Using Nixon To Put Trump's Denials Into Context - What Are They Really Thinking And Doing In The White House

To get some insight into the President's denials of wrong doings and attempts to redirect attention to Clinton emails, we can look at what President Nixon did when Watergate investigations were going on.  (The Dean investigation mentioned in the second half was an internal White House investigation that Nixon hoped could quash any further outside investigations.)

Here, from HistoryCommons:

August 29, 1972: Nixon Says Both Sides Breaking Campaign Finance Laws; Internal Investigations Have Found No Wrongdoing in White House

  

President Nixon responds to the report by the General Accounting Office (GAO) alleging possible illegal campaign finances in his re-election campaign (see August 22, 1972). Nixon tells reporters, “[W]e have a new law here in which technical violations have occurred and are occurring, apparently on both sides.” When asked what illegalities the Democrats have committed, Nixon says: “I think that will come out in the balance of this week. I will let the political people talk about, but I understand that there have been [violations] on both sides.” The financial director of his re-election campaign, Maurice Stans (see Before April 7, 1972), is an honest man, Nixon says, and is currently investigating the matter “very, very thoroughly, because he doesn’t want any evidence at all to be outstanding, indicating that we have not complied with the law.” Between the GAO’s and the FBI’s investigations, Stans’s own internal investigation, and an internal White House investigation by White House counsel John Dean, Nixon says there is no need for a special Watergate prosecutor, as some have requested. Of the Dean investigation: “I can say categorically that his investigation indicates that no one on the White House staff, no one in this administration, presently employed, was involved in this very bizarre incident [the Watergate burglary—see 2:30 a.m.June 17, 1972]. What really hurts in matters of this sort is not the fact that they occur, because overzealous people in campaigns do things that are wrong. What really hurts is if you try to cover it up.” [BERNSTEIN AND WOODWARD, 1974, PP. 57; GERALD R. FORD LIBRARY AND MUSEUM, 7/3/2007] A Washington Post story on the press conference highlights Nixon’s use of the phrase “presently employed,” and notes that several people suspected of campaign wrongdoing—G. Gordon Liddy, E. Howard Hunt, Maurice Stans, Hugh Sloan, and John Mitchell—no longer work for the administration. [BERNSTEIN AND WOODWARD, 1974, PP. 57] An assistant attorney general is convinced that the Dean investigation is “a fraud, a pipeline to [White House aide H. R.] Haldeman.” [BERNSTEIN AND WOODWARD, 1974, PP. 206] In April 1973, an associate of Dean tells Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward that there was never any such investigation, that Dean had not even discussed anything to do with Watergate as of August 29. “There never was a report,” the associate says. “Dean was asked to gather certain facts. The facts got twisted around to help some other people above him.” [BERNSTEIN AND WOODWARD, 1974, PP. 297-298] Dean later tells Watergate investigators that he never conducted any such internal White House investigation (see June 3, 1973). [WASHINGTON POST, 6/3/1973]

Entity Tags: John Dean, General Accounting Office, E. Howard Hunt, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Hugh Sloan, Bob Woodward, G. Gordon Liddy, H.R. Haldeman, Maurice Stans, John Mitchell, Richard M. Nixon

Timeline Tags: Nixon and Watergate, Elections Before 2000

And if you want to know what Trump is thinking and doing, here's George V. Higgins' 1974 Atlantic Monthly account of what happened in the Nixon White House.  I'd note that all things considered, Nixon was a very capable president in many ways and a number of very important policy was made during his administration.  Here's a short excerpt:

"It is impossible, now, to ascertain with any assurance when it was that Richard Nixon first began to practice to deceive. But it is clear that over the years he perfected his art at least to the point of ‘trusting his monstrous craftsmanship completely, and believing it sufficient unto the most anxious of days. He became a virtuoso of deception, a wizard as a manipulator of reality and facts, and of the nation’s trust. Harry Houdini would have been hard pressed to imitate him with a set of handcuffs.
He guarded his ambition closely. A few intimates—Bob Haldeman, for example, who knew for more than two years what whoppers the President was piously reciting to the country on the subject of the cover-up—may have guessed at his prodigious skill in mendacity, but he was enough of an artist, with others, never to confide in them the truth about his fondness for lies, the final conceit of his mastery. It was that which led to Attorney General Richard Kleindienst’s disgrace, and to Attorney General Elliot Richardson’s stunned fury, and to the helpless rage and sorrow of James St."

If We Must Have Daylight Savings, We Should Spring Forward Friday, 4pm

It seems a good time to reiterate my proposal for Daylight Savings time.  Let's move the clocks forward at 4pm on Friday afternoon.  People who for til 5pm don't get all that much done the last hour on Fridays.  Those who must have their employees there that hour, can pay them overtime for the last hour.



Here are two old posts on this topic.  This first one is from the 2010 legislative session:  HB 19:   To End Daylight Savings Time

The second one was seven months later, Daylight Savings Time:  Alaska's Failed Legislation to End it.

But with Anchorage gaining almost 6 minutes of sun a day now, and over a week of bright sun and blue skies, no one here is complaining about the daylight.

As long as I'm on this topic, I'd note my peeve with people who report the weather saying things like, "We'll gain 5 minutes and 44 seconds of daylight today"  when in fact the twilights, particularly on clear days, last well beyond sunrise and sunset.  Unlike, say, Hawaii where it gets dark pretty fast after sunset.  But the link from Time and Date above, shows a lot more ways than just sunrise and sunset to calculate daylight.

Fond Memories of Rep. Max Gruenberg

I was saddened to hear just now that Rep. Max Gruenberg died this morning.  He had invited me to come to Juneau after I retired to become a 'scholar in residence.'  His idea was to both get legislative advice from the scholar as well as hoping the scholar would write about what he saw.   He said at the time I could work out of his office - as a volunteer - and pursue whatever interested me.  He wanted to set up a program that would support a scholar in residence at the legislature to record what happens in the capitol in a more academic way.  I was caught up with other things for a couple of sessions but I finally accepted his offer for the 2010 session.

Max Gruenberg (r) with staffers and Anchorage Transportation Chief in 2010

By then I was an active blogger and asked that we set up some ground rules for my blogging from Juneau.  Max, who still dictated memos and letters, really didn't know what a blog was, but I showed him a couple of posts - including the one I did when he and I went to talk to Joyce Anderson in the ethics office - and he said that was fine.

Signs of trouble began right away when he was told I couldn't have an email account and they got worse when communications from Nancy Dahlstrom, chair of the rules committee, were telling Max that he couldn't have a volunteer staffer.  Max was getting legal opinions from the legislative legal office saying he could.  But while Max, an attorney, was arguing law, Dahlstrom was arguing power and eventually I was in a meeting in the Minority Chair's office where I got lots of apologies, but I wouldn't be able to be a volunteer staffer for Max.  By then I'd been learning a lot - mainly from people responding when I said I was a staffer for Max.  Things like, "He works his staff harder than anyone else" and "He's known as the Great Amender" because he's always making little fixes to bills.

The whole time in Juneau, Max was always extremely helpful.  He proved, over and over, that his mind was very sharp.  He was at the time, if I recall correctly, the person who had been in the legislature the longest, with a couple term break in service.  He remembered legislative history and how and why things were done.  Sometimes I'd be thinking, Max, leave it be, you're getting too nitpicky, and then it would become clear that he had a very good reason for making the points he was making.

He was a strong defender of justice, of the poor, of people of all backgrounds, of dogs and their owners, and he was a proud Navy veteran.  His invitation to come to Juneau gave me a session long window into the legislature that was stimulating and very enlightening.  While I was waiting to see how the conflict would resolve between Max and Nancy Dahlstrom, I had decided that I would stay in Juneau one way or the other - either as a staffer or as a blogger.   And as I left the meeting where I was told volunteering for Max wasn't going to happen,  Rep. Dahlstrom found me in the stairwell and  assured me that the decision had nothing to do with me personally and she was very supportive of my staying in Juneau to blog.   Nearly all my posts from mid January 2010 to mid April 2010 are about the legislature or Juneau.  Here are the ones tagged Alaska Legislature 2010.  I didn't quite fulfill Max's vision of an academic in residence, but my blog did give a close up view of things happening in Juneau, and a few posts did step back and look at things in a more academic way.

My condolences go out to Kayla Epstein - Max's wife - and the rest of his family.  His solid voice, backed by lots of legislative history and an excellent legal mind, will be sorely missed.

Eliminating Alaska Daylight Savings Time Deja Vu

Or we could also title this, "The More Things Change, The More They Stay The Same."

Here's the beginning of a front page article in the Alaska Dispatch News today:

"Daylight saving time bill springs forward in Alaska Legislature

Molly Dischner | Associated Press

March 3, 2015

JUNEAU — A Senate committee advanced legislation Tuesday that would eliminate daylight saving time in Alaska and allow for consideration of another time zone in the state.
The bill would exempt Alaskans from advancing their clocks each spring. It would also direct the governor to ask the U.S. Department of Transportation to consider moving part or all of Alaska to Pacific time.
Sen. Anna MacKinnon, R-Eagle River, originally proposed the bill to end daylight saving time in Alaska, then introduced the amendment to consider another time zone."

I've highlighted "originally proposed the bill"  because, this year isn't the first year that she's been pushing this bill.

Below is a repost of what I wrote March 18, 2010 when I was blogging the Alaska legislature.

There are some differences.  Representative Anna Fairclough is now Senator Anna MacKinnon (same person.)

HB 19 to End Daylight Savings Time

Thursday, March 18, 2010

The other two meetings going on right now are dealing with issues of far greater impact on Alaska I presume.  But this is one most Alaskans can understand easily and are impacted by most directly and tangibly.


Here is the table with copies of emails and letters for and against the bill. 

[Update:  I looked through these and they are all [mostly] dated March 18 and some 17.  Actually this stack is misleading.  I didn't realize I have one big stack twice.  The vote was 62 for HB 19, 18 against, and four had other options, like get the US to change, but not just Alaska.]

Sen. Olson and Sen. Menard listen to phone testimony on the ending daylight savings time in Alaska. 


Rep. Anna Fairclough, the bill sponsor, responded to the comments received through the mail, email, and by phone today.  She said there were two reasons that have real justification for not changing:

1.  People in Southeast Alaska have a real issue because they are basically in Pacific time, so they get less light in the evening while the sun comes up 3am at solstice.
2.  The difficulty in coordinating with people outside of Alaska.  (I think this was the second one)

Other than these two points, most people prefer getting rid of daylight savings time.  A lot of this is about having to change and the disruption that causes with relatively little daylight impact for most Alaskans (further north and west than Southeast.)

Other issue:  Why don't we just spring forward and stay on daylight savings time the whole year.  There area a couple of issues:
1.  Feds, not states, can change time zones.
2.  Western Alaska would be even further off of sun time (opposite problem of Southeast.)

Meeting was adjourned just about 5pm with the decision postponed.

The bill did not pass that year.  I was curious whether the bill has been defeated every year since so I called Sen. MacKinnon's office and staff member Erin gave me a brief history of previous bills to end daylight savings time in Alaska. 

1999 - 21st Session - HB 4 introduced by Rep. Kohring
2002 - 22nd Session - HB 409 introduced by Rep. Lancaster
2005 - 24th Session - SB 120 and HB 176 introduced Sen. Olson and House State Affairs committee
2009 - 26th Session - HB 19 introduced by Rep. Fairclough

[Note:  Each legislative session is two years starting with the newly elected legislature in January of the odd year following the election in the even year.  So, HB 19 introduced in 2009 was still in play in the second year of the 26th session (2010) when I reported on it.  HB = House Bill, SB = Senate Bill.]


Here is my commentary on daylight savings time in Alaska from a post on the failed legislation in November 2010 on the weekend we were about to fall back. 

My personal feelings are that in Alaska it probably doesn't matter one way or the other except in Southeast, which is the result of having the state in one time zone.  In the winter it's going to be dark and in the summer it's going to be light.  And I don't mind getting an extra hour this weekend in the fall.  But I hate losing an hour of weekend in the spring.

My tweak to daylight savings would be, in the spring, to make the change (skip ahead one hour) at 4pm on Friday afternoon.  Then people at work would get to go home one hour early.  Yes, I know there are all sorts of potential economic impacts, but not much work gets done in the last hour of Friday afternoon anyway and people would feel happy to get a free hour and would spend more on entertainment that weekend to offset the loss.  (Gross generalization based on gut feeling but absolutely no evidence.) 

An Explanation for Nancy Dahlstrom's Harsh Response To National Guard Complaints

Let's connect some dots.

Among the many emails released by Gov. Parnell over the weekend in response to a court order was this one from Rep. Nancy Dahlstrom quoted in part in the Alaska Dispatch News Monday:

“Your statements are reckless and have the potential to cause irreparable damage to these fine officers,” Dahlstrom said in an email dated Aug. 25, 2009, to Debra Blaylock, a just-retired lieutenant colonel in the guard. “I take great offense to your statement that it is a ‘good old boy’ network with corrupt leadership. I believe the current leaders are outstanding and have made tremendous advancements in improving the overall morale, day-to-day operations, direction, and relevancy of the organization. I have never seen it function better. As a citizen of Alaska, I am truly proud to call them my National Guard.”

 Laura Pierre and Rules Chair Nancy Dahlstrom (Image Source)

Dahlstrom concluded her email with even stronger language: “There is no room for mean spirited, unsubstantiated, and malicious correspondence targeted towards the undermining and destruction of the excellent reputation and character of Alaska’s leadership.”

This is pretty harsh.  Not the kind of letter that legislators usually write to the public, even if they aren't their constituents. 

I have a strong suspicion why this email supported the Guard so strongly and so meanly chastised Debra Blaylock:  Laura Pierre.

 
Who is Laura Pierre?


Laura Pierre is the wife of McHugh Pierre.

McHugh Pierre was,  until his recent forced resignation, Civilian Deputy Commissioner for the Alaska Department of Military and Veterans Affairs.  This is the state department that includes:

• US Property and Facilities Office,  
• Alaska Aerospace Commission 
• Army National Guard 
• Air National Guard 
• Homeland Security and Emergency Management
• Alaska Youth Academy
• Veterans Affairs
• Alaska State Defense Force
• Alaska Naval Militia, 
• Office of Facilities Management.

The ADN, in a long article on McHugh Pierre's forced resignation wrote that investigators found

"Pierre had also inserted himself into the efforts of whistle-blowers who were working to alert Parnell to serious concerns about how sexual assault cases were being managed. "

Source

While McHugh was working in the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, his wife Laura Pierre was on Nancy Dahlstrom's legislative staff.





Some Background

When I went down to Juneau to be a volunteer staffer for Max Gruenberg in 2010, the Rules Committee was telling Max Gruenberg that he could not have a full time volunteer staffer.  I didn't know this until the afternoon of the day of new staff training.  At the end of that session - there's a description of the panel with a photo at the bottom of this 2010 post -  I asked one of the panelists a question.  She asked me which office I was going to be a staffer in.  I answered I would be a volunteer for Rep. Gruenberg.  At that point Laura Pierre jumped into the discussion and, in a very forceful voice, said something like, "There will be no volunteer staffers."  I was taken aback not only by the message, but even more by the vehemence of her tone. And it was the first time that I realized that my volunteer position was in jeopardy.

I had introduced myself to Nancy Dahlstrom during the break that morning and she had been very polite and cordial.  Rep. Dahlstrom also treated me warmly when the final decision came down that Rep. Gruenberg could not have a full time volunteer staffer.  She welcomed my proposal that I would stay in Juneau as a blogger and told me that if I needed anything to let her know.   Later we did have a long, very friendly, and interesting discussion in her office.

Finally, Connecting The Dots

All this background causes me to suspect that Dahlstrom's view of the Guard and  Lt. Blaylock was strongly influenced by her staffer, Laura Pierre, who was in turn influenced by her husband who the investigators said, as quoted above, "inserted himself into the efforts of whistle-blowers who were working to alert Parnell to serious concerns about how sexual assault cases were being managed."  And since staffers often draft communications for their legislator bosses,  I wouldn't be surprised if Pierre drafted the email in question.

If that is the case, then Dahlstrom's response and apology reflects well on her professionalism and leadership.  She took full responsibility for the email without a hint that someone else might have written it.  And, of course, as the boss whose name was on the email, that's how she should respond.  But there are other legislators who would have shifted the blame to a staffer, even if the staffer hadn't written it. 

Alaska Reporter Bob Tkacz Dies

Bob Tkacz was found dead Tuesday.  I met him briefly while I blogged about the legislature in 2010.   Here's Bob Tkacz's empty chair and desk in the press room of the Alaska Capitol Building from that time. 

I was blogging the legislature that session and dropped into the press room to check on the other folks who were covering the legislature.  Folks suggested that I apply for a press pass - which would allow me to get on the floor of the House and Senate chambers and allow me to ask questions at press conferences.  Bob, particularly, pushed that idea.  A blogger had recently been turned down for a pass.  While I was interested in the idea of a blogger getting a pass, I didn't see any great advantages - I could walk around at will and talk to folks except on the floors of the chambers - and wasn't sure how much extra work it would take to get.  The told me that such press passes hadn't been required before Palin was governor.  Then, apparently, there was concern that Outside media would cram the Capitol and that they'd need a way to control that.  That seems to have been an unnecessary fear.

I also was told to look up Bob's past, and found that earlier he'd been stabbed and been found at the bottom of the long outdoor stairs that go from near the City Museum down to Willoughby.  I looked it up, but didn't post about it in my post about meeting the press. 

Bot struck me as an interesting person who didn't sugar coat anything.  At only 61, he's gone way too soon.   A lot of Alaska legislative history that was stored in his brain is now now gone.  May he rest in peace. 

Fe NU me eye

If you've been reading the name Gail Fenumiai in the newspaper and wondering how to pronounce it, it's

Gay with an L.  Sorry, I couldn't resist.

It's Fe NU me eye - emphasis on the NU (the same rhythm as Tomato juice - toe MA toe juice.)

[UPDATE:  Kathy in Kentucky in a comment below asked who Gail Fenumiai is.  Somehow that slipped out as I was editing.  She's in charge of the Division of Elections in Alaska and running the count of the absentee and write-in votes in the US Senate race.  While she is the face the public sees, I have no doubt that higher-ups are participating in the decisions.]

I also have this picture of the person in charge of the Division of Elections,

The photo (she's talking after the meeting to Reps Seaton and Buch) is from a March 10 State Affairs Committee hearing which covered a bill to allow permanent absentee registration.

There is discussion of absentee ballots in a March 30 post where the State Affairs committee was getting an overview of the Division of  Elections from Fenumiai.  I don't think there is anything particularly relevant to the current write-in count, but it gives you a little more sense of Fenumiai and how the Division of Elections works.  Below is  my summary from the post.  The March 30 post has more details in my rough (very rough) notes of the exchange at the time.

The first item on the agenda was a presentation from Director of Division of Elections Gail Fenumiai (Fe (e as in let) Nú-Me-Eye).  The basic issues discussed were (see notes below for more details):
1.  Preventing Double Voting:  Fenumiai [discusses] procedures for making sure voters don't vote absentee and in person. 
2.  Rural and urban vote counting time differential.  People voting absentee in-person in regional centers - Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau, and Nome - have their votes counted on election day.  Other absentee votes are not counted until 7-10 days after the election.  Rep. Seaton was concerned that since the parties often organize before all the votes are counted, rural legislators may be at a disadvantage in getting committee assignments, chair positions, etc. and wanted to know if there was a way to get the rural and urban area counts more balanced.
Rep. Johnson said he was concerned that they were involving the election board in party organization.  Seaton agreed that wasn't proper, and that the Division of Elections was doing its job as assigned by the legislature to be sure there was no voter fraud, and he wasn't asking about vote outcome, but was asking if the legislature's instructions to the Division of Elections had this unintended consequence of differential vote counting time in the rural and urban areas and if there was a way to correct this. 

3.  Voting Rights Act Compliance in Aftermath of Nick Case 
Rep. Gruenberg wanted to know whether the State was now fully compliant throughout the State after the settlement of the Nick case, which he said cost the State a million dollars just to pay the legal fees of the party that brought suit.  Fenumiai said she was confident the state was now in compliance and gave examples of things the Division has done. 

Daylight Savings Time - Alaska's Failed Legislation to End It

Anchorage sunrise 11/5/10 at 9:41am - this shot 10:15am

Daylight savings time was initially introduced to save energy.  But studies today raise questions about how much energy is actually saved (seems to depend on where you live) and have raised new questions about the negative impact on health.  This National Geographic article summarizes these arguments.  From that article, here's a bit of history:

It wasn't until World War I that daylight savings were realized on a grand scale. Germany was the first state to adopt the time changes, to reduce artificial lighting and thereby save coal for the war effort. Friends and foes soon followed suit.

In the U.S. a federal law standardized the yearly start and end of daylight saving time in 1918—for the states that chose to observe it.

During World War II the U.S. made daylight saving time mandatory for the whole country, as a way to save wartime resources

Here in Alaska, House Bill (HB) 19 was introduced in the first session of the 26th Alaska Legislature by Eagle River representative Anna Fairclough.  But it died.

[Translation:  Each legislature meets for two years - the term of a representative (senators have four years).  So each Legislature has a first session - year one - and a second session - year two.  Alaska became a state in 1959, so by 2009 there had been 25 legislatures of two years for that fifty year span.  In 2009, the 26th Legislature began.  In 2011, the 27th Legislature will begin its two year run. ]

HB 19 wasn't a very long bill:

CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 19(L&C)
01 "An Act exempting the state and its political subdivisions from daylight saving time;
02 and providing for an effective date."

03 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:
04 * Section 1. AS 44.12 is amended by adding a new section to read:
05 Article 5. Standard Time.
06 Sec. 44.12.400. Exemption from daylight saving time. Under 15 U.S.C.
07 260a, this state exempts itself and all of its political subdivisions from observation of
08 advanced time, also known as daylight saving time, between 2:00 a.m. on the second
09 Sunday in March and 2:00 a.m. on the first Sunday in November in each calendar
10 year, and the entire state and all of its political subdivisions shall observe the standard
11 time that is otherwise applicable during that time period.
12 * Sec. 2. This Act takes effect January 1, 2011

[Translation: CS=Committee Substitute, meaning that the original bill has had changes made by one or more of the committees that review the bill and that now stands as the substitute for the original bill.   L&C = Labor and Commerce Committee]

I got to one hearing of this bill on March 18, 2010 where the Senators Menard and Olson took phone testimony on this bill and sponsor Fairclough also testified.  There was a stack of emails and letters that came in on this bill.  At the time I went through them and counted.  There were 62 for HB 19, 18 against, and four had other options, like get the US to change, but not just Alaska.]

From my post at that time:

Rep. Fairclough testifying to Sens. Menard and Olson

Rep. Anna Fairclough, the bill sponsor, responded to the comments received through the mail, email, and by phone today.  She said there were two reasons that have real justification for not changing:

1.  People in Southeast Alaska have a real issue because they are basically in Pacific time, so they get less light in the evening while the sun comes up 3am at solstice.
2.  The difficulty in coordinating with people outside of Alaska.  (I think this was the second one)

 If you have strong feelings about daylight savings time let your legislator know. (That link doesn't reflect this week's election, but most of the incumbents stayed on.)

My personal feelings are that in Alaska it probably doesn't matter one way or the other except in Southeast, which is the result of having the state in one time zone.  In the winter it's going to be dark and in the summer it's going to be light.  And I don't mind getting an extra hour this weekend in the fall.  But I hate losing an hour of weekend in the spring. 

My tweak to daylight savings would be, in the spring, to make the change (skip ahead one hour) at 4pm on Friday afternoon.  Then people at work would get to go home one hour early.  Yes, I know there are all sorts of potential economic impacts, but not much work gets done in the last hour of Friday afternoon anyway and people would feel happy to get a free hour and would spend more on entertainment that weekend to offset the loss.  (Gross generalization based on gut feeling but absolutely no evidence.) 

So remember tomorrow, you've got an extra hour this weekend.  Spend it with your kid(s) or parents. 

Artist Rie Muñoz Talks About Painting a Raft of Ducks

I met Alaskan artist Rie Muñoz in the House Chambers in Juneau in April.  She was there with her granddaughter observing her daughter-in-law, Juneau Representative, Cathy Muñoz at work.  I described a print of hers we've had a long time and she told me about the day she made it. 

Alaska Legislative Races - 26% Uncontested

The Lt. Governor's office is in charge of elections and on his website is the list of people who have signed up to run in the August primaries.  The deadline was June 1 and I got this on June 2, but there are some who are still pending certification. 

Five of the 20 Senate seats only have one candidate - that's 25%, all incumbents, who are running unopposed.  Two Democrats and three Republicans. 

[Update:  an ADN Alaska Digest piece today listed 14 unopposed candidates.  I had sixteen.  On double checking the Lt. Gov's website it seems one I had thought was unopposed has an opponent (Kurt Olson), but one the ADN did not list is on the list still as unopposed (Lindsey Holmes.)]


Twelve  [Eleven] of the 40 House seats are unopposed - 30 27%, all incumbents.  Six Democrats and five Republicans.  This is a little misleading though.  Three of the Democrats running unopposed - Regie Joule (Kotzebue), Bob Herron (Bethel), and Bryce Edgmon (Dillingham)- are from rural Alaska and they joined the Republican majorities on the grounds that as minority members they can't get the projects their districts desperately need.

All three seats from Juneau (one Senate and two House) are unopposed.  I'm sure their media markets are not real happy that the candidates won't need a lot of advertisements. 

Below I've cut and pasted the list from the Lt. Governor's website.  I've highlighted the unopposed Republicans in red, the unopposed Democrats in blue, but I've made the House Democrats who joined the majority Republicans purple.  (The Senate was evenly split 10 Republicans and 10 Democrats.  All the Democrats and most of the Republicans joined in a coalition to form the majority.  There were four minority Republicans who did not join the coalition.  Of the minority, only Sen. John Coghill is on the list of candidates.) 

State Senate District B

* Dennis Egan (Democrat) - Incumbent

3156 Pioneer Avenue
Juneau, AK 99801
Phone: (907) 586-6136

State Senate District D

* Pete Higgins (Republican)
3875 Geist Rd, Ste E-126
Fairbanks, AK 99709

* Joe J. Thomas (Democrat) - Incumbent
879 Vide Way
Fairbanks, AK 99712
Phone: (907) 590-4648

State Senate District F

* John B. Coghill (Republican) - Incumbent

PO Box 58003
Fairbanks, AK 99711
Phone: (907) 488-7886

State Senate District H

* Charlie R. "Charlie" Huggins (Republican) - Incumbent

3375 Edgewater
Wasilla, AK 99654
Phone: (907) 373-6419

State Senate District J

* Ron Slepecki (Republican)
8649 Cross Pointe Loop
Anchorage, AK 99504
Phone: (907) 222-0939

* Bill Wielechowski (Democrat) - Incumbent
1300 Farrow Circle
Anchorage, AK 99504
Phone: (907) 333-2806

State Senate District L

* Johnny Ellis (Democrat) - Incumbent
1231 W. Northern Lights Blvd
Anchorage, AK 99503
Phone: (907) 276-4633

* Richard M. Wanda (Republican)
PO Box 211986
Anchorage, AK 99521
e-mail: richardwandaforstatesenator@yahoo.com



State Senate District N

* Ed Cullinane (Democrat)
7232 Hunter Circle
Anchorage, AK 99502
Phone: (907) 830-9755

* Lesil McGuire (Republican) - Incumbent
2022 Kimberly Lynn Cir
Anchorage, AK 99515
Phone: (907) 351-8060


State Senate District P

* Catherine A. "Cathy" Giessel (Republican)
12701 Ridgewood Road
Anchorage, AK 99516
Phone: (907) 345-5470

* Jennifer B. Johnston (Republican)
11090 Hideaway Lake Drive
Anchorage, AK 99507
Phone: (907) 346-1087

* Mark W. Moronell (Republican)
www.moronellforalaskasenate.com

* Janet L. Reiser (Democrat)
PO Box 244993
Anchorage, AK 99524
Phone: (907) 903-3041

State Senate District R

* Gary L. Stevens (Republican) - Incumbent

PO Box 201
Kodiak, AK 99615
Phone: (907) 486-4205

State Senate District S

* Lyman F. Hoffman (Democrat) - Incumbent

PO Box 763
Bethel, AK 99559
Phone: (907) 543-3583

END OF SENATE RACES - BEGINNING OF HOUSE RACES


State Representative District 1

* Kyle B. Johansen (Republican) - Incumbent
PO Box 8601
Ketchikan, AK 99901
Phone: (907) 617-5537

* Ottar Mobley (Democrat)
PO Box 19185
Thorne Bay, AK 99919
Phone: (703) 678-8737


State Representative District 2

* Steven A. Samuelson (Republican)
PO Box 2188
Petersburg, AK 99833
Phone: (907) 723-3664
e-mail: StevenSamuelson@gmail.com
Candidate's web site: http://www.StevenSamuelson.com

* Reber P. Stein (Democrat)
2323 Sawmill Creek Rd
Sitka, AK 99835
Phone: (907) 747-3960

* Peggy Wilson (Republican) - Incumbent
PO Box 2211
Wrangell, AK 99929
Phone: (907) 874-3020

State Representative District 3

* Beth Kerttula (Democrat) - Incumbent

10601 Horizon DR.
Juneau, AK 99801
Phone: (907) 463-5440

State Representative District 4

* Cathy Muñoz (Republican) - Incumbent

2101 Jordan Avenue
Juneau, AK 99801
Phone: (907) 723-8089 e-mail: cathym@riemunoz.com
Candidate's web site: http://www.cathymunoz.org


State Representative District 5

* Robert W. Beedle (Democrat)
PO Box 16
Cordova, AK 99574

* William A. "Bill" Thomas Jr. (Republican) - Incumbent
PO Box 942
Haines, AK 99827
Phone: (907) 766-3365


State Representative District 6

* Alan Dick (Republican) - Pending Certification

* Rex L. Goolsby (Republican)
PO Box 814
Tok, AK 99780
Phone: (907) 883-8218

* Woodie W. Salmon (Democrat) - Incumbent
PO Box 21
Chalkyitsik, AK 99788


State Representative District 7

* Mike Kelly (Republican) - Incumbent
1625 Wolverine Lane
Fairbanks, AK 99709

* Bob Miller (Democrat)
1355 Silverberry Dr.
Fairbanks, AK 99712
Phone: (907) 460-8683
e-mail: miller4statehouseak@gmail.com


State Representative District 8

* David Guttenberg (Democrat) - Incumbent
PO Box 80731
Fairbanks, AK 99708
Phone: (907) 388-0194

* David M. "Dave" Talerico (Republican)
PO Box 521
Healy, AK 99743
Phone: (907) 683-2469


State Representative District 9

* Scott Kawasaki (Democrat) - Incumbent
2008 Carr Avenue
Fairbanks, AK 99709
Phone: (907) 590-0315

* Joseph A. Michel (Republican)
PO Box 61219
Fairbanks, AK 99706
Phone: (907) 347-9636


State Representative District 10

* John S. Brown (Democrat)
814 Austin Street
Fairbanks, AK 99701
Phone: (907) 452-5870

* Urban E. Rahoi (Republican)
1001 Lakeview Terrace
Fairbanks, AK 99701
Phone: (907) 456-6967 or (907) 509-2803

* Vivian M. Stiver (Republican)
523 2nd Ave
Fairbanks, AK 99701
Phone: (907) 347-2102

* Steve M. Thompson (Republican)
PO Box 70843
Fairbanks, AK 99707
Phone: (907) 374-4806


State Representative District 11

* Sean P. Rice (Democrat) - Pending Certification

* Tammie Wilson (Republican) - Incumbent
571 Canoro Road
North Pole, AK 99705
Phone: (907) 590-7602


State Representative District 12

* Bert L. Cottle (Democrat)
PO Box 1049
Valdez, AK 99686
Phone: (907) 835-3700

* Eric A. Feige (Republican)
PO Box 1208
Chickaloon, AK 99674
Phone: (907) 351-2360
e-mail: ericfeige4akhouse12@gmail.com
Candidate's web site: ericfeige4akhouse12.org

* Pete Fellman (Republican)
HC 60 Box 4200
Delta Junction, AK 99737
Phone: (907) 895-4090

* Don Haase (Republican) - Pending Certification


State Representative District 13

* Don Benson (Republican)
PO Box 4059
Palmer, AK 99645
Phone: (907) 745-4913

* Carl Gatto (Republican) - Incumbent
PO Box 2894
Palmer, AK 99645
Phone: (907) 232-3060
e-mail: carljgatto@gmail.com
Candidate's web site: carlgatto.com

* David J. Parks (Republican)
PO Box 1683
Palmer, AK 99645
Phone: (907) 982-5420


State Representative District 14

* Wes Keller (Republican) - Incumbent
PO Box 875910 #267
Wasilla, AK 99654
Phone: (907) 376-6115


State Representative District 15

* Stephen Jacobson (Republican)
2685 N. Alma Drive
Wasilla, AK 99654
Phone: (907) 357-1189
Candidate's web site: www.jacobson4statehouse15.com

* Mark Neuman (Republican) - Incumbent
13768 W. Maplewood Drive
Wasilla, AK 99654
Phone: (907) 354-0800


State Representative District 16

* Bonnie Nelson (Democrat) - Pending Certification

* Bill Stoltze (Republican) - Incumbent
PO Box 464
Chugiak, AK 99567
Phone: (907) 688-5754 or 745-5772


State Representative District 17

* Anna I. Fairclough (Republican) - Incumbent

PO Box 771112

Eagle River, AK 99577
Phone: (907) 694-7090


State Representative District 18

* Nancy A. Dahlstrom (Republican) - Withdrew
PO Box 771094
Eagle River, AK 99577
Phone: (907) 694-4929

* Bill Cook (Republican)
19328 Monastery Dr. #A
Eagle River, AK 99577
Phone: (907) 694-1010

* Dan Kendall (Republican)
PO Box 770616
Eagle River, AK 99577
Phone: (907) 696-7066

* Martin J. Lindeke (Democrat)
16111 Cline Street
Eagle River, AK 99577
Phone: (907) 622-4216

* Dan Saddler (Republican)
PO Box 771811
Eagle River, AK 99577
Phone: (907) 696-5492


State Representative District 19

* Gabrielle LeDoux (Republican)
PO Box 102293
Anchorage, AK 99510
Phone: (907) 677-8159
e-mail: voteledoux@gmail.com
Candidate's web site: www.voteledoux.com

* Pete F. Petersen (Democrat) - Incumbent
8633 Turf Ct.
Anchorage, AK 99504
Phone: (907) 522-6870


State Representative District 20

* Max F. Gruenberg Jr. (Democrat) - Incumbent
4801 Kenai Ave.
Anchorage, AK 99508
Phone: (907) 337-1688

* Scott A. Kohlhaas (Libertarian)
6701 E. 6th Ave. #24
Anchorage, AK 99504
Phone: (907) 337-3171
e-mail: scott@scottforhouse.org
Candidate's web site: www.scottforhouse.org


State Representative District 21

* Robert E. Clift (Libertarian)
6402 Hampton Drive
Anchorage, AK 99504
Phone: (907) 337-9679

* Barbara E. Norton (Democrat)
6130 Country Lane Circle
Anchorage, AK 99504
Phone: (907) 222-2540
e-mail: cnmbarb@gmail.com
Candidate's web site: barbaranortonforstatehouse.com

* Lance Pruitt (Republican)
2954 Brittany Place
Anchorage, AK 99504
Phone: (907) 929-4934
Candidate's web site: www.lancepruitt.com

State Representative District 22

* Sharon M. Cissna (Democrat) - Incumbent

PO Box 141892
Anchorage, AK 99514
Phone: (907) 272-8662

State Representative District 23

* Les Gara (Democrat) - Incumbent

PO Box 202259
Anchorage, AK 99520
Phone: (907) 250-0106


State Representative District 24

* Robert Benton (Republican) - Pending Certification

* Berta Gardner (Democrat) - Incumbent
1405 Matterhorn
Anchorage, AK 99508
Phone: (907) 223-9330


State Representative District 25

* Harley Brown (Libertarian)
2104 Cleveland Ave.
Anchorage, AK 99517
Phone: (907) 744-7646

* Mike Doogan (Democrat) - Incumbent
PO Box 91876
Anchorage, AK 99509

* Thomas M. Higgins (Republican)
3402 Dorbrandt St. #36
Anchorage, AK 99503
Phone: (907) 575-3297

State Representative District 26

* Lindsey Holmes (Democrat) - Incumbent

4149 Hood Ct.
Anchorage, AK 99517


State Representative District 27

* Robert L. "Bob" Buch (Democrat) - Incumbent
3160 W 71st Avenue
Anchorage, AK 99502

* Mia Costello (Republican)
5512 Yukon Charlie Loop
Anchorage, AK 99502
Phone: (907) 770-1702


State Representative District 28

* Jodie Dominguez (Democrat)
205 E. Dimond Blvd. #288
Anchorage, AK 99515
Phone: (907) 248-2111

* Craig W. Johnson (Republican) - Incumbent
12200 Timberlane Dr.
Anchorage, AK 99515
Phone: (907) 349-4307


State Representative District 29

* Chris Tuck (Democrat) - Incumbent
8220 Barnett Drive #2
Anchorage, AK 99518
Phone: (907) 223-6474

* Kris Warren (Republican)
900 W. 86th Avenue
Anchorage, AK 99515
Phone: (907) 344-5914


State Representative District 30

* Charisse E. Millett (Republican) - Incumbent
2860 Beluga Bay Circle
Anchorage, AK 99507
Phone: (907) 227-7673

* Jeannette O. Reddington (Republican)
4460 Mars Dr.
Anchorage, AK 99507
Phone: (907) 947-0308

* Lynda L. Zaugg (Democrat)
PO Box 232401
Anchorage, AK 99523
Phone: (907) 440-2849


State Representative District 31

* Bob Lynn (Republican) - Incumbent
4400 Trapline Dr.
Anchorage, AK 99516-1538
Phone: (907) 346-4447

* Guadalupe "Lupe" Marroquin (Democrat)
PO Box 111956
Anchorage, AK 99511
Phone: (907) 338-9448
e-mail: lupemarroquinforstatehouse@gmail.com

* Steve Pratt (Republican)
3115 Seawind Dr.
Anchorage, AK 99516
Phone: (907) 345-0032


State Representative District 32

* Mike Hawker (Republican) - Incumbent
PO Box 111329
Anchorage, AK 99511
Phone: (907) 346-2844

* Matthew Moore (Democrat) - Pending Certification

* Christian M. Rawalt (Republican)
PO Box 112872
Anchorage, AK 99511
Phone: (907) 727-8097


State Representative District 33

* Kurt E. Olson (Republican) - Incumbent
317 Diane Lane
Soldotna, AK 99669
Phone: (907) 260-4822

* Richard "Dick" Waisanen (Democrat)
44932 Eddy Hill Drive
Soldotna, AK 99669
Phone: (907) 262-6298


State Representative District 34

* Charles M. "Mike" Chenault (Republican) - Incumbent
PO Box 8154
Nikiski, AK 99635

* Ray G. Southwell (Alaskan Independence)
PO Box 6881
Nikiski, AK 99635
Phone: (907) 776-3384

State Representative District 35

* Paul Seaton (Republican) - Incumbent

PO Box 1564
Homer, AK 99603
Phone: (907) 299-3434
e-mail: Paul@VotePaulSeaton.org
Candidate's web site: http://www.VotePaulSeaton.com


State Representative District 36

* Alan Austerman (Republican) - Incumbent
PO Box 8766
Kodiak, AK 99615
Phone: (907) 486-5930

* Andrew Schroeder (Democrat) - Pending Certification

State Representative District 37

* Bryce Edgmon (Democrat) - Incumbent

PO Box 84

Dillingham, AK 99576
Phone: (907) 842-1729

State Representative District 38

* Bob Herron (Democrat) -Incumbent

PO Box 602
Bethel, AK 99559
Phone: (907) 543-4377


State Representative District 39

* Vincent T. Beans (Democrat)
PO Box 32336
Mountain Village, AK 99632
Phone: (907) 591-2347

* Neal W. Foster (Democrat) - Incumbent
PO Box 1633
Nome, AK 99762
Phone: (907) 250-8375

State Representative District 40

* Reggie Joule (Democrat) - Incumbent

PO Box 1269
Kotzebue, AK 99752
Phone: (907) 442-3452

Shana Blogs the Leg on Education Issues

I never got to meet Shana in Juneau, but she does leave comments here and one said that What Do I Know? helped get her start her own blog.  (I think she was saying politely, "if some yahoo from Anchorage can come down to Juneau and blog the legislature from scratch, I can do this."  And she's right.) We need more blogs like this one - it watches the legislature closely on one specific topic:  Education.  It's called Alaska Education Update.  So for those who want more legislative coverage, albeit focused on Education, here's a good place to go.  And she knows a lot more about what she's doing than I knew about what I was doing. 

Today's post  starts like this:

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Senate Floor Debate on SB 230 - Capital Budget

So much for posting every day until the end of session!  Oh dear!  How about a posting on yesterday's floor debate on the capital budget?

SB 230 – Budget: Capital, Supplemental, & Other Appropriations

http://www.legis.state.ak.us/basis/get_bill.asp?bill=SB%20230&session=26

The Senate passed CSSB 230(FIN) 19 yeas, 1 nay. Sen. Bunde voted against the bill. SB 230 has been transmitted to the House and was referred to the House Finance Committee. It is scheduled for a hearing on Wednesday, April 14 at 8:30 a.m. (See the “Saturday, April 10, 2010 CSSB 230(FIN) AKEDUPDATE” for a list of education-related projects.)  . . .  [The rest is here.]

Just because I'm back in Anchorage, doesn't mean you have to forget about Juneau and the last week of lawmaking. A key goal of my blogging was to let everyone know how easy it is to get information. (Well, like most things computer, it does take a little patience, but the information is all there and it's not that hard to figure out.)

Here's the main link to BASIS (Bill Action Status Inquiry System)

Here's the link to see what currently is up on the House Floor.  (scheduled for 10:30am today)

Here's the link to see what currently is up on the Senate Floor.  (Scheduled for 11am, so it will probably be shown delayed after the House Session)

Here's the link to Gavel to Gavel where you can find ways to watch the Legislature (floor sessions, committees, media sessions, etc.) on television or online.

Among other things on the House Agenda today is a resolution for a Constitutional Amendment  to allow Alaskans to not cooperate with some provisions of the National Health Law, like mandatory insurance.  I'm pretty sure constitutional amendments need a 2/3 majority so it is highly unlikely this will pass. 


ILL: HJR 35 SHORT TITLE: CONST AM: HEALTH CARE
BILL VERSION:
CURRENT STATUS: (H) CALENDAR 4/14 STATUS DATE: 04/13/10
SPONSOR(s): REPRESENTATIVE(s) KELLY, KELLER, P.WILSON, GATTO, Ramras, T.Wilson, Stoltze, Lynn

TITLE: Proposing amendments to the Constitution of the State of Alaska prohibiting passage of laws that interfere with direct payments for health care services and the right to purchase health care insurance from a privately owned company, and that compel a person to participate in a health care system.

House Minority Caucus Before Floor Session

I'd heard about the House Minority caucuses held before most (all?) floor sessions.  It's a time when the Minority representatives discuss the measures coming up in the floor session.  What's most interesting about these meetings is that they are open to the public.  (There are a some rare strategy sessions, I'm told, that are closed.)

There was a floor session scheduled at 4:30 or 5 pm yesterday, so representatives headed over from the crawfish party to the caucus.  So I hitched a ride and went, in my last Sunday in Juneau, to my first caucus.  In the picture above Minority Chair Rep. Kerttula just finished taking a call from her mom and dad while waiting for a few more members to get to the meeting. 

This was Sunday and members were coming over from the crawfish boil and dressed fairly casually.   But the rules require that male representatives where a coat and tie on the floor. 

Here's Rep. Gara arriving at the caucus and tying up in preparation for the session. 

There was one reporter there for a while - there are lots of things going on in the Capitol and maybe 20 or so credentialed media, so they can't cover everything.

It turned out that the Floor Session was postponed for an hour or more while Finance was still working,  and so the meeting adjourned with an hour or more to spare.  Here  are Reps. Doogan and Gardner.

Harry's Crawfish Boil

I was told this was one of the biggest events to see and be seen at. Next Sunday is the last day of the session and committees were meeting this Sunday in both houses as well as both houses having sessions. In the midst of this last leg of the session, where people are trying to get legislation out of committees or projects into the budget, comes the annual crawfish boil.

Rep. Harry Crawford is from Louisiana and for a number of years now has been hosting a crawfish boil with fellow Louisianan Jenny Dawson and her husband Kent.

 The Yacht Club is pretty low brow.

Here's Rep. Crawford cooking up another batch of crawfish.

Politicians of both parties were there to enjoy the food.

I got to talk to Willie Hensley.  His book, Fifty Miles From Tomorrow, he told me, is now out in paperback and will be coming out in Korean. 

Here's Jenny Dawson.  She and her husband Kent  co-hosted this affair.  She said they first did this at their house, but it got too big.    I also learned Jenny and Kent Dawson are registered lobbyists.  Since I have one of the lists of registered lobbyists on my computer, I looked them up.  Here's what it says (the original formating was much nicer than this, sorry.):

Dawson, Jenny
PO Box 20790 Juneau, AK 99802
Kent Dawson Company, Inc.

Contract Lobbyist; monthly fee $1500.00
Legislative and administrative issues regarding the clients of Kent Dawson Company


Dawson, Kent
P.O. Box 20790 Juneau, AK 99802

Alaska Recycling Energy
Contract Lobbyist; annual fee $75000.00
Waste to energy and coal to liquids technology; Alaska energy issues

City of Galena
Contract Lobbyist; annual fee $40000.00

Utility, energy, and capital projects. City financial matters.

City of Seward
Contract Lobbyist; annual fee $77000.00
Regulations and laws impacting municipalities. Capital budget projects.

Council of Alaska Producers
Contract Lobbyist; annual fee $75000.00
Laws and regulations pertaining to mining including taxation, and coastal zone management.

Doyon, Limited
Contract Lobbyist; annual fee $75000.00
Oil and gas exploration, taxation and tax credits, higher educational/vocational education tax credit legislation.

Galena City School District
Contract Lobbyist; annual fee $51750.00
School District finances, capital projects, distance learning and issues relating to the boarding school program.

Kodiak-Kenai Cable Company, LLC
Contract Lobbyist; monthly fee $3000.00
Construction and funding of airport and dock facilities; energy generation projects

NANA/TECK
Contract Lobbyist; annual fee $20000.00
Northwest Arctic Borough government/school district support. Capital projects and school funding.

Northwest Arctic Borough School District
Contract Lobbyist; annual fee $15000.00
School district finances including capital projects.

Princess Tours
Contract Lobbyist; annual fee $78000.00
Legislation relating to the cruise industry initiative; administrative and legislative action as requested

Sequestered Solutions Alaska, LLC
Contract Lobbyist; annual fee $72000.00
State of Alaska technology projects and data hosting services

Teck Resources Limited
Contract Lobbyist; annual fee $72000.00
Mining and resource development issues.

Usibelli Coal Mine. Inc.
Contract Lobbyist; annual fee $84000.00
Legislation and regulations pertaining to coal industry taxation, export, transportation and port development


The other name on the poster is Wendy Chamberlain.  Here's the list of her clients:

Chamberlain, Wendy
224 4th street juneau, AK 99801 PH:

Alaska Association of REALTORS
Contract Lobbyist; annual fee $50000.00

All real estate issues incluidng right of way, licensing, eminent domain, registration, fees, land issues

Alaska Auto Dealers Association
Contract Lobbyist; annual fee $26000.00
auto industry issues. emissions, frachise laws, fuel tax, booster seats, regulatory oversight

Alaska Cruise Association
Contract Lobbyist; annual fee $50000.00
All issues relating to the cruise ship industry

Alaska State Home Building Association
Contract Lobbyist; annual fee $37000.00
All building code issues, housing standards, contractor licensing, fire standards, fire sprinklers, AHFC funding, construction academy funding

Anchorage Neighborhood Health Center
Contract Lobbyist; annual fee $60000.00
Anchorage Neighborhood Health Center is seeking capital funding for a new health center.

Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc.
Contract Lobbyist; annual fee $50000.00
All alcohol related issues, taxes, distribution legislation, underage drinking etc

Calista Corporation
Contract Lobbyist; annual fee $125000.00
mining issues, local government issues, native and tribal issues, capital and operating budget

City of Nome
Contract Lobbyist; annual fee $75000.00
Local government issues, revenue sharing, capital budget

Geohedral, LLC
Salaried Employee; monthly wage $7000.00
Mining interests

Marathon Oil Company
Contract Lobbyist; annual fee $90000.00
Issues relating to oil and gas, land, enviromental issues, taxes, permitting etc.

Matanuska Telephone Association
Contract Lobbyist; annual fee $60000.00
All issues relating to telecommunications

NANA/TECK
Contract Lobbyist; annual fee $20000.00
All issues relating to mining, mineral taxes, environmental issues, land claims, native resource issues, capital budget, operating budget, regulatory issues, Red Dog mine.

Northwest Arctic Borough
Contract Lobbyist; annual fee $15000.00

All issues relating to local and municipal government, taxes, school funding, municipal dividend, mining, capital budget, operating budget

Northwest Arctic Borough School District
Contract Lobbyist; annual fee $13333.00
School district funding, capital budget, operating budget, school foundation formula, cost differential, pce, preshcool funding, headstart, local school match requirements

Pebble Limited Partnership
Contract Lobbyist; annual fee $120000.00
All issues relating to mining, mining taxes, permitting, environmental, water quality, water rights, mixing zone, etc

Providence Health & Services Alaska
Contract Lobbyist; annual fee $72000.00
All issues relating to health car

People who get paid this much money obviously know what the laws say. So I have no doubt that this event was perfectly legal. I'm also sure that this is not at all unusual. But I can't help but think that this is more than two people from Louisiana throwing a party. But these lobbyists represent a lot of people who are paying them a lot of money. Should legislators be this cosy with the lobbyists?

Signs the Session Is Almost Over

1.  They're having weekend floor sessions.

Multi Bill Display : House and Senate Calendars for 04/10/10

HOUSE CALENDAR
BILL	SHORT TITLE	STATUS	DATE
HB 70	ALASKA GROWN AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS	TRANSMITTED TO (S)	04/10/10
HB 363	AIDEA MEMBERSHIP	TRANSMITTED TO (S)	04/10/10
HB 381	SELF DEFENSE	3RD RDG,4/11 CAL(H)	04/10/10
HB 408	MISCONDUCT INVOLVING WEAPONS	TRANSMITTED TO (S)	04/10/10
HB 36	INITIATIVES: CONTRIBUTIONS/ PROCEDURES	PASSD(H) RECON NTCE	04/10/10
HJR 8	CONST. AM: APPROP. LIMIT/MINERAL REVENUE	3RD RDG,4/11 CAL(H)	04/10/10
HCR 22	ALASKA NORTHERN WATERS TASK FORCE	TRANSMITTED TO (S)	04/10/10
AWAITING ACTION
HOUSE LEGISLATION AWAITING CONCURRENCE IN SENATE AMENDMENTS
HB 101	EXEMPTIONS: LIFE INSURANCE; ANNUITIES	(H)AWAIT CONC/RECED	04/06/10
HB 162	SOUTHEAST STATE FOREST	(H)AWAIT CONC/RECED	04/08/10
HB 360	YOUTH ACADEMY: STUDENT RECORDS	(H)AWAIT CONC/RECED	04/06/10
HCR 2	IN-STATE GAS PIPELINE	(H)AWAIT CONC/RECED	04/05/10

---

SENATE CALENDAR
BILL	SHORT TITLE	STATUS	DATE
SB 220	ENERGY EFFICIENCY/ ALTERNATIVE ENERGY	(H) ENE	04/10/10
HB 334	MILITARY DEPLOYMENT AND CHILD CUSTODY	(H)AWAIT CONC/RECED	04/10/10
HB 336	ELECTRIC & TELEPHONE COOPERATIVES' VOTING	AWAIT TRANSMIT GOV	04/10/10
SB 303	WORKERS' COMP; CONTRACTORS & OTHERS	RETURNED TO (S) RLS	04/10/10

---

HOUSE

ADJOURNED TO 5:00 PM, SUNDAY, APRIL 11, 2010

---

SENATE

ADJOURNED TO 1:00 PM, SUNDAY, APRIL 11, 2010

2. House committees are hearing more and more Senate bills. And vice versa.

3. Packing labels have been delivered to all the legislators' offices.