~Senate President Gary Stevens (R-Kodiak) Yesterday, Senate President Gary Stevens (R) spoke to Commonwealth North at the Captain Cook Hotel in Anchorage about a variety of issues facing the Legislature in its upcoming Session, including HB 110 (also known as Governor Captain Zero’s oil tax plan). Below, you will find a copy of his prepared [...]

      Several dozen protesters showed up yesterday at noon at the Legislative Offices in downtown Anchorage to show their support for Senate Bill 5 which would restore the level of inclusion in the Denali Kid Care program (SCHIP) to where it was in 2003. Last session, a bill was introduced that would have [...]

Former director of government relations in Alaska for ConocoPhillips, Sean Parnell made an announcement on Tuesday. Some of you may know him by his other job working for the lobbying firm that represented ExxonMobil against Alaskans in the matter of a little oil spill that happened in Prince William Sound. Some of you may also [...]

~Shiny new oil rigs bound for Prudhoe Bay, Alaska If you listen to the oil companies, their lobbyists, and the cadre of legislators and elected officials they’ve purchased over the years, you’d think it’s the end of the world. They run in circles, hair on fire, rending garments, pounding their own foreheads with their palms [...]

The past two budgets have included $84 million for a bridge…to somewhere in Alaska. Senators Wielechowski and French have written a letter to the Alaska Railroad with some concerns. ANCHORAGE- Today, Senators Bill Wielechowski and Hollis French are calling on Alaska Railroad officials to ensure steel products made only in America are used to build [...]

I was in an Anchorage Assembly meeting a few weeks ago, and the question came before the body – Should synthetic cannabinoids be illegal? I had never heard of “synthetic cannabinoids” and thought that this sounded like some kind of manufactured drug that had the same effect as marijuana. After a few questions, I found [...]

By Zach Roberts Special note: This is a message to Sarah, that I sent to her via Facebook. Alaskans will get all the places, some of the references and some of the names. If you don’t get them, give it a Google, or read TheMudFlats.net (why aren’t you reading it already? What’re you a member [...]

(UPDATE:  Another opportunity to “brave the rain” today is by attending the “Town Hall Meeting on Crime.” Put on by the East Anchorage Legislators and Assemblymembers, I’ll be attending to here answers directly from Anchorage Police Chief Mew.  Please be at East High Commons by 7:00 pm!) Those Alaskans prone to a more cynical outlook might say that [...]

Governor Sean Parnell, who has framed himself as an advocate for women and children, last week vetoed a bipartisan bill passed by the Alaska Legislature that would have provided health care for 1300 Alaskan children and prenatal care to more than 200 pregnant Alaskan women. These, most vulnerable Alaskans are those that fall between 175% [...]

By John Aronno Alaska Commons Friday night, in Kodiak, hosted a Chamber of Commerce sponsored gubernatorial debate centered around fishing and the Sea Food industry in Alaska; an industry that is second only to oil, in terms of revenues, and is the largest private sector employee in the state. Alaska is quickly separating herself, as [...]

UPDATE:  According to this bill tracking page, the meeting is delayed. We have less than 36 hours until the end of session.  I realize I sound like a telethon, but “call now”. Alaska was taken off guard with the recent Supreme Court decision Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission. Corporations now have “freedom of speech” [...]

OK, Juneau… Are you ready to rally? Remember how much fun you had last fall standing in the rain with your fellow rational humans protesting the nomination of Sarah Palin to become our Vice President?  The surest cure for frustration is to get out and do something, so here’s your chance to howl a bit [...]

  Isn’t it pretty?  Those stupid gold stars were getting to be a drag.  We need something that will more accurately represent the spirit of Alaska – its raison d’etre.   Nobody comes here to look at the stinkin’ Big Dipper, right?  Puh-leez.  How many people do you know who have good paying jobs lying [...]

Pages 153-164 AGIA and ACES (Alaska Gasline Inducement Act and Alaska’s Clear and Equitable Share) I’m going to let this one lie, because you could basically write a book about it all on its own. It’s particular to Alaska, and it’s wonky. Good people fall on both sides of this issue. Some people I know [...]

~(L-R)  EthaBerkowitz, Hollis French, Bob Poe I listened yesterday to Bob Poe on “Studio 1080″ on KUDO 1080am, and then I listened to Ethan Berkowitz on Dan Fagan’s show on KFQD 750am. Then Sean Parnell announced his plan for a huge scholarship program. Then Rob Rosenfeld stepped out of the race. I’m getting all kinds [...]