|
Current Topics
Federal highway officials reject Alaska transportation plan, citing 24 pages of flaws. Alaska Beacon
“This really does affect our guys’ ability to go to work this summer,” said Joelle Hall, president of the Alaska AFL-CIO. “This is thousands of jobs, thousands and thousands of jobs,” she said. The scale of the problem and potential consequences have alarmed state legislators, many of whom only became aware of the issue this week.
Alaska DOT discusses snow removal with lawmakers, detailing response to Anchorage storms. Alaska's News Source
Transportation and Public Facilities Commissioner Ryan Anderson told lawmakers staffing is one of the issues facing the department. Currently, Anchorage has a 19% vacancy rate for equipment operators and a 29% vacancy rate for mechanics. Anderson said for the November event the department executed three emergency contracts and the Central Region expended $950,000 with some pending expenditures.
(My comment: This is what it's costing us to have inadequate public employees filling these jobs. That’s what I’m aiming to address by putting in place a new Defined Benefit System for public employees. How many more millions do you want to see the State and local governments spend on hiring bonuses and temporary workforce? Is it time to bring back a stable Alaska workforce?)
Anchorage snow dumps are nearing capacity; one has already exceeded last winter's volume. Alaska's News Source
The snow pile, located on the northeast corner of O’Malley Road and Old Seward Highway, already contains more than 10,600 loads, according to DOT’s Justin Shelby. He said that’s how much snow was hauled all of last winter, and that this year it could go as high as 16,000 loads.
$5.6 billion Alaska transportation plan rejected by feds, putting road construction projects in jeopardy. ADN
Commissioner Anderson acknowledged that the state transportation department did not have an experienced team who had worked before on a new state transportation plan, which take months to be developed before being submitted. “We have a lot of new people,” he said.
(My comment: Notice what Commissioner said – they have “a lot of new people.” Again, the turnover and vacancy rates in the state public services is alarming and is the whole reason for my new Defined Benefit system proposal. Our skilled professionals are leaving for better pay and a secure retirement pension. DOT vacancy rate is 17.8%. This number is after deleting unfilled positions over the last few years.)
$5.6B in funding in limbo after feds find errors in statewide transportation plan. Alaska's News Source
Last week, the U.S. Department of Transportation notified the state that its four-year statewide transportation improvement plan (STIP) required multiple corrections to become eligible for federal funds. As a result, billions of dollars in federal grants for transportation projects are now at risk, and the Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities has until March 1 to revise the plan.
Parting shot. Axios
San Diego's beaches were lit up with electric blue waves this week. Millions of bioluminescent plankton were showing off at Torrey Pines and Carlsbad beaches.
Examining viruses that can help 'dial up' carbon capture in the sea. Physics Organization
Mapping microbial metabolism genes, including those for underwater carbon metabolism, revealed 340 known metabolic pathways throughout the global oceans. Of these, 128 were also found in the genomes of ocean viruses. "I was shocked that the number was that high," said Matthew Sullivan, professor of microbiology and director of the Center of Microbiome Science at The Ohio State University.
Education
Hundreds attend ASD's alternative school and program expo. Alaska's News Source
The Begich Middle School cafeteria was jam-packed Saturday morning as 40 different alternative school program booths lined up back-to-back around the room during the Anchorage School District’s third annual Alternative School and Programs Exposition.
If we want to improve Alaska's schools, we need to invest in them. ADN
In a state with a huge outmigration problem, raising the BSA signals to our youth that Alaska is worth returning to and raising the next generation of Alaskans and makes us competitive with other states for a desirable workforce and not just in education. Our state is overwhelmed with vacancies in both the public and private sectors.
A high cost of living and lack of a pension strain teachers in Alaska. Would bonuses help keep them? AP News
The state Senate passed a bill to reinstate pensions — nearly 20 years after lawmakers closed the system — but its prospects are unclear. Majority House Republicans proposed legislation that includes Dunleavy’s bonus plan, charter provisions and a roughly $80 million increase in aid to districts through the formula — an amount many lawmakers consider inadequate. It faced early opposition on the House floor Monday, with lawmakers deadlocking in an initial vote on whether to bring it up for debate. Some lawmakers said provisions of the bill weren’t sufficiently vetted.
Senator Löki Tobin interviews two teachers, talking about the financial cost to being a teacher. PODCAST
Economy
Women's work; Share of U.S. workers in select occupation categories, by gender. Axios
Structural barriers mean women are more likely to be caring for children or others at home (part of the whole expectations thing) and often need greater flexibility — which often pushes them out of more demanding, less flexible (and often higher-paying) professions.
(My Comment: And this is why pensions are so important for women — we are paid less, we take time off to care for others, and we live longer. Oldest living American is a 116 year old woman. Oldest living person in the world is a 116 year old French woman who is 6 months older than the 116 year old American woman. Women are much more likely to face retirement poverty.)
Silver tsunami. Axios
“Today's 65-year-olds are redefining a milestone long associated with retirement parties and the end of productive years. They are wealthier and by many measures, healthier, and expected to live another 20 years."
Permanent Fund trustees ignore public comments opposing plan to borrow billions. Dermot Cole Reporting from Alaska
Largely ignoring the substance of the public comments they received on a proposed strategic plan, the six-member Permanent Fund board of trustees pushed ahead with a proposal promoting the idea of borrowing billions to make more billions.
Alaska Permanent Fund Corp. board again warns that the fund is running out of spendable money. Alaska Beacon
Without action by the Legislature, there’s a small but growing chance that within three years, the Permanent Fund — source of more than half of Alaska’s general-purpose state revenue — won’t be able to pay for services and the annual Permanent Fund dividend.
Alaska Permanent Fund Corp. leaders approve proposal to borrow up to $4 billion for investments. Alaska Beacon
The leaders of the $76 billion Alaska Permanent Fund voted unanimously on Friday to adopt a strategic plan that calls for borrowing up to $4 billion in order to increase the amount of money available for investments. Friday’s vote has limited effect: The borrowing could take place only if the Alaska Legislature and Gov. Mike Dunleavy change state law to allow it.
(My Comment: We are failing to fund education, assisted living, mental health, upgraded transmission lines for energy, but we can borrow $4 billion to invest? I’m baffled with the direction the Dunleavy Administration is taking us.)
Energy
The domino effect that could tank Alaska's economy. ADN
Politics
As Alaska pays millions to fix food stamp backlog, lawmakers suggest systemic fixes. Alaska Beacon
Senate version, Senate Bill 149, received its first committee hearing on Tuesday. Giessel said the change would streamline administration and suggested it may help keep the state out of future backlogs. She acknowledged that it would come with costs, but reminded the Senate Health and Social Services Committee that the state is already paying millions to fix a problem it could be preventing.
Senate lawmakers reject Gov. Dunleavy's executive orders with resolutions of disapproval. Alaska's News Source
Stevens said he thinks at least half of them should be withdrawn.
In speech to Alaska legislature, Murkowski shows she's outside Trump's grip on GOP. Alaska Public Media
“As the elections approach, there’s going to be pressure to show whether you’re with the Republicans or with the Democrats, with probably very little in between,” she said. “So let’s show the country that sure we’ve got our differences — we will always have our policy differences — but we can figure out ways to work through them.” Murkowski’s moderation aggravates the Alaska Republican Party. The party has censured her, and Trump endorsed her right-wing opponent in the 2022 election. But for her annual address to the Legislature, Murkowski didn’t budge from the center. Murkowski offered high praise for Congresswoman Mary Peltola, even though Peltola is a Democrat and she’s running for re-election this year. Murkowski credited her (and Sen. Dan Sullivan) with helping to close a loophole that allowed Russian seafood into the American market.
Alaska public school funding bill is in limbo after failed vote. Alaska Beacon
It’s unusual for three legislators to break from the majority on a critical bill, but Tilton said that because the House majority doesn’t have a binding caucus — which requires members to vote together on procedural matters — that legislators are permitted to “vote their conscience.”
Sweeping education bill in limbo after split vote in Alaska House. ADN
Twenty House Republicans voted in favor of hearing a proposal that sought to attach a funding increase for public schools with measures that the GOP supports, including sending more public funds to homeschooled students and increasing the number of public charter schools in the state. Twenty other representatives voted no. That left the divided chamber in a familiar place: limbo. “To stop now is to surrender and I am not prepared to surrender,” said Rep. Craig Johnson, an Anchorage Republican, waving a white sheet of paper in the air as he called on House members to reconsider their position on a proposal he has championed.
Following failed vote, education bill faces uncertain future. Alaska's News Source
SB140 is the House Rules Committee’s re-write of a Senate school internet funding proposal. While that issue remains in the substitute bill, so does a $300 per student funding increase to the state’s Base Student Allocation or BSA. Also in the bill, some of Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s priorities, including teacher bonuses and granting the State School Board new charter school authority. Opponents have said they would like to see the BSA closer to $1,400.
Alaska legislators give closer look at bill aimed at storing carbon emissions underground. Alaska Beacon
Combined with generous federal subsidies, the bill could enable everything from enhanced oil recovery using carbon dioxide to the sequestration of emissions from new coal-fired power generation to removing carbon dioxide directly from the air. According to a consultant hired by the state, a carbon capture framework could even make it economic for the state to export North Slope natural gas not as gas but as hydrogen or ammonia, with the carbon dioxide from processing sequestered underground.
Gov. Dunleavy proposes tax breaks for the private sector to address Alaska's high cost of living woes. Alaska Beacon
The Alaska Affordability Act, now Senate Bill 237, would allow businesses to claim up to a 50% tax reduction on eligible expenditures related to child care, energy, housing development and food security. His administration identified those as the greatest expenses for most households.
Healthcare
In-network care jumped after surprise bills ban. Axios
In-network care for specialties that were among the most common sources of surprise bills — including anesthesiology, emergency medicine, pathology and radiology — increased 4.7% to 88.2%.
|
