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Senate Majority Bipartisan Coalition Website
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State Senator District E
Senate Majority Leader
Senator Cathy Giessel Newsletter
UPDATES
Issues affecting
your family, community and jobs.
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Dear friends and neighbors,
Photo: It was great to see Sen. Lisa Murkowski at the Women In Mining event, associated with last week's Alaska Miners Assoc annual conference.
Healthcare Cost Going Up.
“Employers are shelling out the equivalent of buying an economy car for every worker every year to pay for family coverage,” KFF President and CEO Drew Altman said. “In the tight labor market in recent years, they have not been able to continue offloading costs onto workers who are already struggling with health care bills.”
Family premiums for employer-sponsored health insurance rose 7% this year to reach an average of $25,572 annually, KFF’s 2024 benchmark Employer Health Survey finds. On average, workers contribute $6,296 annually to the cost of family coverage.
Read more here: 7% Increase for Insurance Kaiser Family Foundation
The State of Alaska is a self-insured group that will be affected by this. So will all of our businesses that provide insurance for employees. Deductibles will increase for employees, despite increased premium costs.
The KFF report includes: Rebates from pharmacy benefit managers(PBMs). PBMs manage prescription drug benefits on behalf of payers, including employers, and typically negotiate rebates with drug manufacturers in exchange for favorable placement of their drugs on formularies. Among the largest firms with at least 5,000 workers, 34% say they receive “most” of the rebates negotiated by their PBM or health plan; 34% say they receive “some,” and 8% say they receive “very little.” The rest are unsure how much of the rebates they receive.
Items in this Newsletter:
· Chugach State Park Access Needs Attention
· Joint Legislative Task Force Evaluating Alaska's Seafood Industry to Hold Third Round of Meetings
· Alaska Health Fair, Anchorage, this Saturday
· AARP Resources
· BLM New Central Yukon Resource Management Plan
· Current Topics, Stuff I Found Interesting, Economy, Education, Politics, Healthcare
· Resource Values, Permanent Fund
· Alaska Resource Education National Award
· Happy National Nurse Practitioner Week
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Chugach State Park
Access Issues Need Attention
and Funding
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The topic of access to public lands is one that persists across Alaska, but as Chugach State Park continues to attract more visitors each year, issues within neighborhoods near trailheads continue to increase. A million dollars in funding for parking lot and trail construction at Ram Valley for fiscal year 2025 had been approved during the Alaska Legislature’s 2024 session. But those funds were vetoed by Gov. Mike Dunleavy in June.
My Comment: Ram Valley is one of many access challenges to Chugach State Park. Rabbit Lake/Sunnyside (Flat Top) has funding and is proceeding with a parking area construction but the road to the Park is in really bad shape. There are many other access points that lack parking and are putting stress on neighborhoods.
I often include the Alaska Trails newsletter in this newsletter. This local nonprofit is working hard to upgrade and maintain trails and advocate for improvements such as access and adequate parking to reduce impact on neighborhoods.
My interest in trails comes out of my concern for physical and mental health of Alaskans. Growing numbers of Alaskans are overweight or obese; mental health challenges have grown significantly. Its well known that walking, outside, in the forests, is physically beneficial and very mentally calming and positive.
I am concerned that funding for trails is one of the first things to get the budget hatchet, when the benefits to Alaskans, as well as the tourist industry, are unlimited.
The Chugach Park Fund is an entity, under the Alaska Community Foundation, that works to maintain trails and build new ones. They raise funds from individual contributions and corporate giving. See more about them and their work (and to donate if you wish) at The Chugach Park Fund website.
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Joint Legislative Task Force Evaluating Alaska’s Seafood Industry to Hold Third Round of Meetings November 13 and 14
Anchorage – Tomorrow, November 13, and Thursday, November 14, the Joint Legislative Task Force Evaluating Alaska’s Seafood Industry will hold its third round of meetings at the Anchorage Legislation Information Office, 1500 W Benson Blvd, in the Denali Room beginning at 9:00 a.m. The task force was developed during the last legislative session through Senate Concurrent Resolution 10 to understand the impacts on Alaska’s seafood industry and what tools the state has in its toolbox to strengthen it.
On Wednesday, November 13, the task force will hear from:
· Brett Watson, PhD UAA / ISER Fisheries Economist, on Commercial Fisheries and Local Economies
· Rachel Donkersloot, PhD, Coastal Cultures Research LLC, and Courtney Carothers and PhD, Professor, College of Fisheries & Ocean Sciences, UAF, on permit outmigration
· Garrett Evridge, Seamark, Alaska’s Seafood Future, on innovation and R&D.
· Dustin Rinehart, Director, State Government Relations, CMA CGM-Alaska, on shipping challenges and enhancements.
· Warren Wilson, Mayor, City of King Cove; Gary Hennigh, City Manager; and Amber Jusfowytsch, Asst. City Administrator & Capital Projects Director, on King Cove, Alaska - A 113-Year-Old Fishing Community in Peril
· Marissa Wisniewski, Chair, Alaska Fishing Communities Coalition, on their recommendations.
On Thursday, November 14, the task force will hear from:
· Dan Strickland, Green-iceberg/PicoICE, and Lars Snaebjorn Tr. Gudnason, Green-iceberg/PicoICE (Iceland), on at-sea ice and chilling technology.
· Luke Fanning, CEO, APICDA; Ragnar Alstrom, Executive Director, YDFDA; Florence Kargi, Regional Affairs Manager, CVRF; and Jeff Kaufmann, Vice President, CBSFA, for a panel discussion with CDQ groups.
· Tracy Welch, Executive Director, UFA, on further recommendations from United Fishermen of Alaska.
· Katie Harms, Douglas Island Pink and Chum (DIPAC), on the state and future of Alaska’s hatcheries
The task force will finish on Thursday with a roundtable discussion on what has been presented so far and consider the schedule and topics of future meetings. For more information about the task force, please email the committee at AKSeafoodTaskForce@akleg.gov.
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Last Anchorage Health Fair of 2024!
This Saturday 11/16/24, 8:00am - 12:00pm -
at St. John Church
1801 O'Malley Rd, Anchorage AK 99517
Affordable Blood Tests Available 🎉
· 27 panels - Comprehensive Blood Chemistry Screen - covers infection, anemia, liver disease, clotting ability, kidney and adrenal function, liver function, bone disease, tissue disease or damage, heart function, liver function, muscle function, coronary heart disease, & more - $45
· Thyroid Screen - $35
· Prostate Disease Screen - $25
· Vitamin D Screen - $50
· A1C diabetes - $25
· Blood Typing - $20
More tests and details on our website, www.alaskahealthfair.org.
Thanks to our continuing partnership with the State of Alaska Department of Health, eligible participants can still receive free A1C blood sugar screenings at our November health fairs. Some limitations apply, please follow this link for more information.
We're thrilled to see such positive response to our new screenings - Magnesium ($25), Uric Acid ($25), and Celiac tTG ($40). Stay tuned for new offerings when our season resumes in 2025! ☃️
About Alaska Health Fair, Inc. 🩺
Alaska Health Fair is a nonprofit organization providing health education and affordable blood screenings. It has been a trusted resource for the Alaska community since 1980.
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BLM issues new Central Yukon Resource Management Plan
Plan supports Alaska Native Vietnam-era Veterans, balances resource protection and responsible development
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FAIRBANKS, Alaska — Today, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) issued the Record of Decision for the Central Yukon Resource Management Plan (RMP), updating management for nearly 13.3 million acres of public lands in central and northern Alaska. This plan covers management of portions of the central Yukon River watershed and the Dalton Highway utility corridor. The new RMP is the product of more than a decade of discussion and input from the public, Tribes, cooperating agencies, and stakeholders. It emphasizes important habitats for several fish and wildlife species and other subsistence resources that are vital to rural Alaskans, including Alaska Native communities.
The RMP includes a recommendation to the Secretary of the Interior to open an additional 11.1 million acres to selection by eligible Alaska Native Vietnam-era Veterans under the Dingell Act through the partial revocation of ANCSA 17(d)(1) withdrawals on those lands. Secretary Haaland is expected to finalize that decision through a Public Land Order in the coming weeks, which would add to the significant acreage that the Department has made available during the Biden-Harris administration to the approximately 1,900 Alaska Native Vietnam-era Veterans eligible to select their 160-acre land entitlement under the Dingell Act.
“This updated plan conserves public lands and resources that are most important to local communities and Tribes. It also supports Alaska Native veterans and their heirs, recreation access, a major transit and commerce corridor, and continued access to mineral resources, positioning us to manage these lands for the public benefit, today and into the future,” said BLM Alaska State Director Steve Cohn. “We are grateful to everyone who took the time to engage in this planning process and look forward to working with Tribes, partners, and stakeholders as we implement the plan.”
In response to declining populations of subsistence resources, such as Yukon River salmon and caribou, the new plan makes designations to help protect important habitat on BLM-managed public lands. These measures include designation of approximately 3.6 million acres of Areas of Critical Environmental Concern to protect important habitat areas and support important subsistence resources, 746,000 acres as caribou core habitat areas for two non-migratory herds, and 4,600 acres as Dall sheep habitat areas.
This new plan complements the Department of the Interior’s Gravel to Gravel Keystone Initiative, a $44 million commitment to date, that is bringing together Tribes, Indigenous leaders, federal agencies, and community partners to support resilient ecosystems and salmon across the Yukon, Kuskokwim, and Norton Sound region.
The plan provides for the many ways Alaskans use their public lands across this vast landscape, supporting recreation access and opportunities for development. The plan meets the demand for increased recreation opportunities along the Dalton Highway by creating two Backcountry Conservation Areas (666,000 acres) and three Special Recreation Management Areas (1,453,000 acres). It will also help guide appropriate development, identifying areas across more than 8.3 million acres that remain open for the location of mining claims and 12 million acres where saleable materials, such as sand and gravel, will be available.
The plan replaces several outdated management plans and provides guidance for areas west of Fairbanks that previously did not have management plans. The new plan covers all BLM-managed public lands within the jurisdiction of the Central Yukon Field Office.
The new plan is available on the BLM National NEPA Register. In addition, hard copies will be available for viewing at various Alaska BLM public rooms.
-BLM-
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Current Topics
Australia's blueprint for screen-free childhood. Axios
Australia's parliament is about to look at a law that would keep kids off of social media until they turn 16. Evidence continues to mount that excessive screen time and social media are increasing anxiety and depression in kids. Many countries have taken on this issue, but Australia's proposal is the most stringent yet. The law, which proposes the highest age limit set by any country, could go into effect in a year.
Where America's veterans live. Axios
Veterans make up the greatest share of the adult population in Alaska (10.5%).
"North Star" Harriet Tubman made a general at Veterans Day event. Axios
Harriet Tubman, the first U.S. woman to lead an armed military operation during a war, was posthumously promoted to brigadier general during Veterans Day commemorations in Maryland Monday.
Alaska volcanologists continue to track unrest at Mount Spurr. Alaska Public Media
The Alaska Volcano Observatory raised its color code for Spurr to yellow, or “advisory” status, Oct. 16.
Stuff I Found Interesting
U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Healy crew and embarked science teams discover volcano-like underwater feature while conducting Arctic Research. Unites States Coast Guard News
During the mission's first phase, the science party discovered a volcano-like feature rising 500 meters from the seabed, approximately 1,600 meters below the surface at its shallowest depth. Upon further review of water column data collected at the site, the science team detected a potential gas plume rising from just above the feature to near the water's surface. The feature poses no risk to navigation as it is well below navigable draft of the largest modern vessels.
United plans flights to Greenland, Mongolia, and northern Spain in search for next 'it' destination. CNBC
United Airlines is plotting a 2025 international expansion that spans Senegal to Mongolia and Greenland to Palau, a bid to win over travelers who have already had their fill of the well-trodden streets of Paris, Rome and Tokyo.
National Security
Satellite image and documents indicate China working on nuclear propulsion for new aircraft carrier. Washington Times
China’s navy is already the world’s largest numerically, and it has been rapidly modernizing. Adding nuclear-powered carriers to its fleet would be a major step in realizing its ambitions for a true “blue-water” force capable of operating in seas far from China in a growing global challenge to the United States.
Fisheries
Strong sockeye salmon return expected next year in Alaska's Bristol Bay region, biologists say. Alaska Beacon
The world’s biggest sockeye salmon run will be larger than average next year, state biologists have forecasted.
Economy
Alaska-owned corporation approves $750,000 for legal fights over Ambler Road and ANWR. Alaska Beacon
The Biden administration rejected the proposed Ambler Road earlier this year, a decision that AIDEA is challenging in court. AIDEA is also challenging the administration’s decision to cancel the results of a 2020 oil lease sale in ANWR and is preparing for a new sale to be held later this year.
Energy
Russia explores plan to merge oil giants into mega producer. Wall Street Journal
Moscow is working on a plan to merge its biggest oil companies into a single national champion, a deal that would tighten President Vladimir Putin’s grip on global energy markets and Russia’s wartime economy.
Politics
Red states embrace Trump and progressive policies. Axios
Democrats didn't exactly crush it at the ballot box this year, but some of the economic policies typically associated with the party still proved popular. In Alaska and Missouri, two states that went for President-elect Trump, voters approved a minimum wage hike to $15 an hour and a paid sick leave law allowing workers to accrue time off. Alaska voters also passed a pro-labor law — a ban on captive audience meetings, where employees require workers to listen to their views on politics or, typically, on labor unions. Union advocates say it's a way for companies to pressure workers against joining unions.
Three nominates for upcoming vacancy on Alaska Supreme Court. Alaska Beacon
The Alaska Judicial Council has nominated an Anchorage judge, an assistant attorney general and an expert in utilities law for an upcoming vacancy on the Alaska Supreme Court. When Gov. Mike Dunleavy picks one of the three, he will create the first majority-female Supreme Court in Alaska history.
President-elect Trump vows to 'fight for Alaska like never before' in video message shared by Dunleavy. ADN
In a newly posted video on social media, President-elect Donald Trump vowed to work closely with Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy to explore and develop the state’s resources. In it, Trump referred to his “special relationship” with “Mike.”
Reviewing Alaska's election results. Alaska Insight
PODCAST: While final results and tabulation are still a few weeks away, preliminary election results can tell us a lot about the future of ranked-choice voting, the minimum wage, and the makeup of the 2025 legislature. On this Alaska Insight, host Lori Townsend is joined by Alaska Public Media reporters Liz Ruskin and Eric Stone to discuss the results and implications of Alaska’s 2024 election.
Women win majority of seats in New Mexico Legislature in showcase of determination and joy. AP News
Women have won 60 seats in the New Mexico Legislature to secure the largest female legislative majority in U.S. history, stirring expressions of vindication and joy among candidates who knocked on doors and found voters were ready.
Education
UAA launches Alaska's first in-state training program for school psychologists. Alaska Public Media
“School psychologists are really there, not just for special education and students with disabilities, but to look at school systems and behavioral health screening — to support school teams and early identification, prevention, promotion [and to] support teachers to implement behavioral and learning supports,” Harvey said.
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Alaska Oil Resource Values
Alaska North Slope crude oil price (11/13/24): $71.20
FY24 budget (beginning 7/1) is fully funded at a
forecast of $73/barrel of oil.
Price on 9/30/23: $87.99
Price on 9/30/22: $86.91
Price on 6/29/22: $116.84
Price on 3/08/22: $125.44
Price on 12/22/21: $75.55
ANS production (11/12/24): 484,170 bpd
Kinross' Fort Knox produces record gold. Mining News North
Kinross Gold Corp. Nov. 6 reported that its Fort Knox Mine in Alaska produced 149,093 ounces of gold during the third quarter of 2024, which is more than double the 69,914 oz produced during the previous three-month period and the 71,611 oz produced during the third quarter of 2024.
(My Comment: The average wage in Alaska mining industry jobs is about $132,000/year. Fort Knox Mine, just outside Fairbanks, is a large user of electric energy; as an industrial user, they help reduce the residential cost of electricity for Fairbanks residents. The mine provides good paying direct jobs and support industry jobs for Fairbanks residents and is a Fairbanks taxpayer. Fort Knox is a tremendous benefit to Fairbanks.)
Precious Metal Prices
November 13, 2024
Gold - $2574.02
Silver - $30.32
Platinum - $947.67
Palladium - $962.88
Rhodium - $4675.00
Alaska Permanent Fund
website
Fund value November 4, 2024 - $81,952,500,000
PFD payout from ERA, Fiscal years 1980-2024: $43.9 Billion
$100 Billion total earnings over lifetime of the Permanent Fund
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The Alaska Resource Education program was inducted into the National Mining Hall of Fame, an honor recognizing the organization’s significant contributions to teaching Alaskans about the state’s natural resources. More about this here.
The nonprofit was awarded Prazen Living Legend of Mining Award for its educational excellence. (photo of trophy above).
Alaska Resource Education's curriculum informs students about the resource development industry including its role in Alaska’s economy, career opportunities, as well as the potential risks and safety measures. Students learn the importance of Alaska’s resources as we cultivate responsible stewards of the environment and the bright future of our state.
ARE has multiple Youth Programs to inform, inspire, and equip young people in pursuing careers in resource development.
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