Discover and read the best of Twitter Threads about #akgov

Dermot Cole

@DermotMCole

1. Andrew Jensen’s two jobs for @GovDunleavy, as a paid government communicator and a “volunteer” campaign communicator, are in conflict. Where does one job stop and the other begin? Jensen claims there is no problem. What we have here is failure to communicate. #akleg #akgov

2. A larger pattern is the lack of a dividing line between state jobs and the Dunleavy campaign.
The deputy treasurers of the Dunleavy campaign include state employees Brett Huber, Jill Schaefer and Tyson Gallagher. Jordan Shilling is a former state employee.

3. Dunleavy has been campaigning for months with state money, recognizing no line between his state job and his campaign. #akleg #akgov
dermotcole.com/reportingfroma…

Read 3 tweets

Dermot Cole

@DermotMCole

1. In a back-of-the-envelope atmosphere near the end of its meeting Monday, the state retirement board approved a 1-year cut to contributions to the health care portion of the state pension systems. #akleg #akgov

2. I missed the importance of this 1-year cut when it took place. I went back and listened to the recording again today. The board cut FY 23 health care payments to zero on grounds that the system is overfunded. This gives Dunleavy what he wanted in a different manner. #akgov

3. The cut appears to be on the order of $88 million. The two Dunleavy commissioners on the board—Lucinda Mahoney and Paula Vrana—provided the deciding yes votes. #akleg #akgov

Read 4 tweets

Matt Acuña Buxton

@mattbuxton

Dunleavy: "The goal was to make sure the system didn't collapse. ... Alaska's done a very good job."

He says the state's low death rate is evidence of the good job the state's done.

#akleg #akgov

https://twitter.com/adndotcom/status/1440782454441136131

Dunleavy then focuses a bunch on breakthrough cases: "The vaccinations aren't 100% foolproof, we know that now."

(We knew that then, dude)

#akgov

Dunleavy: "As society goes about their business, there's definitely an emergency going on in the hospitals."

He says the reason hospitals are overstrained is because of burnout akin to what every other industry has experienced in the pandemic.

#akgov

Read 46 tweets

Dermot Cole

@DermotMCole

1. On Feb. 2, @adndotcom posted a press release from Gov. Mike Dunleavy saying "this is Alaska's time to think big" on the gas line. He said it is closer than ever. Most Alaska newspapers printed the same press release, without asking questions. #akleg #akgov

2. In Dunleavy's press release, he misled the public by suggesting his pipeline dream would be a private venture. "The good news is that, in addition to private funding, there is a strong possibility of federal funding." #akleg #akgov

3. Elwood Brehmer of the @AlaskaJournal reported on Feb. 4 that the dream relied on a 75 percent federal subsidy. The @adndotcom said "in addition to private-sector funding," the plan needed some government money, but did not mention how much.

Read 7 tweets

Dermot Cole

@DermotMCole

1. Just before the pandemic, John Binkley, a political ally of @GovDunleavy, whose family owns @adndotcom, announced plans for a group to fight the recall, which had been illegally blocked by former AG Kevin Clarkson. #akleg #akgov
dermotcole.com/reportingfroma…

2. Clarkson’s illegal stalling and the pandemic stalled the recall. Now comes @adndotcom with another high-handed defense of Dunleavy, linking his recall to Felix Rivera, claiming it is a similar situation. #akleg #akgov
adn.com/opinions/edito…

3. While keeping quiet about John Binkley’s leadership role in backing Dunleavy, the Binkley-owned paper sniffs that the Dunleavy recall grounds are trivial. Wrong. Refusing to follow the law on appointing a judge is the most important. That Dunleavy backed down is irrelevant.

Read 9 tweets

Dermot Cole

@DermotMCole

1. Former Gov. Sean Parnell and former Sen. Mark Begich are each getting hundreds of dollars an hour for promoting the Dunleavy gas pipeline dream—which consists of hoping the feds will pay $4.5 billion for it. #akleg #akgov

2. Parnell and Begich teamed up last year to offer high-profile support for Dunleavy's point of view on raiding the Permanent Fund and opposing the election initiative. The state contracts should have been disclosed. Parnell signed in April. Begich in Sept. #akgov

3. In March, as "volunteers" for Dunleavy, they claimed to have a big, bold plan for Alaska that was neither. #akgov
dermotcole.com/reportingfroma…

Read 6 tweets

Dermot Cole

@DermotMCole

The revelation that @GovDunleavy gave a gas line consulting contract to former Gov. Sean Parnell, at the “discount” rate of $450 an hour, starting April 30, 2020, puts this April 24 Parnell/Begich plug for bigger PFDs in a new light. #akleg #akgov

A similar valuable gas line contract with Begich followed in the fall. The Dunleavy administration never announced or revealed why it hired the two for a total cost of close to $250,000. #akleg #akgov

Parnell and Begich appear to be the point men on the Dunleavy plan to try to get a federal subsidy from the Biden administration to build a pipeline to Fairbanks. But the state withheld disclosure of the Parnell/Begich role. #akleg #akgov dermotcole.com/reportingfroma…

Read 6 tweets

Matt Acuña Buxton

@mattbuxton

The Senate Democrats press availability is underway.

Watch here: ktoo.org/360TV/

#akleg

Minority Leader Begich lays out some general priorities for the caucus: police reforms, substance abuse treatment, clean drinking water, protect Power Cost Equalization, strengthening education (K-12 and the university), oil and gas tax reform, AMHS, renewable energy.

#akleg

Sen. Kiehl: "We cannot continue the path taken by previous #akleg and #akgov of simply spending down our savings to fill that gap year after year."

Says new revenues and resolution on the PFD question are needed. "Without that, we will take this state over a cliff."

Read 18 tweets

Matt Acuña Buxton

@mattbuxton

The Senate is underway. Currently reading across appointments, which serves as a reminder that Dunleavy appointed Kristie Babcock, wife of Tuckerman, to the Alaska Judicial Council.

#akleg #akgov

adn.com/alaska-news/20…

Watch: ktoo.org/gavel/video/20…

#akleg

The final item from the appointment updates:

"Letter dated January 26 stating the following appointee has withdrawn from consideration effective immediately: State Commission for Human Rights, Jamie Allard, Eagle River."

#akleg

Read 7 tweets

Dermot Cole

@DermotMCole

1. I've had second thoughts about the value of the extensive weasel words the @adndotcom published from the lips of @SenDanSullivan the other day. Thanks to @AK_OK for offering this profile in evasion. I've added annotation.
#aksen #akgov
adn.com/politics/2021/…

2. Sullivan covers for Trump, the inciter-in-chief with a deflection, never admitting that Trump lit the fuse. "I think had the president accepted the election results earlier and repudiated the mob violence earlier and more forcefully, it could have had an impact yesterday.”

3. As late as Monday Jan. 4, Sullivan's office refused comment on the GOP coup proposed by members of Congress. On Jan. 7, Sullivan said he had "decided a number of days ago" to oppose the coup. So he stayed silent in the corner, avoiding triggering Trump or Trump voters.

Read 9 tweets

Matt Acuña Buxton

@mattbuxton

The House HSS and State Affairs committees are meeting on COVID-19 safety in high-risk state facilities.

It'd be REALLY interesting given state's plan to open Pioneer Homes to visitors but it looks like the administration is a no-show.

#akleg #akgov

akleg.gov/includes/_play…

First up was testimony from Marvin Jones, the president of Unite Here, who says hotel workers need better protections, saying there's "a financial pressure to work."

That some hotels have no safety and no training in place to deal with it.

#akleg

Then they play a video from Unite Here of a call between an employee and someone with the Anchorage Hilton, where the supervisor appears to say if they're asymptomatic that they're fine to come in.

The employee said they had some symptoms and got tested.

#akleg

Read 38 tweets

Alaska House Majority

@AKHouseMajority

HAPPENING NOW: The House Finance Committee is hearing an update on how funding approved through the federal CARES Act can be spent to help Alaskans impacted by COVID-19.

LIVESTREAM ➝ akl.tv #akleg

This document is the basis of today's presentation by the Legislative Finance Division and provides a summary of funding available to Alaskans through the CARES Act:

akleg.gov/basis/get_docu… #akleg

And here's a copy of Legislative Finance Director Pat Pitney's presentation:

akleg.gov/basis/get_docu… #akleg

Read 11 tweets

James Brooks 🗞️

@AK_OK

(1/x) Some folks have asked why someone infected with coronavirus in Washington state and who died in Washington state is being counted as Alaska's first death from the disease. It's because of how epidemiological statistics work. #akleg #akgov

(2/x) From what I understand, folks who track vital statistics at various states use driver's licenses (and occasionally family claims or voting records) to determine residency.

(3/x) There's something called an "inter-jurisdictional exchange of vital events," which in Alaska takes place weekly. States send other states death certificates for their residents. In this case, it was a Washington death certificate coming to Alaska.

Read 7 tweets

Chris Dimond

@dimond_chris

So #recalldunleavy is on this talking tour saying “we want Alaskans to weigh in on the budget” or “we dont want outsider influences telling us how to run Alaska”

Here’s the thing...

1

@GovDunleavy was elected just over a year ago. The very first thing he did? He went and hired an outsider budget director, Donna Arduin. He literally started off his term as #akgov by hiring an outsider to manage our budget. He didn’t utilize an Alaskan that’s familiar with...

2

our unique needs and demands as a state. He hired an outsider with zero understanding of Alaska. We were just line items and numbers to be chopped by someone that was going to pack up and leave once she gutted our budget (which is what ultimately happened).

3

Read 7 tweets

Matt Acuña Buxton

@mattbuxton

The Board of Regents is now hearing from Gov. Dunleavy directly. Follow live on alaska.edu/bor/live/

#akleg #akgov

Dunleavy, whose budget cut the university by $136M: "What I'd like to say is the university is an integral part of the state. ... The university has been a beneficiary of the state for years. ... Some of us are still living in a belief of $85 to $90 per barrel oil." #akleg

Dunleavy says his Feb. 13 budget "has caused quite a conversation for the state."

He says it's about "a new funding reality for the state" and calls "the game in Juneau about how much funding we can get for services in our districts." #akleg

Read 52 tweets

Governor Mike Dunleavy

@GovDunleavy

Four short years ago, no politician would have thought about taking the PFD without working with Alaskans. For decades, the PFD grew under the protection of the people and benevolent politicians. (1/5) #akleg #akgov

However, today it appears work has been completed by those intent on killing the PFD – representing a major setback for those that believe in following the law and a sustainable government. (2/5) #akleg #akgov

Unfortunately, with this action the PFD is no longer a dividend, but a primary source for government spending and growth. (3/5) #akleg #akgov

Read 5 tweets

Andrew McDonnell

@AndrewOceanog

Hey, If every Alaskan went out and bought 12 oz. of weed, the state would generate enough tax revenue to make @GovDunleavy's senseless $440M budget vetoes completely unnecessary!

#AlaskaGrown #ProblemSolved #akleg #akgov

More thoughtful thread below...

In all seriousness, there are a lot of better options than buying weed or vetoing funding for education, seniors, health care, and the most vulnerable Alaskans.

e.g., H.B.132: links the size of the PFD to oil revenue rather than the Permanent Fund's investment earnings. So when oil revenue is high, the PFD will be higher (and vice versa). Right now, oil revenue is low, & the state simply can't afford $1.9B on PFD. adn.com/opinions/2019/…

Read 13 tweets

James Brooks

@AK_OK

1/x More folks Outside are beginning to become aware of @GovDunleavy's #akleg #akgov budget vetoes, so I wanted to create a thread with all the excellent reporting @adndotcom folks have been doing:

2/x On Friday, the governor announced he was using his line-item veto power to cut $444 million in spending as part of a two-year plan to balance the state budget without cutting the Permanent Fund dividend or raising taxes: adn.com/politics/alask…

3/x As @teganhanlon explained, one of the biggest recipients of the governor's veto pen was the @UA_System, which lost 41 percent of its state support, or $130 million (plus another $5 million cut by the Alaska Legislature). adn.com/alaska-news/ed… #akleg #akgov

Read 11 tweets

Matt Acuña Buxton

@mattbuxton

UA Pres. Johnsen now going into budget presentation: "It assumes rationality and the news that we just heard put that assumption, upon which we built this presentation, into serious question. ... Everything is out the window." #akleg #akgov

Johnsen: "This is much more than a substantial reduction." #akleg

Johnsen: "This is twice the most extreme cut we expected." #akleg

They had planned for $60M as worst-case scenario.

Read 13 tweets

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