Alaska Democrats Try Again on Red-Flag Gun Law to be Heard This Week

 Reprinted from mustreadalaska.com

The Alaska Democrats’ latest attempt to seize firearms comes with House Bill 89, introduced by Reps. Andy Josephson of Anchorage and Sara Hannan of Juneau. It will be heard in the House State Affairs Committee on Thursday at 3:13 pm.

HB 89 would implement a law that permits the government to seize firearms based on vague standards of evidence.

The state could implement ex-parte hearings to take away a citizen’s Second Amendment rights without due process, NRA says. The individuals would then bear the burden of having to petition the court for the return of their property once the order has been vacated, adding cost to the citizen to get property back from seizure.

The State Affairs Committee is chaired by Rep. Ashley Carrick of Fairbanks, who is in favor of stricter gun control, as was her former boss, former Rep. Adam Wool, who introduced gun control laws.

The bill is opposed by the NRA and Gun Owners of America, and the courts are less supportive of taking the guns away from people who haven’t been convicted of anything. In divorce situations, red flag laws are often used as threats against men by the women in the divorce. Lawyers leverage the fear factor against men, forcing them to agree to settlements demanded by their soon-to-be ex-wives.

There are two committees of referral, State Affairs and Judiciary. To date, there are no fiscal notes, amendments, or sponsor statements associated with the bill, which most Republicans will oppose due to the infringement on Alaskans’ rights to bear arms.

It’s a red flag for Republicans: Majority polled fear abuse of red flag laws

Unexpected Free Afternoon

I believe I've mentioned before that my ahem retirement cough, cough covers the bills, but leaves little pocket money left over. To that end, I work part-time as a cashier at local grocery-slash-department store.

The point of this rambling narrative is that my old Navy injury, three crushed lumbar vertebrae resulting in permanent weakness and a galloping case of traumatic arthritis, decided that today was a great time to flare up. So after a few hours at the register, I decided to exercise a bit o' discretion and take the afternoon off.

I'm glad I did: it's a partly-sunny day, with broken overcast here and yonder. The temp's 49°, roughly normal for this time of year, and it's a beautiful day to sit in a chair with appropriate back support and read a book or two.

This evening another contractor will come by to provide a quote on drywall repair from the earthquake damage. The wheels of "disaster recovery" turn slowly, and we've just now finally been approved for our recovery loan. Strangely enough, it comes through the Small Business Administration, only after FEMA approves the original application for disaster assistance.

It's probably a good thing that the President declared the 7.1 magnitude 'quake a federal disaster, or we'd be stuck with whatever pocket change the State might have had available. Given the state of the State economy, I'm not sure we'd have gotten enough to fix anything.

Yes, Alaska by rights ought to be a wealthy place, given the abundance of oil. But successive Legislatures have spent like the proverbial drunken sailors, spreading the wealth far faster than it came in. When one combines that with our lack of a State income tax, and no sales tax, we're "suddenly" hurting.

The "suddenly" came as a surprise only to our Legislators; everyone has seen it coming down the middle of Main Street for years.

So I'll enjoy the quiet, the glimpses of sun, and the books. All y'all have a great day, too.

I Know That Wasn't Interesting

The weather forecast, that is. I had little time this morning, and didn't even comment on what I posted. Sorry; I know it's not nearly as interesting to someone in Cazador, Alabama as it is to us.

But the good/bad/sad news is ... there's no news to report. The local snowflakes and crybabies (but I repeat myself) are wetting themselves as they bemoan the evil fortune which brought them to an alternate reality where Donald J. Trump could get elected.

The 2017 State Legislature has convened, or is about to ... I lose track ... and faces the same budget battles as its immediate predecessor.

The Muni Assembly in Anchorage continues to threaten to resurrect a proposal to place a sales tax on the ballot in April. It would exempt groceries, prescription drugs, and so on, but everyone is losing their minds.

Personal note: I have to admit to a certain satisfaction when shopping. It's nice to know that the price sticker on an item at a store will cost you that much, and no more, when you check out. On the other, most places elsewhere in the country have sales taxes, and it's a part of life.

I think my major caveat is that I've never seen a sales tax that remained static. It always increases, because legislators always think of something else that they could use the money on. Always. 

But the area has recovered from the snow on Friday, as we prepare for the one beginning in a few hours. It's not supposed to be quite as much, this time 'round, but the forecasters are famous principally for being wrong much of the time.

Like I said, that's not news. :)

Hump Day Already

There simply aren't enough hours in the day to do everything we'd like to accomplish, most days. Not because the days are too short, but because our "to do" lists are unrealistically long.

We took last night off, though; everyone is exhausted from three solid weeks of pre- and post-moving activity.

However, we've finished all three bedrooms, and nearly finished unpacking/setting up/arranging the kitchen, office, and living room.

Meanwhile, the nattering nabobs of negativity on the TV continue to "Trump" this, "Hillary" that, and/or "Bernie" the other. Whatever. Regarding the upcoming national election, one is tempted to side with Benjamin (the donkey) from George Orwell's Animal Farm:

Benjamin was the only animal who did not side with either faction. He refused to believe either that food would become more plentiful or that the windmill would save work. Windmill or no windmill, he said, life would go on as it had always gone on– that is, badly.

 But the more time I spend seeking the Lord, and asking Him for wisdom, the more this impression grows: the election results are going to be surprising, and the long-term outcome will not be what everyone seems to expect.

Chew on that.

* * * * *

From the Alaska Dispatch News:

The Alaska Legislature is lurching toward its Wednesday deadline without consensus on an operating budget, oil tax reforms, or any of the other major deficit-reduction bills introduced by Gov. Bill Walker.

Not really much of a surprise. The Legislature used to routinely run past its deadline for action, and spend weeks - at great expense - in special sessions, one after another, to tie things up.

The sessions became so lengthy that the voters, roughly a decade ago, limited the legislative session to 90 days. Given the near-fistfight mentality of most legislators, I'll give you three guesses what happens, these days.

And the first two don't count. :)

It Figures: Bought, Sold and Useless

For years, Alaskans have petitioned the State Legislature in Juneau - a city in southeast Alaska, accessible only by air and sea - to move the capitol to Anchorage ... or Fairbanks ... or anywhere on the road system.

In fact, Alaskans have voted three times to move the capitol, and all three times, the Legislature has ignored the will of the people. It would be too hard on Juneau's economy, they tell us. And while that's arguably true, it also leaves the capitol more-or-less inaccessible to most Alaskans. Legislators seem to enjoy having a private playground for ... well, use your imagination. Booze, hookers, and mistresses come to mind.

So we've also petitioned the Legislature to take Alaska off of Daylight Saving time. It's stupid to change the clock when the sun doesn't set.


Seriously. So what are our oh-so-responsive elected officials debating?

There's a proposal on the table to move Alaska to Pacific Time - you know, West Coast/Lower 48 time.
If that's not a solution in search of a nonexistent problem, then I've never seen one.

Hey Texans: wanna be in the same time zone as Pennsylvania? That's more-or-less what our darling legislators are proposing, here.

Makes perfect sense. To them; not to anyone I've asked.


Yessiree Bob, the finest legislature Big Oil can buy.

A Case in Point

So the Governor and Alaska Legislature have been crying the blues (seriously, there could be tears) and weeping bitterly about how broke the State is.

We're a few billion shy for this year's budget and next year could be worse, they say.

"Something", in legislator-speak, is to enact an income tax, raise taxes on everything else, announce that a few dozen employees will be laid off, and take a portion of the State's savings account. "We're broke!" they say.

Something. Must. Be. Done.

So last night they announced that they going to spend $32.5M to buy the office building they use for meetings in Anchorage ... when they're here.

So here's what they're telling us:

"Honey, I filed the bankruptcy papers at the attorney's office, like we discussed. We're officially broke. And oh yes, I bought a new truck on the way home from work."

Thursday Things

A few months ago at work, we purchased a video surveillance system: eight high-res cameras with night vision, and an NVR with 16 channels and an Alaska-sized hard drive. Our I.T. contractors began installation.

Got the first two cameras installed in the lobby ... and then the building was purchased by a new group of owners. Work came to a halt.

Last month, there was a robbery in the pharmacy, and while the robber was filmed entering and leaving, it pointed up the fact that work was needed.

Yesterday, wires were routed and connected for the remaining cameras; today, the cameras will be mounted and aimed, giving me a view of the other entry, and 90% of the parking lot.

* * * * *

Alaska legislators continue to debate how to bail the State out of its fiscal shortfall, caused by the drop in oil prices.

Rather than shrink the government (nope, can't do that: the horror!), they propose an income tax and to take proceeds from the oil savings account.

This, in a nutshell, is how government works. It expands, it grows, it takes, it encompasses, it devours ... and then demands that those who had little-to-no say in the growth of the beast must now pay for it, at the point of a gun.

If you think that last statement is too extreme, try not paying your taxes, and see what happens.

So since the Legislature has been in virtual gridlock, they've been conducting town hall meetings to get public input. It's safe to say there's little support for either of their proposals, but change is inevitable. One way or the other, it's going to cost more to live here.



*network video recorder

BOHICA

It's been a long, busy week. No particular problem with that, but I'm still glad it's over.

Today will be lots of running to and fro (speaking of phrases we don't hear often, anymore). The girls gave my wife an auto-start for her new SUV, and today's the day we take it to the shop. Naturally, the shop's hours don't bear much resemblance to those available to a working person. So we do the two-car shuffle.

She's going to work early, and then will take her new hotness to the shop, where I'll meet her, and take her back to her office ... and then return to mine. When the work is done (in three hours? More? Who knows?) we'll reverse the process.

Mostly, it involves zigzagging back and forth across town. At least it won't be during lunch hour when there are more vehicles clogging the intersections, as hungry office-dwellers hope desperately that this time, they'll have time to do more than inhale their food. I hear "chewing" can be quite satisfactory... but I digress.

This week, the State legislature resumes the debate about our budget deficit. "The free ride is over" is a common statement, lately.

What does that mean? It means BOHICA. At the very least, we're going to see a sales tax (Alaska has none, at present). Meanwhile, the Governor is crowing about how he's increasing Medicare and several other programs.

The Anchorage school district says that it will deal with the projected shortfall in its own budget ... an annual occurrence, for those with short memories ... by "cutting jobs." Uh-huh, tell me another.

Yes, they're going to cut a half-dozen positions, while adding a dozen or more new ones. Only in the Land of Politics does a net 100 percent increase constitute a cut.

And up is down, war is peace, and costly is free.

BOHICA, indeed.

Hump Day News

And Then There Were Two Dept: Yesterday's general election eliminated two of the four mayoral candidates, pitting the two leaders - a moderate Democrat and an old-fashioned pro-life, pro-liberty Conservative - in a run-off election on May 5.

Winter Ain't Done With Us Yet Dept: The National Weather Service calls for a few inches of fresh snow in Anchorage and the Molluskan and Susitna valleys Wednesday morning, which could create hazardous road conditions in Southcentral Alaska. So what else is new ...

The T Word Dept: A couple of State legislators have proposed an "education tax" (a de facto income tax) to help meet the $4 billion-with-a-b budget shortfall. Just three problems: a) it's highly inequitable, taxing lower-income earners at a rate 10 times higher than those making a lot more, b) State law prohibits earmarking tax revenues for any specific purpose, and c) the $140 million or so that it would bring in is far, far too little to help with the actual shortfall.

Unalaska Envy Dept: ANCHORAGE - A 19-year-old Anvik man was found passed out Tuesday at the Anchorage airport with a stolen artifact from an Alaska State Trooper museum, troopers say.
Troopers noticed an airport employee attempting to wake up an unconscious man "who was passed out on the floor in the middle of the terminal," troopers wrote. The man, later identified as Clayton Ticknor, was "unresponsive and smelled heavily of alcoholic beverages." As troopers tried to wake Ticknor, they saw he was wearing an Alaska Fire Marshal badge on his belt, authorities wrote in a dispatch posted online. Troopers seized the badge and investigated.  Authorities say Ticknor had visited the 'Fraternal Order of Alaska State Troopers Law Enforcement Museum,' April 4, located on Fifth Avenue in Anchorage, and had stolen the badge from a mannequin. "The badge is an artifact badge and is valued at over $1000," troopers wrote. Ticknor was arrested for second degree theft and has been remanded to Anchorage Jail with bail set at $500.

Move the Capitol from Juneau to Anchorage? Again?

Sen.-elect Bill Stoltze had not spoken with Rep. Cathy Munoz since the end of last year’s legislative session.

But while he was asleep Wednesday after returning earlier in the day from Washington, where he attended a swearing-in ceremony for U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan, Stoltze had a missed call from the Juneau Republican.

“I can guess what it was about,” Stoltze said.

Earlier that evening, PIPELINE broke news about a bill the longtime Republican legislator from Chugiak plans to introduce this session that would relocate the Alaska Legislature from Juneau into the brand new legislative information office in Downtown Anchorage.

“Anytime you even mutter it under your breath, the public picks up on it,” Stoltze said during an Thursday interview at the Channel 2 News studio. “And the Capital City, they go to DEFCON alert. That’s probably why I’m doing an interview at 6:15 in the morning here.”

{snip}
This effort is the latest in a lengthy and recurring struggle to wrest state government from Southeast Alaska and put it into driving distance of most Alaskans, an idea staunchly opposed over the years by Southeast lawmakers and many others.

Persistent concerns of the negative impact relocation would have on Juneau’s economy and fears the state would become too Anchorage-centric beat back previous efforts.

{snip}
A partial history of relocation fails from the Alaska Division of Elections:

• 2002: Alaskans vote 2-to-1 against placing the capital in Mat-Su
• 1994: With 212,675 ballots, Wasilla falls short of becoming the capital by fewer than 20,000 votes
• 1982: A ballot proposal that emphasizes cost, revenue and population estimates falls flat by about 10,000 votes.
• 1974 and 1978: Voters approve
• 1962: An effort to relocate the capital to Western Alaska is voted down.
• 1960: Voters nix an effort to dislodge Juneau as the capital in favor of somewhere in the Cook Inlet-Railbelt area.

Once More Unto the Breach, Dear Friends

Convinced by constituents and healthcare professionals that Alaska did not need Daylight Savings Time, Rep. Anna Fairclough in 2009 introduced a bill that would have exempted the state from the annual “fall back” and “spring forward” time change. The proposal never reached a vote in the Senate.

Fast foward to 2015, and Fairclough is now Sen. Anna MacKinnon, thanks to a recent marriage, and the Anchorage Republican thinks now is the time to test the idea again. MacKinnon says she will file a bill this session that would scrap Daylight Savings in Alaska.

Last time around, H.B. 19 passed the House by a 22-15 vote but languished in Senate committees.

For what it's worth, I agree that "Daylight Saving Time" serves little purpose, in Alaska. In summer, when we have 22+ hours of daylight, what exactly are we saving?

And in winter, when we have five hours of daylight - or much, much less in the far north - moving the hands on the clock doesn't do anything for us, either.

Yes, there are those who talk about energy savings in warm climates, but others have pointed out that those alleged savings are off-set by increased lighting demands when making folks get out of bed earlier in the morning.

The arrogance of Man, to think we can tell the sun what time it is. Sigh ...

Sponsor Pulls Bill To Allow Guns on UA Campuses

The Associated Press reports that Senator John Coghill (R-North Pole) has asked the Senate Finance Committee to defer further action on his bill for this legislative session.

Apparently Sen. Coghill recognized some questions that were raised during initial hearings, and didn't yet have good answers for them.

The bill would have specifically permitted the carry of firearms on University of Alaska campuses, at least in open areas and parts of buildings not specifically prohibiting such possession. While such carry is not illegal, the University's Board of Regents has instituted a "no firearms on campus" policy, leading to some minor clashes in the past.

This issue is far from over.

Read the whole thing here.

Alaska Senate Passes Measure to Move Natural Gas Pipeline Forward

JUNEAU --The Parnell administration's natural gas proposal, which supporters say could lead to the biggest infrastructure project ever built in Alaska, cleared a divided state Senate Tuesday on a 15-5 vote over the opposition of four Anchorage Democrats and a single Republican.

The liquefied natural gas measure was debated for about five hours Tuesday with Democrats proposing 16 amendments, all of which failed to varying degrees, including one that would have made Alaska a majority owner of the ambitious project.

... The legislation, Senate Bill 138, creates a framework for a three-part project that the Parnell administration says is designed to bring Alaska's vast reserves of natural gas to commercial markets in Asia.

The components are a North Slope treatment plant, an 800-mile gas pipeline and a natural gas liquefaction plant and export facility planned for Nikiski.

... The proposal makes the state a partner with the North Slope's major oil producers -- BP, ExxonMobil and ConocoPhillips -- and pipeline company TransCanada Corp. in a project that would cost $45 billion to $65 billion. The state would be a direct investor with a 25 percent share -- although it could turn over all or a majority of its share of the pipeline and a North Slope gas treatment plant to TransCanada. 

Read the whole article here.

Try As I Might

I'm having trouble coming up with anything worth blogging about. Odds and ends? Sure. Trivia? Sure, and lots of it, but nothing substantive.

So, you get what I've got, such as it is.

Alaskan Allen Moore of Alaska Wins Yukon Quest

Two Rivers musher Allen Moore hugs his lead dog Quito after winning his second consecutive Yukon Quest Monday morning, Feb. 10, 2014. Moore's winnings include more than $22,700, plus $5,000 worth of gold from Dawson City that was originally awarded to Brent Sass, who suffered an injury and was withdrawn from the race. MARCEL VANDER WIER/WHITEHORSE STAR

The 56-year-old from Two Rivers crossed the finish line at the Takhini Hot Springs at 3:12 a.m., breaking his own record for fastest finishing time on a shortened Quest trail.
Moore finished in eight days, 14 hours and 21 minutes.

Moore will take home more than $22,700 for his second race win in only four attempts.

* * * * *
After 8-year countdown, Randall's moment arrives

Kikkan Randall trains on the Sochi sprint course with her American teammates on Monday, Feb. 10. NATHANIEL HERZ — Anchorage Daily News / fasterskier.com

Since the last Olympic skate-ski sprint, in Italy in 2006, Kikkan Randall of Anchorage has developed into a sprinting machine, finishing on the podium in 10 of her last 12 international races. Now 31 years old, she is the favorite to win gold...

* * * * *
The Associated Press reports that the Alaska Senate has rejected pay raises for the Governor, Lt. Governor, and department heads by a 19-0 vote.

[Opinion: looking at the bigger picture, it seems to be a gesture in the direction of fiscal responsibility. But who knows which way the House will vote ... - Ed.]

* * * * *
And finally, for your viewing pleasure, here's a video of Egil Ellis' sled and dogs racing at the Tozier Track in Anchorage:





Enjoy!

It Ain't Easy

I know all you folks in the Lower 48 have had your fair share of winter weather, the last few years. But I thought you might enjoy this tale of what it takes to get to Juneau, if you start out in a car.

BAD ROAD TRIP . . . Legislators are used to crummy travel conditions on the annual trip to Juneau -- the session always starts in January, so what do they expect? But after their trek south this past week, Anchorage Reps. Andy Josephson and Geran Tarr may actually regret being elected.

... Traveling in separate vehicles, they both got to Tok Sunday night. On Monday morning, Andy found his car battery frozen inert by the minus-30 temperatures -- and no jumper cables. Geran had cables and jump-started Andy's car.

Later, 50 miles south of Haines Junction, in the Yukon Territory, Andy came upon Geran, her car dead at the side of the road. He shuffled things around in his already packed vehicle and Geran, her two cats and some necessary belongings squeezed in. They made it to the Haines-Juneau ferry on time.

According to Tarr, the Haines tow truck driver who eventually rescued her car reported "30 miles of whiteout ... and when they finally got to my car it was buried under several feet of snow."

Puts our regular morning commute to shame, doesn't it?

Alaska Panel Plans Summit on "Federal Over-Reach"

From today's Anchorage Daily News:

By BECKY BOHRER — Associated Press

JUNEAU, Alaska — A state advisory panel is holding a summit this month on Alaska's relationship with the federal government and areas of perceived overreach by the feds.

Republican Sen. John Coghill of North Pole said Thursday that the Citizens' Advisory Commission on Federal Areas isn't interested in just having a complaining session during the Aug. 12-13 summit in Anchorage. Coghill serves on the panel, and said there are several goals for the meeting.

During the last session, in which the issue of perceived overreach occupied a fair bit of time in the GOP-controlled Legislature, Coghill said it became apparent there needed to be a history review to better understand agreements the state had made with the feds, as well as court cases, rather than address the issue through piecemeal resolutions.

The upcoming summit is expected to include such an overview, he said, along with looking at where the federal government is pushing the limits and improving relationships with the feds.

Stan Leaphart, the commission's executive director, said in a release this week that the intent is to develop an "action plan" that can be implemented by the Legislature, governor and congressional delegation.

The federal government is the dominant landowner in Alaska, a factor in the love-hate relationship the state has with the feds. Republican Gov. Sean Parnell hasn't been shy about pushing back on issues in which he argues the feds have overstepped their bounds. 

 Read the whole story at the link.

Alaska Legislative Update

Last week, the Alaska Legislature sent three bills of interest to the Governor's office, for signature into law.

A modification to the self-defense law. The law includes a list of places (like one's residence or place of work) where a person is exempt from the duty to retreat. HB 24 adds the phrase, "or in any other place where the person has a right to be."

An act prohibiting State or municipal agencies from using assets to implement any Federal regulations which would infringe on the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

An act giving the Alaska Attorney General the authority to review federal Executive Orders for compliance with the U.S. Constitution, and authorizing the A.G. to recommend to the State Legislature that any such orders be countermanded, and that the A.G. can sue the Federal government to block such orders.

Alaska Legislative Update

From the GOA comes this news:

 

House Bill 69 has passed the Alaska House by a 31-5 vote and the state Senate by a surprising 17-3 margin.

•  House Bill 69 would outlaw unconstitutional violations of the Second Amendment by federal, state, and local officials in Alaska.
•  It would prohibit the federal government from regulating firearms made and possessed wholly within the state of Alaska.
•  It would prohibit Alaska’s state and local officials from enforcing unconstitutional gun bans and registration schemes.
•  It would prohibit federal officials from enforcing gun bans and registration schemes in the state of Alaska.

This all assumes that the law carries any weight, legally speaking; but if enough States pass similar bills - and many already have - it would constitute nullification of those Federal laws which violate its terms.

Remains to be seen if the States will back it up, but it's an interesting exercise in Constitutional law, no?

"State Could Defend Alaskans' Gun Rights"

In this video report from KTUU Channel 2 in Anchorage, the Alaska House bill mentioned here has passed the Senate, with changes, and will now go back to the House:


Video here (sorry, couldn't embed this one).

Alaska Randomosity

They're At It Again Dept: The Anchorage police have shot and killed another person. By their own count, that's five last year, and three this year. Story here.

Alaska's Longest Argument Dept: The Alaska Legislature continues its interminable argument about how to properly tax oil production without discouraging exploration and new production. Meanwhile, production continues to decline, and Alaska slips further in the standings (now in 4th place nationally, IIRC).

Musical Chairs Dept:  The Alaska GOP drops its current Chairman, making for the 2nd change in three months.

Hit or Miss Dept: After Saturday's 10+" of snow, AccuHunch tried to scare us with forecasts for 13" ... no, 15" .... no, 18" of more snow.  Late yesterday afternoon, they dropped that to 8". By the time the snow moves out late tonight, we'll probably get that much. We could have used the snow at the end of February when it was dry & too warm, but this is one time we're glad they're wrong.