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Alaska: Senate Passes Bipartisan Lands Package; Now Heads to House; Lands Package Includes Version of Alaska Native Veterans Land Allotment Equity Act - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), chairman of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, Ranking Member Senator Joe Manchin (D-W.VA), and ENR Committee member Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), led the Senate’s bipartisan approval of S. 47 the Natural Resources Management Act. The Senate passed the legislation Tuesday afternoon on a final vote of 92 to 8, and it will now head to the House of Representatives.

“The Senate’s overwhelming approval of this bipartisan lands package is a significant victory for Alaska and states across the country, particularly out west. From increasing access to federal lands for sportsmen, to creating new economic opportunities for local communities, and protecting Americans from natural hazards, our bill addresses a wide range of priorities important to many Americans,” Murkowski said. “I’m proud of the work we have done and hope this package can move quickly through the House and be signed into law.” 

Murkowski also spoke to the Alaska-specific provisions within the lands package.  

“This bill provides routing flexibility for our proposed natural gas pipeline. It creates new economic opportunities for communities like Kake and Utqia?vik. And it includes a provision that Sen. Sullivan and I have worked long on that will finally uphold our commitment to the Alaska Natives who served during the Vietnam War, but never received the land allotments promised to them by the federal government,” Murkowski said. 

U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-AK) praised the passage of S. 47, the National Resources Management Act, which included a version of Senator Sullivan’s Alaska Native Veterans Land Allotment Equity Act. This provision would allow several thousand Alaska Natives who served during the Vietnam-era to apply for their congressionally-promised Native allotment after they missed their initial opportunity to do so because of their service.

“For decades, a special group of Alaska veterans have suffered an injustice due to their service during the Vietnam War,” said Senator Sullivan. “My colleagues and I [Tuesday] took a significant step toward righting this wrong and ensuring Alaska Native vets have an opportunity to finally receive the land allotment they’ve previously been denied.

“The passage of this provision is the result of a broad team keeping the fire burning together, including Senator Murkowski, former Interior Secretary Zinke, and a number of Alaska Native vets who personally advocated for this legislative fix. I also want to thank Congressman Young for his commitment to getting this important land package and the modified allotment provision across the goal line in the House," said Sullivan.

The Alaska Native Veterans Land Allotment Equity provision resolves a number of issues that impaired the success of the Alaska Native Veterans Act of 1998. Importantly, it establishes a separate program to allow Alaska Native veterans who served during the Vietnam War era to apply for and receive an allotment of land in Alaska. The provision also provides a mechanism to identify lands that are available for selection and ensures that individuals will be able to use the land, including for subsistence. These changes will remedy inequities that Alaska Native Vietnam veterans have faced as a result of their service and unworkable federal laws that Congress previously passed to facilitate the allotments. 

Sandra Purohit, Government Relations Legislative Counsel, of Defenders of Wildlife in a prepared statement said, “We applaud the authorization of the Land and Water Conservation Fund and other important conservation advances,  however, the legislation passed in the Senate [Tuesday] also places at risk huge swaths of America’s public lands and resources in Alaska.”   - More...
Wednesday AM - February 13, 2019

Alaska: Shock Expressed Over Convicted Stalker Working in Alaska Legislature By MARY KAUFFMAN - Representative Sharon Jackson spoke out this week when she learned a convicted stalker was employed in the Alaska legislature. Jackson said, “I was shocked this week to learn that an individual who has plead guilty and was convicted of harassing and stalking women was hired not once, but twice, inside the Capitol Building this session."

Alaska Landmine reported Peter Paul Ferrero was convicted of stalking Bristol Palin, the daughter of former Gov. Sarah Palin in 2014 and is currently doing contract work for Democratic State Senator Tom Begich, who has known Ferrero since 2016. Begich's response to the Alaska Landmine on the hire of Ferrero was that he believes in second chances.

Ferraro was charged with two Class C felonies in 2017 after a probation violation.  He was also charged with assaulting police and trying to steal the sidearm of a law enforcement officer.

Over the last thirteen months, three elected Alaskan leaders have been forced to resign in separate scandals involving abuse of women. “This culture of placing power politics over the safety of women is utterly unacceptable, especially from those seeking to exercise leadership responsibilities over the Alaska Legislature. I intend to address this by requesting the Legislative Council take immediate action,” said Jackson.

Representative Jackson further stated, “As a woman Legislator, a mother, daughter, and sister, I’m committed to doing everything I can to ensure that we set the example and protect everyone from harassment and unwanted sexual advances in the workplace. I implore my colleagues to follow suit. I look forward to Legislative Leadership that puts the safety of all Alaskans as our top priority.”

Alaska leads the nation in sexual violence against women. The Alaska Department of Health and Social Services confirms that the rate of rape in Alaska is higher than in any other state being more than three times the national average. - More...
Wednesday AM - February 13, 2019

Alaska: Researchers study how wildfires affect fish habitats By LAUREN FRISCH - University of Alaska Fairbanks scientists will study links between wildfires and the health of fish habitats in Interior Alaska watersheds.

Wildfires are one of the main forms of natural disturbance to Alaska’s boreal forests. Over the past few decades, climate change has increased the frequency, severity and extent of wildfires in Interior Alaska. A research team from the UAF College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, led by Jeff Falke, wants to know what this means for the ability of ecosystems to recover from a wildfire.

“Here in Interior Alaska, where human impacts are relatively low compared to the rest of the United States, we have a great opportunity to study how natural fire processes impact streams, habitats and fish,” Falke said. In particular, Falke’s team wants to understand how increases in wildfire severity may impact boreal watersheds, which are important habitats for juvenile salmon in Alaska.

Wildfires can have positive and negative impacts on ecosystems. Periodic wildfires can be positive for an ecosystem by helping to maintain habitats. For example, by increasing woody debris flow into streams, fires can improve habitats for juvenile fish that often live in logjams.

But high-intensity fires may have more lasting impacts by wiping out more of the ecosystem, and these fires are becoming more common as ecosystems change. Understanding the impact fires have on different aspects of the ecosystem, and how different species recover from a fire, will help managers prioritize areas where fire suppression and habitat restoration may be needed. - More...
Wednesday AM - February 13, 2019

Alaska: Advocates for Medicaid Expansion Say Governor Legally Obligated to Accept Federal Funds - According to a non-partisan memorandum from the Division of Legal and Research Services, Representatives Tiffany Zulkosky (D-Bethel), Zack Fields (D-Anchorage), and Ivy Spohnholz (D-Anchorage) say Legal Services confirms that the Governor of Alaska is legally obligated to accept federal funding to cover the Medicaid expansion population in Alaska. The memo’s author Director Megan A. Wallace notes that the governor cannot simply eliminate funding for Medicaid expansion by refusing to receive federal funds. The memo goes on to stipulate that any restriction on how Medicaid funds are to be spent must be made by statute – not the budget. 

Although Governor Mike Dunleavy criticized the expansion in campaign appearances, citing concerns about the growing cost of health care and associated costs to the state to keep coverage going for a widening base of enrollees, Brett Huber, Dunleavy’s campaign manager, told Bloomberg Law in August of 2018, “We certainly aren’t running a campaign on the notion that Medicaid expansion ought to just be rolled back. We have the program in place now so we have to look at how do we go forward in the most constructive manner that’s going to use the dollars most wisely, promote the best outcomes and provide the necessary access to medical care that people need.”

“Expanding Medicaid access to Alaskans just barely above the poverty line was the right and moral thing to do, and it is the right thing for Governor Dunleavy to continue. Eligibility, cost, and access should not be barriers to advanced medical care that protects the life and limb of our friends and neighbors,” said Rep. Zulkosky. “The federal funding that Medicaid expansion brings to our state provides essential resources that help thousands of Alaskans remain in the workforce or to get back into it. Those dollars enable hospitals across the state to continue offering local, accessible, and compressive care. Hopefully, Governor Dunleavy will follow the advice of the legal and healthcare experts by keeping Medicaid expansion in place in Alaska. “

“Medicaid expansion is essential for our state’s efforts to control health care costs and fight crime by expanding addiction treatment. Medicaid expansion has reduced the cost of uncompensated care at hospitals, which saves money for Alaskans who are covered by private health insurance. Alaska’s leading business organizations advocated for Medicaid expansion based on a need to reduce uncompensated care and bring new investment to the state,” said Rep. Fields. 

“The evidence is clear that Medicaid expansion is good for Alaska, good for our economy, and Alaskans support it. If Governor Dunleavy wants to end Medicaid expansion, he needs to file a bill and convince lawmakers it’s the right thing to do. Medicaid expansion has insured 37,000 working Alaskans and has been a lifeline for our economy through the recession. A recent analysis found that eliminating Medicaid Expansion in Alaska would cost Alaska’s economy nearly 3,700 jobs, $267 million in annual labor income, and $556 million in annual total economic output under State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2018 conditions. That’s not a cost Alaskans should be willing to accept,” said Rep. Spohnholz.

Medicaid expansion in Alaska started in 2015 and has brought nearly $1 billion in federal investment to the state while ensuring 37,000 Alaskans have health insurance. Since expansion was implemented, health care is the only industry sector in Alaska that has consistently added jobs, moderating the impact of the ongoing recession brought on by low oil prices. 

The Alaska State Hospital and Nursing Home Association (ASHNHA) also commented on the new report. They assert repealing Medicaid Expansion would prolong the state’s recession, and cost thousands of jobs. 

The report, commissioned by ASHNHA and compiled by economist Jonathan King, estimates the effect of removing $420.1 million from the Alaska economy, the amount spent on Medicaid Expansion in State Fiscal Year 2018.  - More...
Wednesday AM - February 13, 2019

CHRISTINE FLOWERS: For This One Sentence, Trump Earns Praise - I was not expecting to give the president a standing ovation Tuesday night.

I have been a lukewarm supporter at best, and many conservatives have been angered by my occasional criticism. In some cases, as when I marched myself down to the airport to protest his Muslim ban, I've been a vocal critic. In others, as when he fired Jeff Sessions, I just shook my head at his poor judgment. I'm neither a #NeverTrumper nor afflicted with Trump Derangement Syndrome, classes of people who are milling around our country like the Walking Dead, filled with animus for the man. But you will never catch me in one of those red baseball caps, either.

So there was no expectation for me, especially after a destructive federal government shutdown, of passionate agreement on anything.

The beginning of his State of the Union last week went as I thought it would, eloquent phrases written by someone else, interspersed with moving personal stories embodied by the people invited as presidential guests. The image that touched me the most was of the octogenarian survivor of Dachau, saluting the nonagenarian veteran who had helped liberate the camp. I sobbed.

But then, out of the blue, Trump said this:

"To defend the dignity of every person, I am asking the Congress to pass legislation to prohibit the late-term abortion of children who can feel pain in the mother's womb. Let us work together to build a culture that cherishes innocent life. And let us reaffirm a fundamental truth: All children - born and unborn - are made in the holy image of God." - More...
Wednesday AM - February 13, 2019

CARL GOLDEN: The Green New Delusion - What began as a slow but steady drift to the left has become a headlong and dangerous stampede to the ideological fringe as many high-profile Democratic - including several presidential candidates - embrace multi-trillion-dollar government programs with no way to pay for them while currying favor with the party's vocal progressive wing and its demands for a vast new social welfare agenda.

The relatively small band of activists behind the drive to the left has coalesced around a manifesto called the "Green New Deal," an idea developed and promoted as a response to climate change, but which reaches well beyond weaning the nation off dependence on fossil fuels over the next decade.

While the plan with its bold and wide-ranging initiatives - government health care insurance for all, job and employee benefits guarantees, affordable housing, free higher education, among many other similar items - was designed to capture the imagination of the American people, its rollout was badly botched and embarrassing to those involved.

The presentation was so riddled with errors and conflicting points that its leaders spent days clarifying, correcting, explaining and engaging in damage control to restore credibility.

More harmful, though, was the depiction of the group as ill-prepared amateurs either unaware of the provisions of their own plan or baffled as to how to explain it. - More...
Wednesday AM - February 13, 2019

Political Cartoon: Green New Deal Pelosi and AOC
By Bart van Leeuwen ©2019, PoliticalCartoons.com
Distributed to paid subscribers for publication by Cagle Cartoons, Inc.