Buckle Up, Bronco
Are you ready, folks, for an adventure in problem-solving? Buckle up. We recently learned that the revenue forecast is down a bit so that our…
Are you ready, folks, for an adventure in problem-solving? Buckle up. We recently learned that the revenue forecast is down a bit so that our…
With a firsthand view on the Senate Resource Committee, I can see that there are majority members dead-set on two oil tax bills: one new…
If you were to become a digital being and slip into my email inbox, you would discover a lot of messages clearly resulting from action…
I’ve had to correct a false rumor several times in last few weeks, and even though I’ve been quoted by the press, have discussed the…
Did you hear that Alaska has once again a chance for its very own steady and reasonable “DOGE” with teeth that involves the legislative branch…
Two bills have been filed to raise taxes on oil companies (SB 92 and SB 112) and one bill has been filed to tax out-of-state…
Time to “march” forward and update you on happenings in your state capital. Here’s the skinny. The Senate Finance Committee has indicated there’s a $536…
Oil & Gas Tax Convo Our first tax conversation will be about SB 92, a bill to institute a new income tax on oil and…
The Food Security Workshop in Palmer on Saturday, February 22nd was a smashing success! An estimated 130 attended, coming from as far as Willow and…
We’re going to get a little interactive here as we start off this article. Please raise your hand if you eat food (do it in…
One of my fellow Senate Republican Caucus members, Senator Robert Yundt, introduced a bill he thinks is a good idea. I don’t think it’s a…
Healthcare costs should be a hot topic du jour in the legislature, but frankly, it is not. It is for me though. I was steamed…
I continue to watch the efforts of the companies in Cook Inlet and the utilities to solve the coming natural gas shortage. Enstar and Hilcorp…
This week I expect much of my focus to be on policy and funding discussions to help our students and teachers achieve better outcomes as…
Much focus is on national matters presently but I’d like a quick check-in with you on an item here at home. We often talk about…
Judge Zeman first created uncertainty for students and now has created uncertainty for the legislative branch, the executive branch, and school districts throughout the state.…
You have an opportunity to weigh in regarding the retention of Judge Zeman who made the recent Alaska Superior Court decision impacting public correspondence homeschooling.…
Better wear a thick mitten hot pad or you will most certainly blister your hand because the education issue continues to be an extremely fiery…
Prior to a couple of months ago, I had never heard the acronym “AWOS”, let alone knew we had an AWOS problem in Alaska or…
Word released Friday evening puts families of more than 22,000 Alaskan students in jeopardy. Families who receive public funding allotments for public correspondence (homeschool) students…
The House version of the operating budget bill is sitting at approximately $12.3 billion (including the PFD). Where do we get the revenue to cover…
Off-the-road-system rural Alaska has its perks. It’s not for everyone but with a decade under my belt living in what we used to call “the bush”…
Much work has been underway by groups, companies, policymakers here in the US and abroad to develop roadmaps for tackling all the big questions AI…
Our Most Precious Resource: Our Children Corporate media will likely spin what happens and why. I’ve heard from pro-override individuals who have let me know…
Across Alaska’s peaceful and rugged landscapes, a new chapter is unfolding—one that will develop the state’s flourishing promise and secure the well-being of its people.…
SB 24 is a bill that would add “mental health education” to the K-12 curriculum in public schools. I had tremendous reservations about the bill…
The time has come to broaden our economic horizons beyond relying primarily on oil revenue. Our state’s shaky financial health proves the need for diversification…
SB 140, the education package, is on the governor’s desk. The bill underwent arduous negotiations between the House and the Senate, with Governor Dunleavy, a…
It is indeed unusual that this early in the legislative session that the House passed SB 140, an education package that provides provisions to expand…
As Alaska stands at a fundamental crossroad, the decisions made today regarding the Permanent Fund Dividend (PFD) will profoundly influence the state’s economic, cultural, and…
Whoa. What? Shelley Hughes is supporting this? A separate department for agriculture?? But isn’t she all about right-sizing and limiting government? Yes, folks, I am,…
Based on chronically low student performance across our state (except for some wonderful pockets of excellence sprinkled in both urban and rural regions), a constitutional…
Blow The Dust Off The Dam Project Already Nobody is happy a natural gas shortfall is looming on the Kenai Peninsula up through Anchorage and…
Where have all the fiscal conservatives gone? In the recent debate over Senate Bill 88, a pressing question echoed through my head: “Where have all…
A foundational question for all of us in Alaska, when too many schools are failing, is whether any proposed increased funding is targeted or not…
Hughes Introduces SB 177 AI, Data Privacy, Cybersecurity, Deepfakes Just prior to the session kicking off, I pre-filed SB177 which pertains to state agencies’ use…
Food & Farm Caucus We are kicking off 2024 and the new session with our first Food and Farm Caucus meeting in the State Capitol…
WE MUST PASS HB 68 The topic of trafficking in the US ramped up last summer after the film release of The Sound of Freedom…
Concealed Carry Job Duty Assigned to at Least One Qualified, Trained Individual per School Shortly before we gaveled in for session, I pre-filed SB 173…
This is a bit technical but hang tight with me. If you can track what happened technically, you can better understand what happened politically. I…
A PFD Cut is Not a Fiscal Plan SB 107 cuts the PFD and sets Alaska on a pathway to decimate the PFD altogether. Its…
Choose Right Destination We are at the critical juncture where we absolutely must understand how what we do now with the PFD will make a…
The Alaska School Activities Association (ASAA) decided not to take up a vote last week to adopt a bylaw change that would have limited girls’…
From Sap to Syrup This is the time of year for boiling things down, whether in the syrup industry or in the capital city. “Sugarmakers”…
The House decided to pass and move the operating budget bill to the Senate last week after reaching an agreement for fair play regarding the…
Part of Solution to Workforce Shortage It started last year. Nearly every single person who streamed into my office, no matter the sector, no matter…
The recently announced goal by the Biden administration that 50 percent of new vehicles be electric by 2030, his “EV Acceleration Challenge”, is unaffordable, unrealistic,…
SB 77 Undermines Principle of Property Right Protection Ours is a nation where property ownership is sought out as part of the American dream. Under…
Alaska School Activities Association A board member of a non-profit in Alaska typically does not expect to be bombarded and contacted by hundreds of people,…
Greenhouse Gas Emissions Well, la-dee-da. Based on data from 2021, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are actually down 17.7 percent from 2007, putting current levels approximately…
Taxes Alone = A Runaway Horse If your horse is not hitched to your wagon, don’t expect your load to go anywhere soon. Better beware…
Real Health Insurance Savings Potential for School Districts The words “pooling” and “steam” in the title may conjure up images in your mind of hot…
2023 Business Plan Competition Keynote by Senator Shelley Hughes The Perfect Pitch was the grand finale event of the UAA College of Business and Public…
…The Key Point in Email Traffic I try my best to keep up with the hundreds of emails I receive. Admittedly, it is getting more…
We Need to Rally for Public Accommodation Sanity I received a report this weekend, and I will state right up front, as of this writing,…
Let’s Extend This Significant Day Throughout the Year “Education and Sharing Day is set aside each year to remind us that it is our duty…
Directing More Dollars to Classrooms with Funds Districts Already Have The issue of school funding is a big focus this year in Juneau. Few are…
Flawed Process and Policy In response to the 67% pay raise proposal for legislators, I introduced Senate Bill (SB) 111 “Rejecting Legislators’ Salary Increase” last…
Thanks to Alaska Board of Education Safe and fair for all: Title IX-related resolution passes Many of you have been begging me to file my…
“National Popular Vote” isn’t what it’s cracked up to be: It’s bad for Alaska, bad for the Nation I’m barely (by one year!) old enough…
How can we make sure we’re getting the most bang for our buck in state government operations? Chatter about raising old taxes and implementing new…
Spending Cap, PFD, and SB9 Should Be First, Not Taxes Discussion among leadership and the governor ensued last week about the need for a fiscal…
SB 96, HB 105, SB 43 Many of you have contacted me to let me know you are in adamant opposition to SB 43, a…
Executive Board Formed A new legislative task force is picking up where Governor Dunleavy’s Alaska Food Security and Independence Task Force left off when it…
Group of Legislators Thanks Walgreens for Following Law We all know that some things are not what they seem. That occurred this past week. All…
Whoa. Of the 50 minerals and metals critical to the United States, Alaska has 49. But if they’re buried, what good are they? Leaders in…
No one likes being in last place, but this time, oh how I wish we were. Alaska is number one among the 50 states for…
Senator Cathy Giessel, the sponsor of SB 88, and nine co-sponsors from the Senate Majority are touting the bill to reinstate pensions for public employees…
An issue currently rising to the top in Juneau Why is Lady Justice’s blindfold slipping in Alaska? And what can we do about it? We…
A project in the National Petroleum Reserve has suffered some resistance from the Biden administration. The day of reckoning will soon be upon us as…
After Senator Lisa Murkowski spoke last week to a joint session of the Alaska Legislature, a speech which included remarks pertaining to the Chinese spy…
Student Learning Outcomes Must Be Tied to School Funding Are Legislators Listening? I testified under “public testimony” to the Senate Education Committee a couple of…
What’s an issue currently rising to the top in Juneau? Food Security and Independence Priority for Alaska What happens if something catastrophic happens to the Port…
Dear Friends and Neighbors, Hope you are feeling Influential and masterful this February 20th! Why, you may ask? Well, I figure feeling a bit presidential…
We are facing a crisis in our K-12 schools in Alaska. Does the legislature have the political will and fortitude to help our students? Sometimes when…
Dear Friends and Neighbors, As you all know, I am a state senator and serve in Juneau, not Washington, D.C. At the same time, we…
The question of defined benefits for public employees: Should we return to DB? Can we afford DB? Since Alaska closed the door on the Defined…
Dear Friends and Neighbors, Things have been rockin’ and rollin’ this past week in the people’s branch and there’s no stopping the momentum this coming…
Is HB172 the culprit that allowed the wrongful custody hold of the school principal to occur? No, it is not. Is there work to do…
STATE OF THE STATE ADDRESS Governor Mike Dunleavy gave his fifth annual State of the State address on January 23rd to a joint session of…
Dear Friends and Neighbors, The gavel came down January 17th to kick off the 33rd Legislature, and already there’s been a steady whirl of activity…