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Current Topics
Oregon's Big Reading Investment Could Take Years to Pay Off. Governing
Oregon passed its biggest investment into early literacy in decades during the just-concluded legislation session, pouring almost $150 million into a planned overhaul of how the state’s children are taught to read.
Alaskan students are not the only ones scoring low in reading. The “overhaul” in reading instruction is to teach phonics, something that was the normal reading instruction when I was a first-grader in a Fairbanks Catholic school.
Spy balloon packed with U.S.-made cameras. Axios
The Chinese spy balloon that flew over the U.S. this year and soured ties between Washington and Beijing was "crammed with commercially available U.S. gear.
From camper to junior chef, UAA's Culinary Boot Camp teachers kids basic kitchen skills. Alaska Public Media
Culinary Boot Camp is a summer program at UAA’s Community & Technical College for kids ages 11 to 17. They learn foundational cooking skills at the week-long camp, starting with kitchen safety and sanitation practices. The camp is split into two sections, cooking and baking.
Workers at West Fairbanks Fred Meyer win union election to join UFCW 1496. Web Center Fairbanks
Workers from across ten departments at the West Fairbanks Fred Meyer store voted to unionize on Friday, June 23.
Would-be child care providers in remote Alaska say it's all but impossible to get a state license. Alaska Beacon
Kotzebue’s child care center closed more than a decade ago, and the community hasn’t had one since. Tracey Schaeffer and her daughter Bailey are trying to change that. They are tribally exempt child care providers through the Maniilaq Association of northwestern tribes, which would allow them to watch four children. But they’ve been working to get a state license, which would increase their capacity to 12 kids, since November and still haven’t gotten the certification they need to open their doors.
My comment: The reasons for this is found in the State’s Single Audit released last week. The audit cites, repeatedly, inadequate state staff and new staff who are not trained for their jobs.
State ferry system says it is unable to provide hiring numbers. Juneau Empire
Another example of State’s inability to recruit and retain staff.
Soldotna swears in new police officer. Peninsula Clarion
Hahn’s addition to the team of officers at the department, Meek told council members Wednesday, comes as another officer is preparing to step down. That resignation will leave the department with a new officer vacancy that Meek said they’ll be trying to fill. The department earlier this year was included in a study of ways Soldotna can boost employee retention and recruitment.
My comment: Local governments have same recruit/retention challenges as the State. We have no defined benefit pension system that means so much to public employees.
Intensive management to help the Mulchatna caribou herd. ADN
In conservation situations such as the Mulchatna caribou herd, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game and the Board of Game are required by law to consider intensive management, including predator reduction, when the population and harvest objectives are not being met.
University of Alaska Fairbanks site gets renewed contract to manage NASA satellite data. Alaska Beacon
The University of Alaska Fairbanks’ Geophysical Institute has received a $70 million contract to continue serving as a satellite data hub for NASA. University officials announced the five-year contract extension this week.
Economy
Alaska isn't going to come up with a 'fiscal plan.' It's time to move on. ADN
We depend on volatile sources of revenue to support the state budget: crude oil revenues and, more recently, world financial markets that affect the Permanent Fund’s share of earnings paid to support the budget.
'It's not right': Aniak residents share pain of spiking power bills with regulators. Alaska Public Media
When the Regulatory Commission of Alaska opened the floor to public comment on utilities at its bi-weekly public meeting on Wednesday, residents of Aniak — who saw their power costs quadruple last month — had plenty to say.
The graying of America. NCSL
Alaska has had a 73.3% increase in population age 65+ between 2010-2020. Clear evidence of the departure of our working age population (18-65). This has serious economic implications.
Fisheries
U.S. senators propose new fish labeling, enhanced ocean research and more economic tools. Alaska Beacon
Under the bill introduced last week, there would be a program to voluntarily label qualified products as “Wild USA Seafood,” a tool that Sen. Lisa Murkowski and Sen. Dan Sullivan, both Republicans, said would serve consumers who already have a strong preference for those products.
Politics
Education funding is more complicated than a one-time increase. Alaska Landmine
There’s considerable concern over Governor Mike Dunleavy’s (R – Alaska) veto of half of the $175 million one-time increase to K-12. But even without a veto, those funds were temporary and only a band-aid solution. Rather than spending time attempting to override Dunleavy’s veto, the Legislature should instead look into each factor in the school formula to determine if it is actually meeting Alaska’s needs. Are the district cost escalators still accurate (last revised in 2008)? Is the cap on local contributions to education hindering outcomes? Is correspondence student funding still adequate now that more students are participating in post-pandemic online classes?
My comment: This is a very interesting look at funding. I agree that we need to look at the entire formula. Some of our veteran legislators keep saying that will take too long, but I think its time to invest the effort.
Alaska ballot measure filed to set term limits for state legislators. ADN
State legislators would be restricted to serving a maximum of 12 years consecutively in the state House or Senate, and they then would be required to take a six-year break before serving again. They would also be limited to serving for a lifetime maximum of 20 years as members of the Legislature.
Dunleavy veto cuts Head Start increase as centers struggle to pay teachers, serve children in need. Alaska Beacon
In Alaska, only a third of children meet the state’s goals to be ready for kindergarten. But the state’s share of funding for Head Start, a mostly federally funded child care and health program that promotes school readiness specifically for low-income families, is lower than it was a decade a ago. This year, the Legislature earmarked $5 million for an increase so the state’s Head Start programs could match federal contributions, but Gov. Mike Dunleavy vetoed most of it, slashing the increase to $1.5 million.
The problem in Alaska is representation without taxation. ADN
Too many of Alaska’s elected officials dismiss the need for taxes, looking only to their next election rather than the good of the state and its residents, particularly future residents who are not moving here to strengthen the economy and fill vacant jobs in the same numbers as past decades. Poor services are not much of an attraction.
Health Care
New state child care task force faces bleak reality of Alaska's system. Alaska Beacon
Berglund described the challenges Alaskans face, adding that the difficulty accessing child care is even more pronounced in rural areas than urban ones. Most Alaskans live in a child care desert, an area without reasonable access to care, and more than 88,000 children in the state need child care or early education.
Opioid reversal drugs save lives in Alaska. But people are often skipping a crucial step. Alaska Public Media
in an opioid overdose, the person forgets to breathe. A reversal drug like Narcan, a brand name of naloxone, helps by kicking opioids off of the receptors in the brain. But Narcan doesn’t last as long as opioids do. He said people should give multiple doses of naloxone while they’re waiting for an ambulance. But it’s still possible to overdose after getting naloxone.
New data shows measurable progress on Alaska's food stamp backlog. Alaska Beacon
Staffing standard could boost unionization efforts in nursing homes. Axios
Unions already representing staff believe that staffing standards will help bring long-term care workers back to the industry. "There's not a workforce shortage," Matthew Yarnell, president of SEIU Healthcare in Pennsylvania, told reporters last week, saying staffing would rebound if union talks improve workplace conditions.
More added sugar means there's less room for the healthy stuff. Play Every Day
You've likely heard a few health reasons for cutting back on added sugar for your little kids. The more sugar kids eat and drink, the more health problems that they may develop in childhood and later in life. That includes cavities in baby and adult teeth, gaining weight that can make it harder for kids to ply and move, and developing heart disease.
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