Category: Alaska News

The Haines Borough Assembly has a packed agenda on Tuesday. Chilkat Valley News editor Rashah McChesney sat down with local government reporter Will Steinfeld to talk more about what’s coming up on Tuesday evening. 

Rashah McChesney: It looks like several things are stacked up on the Haines Borough assembly’s agenda, what’s coming up this week? 

Will Steinfeld: Yeah, for some reason, it’s lined up in a way where we have possible final votes on some really big potential changes to how the borough functions. There’s stuff we’ve been following for a few weeks now, things like bulk or containerization – basically environmental regulations for prospective mining companies, looking at maybe a final vote on accessory dwelling units on a severance tax. So these are all big things potentially for how the borough handles heavy industry, how they handle housing, you know, really core pieces of the local economy. 

It’s possible the assembly goes ahead and takes all these final votes at Tuesday’s meeting. In that case, we would have a lot to write about for the paper, it would be a whole series of big changes. But I think it’s more likely that some of these get pushed further down the road. So far, these proposals have come in and they haven’t really been amended, even though there are controversial parts about all of them. So, I wouldn’t be surprised if assembly members in this final public hearing on these issues, present changes they want to see to make these things work. Or maybe they decide to do something like send one or all of them or a combination back to committees to get some more time and deliberation. 

Yeah, and it looked like there were maybe some indicators that something like that could happen. I was looking at a list of proposed things that assembly member Mark Smith said he wanted to see with the severance tax, for example. Is that something that you see happening with all of those measures or maybe just this one? 

I wouldn’t be surprised. I think, like you said, there’s indications for all of them. There’s, as you mentioned, assembly member Smith’s memo that he’s written up. He has a lot of detailed specific changes he’s proposing. On accessory dwelling units, I saw the borough planner, Chen Wu, had recommended it go back to the planning commission. I think because of the fact that these are such significant pieces of legislation, we’re likely to see these kinds of questions pop up, and, you know, the meeting is a finite amount of time. So, they could push these on later. 

Elsewhere on the agenda, it looks like in a couple of places, the borough is sort of dealing with higher energy costs or feedback from residents about higher energy costs. Have you seen anything about that? 

I think you need look no further than the article you wrote this week about the petition going around from the public… I guess it would maybe delay the implementation of a seasonal sales tax rate. 

The number of signatures, it’s hundreds at this point, shows how much of an impact this is making in people’s lives. So  I think there will be some pretty significant discussion at this assembly meeting of what the borough can do, if anything, to try and give people a break. 

Do you get any sense that any of the assembly members are going to be responsive to those circumstances? 

I would guess so. I think generally what you see is assembly members trying to be responsive to instances where there are public outcries of this magnitude. Sometimes it’s a ton of people showing up in person for public comment. In this case, what we’ve seen already is hundreds of people signing a petition. So I would guess that there will be some effort to do something and assembly member [Mark] Smith has already introduced a proposal before the meeting to temporarily suspend the sales tax on all fossil fuels as he’s written it. 

But there are definitely going to be challenges. The borough’s finance director, who’s also the acting borough manager right now, Jila Stewart, has written prior to this meeting that if the assembly does choose to maintain the lower seasonal sales tax rate for the rest of this year, it would have a huge impact on borough finances. It would be, by her estimate, over $1,000,000 out of the annual revenue for the borough. It would mostly come out of the specific fund that pays for things like the school and the library. And so I think even if assembly members are united in the idea that they want to give residents a break, it’s going to be a challenge figuring out how they can do that. 

One other thing that’s on the agenda that I’m curious about is final accounting of the Freeride World Tour and its coming to town and the amount of money the borough spent. I’m curious if you could tell us a little bit more about what assembly members are going to be considering. 

There’s definitely one new thing, which is, according to the manager’s report for this meeting, Freeride has actually sent a definitive proposal for how much they want the borough to pay to bring them back next year. Last year, the borough had committed $75,000 to bring them here. Now, Freeride is asking for $150,000 between the borough and potentially other local sponsors who would help contribute to that. And so at some point, the assembly is going to have to decide what they want to do with this offer. Do they take it? Do they leave it? Do they make some kind of counteroffer? 

But I think it’s part of this broader question of what Freeride is worth economically and how much the borough should be willing to spend to bring them in and see some kind of return on investment. When I was talking to people during the Freeride weekend around town, I got the sense that people really enjoyed the event and saw a lot of benefits, but also had reservations,  at least among some, about a feeling that they weren’t getting enough value for the tax dollars they were putting into the event. There’s been some public comments submitted before this upcoming meeting that echoed that. But I also know there are assembly members in the past who have spoken (about the value of the event) — I think Craig Loomis has been a really big proponent of what Freeride can offer for the economy, so there should be perspectives on both sides about how much this thing is really worth. 

The assembly meets on Tuesday, April 14 at 6:30 p.m. in the assembly chambers and on Zoom.

The post Listen: Assembly to consider severance taxes, accessory dwelling units, and the value of the Freeride World Tour appeared first on Chilkat Valley News.

Alaska Democrat Mary Peltola, who is mounting a high-profile challenge to Republican U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan, announced on Monday that her campaign raised $8.9 million in the first quarter of the year, a record for any U.S. Senate campaign in Alaska.

The announcement, which followed a Sullivan campaign announcement last week of $2.1 million in first-quarter donations, was a sign that the hotly contested race in Alaska, considered pivotal to Senate control, will be expensive.

Peltola’s statement about the fundraising haul said 95% of the donations were in denominations of $100 or less and that donations came from all parts of Alaska.

“I’m so grateful for the support we’ve received from every single borough and census area across our state, and it’s that support that will bring us to victory this November. It’s going to take all of us, but together we’ll take on the rigged system in DC that’s hurting each and every one of these communities,” Peltola said in the statement.

Peltola, who is Yup’ik and from the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, has emphasized her rural roots in her campaign; she is currently on a tour of Western Alaska villages.

Sullivan’s campaign last week said the $2.1 million in the first-quarter fundraising added to previous donations, resulting in $7.5 million on hand for the reelection effort.

In a statement, Sullivan campaign spokesperson Nate Adams said the strong support shows that Alaskans know he delivers for Alaska: “From bolstering our Alaska-based military and Coast Guard, unleashing Alaska’s resource economy, and securing historic investments in Alaska’s healthcare system, Senator Sullivan has a proven record of results.”

Money spent on the Alaska Senate race extends far beyond direct donations to campaign. Political action committees and other groups are also spending heavily in independent efforts.

One of those organizations is the Senate Leadership Fund. That super PAC, which supports Republicans in Senate races, last week announced a $342 million national spending plan. It includes $15 million to support Sullivan.

An example of the national focus on the Peltola-Sullivan race is an online ad recently released by the National Republican Senatorial Committee. It blames Peltola for “men in women’s sports, costs through the roof, open borders,” and it ties her to former President Joe Biden.

Peltola, a former U.S. House and Alaska State Legislature member, is also getting support from outside her campaign as well.

The Senate Majority PAC, a Democratic group, is supporting Peltola and has already spent money on ads attacking Sullivan. The organization characterized Peltola as a top-tier candidate after she announced her campaign in January. Peltola’s entrance into the race in January “completely upends the campaign, putting an already unpopular and weak Dan Sullivan on his heels,” Senate Majority PAC spokesperson Lauren French said in a Jan. 12 statement.

Another group, the Anchorage-based 907 Initiative, has launched an advertising campaign targeting Sullivan. The campaign refers to him as “Yes-Man Dan” and criticizes him for consistently doing “the bidding of national party leaders. . .even when it’s bad for Alaska.” Among the examples cited by the 907 Initiative is last year’s sweeping and controversial budget and tax bill called the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which Sullivan has championed as an economic boon for Alaska.

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Inside the shell of Haines’ newest commercial building in early April, above a row of empty coolers, Merrick Bochart is in a scissor lift working on a 30-foot long painted mural. 

She’s putting highlights in the acrylic fur of  a bear that looks out over a panorama of the Upper Lynn Canal. It’s the view someone would take in if they were standing at the top of Geisan/Mount Ripinsky. 

By the time she’s done painting, Bochart estimates she’ll put in about 150 hours of time on this and another mural set to go on the opposite wall. But, she said, it’s the do-over some artists dream of getting. She said she’s learned a lot in the 13 years since she painted the mural this one is replacing on a south-facing wall of the Haines Quick Shop building.  

It’s one of the last things to go up on the walls of the  new building before the shelves are filled and the store opens – owner Mike Ward hopes – by the end of April. 

After it burned down in late 2024, Ward has been pushing to get the commercial complex rebuilt.  Now, he’s somewhat anxious to see it reopen. 

“Between Christmas and New Years, I found out I’m losing out on $2 million [in insurance payouts from the fire],” he said. “I want to get this open because I want the cash flow.” 

But, as he walked through the newly built space in early April, he rattled off a list of all the things that still need to happen.  A point-of-sale system due at mid-month, will sit atop counters that are still being built. A wall nearby waits for t-shirts and merchandise to be hung.  

And then there’s the matter of filling the new building with stock; it’s much larger than the old one and there are rows and rows of empty shelves. 

“I bought $24,000 worth of booze. Came here and put it on the shelves and was like ‘Oh my god, I didn’t even hardly dent it,” he said. 

The inside is structured differently as well. The old building had a row of apartments at the top and contained Haines Quick Shop, Outfitter Liquor, Outfitter Sporting Goods and Mike’s Bikes & Boards. 

At least nine people were living in those apartments when the building burned down in a late night fire that started on Oct. 5.  At first, local officials suspected that it had been an intentional fire and that, coupled with the size of the commercial loss, estimated at $3.5 million, triggered a deputy fire marshall to travel from Fairbanks and investigate. 

He wasn’t able to determine an exact cause, and eventually classified it as undetermined, according to his report. 

But, one thing that was clear is that the fire started in the back bedroom of one of the apartments. And at this point, Ward said, he’s gotten out of the residential rental business and the new building is strictly a commercial space. Gone too is the bike and board shop, though he said the sporting goods shop will likely have a few longboards and some supplies.

But there’s a lot of stock to replace: guns, ammunition, fishing gear, outdoor supplies and groceries.  A lot of stock from Caroline’s Closet, which has been a convenience store back up on Main Street still has to be moved over. And, there are some new things. 

In a far corner of the sporting goods shop, a pile of furniture waits to be stripped of packing material and catalogued. Cowhide rugs sit in a box along a nearly empty row of shelves. 

“We’ve got a bunch of weird little new vendors,” Ward said. 

And, in addition to Bochart’s murals – she plans to paint a second on north-facing wall of the building, there’s other artistic touches to put up. Ward points to a metal slat wall, painted like an American Flag, waiting to be unpacked from boxes and hung on the wall overlooking the sport shop. 

He also has plans to replace some of the more than a dozen hunting trophies that burned in the fire. He said he has thousands of dollars worth of fiberglass fish on order. A few locals have volunteered their bear trophies for display, including a brown bear that was taken by John Katzeek and another from Ron Martin. He also has a collection of animals that were hunted in Africa, and plans for a spot for them overlooking the sports shop. 

And, inside one of the coolers on a pair of sawhorses, the distinct wooden statue colloquially known as the “angry salmon” to some locally. It, along with an eagle that stood on the roof of the old store for years will go back up too, just in time for tourism season. 

Though, Ward said, he relies more on local customers. 

“The community is the backbone of the business. The summertime is the icing. The locals are the cake,” he said. 

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The Alaska Senate unanimously passed a bill Monday that would grant back Permanent Fund dividends to Alaskans whose convictions are vacated, reversed or dismissed.

Under current Alaska law, people who were sentenced or incarcerated as a result of a felony conviction or certain combinations of multiple misdemeanors forfeit their dividends that year and any following years of incarceration. An amount equivalent to the incarcerated person’s dividend is deposited into a restorative justice account.

Sen. Scott Kawasaki, D-Fairbanks, the sponsor of Senate Bill 167, said Monday, “The state has a duty and obligation to rectify harm done to those who might have been wrongfully convicted and to those who have been exonerated of a crime.”

The bill would grant past dividends to people whose charges were later dismissed or if their conviction was vacated, their case was retried and they were acquitted. Individuals who qualify would have one year after their charges were reversed or dismissed to apply. Individuals whose charges were dropped as part of a plea agreement in another criminal case would not qualify for back payment of dividends.

When Kawasaki served in the House of Representatives, he sponsored a similar bill in 2017 that passed in that chamber 38-1.

Kawasaki told the Senate that this change would impact “very few people annually,” and would provide a “modest, essential source of income.”

The Department of Revenue was not able to determine the fiscal impact of the proposed legislation since the Permanent Fund Dividend Division does not know how many Alaskans with past vacated sentences will apply for a past year’s dividends. Funding for past PFDs comes from a reserve for prior years’ dividends in the budget.

The bill received support from Tanana Chiefs Conference and the nonprofit After Innocence.

Kawasaki estimated last year that Marvin Roberts, Eugene Vent, George Frese and Kevin Pease, known as the Fairbanks Four, would receive approximately $103,450 in back PFDs after they were wrongfully incarcerated in connection with the 1997 death of John Hartman.

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A conservation group sued federal fisheries managers over catch limits in the pollock trawl fishery, arguing that their regulations do not adequately protect northern fur seals in the Bering Sea. 

The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court of Alaska on Wednesday, centers on the fur seal population on St. Paul Island, home to nursing females that rely on pollock to feed their pups.

The Center for Biological Diversity, an Arizona-based conservation group, alleges that NOAA Fisheries violated federal conservation laws by not including stronger protections for fur seals in its annual harvest limits for pollock by trawlers.

The group cites data that northern fur seals have declined by 70% on St. Paul Island since the 1970s. 

“The federal government is legally required to make sure industrial fishing doesn’t devastate this vulnerable population of seals, but it’s failed to act for decades,” said Cooper Freeman, Alaska director at the Center for Biological Diversity, through a prepared statement. 

NOAA Fisheries, also called the National Marine Fisheries Service, is responsible for ensuring fish stocks are sustainable and conserving marine life. The agency wrote in March that there is “not sufficient information” to determine if the pollock trawl fishery is disrupting fur seal populations on St. Paul Island in violation of federal law. 

Similar long-running legal battles have been fought over trawl fishing and its impacts on Steller sea lion populations in Western Alaska.

Trawl fishing for pollock in the Bering Sea is divisive in Alaska. Supporters point to billions of dollars in economic activity and thousands of jobs created by the fishery. Opponents argue that trawling for pollock is leading to environmental damage and salmon bycatch. 

The fur seal challenge has been assigned to Judge H. Russell Holland, a senior U.S. District court judge. 

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Gov. Mike Dunleavy signed off on a supplemental budget bill that authorizes nearly $450 million in additional state spending this year. 

The budget bill covers additional costs incurred by the state this fiscal year ending in June, including funds for disaster relief, education, corrections and transportation. 

The bill was approved by the Alaska State Legislature two weeks ago. Dunleavy signed the budget on Apr. 2, and transmitted it back to the Legislature on Thursday. 

“I appreciate the Legislature’s support of these proposals,” Dunleavy said in a letter announcing his signature on the bill. “The supplemental budget I have signed into law today enables the State to meet current fiscal year responsibilities and represents prudent and fiscally responsible investments in emergency and fire response, public safety and statewide transportation needs.”

The budget includes $75 million for disaster relief to address the response to the Western Alaska storms last fall, and nearly $100 million for fire suppression, particularly in Interior Alaska. It includes $20 million for the Alaska Department of Corrections overtime expenses, as well as $70 million in time-sensitive funding for transportation — sought by the construction industry to unlock a federal match of $630 million for state construction projects.

It also includes $130 million for the Alaska Higher Education Fund which provides grants and scholarships for students, as well as $34.4 million for Medicaid and $12.8 million for other public assistance programs through the Alaska Department of Health. 

The governor’s office submitted an additional $11.6 million request, but it was submitted too late to include in the budget bill, and will be rolled into the proposal for next year’s budget. 

Additionally, the state is waiting on an appeal decision after failing a federal disparity test for education funding, and could potentially be liable for $72 million in K-12 funding for next year, according to officials with the Legislative Finance Division. 

Oil revenues still uncertain

In the Legislature, the bill was delayed this year amid ongoing debate in the House of Representatives on whether to pay for the larger than usual budget bill out of state savings — an act that requires the approval of three-quarters of legislators.

Members of the House Republican minority caucus objected to spending from a state savings account, the Constitutional Budget Reserve. After the Alaska Department of Revenue projected the state would see an additional $500 million in oil revenue due to a surge in oil prices driven by the Iran war, they argued the state would not need to pull from savings to pay its bills. 

Members of the multipartisan House majority caucus objected to the uncertainty of revenue forecasts and future oil prices, and argued for a draw from state savings to fund the budget bill immediately.

If oil-driven state revenues from now until the end of the fiscal year are not sufficient to cover the $450 million supplemental budget, then lawmakers agreed to draw from state savings. That means oil prices must average approximately $82 per barrel of oil through June for state revenue to cover spending, according to officials with the Legislative Finance Division. 

House Speaker Rep. Bryce Edgmon, I-Dillingham, was among legislators who supported the draw from savings several weeks ago, instead of banking on uncertain future oil revenues. On Friday, he said it seems revenues will cover the budget bill. 

“As appears now, oil prices are continuing to move in an upward trajectory, which means that the bill at the very end could be fully funded,” Edgmon said. “But there’s still a fair amount of time in front of us for oil prices to, you know, continue to be volatile.”

Edgmon said barring a dive in oil prices, he doesn’t expect another vote on drawing from the state savings this session.

“That’s pending a dramatic drop in oil prices, of course, which doesn’t seem to be on the horizon.”

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President Donald Trump on Friday called on Alaska voters to repeal ranked choice voting at the November election.

“The Wonderful People of Alaska desperately want to restore Free, Fair, and Honest Elections in their Great State, and get rid of their disastrous, and very fraudulent, “Ranked-Choice Voting,” Trump said on Truth Social.

An effort to repeal ranked choice voting in 2024 failed by just 737 votes. A separate repeal initiative, sponsored by figures aligned with the Alaska Republican Party, is set to appear on the 2026 general election ballot. 

Trump gave his “complete and total support” to supporters of the repeal effort, including U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan and Congressman Nick Begich, both Alaska Republicans running for reelection in November. 

The president’s post was seized on by Republican candidates for Alaska statewide office who echoed his calls to strike down the voting system.

Alaska voters narrowly approved a ballot measure in 2020 that implemented ranked choice voting for state and congressional elections, alongside open primary elections and tougher campaign finance disclosure requirements. 

Ranked-choice voting in Alaska lets voters pick candidates in order of preference rather than choosing just one. If no candidate wins a majority of first-choice votes, the lowest-ranked candidate is eliminated and those votes are redistributed until someone surpasses 50% of votes.

However, the new election system has been controversial. Opponents argue that ranked choice voting is unnecessarily complicated, while supporters say it has led to more moderate and consensus candidates elected.

Ranked voting, open primaries and the tougher campaign finance disclosure requirements would all be struck down if the 2026 ballot measure is approved by a majority of voters.

Alaska for Better Elections is a group running voter education campaigns in support of retaining ranked choice voting and open primaries. Executive Director Juli Lucky said Alaska’s election system has allowed policymakers across the political spectrum to work together without fear of challengers in partisan primaries. 

“I think Alaskans will reflect on the results we’ve seen to decide whether our system of open primaries, ranked choice voting, and the strictest campaign finance laws in the country works for them,” Lucky said by text message after Trump’s post. “Ultimately, Alaskans created and enacted this system, and Alaskans will decide whether we keep it.”

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