Protecting Your Rights: Serving Sand Lake, Spenard and Turnagain

March 24, 2022

Remembering Don Young

“To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die.” - Thomas Campbell

Like many Alaskans, we are mourning the loss of political giant and longtime defender of The North, Don Young. Last week, the Congressman for All Alaska passed away while traveling home to Alaska with his wife, Ann. Don served as Alaska's Representative in U.S. Congress for 49 years. Prior to representing Alaskans in D.C., Don Young served as mayor of Fort Yukon from 1964 to 1976, Alaska State Representative from 1967 to 1971, and Alaska State Senator from 1971 to 1973. His life was marked by public service and passion for the people of Alaska.

In the span of his long career in public service, he accomplished many important wins for Alaska. Most recently, he worked with a bipartisan group of colleagues in the House to pass the Infrastructure and Jobs Act. This accomplishment joins a long list including the Trans-Alaska pipeline, the Ketchikan Shipyard, and the Magnuson Stevens Act.

Don epitomized bipartisanship, and while we may have disagreed on some issues, I have a deep respect and admiration for his ability to put politics aside and focus on what was right for Alaskans. Alaska lost a pillar of our political landscape. We extend our deepest condolences to his family, friends, staff, and the entire Alaska community. He lives in our memory and his memory lives with us.

Special Election for Alaska's United States Representative

The Division of Elections and governor announced a few updates related to the passing of Don Young and subsequent vacancy in his seat as Alaska's Representative in the United States Congress. Here's what we know so far:

A special primary election will be held on Saturday, June 11, 2022. Ballots for this election will be mailed automatically to all registered voters at least 30 days before the election. On this ballot, voters will choose one candidate and the top four will proceed to the August 16 special election. Read more about the decision to make the special primary a mail-in election here.
A special election will be held on Tuesday, August 16, 2022. This election will occur on the same ballot as the regular primary election. This election will be the first to use the ranked-choice voting system that was approved by voters in 2020 via Ballot Measure 2. The winner of the special election will then represent Alaska in the U.S. House of Representatives until the winner of the November general election is sworn in.

Stay tuned for more updates about the special election, ranked choice voting, and voter registration ahead of the 2022 statewide election.

Personal Legislation Update

House Bill 62 (Marriage Witnesses) Passes House

Last week, House Bill 62, legislation sponsored by my office, passed the House. This legislation modernizes Alaska's marriage statutes to keep Alaska open and ready for business. HB 62 modifies the marriage witness requirement and will allow Alaska to better compete with popular destination wedding states such as Hawaii and Florida.

During the amendment process in the House, the legislature added language to the bill that raises the legal minimum age to marry in Alaska from 14 to 16. I am pleased to see this amendment pass, especially after having carried legislation to deal with this issue in 2018. HB 62 passed the House with a vote of 27-13 and now moves to the Senate for consideration.

Thank You for Attending Anchorage Caucus

Thank you to all who took the time to participate in Anchorage Caucus. While we look forward to more in-person events, it is always great to hear from you. We look forward to the rest of session!

If you missed Anchorage Caucus and would like to watch the video recording, click below.

Watch recording of ANC Caucus

A mid-session reminder of tools to use to stay in touch:

Keep Track of Bills – Interested in tracking bills through the legislative process? You can follow along on BASIS: http://www.akleg.gov/basis/Home/BillsandLaws. Just type in a bill number in the search bar (ex: HB 60) at the top of the page.

Bill Tracking Management Facility (BTMF) – Track the status of bills as they pass through the legislative process.
SMS Bill Tracking – Text a bill number (ex: HB 60) to 559-245-2529 to enroll in text alerts.

Watch Committee Meetings – Most committee hearings are broadcast on Gavel Alaska at www.360north.org or through the Live Now tab on the BASIS home page. House and Senate floor sessions are also available on Gavel Alaska.

Access Budget Materials – The Governor’s Office of Management and Budget website has helpful tools and presentations relating to the budget.

Use Your Legislative Information Office (LIO) – LIOs are a great local resource. The staff at the LIO can help you research bills and issues, navigate the state computer system, and participate in hearings by providing public testimony. Contact the Anchorage LIO – You can reach the LIO by phone at (907) 269-0111 or email at LIO.Anchorage@akleg.gov.

Chat with Legislative Information Staff – Monday - Friday between 8:30 AM and 4:00 PM, you will find a chat interface in the lower right corner of AKLeg.gov. The LIO staff can help answer questions about finding things on the website, answer questions relating to tracking legislation, and help you get in touch with your legislator.

Community Information

→ Anchorage Municipal Election

The Anchorage Municipal Election is on April 5, 2022. The last day to apply to vote at a temporary address is March 29, 2022, and applications must be received by 5:00 PM. We discussed the election in our last e-newsletter and in my video last week.

To learn more about upcoming deadlines, how to vote by mail, and other election related information, visit the Anchorage Municipal Elections Homepage. From there you can track your ballot, apply to vote at a temporary address, check your voter registration, and learn who the candidates are.

Temporary Address Change

Track Your Ballot

Candidate and Proposition Info

ADN Candidate Questionnaire

→ Alaska Housing Homeowner Assistance

The Alaska Housing Finance Corporation is collecting applications for Alaska Homeowner Assistance, a part of the congressionally approved American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. This program is designed to offer relief to homeowners facing pandemic-related financial hardships and ultimately to prevent mortgage delinquencies and the loss of critical services.

You can pre-register and check your availability here. Learn more about this program and other resources for homeowners at AlaskaHousingRelief.org. The application period closes Monday, April 4, 2022 at 11:59 PM.

→ NorthLink Aviation South Airpark Cargo Expansion

NorthLink Aviation is soliciting comments and information on a proposal to construct air cargo infrastructure at the South Airpark Campus of Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport. Comments are due March 31, 2022 to the following email: info@NorthLinkaviation.com. To download the flyer, click here.

→ Apply for your dividend

The Permanent Fund Dividend application season is January 1 through March 31 each year. All applicants can conveniently file online and electronically sign a Permanent Fund Dividend application.

→ Survey on Impacts of Weather and Climate Change on Anchorage

The Climate Equity Council Steering Committee is collecting information from the community in order to foster partnerships and increase community engagement. Complete the survey here.

→ Building Resilient Infrastructure for Alaska

The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities has a NEW map-based survey for Alaskans to provide feedback on building resilient transportation infrastructure in Alaska through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). The survey has been extended due to low participation and now closes on April 8, 2022.

Click here to take the survey!

If you would like to sign up to receive updates on the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act for Alaska, click here. Subscribers will receive updates on the survey results.

Community Events

Mark your calendars for these upcoming events:

Explaining the Russian Invasion of Ukraine

The UAA Institute of Social and Economic Research and the UAA Department of Public Policy and Administration are co-hosting a seminar with Dr. Chad Briggs. Dr. Briggs will give an overview of the recent expansion of war in Ukraine, including security and energy implications for the United States and Alaska. A Q&A will follow. Register here.

Dr. Chad Briggs is formerly the director of Graduate Studies at UAA's College of Business and Public Policy, and has worked with NATO and the Ukrainian army since 2011 on hybrid and cyber warfare, including being based in Kosovo and Ukraine for 4 years before moving to Alaska in 2019. Briggs is currently the deputy chair for European and Eurasian Affairs at the U.S. State Department's Foreign Service Institute, but will only be speaking in his capacity as a professor and researcher.

When: Thursday, March 24 from 12:00 to 1:00 PM

Where: Online seminar. Click here to register.

ASD Superintendent Finalists: Community Town Hall

The Anchorage School Board is inviting you to participate in a town hall with the superintendent finalists. The town hall will be held via Zoom. To help the moderator, Leadership Anchorage, shape the town hall, please click here to take a short survey. This is your opportunity to share subject suggestions and/or questions for the finalists. The deadline to submit is this Friday, March 25 at 8:00 AM. To see the event page, click here.

This Friday afternoon, the Board will announce the names of the finalists and next steps for selecting the new superintendent. For more information on the superintendent search, click here.

When: Thursday, March 29 from 5:00 to 6:30 PM

Where: Virtual Zoom meeting.