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Current Topics
Alaska DMV to issue new, more secure driver's licenses after rise in counterfeiting. Alaska's News Source
The new security measures come after Alaska law enforcement noted it was seeing more counterfeiting with the current cards, which were last upgraded in 2019. The upgraded cards are the first in the country to feature a translucent and semi-translucent credential, according to DMV Division Operations Manager Lauren Whiteside.
Will Anchorage again face massive snow disruptions this winter? ADN
“I’m not gonna sugarcoat it, we have some big challenges in front of us,” LaFrance said during a Wednesday media conference laying out new measures to prevent another “snowmageddon.”
Police accountability and community trust. Alaska Public Media
Police officers are tasked with keeping order in our communities and ensuring residents and visitors engage in lawful conduct. It can be a difficult job where decisions sometimes need to be made in seconds, especially when people are at risk, in crisis and threatening themselves or others.
(My comment: Yes, our officers are faced with critical decisions daily. Their mission is to protect the public. We want them equipped with the knowledge and experience to respond with everyone’s best interests as top priority. That means time on the job, experience shared by veteran mentors, and backup of fellow officers. Anchorage Police Dept has 61 vacancies right now. These are officers who are not there to work together, to create the safest environment possible for everyone involved in an altercation. Recruitment and retention matter. That’s why I support offering a solid retirement incentive as a recruitment tool for this front line public safety job.)
Stuff I Found Interesting
Anchorage School Board considers policy update to encourage patriotism in schools. Alaska Public Media
The policy mandates that the Pledge of Allegiance be recited daily and encourages other patriotic activities.
(My comment: Last year I was at a conference at which a current state legislator was to lead the Pledge of Allegiance at the opening. He couldn’t remember the words of the Pledge!)
National Security
In Arctic, Putin is flexing the strength of his alliances, Murkowski says. Alaska Public Media
Putin is strengthening his alliances with China, North Korea and Iran as a power move, to counter the West, Murkowski said, adding that it’s the joint nature of the Arctic exercise that’s unusual.
(My comment: I’ve raised this concern with both our US Senators and with military security discussions. Alaska is front and center as the farthest west, north and east part of the US.)
New Report: Busy Summer for Arctic Shipping on Russia's Northern Sea Route. High North News
The first two months of the 2024 summer and fall navigation season on Russia’s main Arctic shipping lane have already seen 30 transit voyages carrying around 1.3 million tons of cargo, a new report by Norway’s Center for High North Logistics (CHNL) details.
(My comment: these vessels are coming through our Bering Straits. What is the emergency response for accident or spill? Non existence. National security issues as well. Alaska and US depend on the Canadian coast guard and navy to respond to help us out! We need ice breakers, a navy base and coast guard base in the Bering Strait region.)
Economy
How Washington State Ferry System is tackling issues. WS Blog
(My Comment: Yes, they are short staff and in need of new vessels, just like Alaska Marine Ferry System (AMFS). But since they offer a Defined Benefit retirement to their employee, the young new oilers, wipers, mates, and captains know that they are building skills for a career-long job in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, and building a retirement for the future.)
1 big thing: What's changed about layoffs. Axios
The mood among managers: "It took me so long to get this labor force, I'm not letting them go," says Ron Hetrick, a senior economist at Lightcast, a labor market analytics company.
(My comment: As this article points out, everywhere is seeing shortage of skilled professional - healthcare, trades. Being cavalier about employee churn (turnover) means continued economic harm, as Alaska is proving right now. That’s why incentives like a solid retirement package retains employees and is smart economically.)
Opinion: Pension debate is about the people who make government work. ADN
Education
KPBSD Holland responds to DEED appeal of fed claim it failed to provide COVID relief funds. KSRM
Relations between Alaska and federal departments were already strained when news came out that the Alaska Department of Transportation would receive its lowest August redistribution of federal dollars in two decades and the lowest redistribution of any state in the union. Now, Holland says the school district is hearing something similar about the state’s fight with the fed over the proper distribution of American Rescue Plan Act funds for education in Alaska. “We are hearing that we are the only state in the entire union that’s not taking care of this,” he said.
Fisheries
Marquee Alaska sockeye fun was bigger than expected, but the individual fish were small. Alaska Beacon
The world’s largest sockeye salmon run was larger than average this year, but the percentage of those fish that were harvested commercially was lower than normal, and individual fish weighed in at the smallest size on record, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game reported.
Two Kodiak trawlers caught 2,000 king salmon. Now, a whole fishery is closed. Northern Journal
Federal managers shut down a major Alaska fishery Wednesday after two Kodiak-based boats targeting whitefish caught some 2,000 king salmon — an unintentional harvest that drew near-instant condemnation from advocates who want better protections for the struggling species.
Politics
What would a statewide hand-count election look like in Alaska? Alaska Beacon
Opinion: Ranked choice voting and open primaries diminish political party control. That's great for Alaska. ADN
Editorial: Why is the state repeatedly dropping the ball on federal funding? ADN
Several states are making late changes to election rules, even as voting is set to begin. AP News
Across the country, including in some of the nation’s presidential swing states, new or recently altered state laws are changing how Americans will vote, tally ballots, and administer and certify November’s election.
Health Care
U.S. health system lags on efficiency: report. Axios
Bureaucratic red tape, industry consolidation and wide variations in insurance coverage are combining to make the U.S. health system one of the most inefficient among developed nations, according to the Commonwealth Fund's latest comparison of global performance.
1 big thing: Childhood trauma raises disease risk. Axios
ACEs like abuse, neglect or witnessing domestic abuse have become an increasingly common research topic, especially for the way they're linked to poor mental health. But the effects can also include disrupted metabolic, neurologic, endocrine and immune systems, and are collectively referred to as a "toxic stress response." More than half of Americans have experienced at least one ACE, and more than one-fifth have experienced three or more during their lifetime, per the new research.
Alaska's life-expectancy drop was biggest among all state in pandemic year of 2021, CDC says. Alaska Beacon
Alaska’s life expectancy in 2021 was 74.5 years, down from the average of 76.6 years in 2020, according to the report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Alaska youth need expanded access to mental health support, advocates tell lawmakers. Alaska Beacon
The Alaska Children’s Caucus, which was revived this year, has bipartisan co-chairs from both chambers, including Tobin, Sen. Cathy Giessel, R-Anchorage, Rep. Mike Cronk, R-Tok, and Rep. Maxine Dibert, D-Fairbanks.
Enforcing Mental Health Parity: Safe Options to Improve Access to Care. Commonwealth Fund
The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) is the primary federal law that aims to safeguard access to behavioral health treatment for those with private health insurance. However, enforcing the legislation can be complex, and many health insurers have yet to fully comply with the law’s requirements.
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