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The Alaska Department of Revenue announced on Monday that Alaska’s K-12 public schools will receive an additional $115 million in state funding this year, prompted by a boost in oil revenues driven by the U.S. war on Iran. Legislators earmarked the additional oil revenue for schools as part of the state budget approved by Gov. Mike Dunleavy in June. The additional funding is a relief to school districts statewide. Many districts have faced severe budget shortfalls in recent years due to funding not keeping pace with rising costs. This year, a... Full story
The federal government last week finally, behind schedule and without any plausible reason for the delay, released money that will go toward running the Alaska Marine Highway System. The grant funds, originally authorized by the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure bill during the Biden administration, were expected last year, but the Trump administration dillied and dallied and delayed its decision until this year, just because. The Aug. 21 announcement came with all the hoopla expected in an election year, with Alaska Sen. Dan Sullivan, who is...
Democratic governor candidates Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins and Tom Begich, and Republican candidates Bernadette Wilson and Dave Bronson led in early vote counting for Alaska's Tuesday primary election for governor. Seventeen people, including two Democrats, 12 Republicans and three independents, are seeking to replace Gov. Mike Dunleavy, who is term-limited and unable to run again this year. As of 2 a.m. Wednesday, with 378 of 402 precincts reporting results from election day, Kreiss-Tomkins had 21.... Full story
Early tallies from Tuesday’s statewide primary election showed overwhelming support for a ballot measure that will restrict the amount of money that political candidates can accept from groups and individuals. With 377 of 402 precincts reporting by 2 a.m. Wednesday morning, Ballot Measure 1 had the support of 71.5% of participating voters. That’s only slightly less than the 73% margin that a similar ballot measure received in 2006. The limits imposed by that 2006 measure remained in place until 2021, when a three-judge panel of the 9th U.S... Full story
“There oughta be a law” is a common expression when people are frustrated with the behavior of others, the rules of society, the actions of their elected officials. Well, Alaskans will have an opportunity in the statewide primary election Aug. 18 to approve a new law, limiting the dollar size of donation checks to political campaigns of candidates running for the state Legislature and governor’s office. This is the chance for voters to do something about taking the money out of politics, limiting big-donor influence and fighting infla...
Just as mosquitos, outdoor barbecues and sometimes even sunshine and warm skies return every summer in Alaska, and just as king salmon used to return in abundance and many Lower 48 relatives visit in too much abundance, Alaska experiences a special summer event in election years: The return of the dividend-promising political candidate. More persistent than swarms of malicious mosquitos and nasty no-see-ums, the PFD pledges are immune to citronella candles, aerosol sprays or mesh nets to cover your face. They spread on social media at a faster...
Until last week, Alaska voters were facing one important decision on this year’s ballot to choose elected officials who work for the public, not political parties. That decision would be to uphold the system of ranked-choice voting and open primaries that has been state law since 2022. The system takes away from political parties the power of selecting candidates and lets Alaskans make their own decisions on who can lead the state in open primary elections. Vote no on the ballot question in November to block a return to the days of partisan p...
The state ferry system’s mainline service to Southeast Alaska remains intact under the draft schedule for the fall/winter season of Oct. 1 through April 30, at one sailing a week. The rest of coastal Alaska is not so fortunate. The Prince William Sound communities of Cordova and Valdez would be left without any service for five months Oct. 1 through March 5 while the Aurora is in the shop for annual winter maintenance and to replace rusted steel on the 49-year-old ship. Gulf of Alaska service to Kodiak, Homer and a couple of small c...
From 2013-2023, Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins represented Alaska's 35th district, including Petersburg, in the Alaska House of Representatives. Kreiss-Tomkins returned to Petersburg on July 5, this time as a candidate for governor. He held a meet and greet at Kito's Kave where he chatted with community members and delivered a speech. Kreiss-Tomkins grew up in Sitka. At the age of 13 he developed a passionate interest in politics. And by age 14, he launched a statewide grassroots campaign for then... Full story
JAG Ketchikan LLC, which began operating the state-owned Ketchikan Shipyard in September, has secured a nearly $100 million contract for a service-life extension project involving a federal research vessel. The $99.6 million contract from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for its Rhode Island based fisheries survey ship Henry B. Bigelow has a start time of June 6 for procurement of long lead-time materials and an estimated completion date of April 14, 2029, according to information from NOAA and the Alaska Industrial...
Summer has arrived, and, these days, summer in Petersburg means electric scooters all around town used for transportation, often by youth. The 17 Levy electric scooters that showed up in town in August of 2024 are locally owned by Stikine Services, run by Wes and Angie Davis. A few years ago, the Davises, when traveling to Nashville, noticed electric scooters around the town, and thought they would be a valuable addition to the Petersburg community. "Everyone we have talked to loves them, and...
Alaska lawmakers, meeting in a special session, advanced a bill intended to spur construction of a long-desired pipeline carrying natural gas from the North Slope to markets. The legislature’s House Finance Committee approved the bill, House Bill 381, which would largely eliminate state and municipal property taxes on project-related infrastructure, replacing those revenues with money from gas flowing through the system. The bill now heads to the House floor for consideration. For the bill to become law, it must be approved by the House and t... Full story
Petersburg's own Tracy Welch was appointed as the second commissioner of the Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission (CFEC). Welch was approved by the Alaska State Legislature by unanimous consent on May 14. She was appointed to the position by Governor Mike Dunleavy, taking the second of two seats. After being appointed by the governor, Welch was approved by three confirmation hearings to be officially accepted for the position. Welch grew up in Petersburg and commercially fished for over thirty...
Legislators are being held after school this month and the state is paying for the extra time because the governor did not do his homework. If that seems backward, you’re right. Gov. Mike Dunleavy ordered lawmakers to stay late after class ended because he insists that they approve major big-time relief from property taxes for the owners of the proposed, possible, maybe someday Alaska North Slope natural gas pipeline and export project. The governor believes the multi-multibillion-dollar project will go ahead if the state House and Senate a...
“Petersburg is straight-up beautiful,” said State Rep. Rebecca Himschoot, pausing to appreciate the labrador tea and the muskeg wildflowers while walking the Hungry Point trail after a community potluck last Saturday. After the close of the 34th session of the Alaska Legislature, Himschoot visited Petersburg – part of House District 2, which she has represented for the past two terms. On the walk she reflected with the Pilot on the legislative session – it’s highs, lows, and painful vetoes. Three major bills — two vetoed Himschoot identified...
A high-stakes quid pro quo deal fell apart in the Alaska Capitol on Monday as legislators failed to approve a tax break for the proposed trans-Alaska natural gas pipeline and Gov. Mike Dunleavy vetoed a bill that would have restored public pensions in the state. The failure leaves public employees with a 401(k)-like retirement system and legislators likely to head into a special session for further work on a gas pipeline bill. Rep. Chuck Kopp, R-Anchorage and the Legislature’s lead negotiator on the planned deal, said on Monday night that ... Full story
On Thursday, May 7, the Alaska Judicial Council will hold a public hearing to solicit public comment on 21 Alaska District and Superior Court judges, plus one Alaska Supreme Court Justice, who will be on the ballot in this year’s judicial retention election. A retention election determines whether each judge will spend another term in office via voters’ decisions to vote “yes” or “no” on their retention. Retention elections are nonpartisan and they occur in evenly numbered years. The Alaska Judicial Council invites community members, including...
The Alaska Senate on Tuesday passed a bill to reform the state’s pension system for public employees, ending months of debate on future retirement benefits for Alaska’s state and municipal employees, including teachers and police officers. The measure aims to address the consequences of a 2006 decision by Alaska lawmakers to eliminate the state pension plan that guaranteed income in retirement, and replace it with a 401(k) style plan that has since left many public-sector workers without the funds to retire securely. Union leaders and oth...
Conflict in the Middle East is sending shockwaves through global energy markets. And yet again, Alaskans are wondering why, with a huge amount of North Slope natural gas, we are going to increase our dependence on some of the world’s most unstable regions. The answer, in part, is that we have failed to develop our own energy resources— including vast natural gas reserves that could supply our households, fuel our industries and military bases, and reliably deliver energy to trusted allies abroad. The good news, however, is that we are on the...
In 2019, after being selected as Alaska’s 2018 State Teacher of the Year, I worked with other award-winning educators to pen an op-ed: “Why teach in Alaska?” At the time, we eagerly co-signed as we believed in dedicating a career to Alaska students and that our legislators and community wanted a thriving public education system. My answer now is a heavy “I can’t.” My wife, Catherine Walker — the 2024 Alaska Teacher of the Year and one of four National Teacher of the Year finalists — and I are leaving. When two people recognized among the most d...
The Petersburg School District is wrapping up a lengthy roof replacement project and moving into the security upgrade phase of campus improvements funded through a 2024 voter-approved bond. CBC Construction, the contractor handling the roof replacement at Mitkof Middle School and Petersburg High School, is in the final stretch of that project. As of last week, Superintendent Robyn Taylor said the contractor is waiting on a shipment of 20 remaining vents before completing installation. “Once they arrive, [and once the roof is cleared of snow] i...
If the governor really wanted to improve state ferry service for the 33 coastal communities that depend on the ships, he would get out of his office and go on a national recruiting tour to help find new hires to fill the crew vacancies that jeopardize service. The crew shortage started during Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s first year in office, when he cut the Alaska Marine Highway System budget, driving workers to leave for other jobs or retire. The ferries have never fully recovered from the kick in the propeller end, though the state has closed the g...
Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins - former state legislator who represented Petersburg and much of Southeast for a decade - is running for governor, he said Tuesday. Kreiss-Tomkins, frequently known as "JKT," served in the Alaska House of Representatives between 2013 and 2023. He becomes the 16th candidate and third Democrat to enter this year's gubernatorial election. Incumbent Gov. Mike Dunleavy is term-limited and unable to run for a third term. In Alaska, the top four vote-getters, regardless of... Full story
Alaska’s state ferry system is at risk of a partial or total shutdown this summer due to the failure of the federal government to issue a key annual grant. “Currently right now, we have a shortfall in our budget,” said Dom Pannone, director of program administration and management for the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities, to members of the Senate Finance Committee during a Monday morning hearing. Money from the Federal Transit Administration’s rural ferry program pays for almost half of the Alaska Marine Highway... Full story
Gov. Mike Dunleavy, in the final year of his 2,918-day, two-term career in the job, is picking at the plate of a long-term fiscal plan for the state, much like a kid skips the broccoli and wants to move straight to the dessert. The governor talks about a full menu of legislation to build a balanced budget for years to come, with enough revenue to meet expenses — a goal which has eluded Alaska for much of the past decade as the state has burned through its savings. It’s a goal which the governor pretty much ignored in his first seven years on th...
