. The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner reports that the White House intends to veto the bill if it makes it on the president’s desk.

• It might have been all Sen. Sullivan all the time with Alaska media, but for political wonks, yesterday was known as Biden Time! Did he deliver or what?

• In a move that made more than a few eyebrows raise, APRN and this site report that Gov. Bill Walker fired half of the Alaska Gasline Development Corporation board of directors AND instructed two other members to not sign a confidentiality agreement. To sum up what some on my site are saying in the comments: “The LNG line is dead. Long live the LNG line.”

• Dan Sullivan’s treasurer has some work to do on his FEC filings.

• CNBC drew the short straw and had the misfortune to report that Brent crude oil dropped below $50 for the first time since 2009.

• The ongoing political battle over the requirement for U.S. steel to be used on building Alaska’s newest ferry continues in coverage from the Dispatch.

• The Tea Party’s power grab revolt might be smoldering into ashes, but Politico reports that that hasn’t stopped House Speaker Boehner from seeking his revenge.

• Juneau Empire reports that an Aleut Corp subsidiary settled the 2010 Adak oil spill for $700,000.

• Politico explains why this congressional session is the one that Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand might have success in pushing for changes in military command structure regarding sexual assault cases.

• The House GOP wants to use dynamic scoring in making tax policies. It might be a complex matter, but the National Journal sheds light on this murky subject and lays out their case as to why these changes matter.

• House Democrats are filing legislation to create a statewide, voluntary pre-kindergarten program.

• The Hill discovered that Gov. Chris Christie is quickly putting the finishing touches on his formal 2016 presidential announcement by moving it up by a month or two in order to prevent former Gov. Jeb Bush from getting unstoppable momentum.

• The New York Times explains why Gov. Chris Christie is going to need to do a lot more than hug Jerry Jones if he wants Texas to join his presidential cheerleading squad.

• Rick Perry, the governor with a head of hair that would make a Ken Doll weep, is heading back to New Hampshire in February as part of a 2016 early primary state tour, according to The Hill.

•  APRN reports that Rep. Cathy Munoz will be reintroducing a bill this legislative session to add sexual orientation to the state’s anti-discrimination law.

• Net Neutrality might have wider influence than once thought. The Hill has an extraordinary piece that gives hope to those concerned with this issue.

• The Congressional Office of Compliance gave an advanced copy of their report about parity gaps in the laws protecting private sector and other federal employees, but not legislative workers, to the Washington Post.

The post Inside/Outside morning news update for Jan. 7 first appeared on Amanda Coyne.

Supposedly, there was a fair bit of noise and rancor in the House today

Sullivan wore his new cufflinks given as a gift from the Mat-Su Republican Women’s Club for the big day. They were cufflinks signed by the late Sen. Ted Stevens, and were inscribed with his well-known saying: “To Hell with Politics. Do What’s Right for Alaska.”

The crowd watched Sullivan take the oath from large screen TVs set up in the room. After he did so, the room erupted in a cheer, which may have been the reason that a security guard got a complaint about the noise, which might have come from one of the many relatively sedate Senate parties down the hall.

Among those spotted: DC lobbyists Jack Ferguson and CJ Zane; NSB Assemblyman Mike Aamodt and his wife Patsy, who serves on the ASRC board of directors; Drue Pearce; John and Sen. Anna McKinnon; Mary Ann Pease; Catherine Stevens; Andy Baker from Kotzebue; Reps. Bill Stoltze, Bob Herron and Lynn Gattis; GCI’s general counsel Tina Pidgeon; Karl Rove; BP’s Cindy Baily and Phil Cochrane; Dawn Linton; Saltchuk’s Harry McDonald and Chris Coakley; Sen. Charlie Huggins; Kenai sports fishing enthusiast Bob Penny; Craig Fleener; Elizabeth Stevens; former state Attorney General Greg Renkes; Greg Smith and Bill Hardham from Repsol; Art and April Hackney; Tom Barrett from Alyeska Pipeline; Mike “Fish” Palawski; Curtis and Josie Thayer; lobbyist Jeff Logan, Pacific Seafood Processors Association’s Vince O’Shea; Jon Ketchum; John Hendrix of Apache; Sen. Lesil McGuire; former Parnell staffer Heather Brakes; Kevin Jardell; Jared Green and John Sims from ENSTAR; Sullivan campaign manager Ben Sparks; Larry Burton with CVS; Republican consultant Mike Dubke and wife Shannon; Sullivan campaign co-chair Tara Sweeney from ASRC; Parnell Labor commissioner Dianne Blumer; chairman of ASRC’s board Crawford Patkotak; Jeff Kinneeveauk from ASRC Energy Services; Bill and Liz Armstrong; Eddie Ahyaka from Fairbanks; Sen. Click and Darlene Bishop; Regina Daniels from Soldotna; CITC’s Gloria O’Neill; Kate Wolgemuth and Kip Knudson from the state’s DC office; Gov. Bill Walker and his wife Donna; Linda Leary; and Northwest Strategies’ Kristina Woolston.

Some in the crowd then headed over to Sen. Lisa Murkowski’s and her husband Verne Martell’s open house, a few blocks away from the Capitol building.

If you weren’t stuffed by the close of the business day after multiple receptions, ASRC hosted a reception honoring Alaska’s Sens. Dan Sullivan and Lisa Murkowski at 101 Constitution Avenue, NW on the 8th floor above the Palmer Steak House which is a beautiful venue that looks out upon the lighted capitol dome at night.

The last feeding of the day was a buffet dinner hosted by Sen. Dan Sullivan’s family at the lovely and historical Willard Hotel, across from the White House, which is where some claim the word “lobbyist” was coined. Besides a gaggle of Sullivans and Fates, the group included many of Sullivan’s early supporters and a hand full of legislators.

Rep. Don Young was also planning on hosting a reception but cancelled it due to the death of his older brother Russell.

While Gov. Walker was in D.C. attending the swearing-in of the 114th Congress and participating in the related celebratory social events, his COS Jim Whittaker was making phone calls to some of the Alaska Gas Development Corporation’s board members. Dick Rabinow, Al Bolea and Drue Pearce all got calls terminating their service on the board. It should come as no surprise because Walker said on the campaign trail that he wasn’t going to have any out-of-state folks on boards or commissions. That leaves John Burns and Dave Cruz as the only two remaining board members outside of the governor’s appointed commissioners: DOL Heidi Drygas and Commerce’s Fred Parady. In a Tuesday night release, Walker said that he terminated the three two days before an AGDC board meeting where members were expected to sign confidentiality agreements, and he’s instructed Drygas and Parady not to sign the agreements. Word is that DNR Deputy Commissioner Marty Rutherford is the only Walker administration member who has been allowed to sign any confidentiality agreement related to the AKLNG line.  And she can’t talk about it. So basically, nobody in Walker’s cabinet, including the governor, knows what’s in the contract to build one of the biggest largest construction projects in the world.

Some Alaska Republican women visiting D.C. found time to attend a reception at the National Federation of Republican Women’s Clubs while in D.C. According to Dawn Linton, the Alaskans attending the reception were the hit of the party and clearly traveled farther than anyone else there.

Contact Amanda Coyne at amandamcoyne@yahoo.com

The post Loose Lips: The swearing-in edition first appeared on Amanda Coyne.

• Leave it to Sitka to get practical. According to KCAW, Instead of spending money on repaving roads, they’re just tearing them up and replacing them with gravel.

• Gov. Bill Walker will be present to watch Dan Sullivan become U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan, according to KTUU and me.

• The Hill reports that today marks the most diverse Congress in our country’s history.

• Loose Lips might sink ships, but the amount of CO2 being produced at all of the parties around the state and D.C. area; it would keep the Titanic afloat. Also, make sure to read about the big Senate majority misstep.

• Speaker John Boehner is pulling out the medium guns to exterminate the Tea Party rebellion that wants to put Rep. Louie Gohmert (R, TX) in his leadership spot. The Hill reports that the “no for Boehner” votes continue to grow. Not so fast! Breaking: Boehner prevails, as most expected.

• The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner reports that the City Council voted to revoke future attorney fees for Mayor John Eberhart involving his court case with APOC. The city has already spent $15,866 on Eberhart’s behalf.

• Politico wonders if Rep. Steve Scalise is now too toxic to remain the Majority Whip.

• The AP’s Becky Bohrer has a piece in Military Times regarding Alaska’s new attorney general’s decision to hire a special investigator to delve into the Alaska National Guard sexual assault scandal.

• The New York Times reports that Iowa and New Hampshire are already feeling the greenback-love from 2016 presidential contenders. The contenders so far are PACs aligned with Rand Paul, Hilary Clinton, Rick Perry, and Ted Cruz.

• According to APRN, the Sitka Assembly was supposed to discuss the ongoing difficult financial hospital issues with the CEO Jeff Comer on Friday. Instead, Comer sent a note, saying that he was still shaken up by an attack that he endured earlier that day. Apparently, Comer was attacked and beaten on a hiking trail by a couple who recognized Comer as the hospital CEO. Comer also wrote that he will no longer be living in Alaska. He can continue from Arizona, however, if needed.

• The Washington Post has the GOP’s election problem explained and illustrated within 3 maps!

• KTVA reports on Kriner’s Burgers and Pies issue with the new minimum wage law. Because of the law, the diner will be paying about $1000 more a month in wages by next year. The owner, Andy Kriner, thinks that the state should pass a law that takes tips into account as wages. Many states have provisions for tipped employees. Servers in 19 states only make $2.13 an hour, the article says.

• Former Gov. Jeb Bush finally launched his leadership PAC yesterday via web video in both English and in Spanish. The Hill reports that the PAC is called “Right to Rise” (nice use of alliteration) and it will focus on income inequality and supporting candidates who support conservative principles.

• While commercial marijuana is still in the gray area regarding regulation and policy, at least one delivery service is out shaking its moneymaker, per the Dispatch.

• The Huffington Post has a Pebble Mine 2014 Year in Review.

• The DCCC has continued to wait with bated breath for Rush Limbaugh to deliver on his two-month-old oath to sue them. So far, only crickets have been heard.

• The Ketchikan Daily News has the details for public comment on Coffman Cove timber sales. Act quickly because it closes on Friday.

• The Juneau Empire has the history of former legislator, mayor and civil servant, Sally Smith.

• The USDA has chosen Alaska’s Chugach National Forest as the location to provide the 2015 S. Capitol Christmas Tree.

Contact Amanda Coyne at amandamcoyne@yahoo.com

The post Inside/Outside morning news roundup for Jan. 6 first appeared on Amanda Coyne.