Tag: juneau

By: James Brooks, Alaska Beacon

Members of the Alaska Senate’s majority coalition said on Tuesday that a tax break for the proposed trans-Alaska natural gas pipeline currently lacks the votes to advance in the Senate. 

Because lawmakers are meeting in a special session that ends on Friday, even a short delay could kill the bill containing the tax break. Gov. Mike Dunleavy could also call legislators back into another special session on the issue.

The Senate is led by a 14-person coalition of Republicans and Democrats. An internal rule states that 11 of the coalition’s members must agree before a bill comes to the floor.

“We are not to the point of having 11 votes to get to the floor yet,” said Sen. Jesse Kiehl, D-Juneau.

On Tuesday evening, members of the Senate majority coalition met behind closed doors to discuss their next steps. 

Senate President Gary Stevens, R-Kodiak, said that while some members of the majority are willing to support the bill as currently written, others are asking for significant amendments.

Sen. Bill Wielechowski, D-Anchorage and a noted critic of the bill, said he sees several points of contention, including basic things like the length and size of the proposed tax break.

The Senate Finance Committee, which is hearing the bill, could amend it to win over some reluctant senators, but that runs the risk of making the bill unacceptable to Glenfarne, the pipeline project’s lead developer.

Glenfarne officials have said that a tax break is necessary for it to obtain the financing for a project that it publicly expects to cost as much as $54.5 billion.

On Friday, the Alaska House voted 34-5 to replace the state’s 2% petroleum property tax for 30 years with a smaller tax on gas sent through the pipeline. 

Speaking to the Senate Finance Committee on Tuesday morning, Glenfarne Alaska President Adam Prestidge warned senators to not shorten the terms of that tax break. 

“If there were to be a shorter-term abatement that then ended and reverted back to 20 mills, it would severely challenge the economics of the project,” he said.

Under current laws, according to an analysis by the Alaska Department of Revenue, the state of Alaska would net $29.7 billion through 2062 if the gas pipeline and supporting infrastructure are built as planned. Boroughs along the route would share another $17.3 billion.

Under the House-passed bill, the state’s take drops to $23.4 billion, a decline of $6.3 billion. Boroughs’ share of the revenue drops to $7.5 billion, a drop of $9.8 billion.

Stevens said he doesn’t expect the bill to advance from the Senate Finance Committee to a vote of the full Senate before noon Thursday, the penultimate day of the special session.

On Tuesday evening, the committee scheduled a hearing for Thursday afternoon.

Senate Finance co-chair Lyman Hoffman, D-Bethel, said noon Thursday is “probably the earliest” time a bill could advance from the Finance Committee to the full Senate.

That’s a challenging timeline, said Sen. Forrest Dunbar, D-Anchorage, because lawmakers outside the finance committee can’t begin writing proposed amendments until they see what the finance committee does with the bill.

Dunbar said he doesn’t think the bill does enough to guarantee that the state’s oil revenue — the No. 2 source of general-purpose money for services and the Permanent Fund dividend — would be held harmless if the pipeline is built.

“I think the current version of the bill does not protect Alaska’s financial interests enough to get to the floor,” he said.

Sen. Jesse Bjorkman, R-Nikiski, is a member of the majority and generally supports the House-passed bill but thinks it needs some technical changes. 

He’s not certain whether the majority will hold to the 11-vote rule. 

If the 11-vote rule becomes a permanent obstacle, legislators who support the tax break could try to bring the bill to the floor for a vote with procedural motions. That would involve members of the majority cooperating with the six Republican members of the Senate’s all-Republican minority coalition, which has generally been supportive of the House bill. 

If the bill advances to the floor and all six minority senators vote for the bill, only five majority senators would need to vote for it in order for it to pass.

Dunbar cautioned against that kind of maneuver, saying it could harm relationships between senators.

“It would make organizing another bipartisan majority less likely next year,” he said.

Gov. Mike Dunleavy has previously expressed support for Glenfarne’s positions. Thursday is the deadline for the governor to decide whether or not to veto several bills unassociated with the pipeline project.

Stevens declined to answer questions asking whether the governor’s actions on those bills could affect the majority’s decision on the pipeline project.

“Hopefully the governor’s getting the message that we want to see very few vetoes,” Stevens said.

The leaders of the House and Senate are tentatively planning a joint session on Friday morning to take up any veto overrides that lawmakers want to bring forward.

Sen. Scott Kawasaki, D-Fairbanks and a supporter of the pipeline, said no senator is explicitly saying that they will vote for the pipeline tax break if the governor allows their other bills to become law.

Still, there’s an implication in the Senate’s actions.

“Folks need to realize that if you want goodwill, you don’t veto everything that’s on the governor’s desk,” Kawasaki said.

By: Corinne Smith, Alaska Beacon

The Alaska Division of Elections announced Dan Sullivan of Petersburg is ineligible as a candidate for U.S. Senate and will be removed from the ballot. Officials said his filing was “for the purpose of confusing or misleading voters,” in a final decision issued on Monday.

Dan Sullivan, a retired teacher from Petersburg, filed to run as a Republican for the U.S. Senate in May, which drew immediate criticism and complaints from the Republican incumbent with the same name, U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan, and Republican groups. The Petersburg Sullivan has defended his campaign as genuine. 

The division’s ruling follows an investigation announced by Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom and a preliminary decision last week, citing two complaints by Republican groups, including the Alaska Republican Party, claiming Sullivan was ineligible. The complaints accused the Petersburg Sullivan of misrepresenting himself and intending to mislead voters to the benefit of the Democratic candidate, Mary Peltola. 

In a letter on Monday, Carol Beecher, the elections division director, agreed with the complaints.

“On review of the complaints and other information in the Division’s possession, I conclude that your declaration of candidacy was not properly filed with the Division,” she wrote. “Because it was not filed in order to declare an actual good-faith candidacy for the office of United States Senator, but was instead filed with a purpose to confuse or mislead and to thereby compromise the ballot’s fairness or neutrality.”

A spokesperson for the Division of Elections declined to comment on the ruling, explain the other information cited in the letter, or say if similar scrutiny would be applied to the other 14 candidates running for U.S. Senate. “Consistent with our standard practice, we do not discuss ongoing reviews, investigations, or related proceedings,” said Stephen Kirch, public relations manager with the division, by email on Monday. 

In the letter, Beecher cited the candidate’s filing under the name “Dan Sullivan” while his voter registration was under the name “Dan J. Sullivan, Jr.” as evidence of an attempt to mislead voters, calling it a “new nickname.” 

She said Sullivan had mistakenly requested his name appear on the ballot as “Dan S. Sullivan,” the same name as the incumbent. “Indeed, you yourself appeared to be confused when you initially emailed the Division asking to be listed on the ballot as “Dan S. Sullivan.” “S” is Senator Sullivan’s middle initial, not yours,” she said. 

She suggested he was seeking to confuse voters. Beecher raised the same issue with Sullivan registering as a Republican. 

In an interview with the Alaska Beacon last week, Sullivan from Petersburg said he was previously affiliated with the Alaska Independence Party. After it disbanded last year, he decided to register and file his candidacy as a Republican, saying he identified as an “old school” centrist Republican like his father and grandfather.  

Beecher acknowledged Sullivan had the right to change party affiliation under Alaska law, but rejected the filing as suspicious.

“Of course, under Alaska law, you are free to change your party affiliation. This said, that you chose to change your affiliation to the same political party — one you’d never affiliated with before — as the incumbent Senator immediately before filing a declaration of candidacy in which you asked to access the ballot under the same name – in a shortened form you’d never used before — as the incumbent Senator strongly suggests an intent to confuse yourself with the incumbent Senator rather than to distinguish yourself from him,” she wrote.

Beecher also said the Petersburg Sullivan’s campaign website and logo are similar to the incumbent’s, and said that appears to be “deliberate.” She cited a complaint by the National Republican Senatorial Committee, which works to elect Republicans, who accused the Petersburg Sullivan of working with a political consultant, Amber Lee, to misrepresent his campaign. Beecher did not name the consultant but said she was a “known longtime supporter of Democratic candidates.”

“This consultant’s work on your behalf is, in isolation, innocuous,” Beecher wrote. “Alongside the other facts I have catalogued in this letter, however, it suggests a determined effort and a deliberate attempt to use the similarity of your name to confuse Alaska voters in the upcoming primary election.”

Beecher said she had concluded that Sullivan had not filed in good faith and would be decertified from the election.

“I conclude that the preponderance of the evidence is that you chose this new nickname and party affiliation because that name and party affiliation happen to be the name and party affiliation of another candidate in the race,” she wrote.

The Petersburg Sullivan can appeal within 30 days or challenge the decision in Alaska Superior Court, according to the letter. 

He did not respond to calls on Monday about whether he plans to appeal and challenge the ruling.

In a social media post on Sunday that celebrated his 70th birthday ahead of the ruling, the Petersburg Sullivan questioned the premise of the state’s investigation and threats to disqualify him from the ballot.

“Should every American be allowed to run for any political office if they are qualified? Should a candidate’s chances of winning an election disqualify them from trying? Should a person’s given name be a qualifier to be on a ballot? To me it’s not complicated,” he wrote. “I met the qualification and I entered this race because I am unhappy with the 12 year record of the current Senator and I feel we need a change. It’s that simple.”

Members with the re-election campaign for Republican incumbent Sen. Sullivan praised the decision on Monday, thanking Dahlstrom, who oversees Alaska’s elections. 

“We thank Lieutenant Governor Dahlstrom for upholding that right and for ensuring Alaskans can choose their next senator without a sham candidate whose primary purpose was to confuse Alaskan voters, treat Alaskans with contempt, and rig the election for Peltola” said Billy Mackey, Senator Sullivan’s campaign manager, in an emailed statement. 

Alaska Sen. Forrest Dunbar, D-Anchorage, said in a social media post Monday he had requested a legal review of the division’s decision, saying the reasoning “appears extremely weak.” In another post, Dunbar pointed to U.S. House Rep. Nick Begich III filing for office in 2024 under the same name as his grandfather who also served in the U.S. House, “Nick Begich.”

“I urge folks to set aside their partisan biases and think about the precedent this sets if it is allowed to stand, the authoritarian power we would be handing incumbent administrations to decide who is or is not permitted to run against them or their allies,” Dunbar wrote. 

“This started out as sort of a funny curiosity (no offense to Dan J. Sullivan, whom I have never met or spoken to, and probably has good ideas for federal policy). But now the Department of Elections and Lieutenant Governor have made it much more serious — a question about whether or not fully qualified American citizens can appear on a ballot and exercise their First Amendment rights.”

By: Corinne Smith, Alaska Beacon

The Alaska lieutenant governor’s office, which oversees state elections, announced an investigation into the validity of a U.S. Senate candidate from Petersburg following complaints from Alaska’s incumbent senator with the same name, Dan Sullivan.

Dan J. Sullivan of Petersburg formally responded to the state’s challenge on Wednesday, calling it an affront to his rights. He maintains his candidacy for U.S. Senate is authentic, and said he’s running to challenge the Republican incumbent U.S. Sen. Dan S. Sullivan to represent Alaskans. 

On Monday Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom, a Republican, announced the investigation into the candidacy of Sullivan of Petersburg and sent him a list of questions to answer under sworn affidavit. She noted that false statements carry the penalty of perjury. She said the results of the investigation would determine whether he may appear on the August 18 primary ballot.

Republican incumbent Sen. Sullivan has served two terms in the U.S. Senate. The two Sullivans are among 16 candidates for the U.S. Senate for a six-year term. 

Sen. Sullivan has complained that Sullivan from Petersburg is a “sham candidate” and says his challenger is intentionally misleading voters to benefit a ranked-choice vote for Democratic candidate and former Alaska U.S. House Representative, Mary Peltola. The Alaska seat is the focus of both Republicans and Democrats nationally, as it could be key for Democrats to win back control of the U.S Senate this November. 

In a prepared statement announcing the investigation, Dahlstrom questioned Sullivan’s candidacy and said there are “credible allegations” that the Petersburg Sullivan filed to run with the same name and party affiliation as the incumbent “with the deliberate intent to confuse voters.”

Dahlstrom said the Alaska Division of Elections has a responsibility to protect the integrity of elections. “Serious allegations have been raised concerning this filing in the race for U.S. Senate, and the people of Alaska deserve a thorough and transparent investigation to ensure that the election is carried out properly and without deception,” she wrote. 

Dahlstrom and officials with her office declined interview requests on Tuesday and Wednesday. In response to a request that the lieutenant governor’s office explain the legal basis for Dahlstrom’s actions, her chief of staff said officials in the office were unable to comment because the issue remains under active investigation.

A spokesperson with the Alaska Division of Elections declined to comment, referring questions back to Dahlstrom’s office. A spokesperson for the state’s Department of Law declined to say which law Sullivan may have violated with his candidacy, citing the ongoing civil matter of the inquiry. The spokesperson pointed to Alaska criminal law regarding perjury — where the state must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that a person knowingly made a false sworn statement — which is a class B felony.

Dan J. Sullivan, a retired teacher and resident of Petersburg for nearly 50 years, announced his candidacy for the U.S. Senate on May 29, sparking national interest, questions, and criticism from the incumbent. He said he’s running to benefit Alaskans, that he was surprised at the incumbent’s criticisms and the state’s announcement, which he learned about via a text from a reporter on Monday evening. 

“My name is my name. The ballot belongs to the people and not to the incumbent,” he said in an interview Tuesday.

“Our names would be listed on the ballot different, our websites — I don’t look like the senator, he doesn’t look like me — they’re not identical,” he said. “I’m not sure how that would fool someone. If you went to my website and thought that I was the senator, that would be rather absurd.”

Dahlstrom gave Sullivan a deadline of noon on Wednesday to respond to a series of questions regarding his affiliation with the Republican Party, names he has used to register to vote, design decisions on his campaign website and logo and whether he has coordinated with the Democratic Party. 

Alaska Democratic Party executive director Jenny-Marie Stryker said by email Tuesday her organization “is in no way affiliated with either Dan Sullivan.” A spokesperson for the Peltola campaign did not respond to a request for comment.

Dahlstrom also asked Sullivan if he would object to his name appearing on the ballot at “Sullivan, Daniel James Jr. (non-incumbent)” and without a Republican party designation.

Sen. Sullivan’s campaign applauded the state’s action. “We welcome the Lieutenant Governor’s investigation and have full confidence the facts will speak for themselves. Alaskans deserve to know exactly how this candidacy came about — who recruited it, who’s paying for it, and who benefits from it. The answer to that last question is Mary Peltola,” said Sullivan’s campaign manager Billy Mackey, by email on Wednesday.

Sen. Sullivan and the National Republican Senatorial Committee, which works to elect Republicans to the U.S. Senate, have spoken out against the Petersburg Sullivan’s candidacy.  

It isn’t clear why the lieutenant governor is investigating Sullivan of Petersburg. Candidates in other races have had similar iconography and names. In 2022, Republican state House candidate Forrest Wolfe used iconography and advertising similar to that used by Democratic U.S. House candidate Forrest Dunbar, drawing complaints from progressives.

Two years ago, Democrats in some legislative races said they believed candidates registered as Democratic under false pretenses in order to take votes away from coalition-minded Republicans. No investigations took place at that time.

It also isn’t clear why Dahlstrom is suggesting a different listing on the ballot for Sullivan Petersburg. State regulation already prescribes what should happen if two identically named candidates appear on the same ballot. “For example, under the ‘S’ placement, ‘Smith, John A.’ will appear before ‘Smith, Walter W.’ and ‘Smith, John A.’ will appear before ‘Smith, John L.’,” it states.

Sullivan, from Petersburg, said he will continue to defend his candidacy, and submitted a strongly-worded letter responding to the Lt. Gov. on Wednesday. 

“The law forbids your office from denying me access to the ballot just because Senator Sullivan and the NRSC would prefer I not be allowed to run. This investigation by your office – and coordination of it with the press – is an unprecedented affront to my rights as a candidate and the rights of Alaska voters to select their own representation in the U.S. Senate,” he wrote.

In an interview Tuesday, he said he’s confident in Alaska voters, and doesn’t think the similar names will cause confusion. 

“I would hope that everyone who enters the voting booth knows who’s running for office and knows why they want to vote for someone,” he said. 

Sullivan said he was a life-long registered Independent, but since the Alaska Independence Party disbanded last year, he registered as a Republican. He said he considered himself a centrist, an old school Republican like his father and grandfather, and one who can work across party lines for the benefit of Alaskans, like U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowksi.

Sullivan said he’s seen quality of life decline in his home town of Petersburg, with a lack of improvements in ferries, healthcare, housing, schools and cost of living rising — and decided to run to attempt to improve those things for Alaskans. He said his name gives him an “instant megaphone” and said Sen. Sullivan is part of the problems he sees at home.

“He’s been there 12 years, and what do we have to show for it? And if we elect him again, that’s for another six more years, 18 years of stagnation. So that’s where I thought the problem was, and that’s where I figured I might as well make my stand,” he said.

He said he’s disappointed in the senator’s response and had expected Sullivan to run his incumbent campaign based on his own record and merits. 

“It’s really as simple as if there’s enough people out there that, you know, feel the same way as I do, they’re going to vote for me, and if there’re people who feel like the senator is doing a great job, then they’ll vote for him,” he said.

Mackey, campaign manager for Sen. Sullivan, said the candidate is entitled to his views. 

“Senator Sullivan is happy to debate his record of delivering for Alaska: record infrastructure investment, energy projects, and support for our fisheries and military communities — against anyone, anywhere in the state,” he said. “What Alaskans won’t tolerate is a scheme designed to confuse voters and manipulate the outcome of a Senate election. If this candidacy is as authentic as he claims, the investigation should be welcome news to him too.”

Sullivan from Petersburg said he’ll comply with the state’s investigation and continue to defend his candidacy. He said if the state decides he’s not qualified he can go back to fishing, but he’s going to stick with it as long as he can.

“I think it’s really important, not even just for me, but for future elections that they don’t limit people just because an incumbent senator is concerned that I’m going to eat into his vote count, that’s really absurd,” he said. “It kind of boggles my mind, so you know, we’ll see where it goes.”

James Brooks contributed to this story from Juneau.