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Survey and workshops highlight resident priorities for Juneau’s future and they’re exactly what you think

NOTN-The results are in, residents in Juneau have been helping shape the capital city’s long-term future at “Juneau Futures” workshops and with a community survey.

“Juneau’s had Comprehensive Plans on the books for decades, since the 1900s, so it’s basically a big picture guide that helps us decide where and how to develop, usually, over the next 20 to 30 years.” Said Senior Planner Minta Montalbo, “I think it’s important to keep in mind that the Comprehensive Plan reflects community priorities, and it connects our values and goals with CBJ decision makers, with policies and actions. It’s like a reference point for decisions on how to best use our land and where to focus our resources.”

The effort is part of the “Our Juneau, Our Future” comprehensive plan update, which gathered input through 14 in-person workshops and an online survey aimed at guiding development in Juneau over the next 20 years.

The workshops asked residents 3 major questions, Where should Juneau grow? What does Juneau need to do to prepare for the future? And how should Juneau grow?

According to findings released by CBJ, participants outlined several approaches for where that growth should happen. Many supported investing in central areas like downtown Juneau and Lemon Creek.

Quotes in italics will be pulled directly from CBJ’s results.

Downtown Juneau and Lemon Creek were popular development areas with many participants expressing interest in building activity in and around central Juneau.

Others prioritized established neighborhoods such as the Mendenhall Valley, emphasizing investment near current residents.

Investments should focus on infill and areas with existing infrastructure.

Additional support emerged for developing multiple hubs, including Auke Bay, seen by some as an alternative community center, others pointed to North Douglas as a next step for expansion due to its available land.

North Douglas is the next logical step for development in the next 20 years, and then we can focus on West Douglas.

Across all responses, one issue stood out: housing.

Participants consistently identified it as the community’s top priority, even noting that “everything connects to housing.”

Housing was the most important issue for many participants. While
approaches differed, it is clear that Juneau needs more housing solutions.

Respondents also stressed the importance of protecting neighborhoods from natural hazards like flooding and avalanches, and called for diversifying Juneau’s economy beyond tourism.

“Folks are focused mainly on flooding and protecting the homes in the valley, but we’re also hearing renewed discussion about landslide dangers and avalanches, so we’re going to want to be looking at that in the new comp plan.” Montalbo said, “Not surprisingly, housing for all definitely remains a huge priority, and when we’re talking about housing, housing options that suit a variety of needs. And then I think the third biggest category is economic diversification. Again, not a new topic, but we’re hearing a lot of concern about trying to strengthen year round industries, and find a balanced approach to tourism. We want to recognize the economic contribution, but people are also asking that we care for Juneau’s unique small town characteristics at the same time.”

Once participants had decided how Juneau should grow, they were asked to see how their scenario would hold up against future conditions, such as potential increase or decrease in tourism, funding, and natural hazards.

Participants said they expect tourism to increase, while state and federal funding may decline and natural hazards may become more severe.

In workshop scenarios, residents adjusted their priorities accordingly, shifting resources toward housing, hazard mitigation, and economic resilience when faced with those challenges, notably when faced with a decrease in federal funds, participants primarily divested from Remote Area Infrastructure and Waterfront Development, viewing them as
non-essential “luxuries” without federal support.

According to the findings particpants felt, “no matter the strategy, growth should consider existing investment, current residents, housing needs, and hazard risk.”

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Alaska revenue forecast predicts more oil, but its importance to the state budget is declining

By: James Brooks, Alaska Beacon

The trans-Alaska pipeline, seen on Oct. 8, 2008, threads over snow-covered terrain in the Brook Range foothills. A gryfalcon is perched on one of the pipeline’s thermosphyons in the lower center of the photo. (Photo by Craig McCaa/U.S. Bureau of Land Management)

Though the state of Alaska is anticipating more oil production in the fiscal year that starts July 1, money from oil continues to make up a dwindling share of general-purpose state revenue, according to a forecast published Wednesday by the Alaska Department of Revenue.

The projection, one of two per year published by the department, was released in conjunction with Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s draft budget for fiscal year 2027. 

Altogether, the state expects to earn $6.2 billion in general-purpose dollars between July 1, 2026 and June 30, 2027, the next fiscal year. Officially known as “unrestricted general fund revenue,” it’s the section of the budget where lawmakers and governors focus most of their attention. 

Federal money and money designated for specific programs can sometimes be shifted around to different priorities, but not easily. General-fund dollars can (and are) assigned to different priorities each year. 

The forecast for next year’s unrestricted general fund revenue is higher by almost $260 million than the current year’s expectation, but most of that increase isn’t coming from oil.

Since 2018, an annual transfer from the Alaska Permanent Fund to the state treasury has been the No. 1 source of general-purpose dollars for services and the Permanent Fund dividend. 

That’s more true than ever, according to the state forecast. 

In the next fiscal year, just 23% of the state’s general-purpose revenue is expected to come from petroleum revenue — royalties, property taxes and production taxes.

The Permanent Fund transfer would account for almost 66% of the general-purpose money. 

That difference comes despite an expectation that oil production will rise significantly between this fiscal year and next — from an average of 457,000 barrels of oil per day to 517,800 per day on average.

According to the Alaska Department of Natural Resources, that’s due to the startup of production in the Pikka oil field and other new production on the North Slope.

Despite that new production, oil revenue is expected to rise only slightly — from $1.43 billion to $1.44 billion.

That’s because the state is expecting North Slope oil prices to average just $62 per barrel during the next fiscal year, down from $65.48 in the current fiscal year.

At the same time, the Permanent Fund transfer is rising by almost $200 million, causing oil to become a still-smaller share of state revenue.

Even though revenue is expected to rise between the current fiscal year and the next one, the projected deficit in Dunleavy’s proposed spending plan stands at more than $1.8 billion.

If oil revenue alone were needed to fill that deficit, average North Slope prices would have to be near $100 per barrel, or the state would have to produce more than 1.2 million barrels of oil per day during the next fiscal year, an amount that is geologically, economically and mechanically unfeasible. The state hasn’t posted an annual average of over 1 million barrels of North Slope oil per day since the turn of the century.

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Disasters, dividends and deficit: Alaska governor unveils first-draft state budget

By: James Brooks, Alaska Beacon

Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy holds during a news conference on Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024, in Juneau, Alaska. (AP Photo/Becky Bohrer)
Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy holds during a news conference on Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024, in Juneau, Alaska. (AP Photo/Becky Bohrer)

Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy is proposing to spend more than $1.8 billion from the state’s principal savings account to balance a first-draft spending plan that would cover Alaska’s response to recent disasters, the state’s annual expenses in the next fiscal year, and a 2026 Permanent Fund dividend worth about $3,800 per recipient.

The governor unveiled his plan Thursday, ahead of the Dec. 15 deadline to submit a first-draft state budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1, 2026. 

The governor’s $7.75 billion draft budget is similar to what he proposed last year, but this year’s proposal also includes a substantial supplemental budget intended to compensate for unforeseen costs in the current state budget. 

That supplemental budget includes a large amount of transportation spending caught in a dispute with the Alaska State Legislature, and an additional $40 million for the state’s disaster response fund, a figure that could rise if President Donald Trump fails to approve a 100% reimbursement rate for the Typhoon Halong disaster requested by the state.

Thursday’s proposals won’t become final unless approved by the Legislature, and legislators have revised each of Dunleavy’s prior budget proposals before they became law.

Alongside his annual budget proposal, the governor unveiled a draft 10-year plan that appears to call for billions of dollars in tax increases to avoid deficits in future years.

Alaska has no statewide personal income tax or sales tax; more than 60% of general-purpose revenue comes from an annual transfer from the Alaska Permanent Fund, and about 30% generally comes from oil.

The long-term plan published by the governor’s Office of Management and Budget is required by state law, and both Dunleavy and previous governors have used prior plans to demonstrate their ideas.

Dunleavy did not hold a news conference to answer questions about his plan on Thursday, but members of the governor’s administration said he intends to unveil his long-term approach in January, before state legislators open their regular session in Juneau.

“As many of you know,” the governor said in a prerecorded video released Thursday, “oil prices are down … that negatively impacts our budget, and so we will have to fund the budget from savings this year. We all understand that spending from savings and spending the PFD is not a sustainable way to support a budget.”

Dunleavy, who is term-limited and unable to run for governor again, is entering his final year in office. Elected in 2018, he has proposed a variety of ideas each year but has thus far been unable to garner sufficient legislative support for them.

Simultaneously, he has vetoed incremental legislation to address the state’s fiscal problems, most recently with a bill that would have shifted tax revenue from other states to Alaska.

On Thursday, legislators said they were skeptical but hopeful that 2026 might bring a different result to the perennial debates over how to balance the state’s budget in the long term. “It’s probably doubtful,” said Sen. Mike Cronk, R-Tok and a member of the Senate Finance Committee. “But I’m going to stay on the hopeful side, because I know that’s really where we need to be. I’m always going to think that other people will finally say, ‘enough’s enough.’”

In all but one year during his time in office, Dunleavy has proposed a dividend paid under a disregarded but still-on-the-books formula that dates from the 1980s. 

In 2017, the Alaska Supreme Court ruled that lawmakers may ignore that formula because it is not in the state Constitution. Since then, legislators have typically reduced the dividend to what is payable without spending from savings. 

Entering his last year in office, Dunleavy is proposing to spend $2.4 billion on the dividend. Divided among 624,000 recipients — the number of eligible Alaskans in recent years — that’s roughly $3,800 per person.

Dunleavy proposed a similar dividend last year; legislators ultimately approved a $1,000 PFD that could be paid without spending from savings.

Rep. Andy Josephson, D-Anchorage and co-chair of the House Finance Committee, said that at first glance, the governor’s proposal is “very much a status quo budget” when it comes to state services, albeit with some changes.

The governor plans funding for a separate Alaska Department of Agriculture, though the creation of that department has been challenged in court by the Legislature.

Funding for the Alaska Department of Corrections is up by 3%, while funding for the state’s Medicaid program is down. No money has been earmarked for the state program that pays for major maintenance and renovations at schools, and funding for public school operations is flat.

Dunleavy is proposing to refill the state’s higher education investment fund — used to pay for college scholarships — after it was drained last year during a budget dispute with the Legislature.

At the same time, the Alaska Department of Revenue is forecasting lower oil revenue due to a declining price forecast. The state Department of Natural Resources expects higher production in fiscal year 2027, but it isn’t enough to fully offset the lower prices.

To balance the budget despite the expected decrease in oil revenue, the governor is proposing to spend from the Constitutional Budget Reserve, which is the state’s principal savings account and contained about $3 billion as of Thursday.

Between supplemental spending and the upcoming fiscal year 2027 budget, Dunleavy is proposing to spend over $1.8 billion from the reserve.

Taking money from the reserve requires three-quarters of the House and three-quarters of the Senate to agree.

In previous years, that’s been a difficult task: The House and Senate are each controlled by coalitions that have taken a skeptical and at times critical view of many of the governor’s policies.

Sen. Lyman Hoffman, D-Bethel and co-chair of the Senate Finance Committee, said on Thursday that the Senate Majority’s position is that the reserve should never be used for recurring expenses.

One-time expenses, like refilling the disaster response fund and the higher education investment fund could be acceptable, he said.

House Minority Leader DeLena Johnson, R-Palmer, said it’s too early to say what members of the 19-person, all-Republican House Minority caucus might want in exchange for voting to spend from the budget reserve.

“That’s still unfolding,” she said.

She also cautioned that the governor’s proposal is just a first draft and that it could change significantly before lawmakers convene in January. If oil prices or production fall below what’s forecast, the state might need to spend more from savings.

If additional disasters occur, that might mean another draw from savings.

“We’re just looking at the very beginning, but it’s not going to get better,” she said. “It’s just going to get worse, most likely.”

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Juneau Assembly to compile list of priorities for funding, asking for input

NOTN- Juneau Mayor Beth Weldon says Assembly members are finalizing their annual list of priorities, steps taken to determine which city projects will be forwarded to state lawmakers and Alaska’s congressional delegation for potential funding.

“We won’t have a meeting on Monday. It’s our homework, so we have to have it due in by Monday. And all we do is, we look at all of our different projects, capital projects that we want to send before the legislature that will help with the congressionally directed spending.” Weldon Said, “this does not mean that this is necessarily ranking order of our preference of the projects. It’s more of a order of preference on whether we think we’re going to get money or not for it.”

Among the projects the city is submitting this year are a new Solid waste transfer station covering both design and construction, Gold Creek flood control rehabilitation, Glacial outburst flood response, the North Douglas crossing, Mendenhall wastewater treatment upgrades, Bartlett Regional Hospital emergency department renovations and Peterson Hill housing development.

Weldon said each Assembly member ranks the projects individually, and staff compile the results into a final list, which will return to the full Assembly, likely in December, for approval before being sent to the Legislature.

“If your project’s not on our list, it doesn’t mean that we’re not trying to do that project. It just means this particular time, we don’t think we’re going to either get state or federal money.” Weldon said.

Weldon encouraged residents to share their thoughts on the list once its been published.

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Juneau’s Sales Tax changes will take effect tomorrow

NOTN- Juneau residents will soon see changes at the checkout counter as the city moves to implement Proposition 2, which exempts food and utilities from sales tax starting November 20.

Barr said the goal is to make the transition “as seamless as possible” for both residents and businesses.

“Residents won’t have to do anything. You just simply won’t see sales tax on your receipts or your bills for food and utilities.” He said.

The measure, approved by voters earlier this year, eliminates the city’s 5% sales tax on groceries and household utilities. Barr said some exceptions apply, “There’s a couple of exceptions for utilities that you buy in person, like wood or wood pellets or the retail purchase of fuel. For those specific exemptions folks will have to come downtown or go online and get a card number from us, because, while food is exempt for everyone, utilities aren’t.” said Barr.

He said most utility vendors already have systems in place to differentiate between the two.

Proposition 2 defines “essential utilities” as those sold to individuals for non-commercial use within the City and Borough of Juneau. This includes the sale of electricity, heating fuel, water and wastewater service, refuse and recycling collection at a City and Borough of Juneau resident’s principal place of abode, and the non-commercial use of landfill facilities by CBJ residents.  

CBJ released an official statement that clarifies some concerns on extra steps; Because most, if not all, utilities already designate commercial and residential rates for billing purposes, and to ensure that the intent of the ballot sponsors and the will of the voters is honored, CBJ is working with utilities to utilize their definition of residential and commercial while maintaining the intent of the ballot initiative. CBJ also provided definitions for guidance where utilities do not already designate rates as commercial or residential.  

In practice, this means that residents are not required to obtain an exemption number or card to receive the exemption for billed utility use (electricity, water, etc.). However, residents may choose to apply for an exemption card if they intend to make retail purchases of eligible essential utilities (wood pellets, propane, etc.). If residents believe they are mistakenly designated as commercial by billed utilities, they may also apply for a utility sales tax exemption card and submit their exemption card to the utility to receive the exemption. Essential utilities exemption card application details will be available at juneau.org/finance/sales-tax and at the CBJ Sales Tax Office prior to the November 20 enactment date.  

CBJ is working with utility providers on the implementation process. It may take time for providers to apply the new exemptions to their many thousands of accountholders. 

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Juneau Assembly confronts budget shortfall after tax exemptions pass

NOTN- The City and Borough of Juneau’s Assembly began early budget discussions on Wednesday, bracing for a projected $6 million loss following the passage of two ballot measures exempting food and utilities from local sales tax.

Finance Committee Chair Christine Woll said the Assembly convened sooner than usual, typically, the city begins its budget process in December to address the significant fiscal impact of the new exemptions, which take effect next month.

“When food and utilities become tax exempt for residents here next month that will, impact the amount of money the city is taking in.” Woll said, “And essentially the high-level message coming out of that meeting was the assembly wants to use those extra savings we ended up with at the end of last year to take our time, to really look at our whole city budget with the public and talk about what priorities we have before making any large cuts.”

Still, Woll said city departments have been directed to “tighten spending” and pause new projects until the Assembly determines long-term strategies to balance the budget.

“You won’t be seeing the pool hours changing, or any of our facilities being shut down immediately.” Said Woll, “As we think towards next year, we will see significant service reductions, and we don’t want to make those decisions too early before getting a lot of input from our community. But you know, in anticipation of some big cuts, we asked our city manager to be pretty conservative.”

Woll added that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers fully fund Phase Two of the HESCO barrier flood protection project helped to relieve financial pressure, but doesn’t have any impact on the city’s budget.

“We really didn’t have funding in place for it, and so it was going to be very complicated, especially with the ballot initiative passing, that had really tied our hands.” she said, “Unfortunately, because it wasn’t in our budget, it doesn’t replace any funding. It doesn’t give us more funding, but it does mean that we can move forward with a project that otherwise I’m not sure we were going to be able to do.”

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The number of debt collection cases in Alaska state courts is soaring, following national trends

By: James Brooks, Alaska Beacon

100 US dollars. Macro photo of banknotes of money in the US currency one hundred dollars.

Every morning, Alaska’s court system publishes an updated list of new civil lawsuits filed across the state during the past week.

And every morning, that list is dominated by debt collection cases, newly filed by credit card companies, debt collection firms or businesses seeking repayment. On Tuesday, of the 115 listed cases, 84 were for debt collections.

In the first nine months of 2022, the court system saw 1,869 debt collection cases filed. Every year since then, the number has risen. Through the first nine months of this year, there were 3,447, almost double the figure filed in 2022. 

“It’s pretty wild, the rise of them,” said attorney Stacey Stone, who practices in Alaska and is familiar with the issue.

Alaska isn’t alone in the upward trend — nationally, the number of collection lawsuits is rising after an ebb during the COVID-19 pandemic emergency.

January Advisors, a national data consulting firm that noted the rising trend in August, concluded that multiple factors may be driving it.

During the COVID-19 emergency, many Americans received financial aid that helped them pay down debt and build savings. Those programs have now ended, and American consumer debt is now at record highs, according to figures published by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

The number of people who are behind on their credit card payments is also on the rise, the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis reported earlier this year, and the number of car repossessions is rising.

Automated software programs also are making it easier for companies to more easily file large numbers of debt collection cases.

In June, the National Center on State Courts concluded that easier access to generative AI software is likely to increase filings in contract cases, like debt collections. 

Typically, a credit card company or medical provider will try first to get payment on an overdue bill directly. But if a bill still goes unpaid, many companies will deem the debt uncollectable. At that point, they sell the rights to the debt to a collections company.

The sale means the company with the unpaid bill will get at least some money, and then it becomes the collections company’s job to try to recoup the debt and earn money for itself.

Court filings in Alaska and elsewhere indicate that debt collection companies are filing more cases in an attempt to collect on the unpaid debts they’ve bought. 

Two researchers with Pew Research Center, in a September analysis, said that can have significant consequences for regular people.

People who are sued for consumer or medical debt rarely hire attorneys, they noted, and in many cases, people may not even be aware that they are being sued.

The Debt Collection Lab — a research group that includes Princeton University — found that in Oregon, private collection agencies filed the bulk of lawsuits on behalf of credit card companies, health care providers and utilities.

Only four percent of debt defendants responded to the cases filed against them, and as a result, Oregon courts awarded default judgments in favor of the debt collectors in almost seven of 10 debt cases filed between 2017 and 2023. 

Data on the result of Alaska cases was not immediately available, but a preliminary examination of court dockets and filing patterns by the Alaska Beacon shows that the trends in Alaska are similar to those in other states.

A frequent filer in Alaska courts, a national debt-buying company called LVNV Funding, increased its filings by 350% in a handful of states between 2019 and 2024, January Advisors found. 

In Connecticut, the top 10 most frequent filers in debt cases accounted for more than 80% of all debt cases filed in that state last year, January Advisors found, indicating that the most frequent filers are stepping up their aggressiveness.

“More people are defaulting on their debt right now because people are living paycheck to paycheck for various reasons, so I think you do have an organic process happening, but also there’s an aggressive process happening that’s uncharacteristic,” Stone said.

In Alaska, even a state representative has faced a debt-collection lawsuit whose details appear typical of the kinds of cases being filed here.

On Oct. 27, a debt collection firm known as Jefferson Capital Systems filed suit in Anchorage District Court against Rep. Jamie Allard, R-Eagle River.

According to the complaint, Allard took out a loan from Celtic Bank in 2023 and didn’t fully repay it. Celtic Bank subsequently transferred the debt — just $1,075 — to Jefferson Capital, which filed the lawsuit. 

The attorney who filed the lawsuit didn’t respond to a request for comment.

Allard didn’t know about the suit until she was contacted by the Alaska Beacon, which was already writing this article.

“Oh my God; I had no idea what this was about,” she said.

Stone is Allard’s attorney and said cases like these seem to come out of left field. She said they tend to be filed in bulk, and as a result, they may be inaccurate, especially when a case is filed by a third-party firm that has purchased debt from another source.

Allard has an attorney; most Alaskans named as defendants in a debt-collection case don’t have that, according to a review of online court records. 

Unlike in criminal cases, the state is not required to assign someone an attorney.

In most instances, that leaves the defendant to represent themselves or to seek help from a group like the Alaska Legal Services Corporation, a nonprofit that provides legal help to many Alaskans in civil lawsuits.

Maggie Humm, the corporation’s director, said it doesn’t have enough funding to take on every request for help that it receives, but it is seeing a surge in the number of requests for help on debt collection cases.

From 2022 through 2024, “there was a 61% increase in applications for all consumer protection matters,” which includes debt collections, said Humm.

Though the group hasn’t closed out this year, Humm said the number of people seeking help is about the same as last year.

If an Alaskan doesn’t respond to a debt collection lawsuit and a court issues a default judgment on behalf of a debt collection agency, a judge could order the garnishment of part of their income.

“Here in Alaska, we know that collectors file more cases because we have the Permanent Fund dividend … and they can garnish a percentage of it if they get a default judgment,” Humm said.

A court order also might allow a debt collector to go after someone’s checking account, other assets or — in the case of a member of the military — their military pay.

Humm said Alaskans who receive a legal complaint for debt collection should do their best to respond. She suggested they ask for help from the corporation, or get other help via online resources.

In September, the New York Times analyzed the surge of debt collection lawsuits and noted that part of the reason for the surge is that people don’t bother to defend themselves in court. 

A court defense may make someone less attractive as a target, the Times found, and if more people defended themselves, debt collectors might begin seeing lawsuits as an unprofitable way to do business.

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Government shutdown on track to become the longest ever

AP- The government shutdown is poised to become the longest ever this week as the impasse between Democrats and Republicans has dragged into a new month. Millions of people stand to lose food aid benefits, health care subsidies are set to expire and there are few real talks between the parties over how to end it.

President Donald Trump said in an interview that aired Sunday that he “won’t be extorted” by Democrats who are demanding negotiations to extend the expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies. Echoing congressional Republicans, the president said on CBS’ “60 Minutes” he’ll negotiate only when the government is reopened.

Trump said Democrats “have lost their way” and predicted they’ll capitulate to Republicans.

“I think they have to,” Trump said. “And if they don’t vote, it’s their problem.”

Trump’s comments signal the shutdown could drag on for some time as federal workers, including air traffic controllers, are set to miss additional paychecks and there’s uncertainty over whether 42 million Americans who receive federal food aid will be able to access the assistance. Senate Democrats have voted 13 times against reopening the government, insisting they need Trump and Republicans to negotiate with them first.

The president also reiterated his pleas to Republican leaders to change Senate rules and scrap the filibuster. Senate Republicans have repeatedly rejected that idea since Trump’s first term, arguing the rule requiring 60 votes to overcome any objections in the Senate is vital to the institution and has allowed them to stop Democratic policies when they’re in the minority.

Trump said that’s true, but “we’re here right now.”

“Republicans have to get tougher,” Trump told CBS. “If we end the filibuster, we can do exactly what we want.”

With the two parties at a standstill, the shutdown, now in its 34th day and approaching its sixth week, appears likely to become the longest in history. The previous record was set in 2019, when Trump demanded Congress give him money for a U.S.-Mexico border wall.

A potentially decisive week

Trump’s push on the filibuster could prove a distraction for Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and Republican senators who’ve opted instead to stay the course as the consequences of the shutdown become more acute.

Republicans are hoping at least some Democrats will eventually switch their votes as moderates have been in weekslong talks with rank-and-file Republicans about potential compromises that could guarantee votes on health care in exchange for reopening the government. Republicans need five additional Democrats to pass their bill.

Thune told reporters Monday that he was “optimistic” that the Senate could vote to reopen the government by the end of the week.

But he also added, “If we don’t start seeing some progress or some evidence of that by at least the middle of this week, it’s hard to see how we would finish anything by the end of the week.”

Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine, a Democrat, said on ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday there’s a group of people talking about ”a path to fix the health care debacle” and a commitment from Republicans not to fire more federal workers. But it’s unclear if those talks could produce a meaningful compromise.

Far apart on health care subsidies

Trump said in the “60 Minutes” interview that the Affordable Care Act — often known as Obamacare because it was signed and championed by then-President Barack Obama — is “terrible” and if the Democrats vote to reopen the government, “we will work on fixing the bad health care that we have right now.”

Democrats feel differently, arguing that the marketplaces set up by the ACA are working as record numbers of Americans have signed up for the coverage. But they want to extend subsidies first enacted during the COVID-19 pandemic so premiums won’t go up for millions of people on Jan. 1.

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said last week that “we want to sit down with Thune, with (House Speaker Mike) Johnson, with Trump, and negotiate a way to address this horrible health care crisis.”

No appetite for bipartisanship

As Democrats have pushed Trump and Republicans to negotiate, Trump has showed little interest in doing so. He called for an end to the Senate filibuster after a trip to Asia while the government was shut down.

White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said on Fox News Channel’s “Sunday Morning Futures” that the president has spoken directly to Thune and Johnson about the filibuster. But a spokesman for Thune said Friday that his position hasn’t changed, and Johnson said Sunday that he believes the filibuster has traditionally been a “safeguard” from far-left policies.

Trump said on “60 Minutes” that he likes Thune but “I disagree with him on this point.”

The president has spent much of the shutdown mocking Democrats, posting videos of House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries in a Mexican sombrero. The White House website is now featuring a satirical “My Space” page for Democrats, a parody based on the social media site that was popular in the early 2000s. “We just love playing politics with people’s livelihoods,” the page reads.

Democrats have repeatedly said that they need Trump to get serious and weigh in. Virginia Sen. Mark Warner said that he hopes the shutdown could end “this week” because Trump is back in Washington.

Republicans “can’t move on anything without a Trump sign off,” Warner said on “Face the Nation” on CBS.

Record-breaking shutdown

The 35-day shutdown that lasted from December 2018 to January 2019 ended when Trump retreated from his demands over a border wall. That came amid intensifying delays at the nation’s airports and multiple missed paydays for hundreds of thousands of federal workers.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said on ABC’s “This Week” that there have already been delays at several airports “and it’s only going to get worse.”

Many of the workers are “confronted with a decision,” he said. “Do I put food on my kids’ table, do I put gas in the car, do I pay my rent or do I go to work and not get paid?”

As flight delays around the country increased, New York City’s emergency management department posted on Sunday that Newark Airport was under a ground delay because of “staffing shortages in the control tower” and that they were limiting arrivals to the airport.

“The average delay is about 2 hours, and some flights are more than 3 hours late,” the account posted.

SNAP crisis

Also in the crossfire are the 42 million Americans who receive SNAP benefits. The Department of Agriculture planned to withhold $8 billion needed for payments to the food program starting on Saturday until two federal judges ordered the administration to fund it.

The Trump administration indicated in court Monday that it will only partially fund SNAP this month by using a $4.65 billion emergency fund. That left the program in uncertainty with no clear indication of how much beneficiaries will receive or when their cards will be loaded to buy groceries.

House Democratic leader Jeffries, D-N.Y., accused Trump and Republicans of attempting to “weaponize hunger.” He said that the administration has managed to find ways for funding other priorities during the shutdown, but is slow-walking pushing out SNAP benefits despite the court orders.

“But somehow they can’t find money to make sure that Americans don’t go hungry,” Jeffries said in an appearance on CNN’s “State of the Union.”

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City considers legislative passenger limits and new tourism task Force

NOTN- The Juneau Assembly is considering new ways to manage the city’s visitor industry, which saw an increase this summer, including the possibility of formal passenger limits on cruise ship arrivals.

At Monday night’s Committee of the Whole meeting, officials discussed formalizing mooring agreements for docks and potentially advancing caps on visitor numbers, moving beyond current memorandums of agreement with the industry and making it official legislation.

“We will be looking at supporting the community’s ability to assess and manage growth.” Mayor Beth Weldon said Monday morning.

Mayor Weldon also said the Assembly introduced a new Visitor Industry Task Force that will pick up where the previous group left off.

“The task force will basically take up where the last one dropped off, and also continue to look at managing community impacts with infrastructure. And if that’s working well or not.” she said, noting that whale-watching will be a particular focus.

More than 1.7 million cruise visitors arrived in Juneau this season, according to city data.

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Governor declares state disaster to ensure food security

The State Office Building in Juneau is seen on Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025. (Photo by James Brooks/Alaska Beacon)
The State Office Building in Juneau is seen on Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025. (Photo by James Brooks/Alaska Beacon)

NOTN-Alaskans who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP or food stamps, did not receive their November benefits as scheduled Saturday.

In a social media post Friday afternoon, President Trump said he would ask the courts for additional guidance before releasing SNAP funds to states.

Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy issued a state disaster to ensure food security, this 30 day declaration will allow the state to work with the federal contractor that manages SNAP benefits, loading funds onto EBT cards weekly instead of monthly so families can continue to buy food.

The Department of Health will also coordinate with food banks to fill any gaps in aid. The full declaration can be found below.

November 3, 2025 (Anchorage, AK) — Governor Mike Dunleavy has issued a state disaster declaration to deal with the food security issue as a result of inaction on the federal budget in Washington D.C. The Governor will declare a 30 day disaster declaration that ensures food security in two ways for the thousands of Alaskan households that utilize Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.   The Dunleavy Administration will work with the federal contractor responsible for loading EBT cards to deposit benefits on a weekly schedule. This ensures Alaskans will not struggle to put food on the table during the shutdown The Alaska Department of Health will begin discussions with food banks and work with them to ensure the resources are available to assist Alaskans that may otherwise fall between the cracks   The Governor has been meeting with Speaker Edgmon and President Stevens to ensure the process for Legislative concurrence is expedited. Those discussions have gone well and demonstrate that the executive and legislative branches work well when Alaskans are in need.   “I want to thank Speaker Bryce Edgmon and President Gary Stevens for working with me the past few days to craft an approach to deal with this issue,“ said Governor Mike Dunleavy.   “I’m grateful and deeply relieved that help will reach Alaskans in need without further delay,” said House Speaker Bryce Edgmon (I-Dillingham). “I want to thank the Governor and Senate President for acting swiftly and working together to make this happen.”   “Alaskans shouldn’t have to worry about how they’ll feed their families because of a federal stalemate,” said President Gary Stevens (R-Kodiak). “I appreciate and support the Governor’s declaration to ensure that Alaskans are not left behind because of inaction in Washington, D.C. Congress must reconcile their differences and act quickly so Alaskans, and all Americans, can continue to have the support and stability to care for their families.”   The disaster declaration will last no longer than 30 days or as soon as the federal government reopens.   Click here for a copy of the disaster declaration and the legislative notification.

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