The Fourth of July Independence Day holiday is just five days away. It falls on a Friday this year, so it will be a fun weekend. Many events are planned around the state, including the annual Mount Marathon race in Seward. Senator Lyman Hoffman (D – Bethel), who has served in the Legislature since 1987, officially announced that he will not seek re-election next year. Governor Mike Dunleavy (R – Alaska) sent a loose letter to members of the Legislature regarding a bill be vetoed. A proposed Anchorage Assembly ordinance to crack down on homelessness and vagrancy resulted in a weird collection of people testifying during Tuesday’s meeting. And more candidates filed to run for the Legislature.
A friendly message and reminder to all our readers. The Landmine is made possible by myself and a team of awesome Alaskans. I have been covering the legislative session in Juneau for the last seven years and recently returned from Juneau. If you enjoy the content we provide, please consider making a one time or recurring monthly donation. You can click here to donate. We have a system that makes it super easy. We would really appreciate it. And thanks to everyone who has been supportive.
Two key senators are retiring
Senator Lyman Hoffman, who is 75, officially announced this week that he will not seek re-election next year. Insiders knew for some time that he was not planning on running again, but his announcement makes it official. This will cap off a four decade career in the Legislature. This Alaska Beacon article, “Alaska’s longest-serving state legislator, Lyman Hoffman, will not run for reelection in 2026,” provides more detail.
Hoffman joins Senate President Gary Stevens (R – Kodiak), who is also retiring next year. Stevens, who is 83, has served in the Legislature since 2001. Combined, Stevens and Hoffman have more than 60 years experience serving in the Legislature, with a good portion of that in leadership roles. Their absence will leave a large void in the Senate.
Representative Louise Stutes (R – Kodiak) filed to run for Stevens‘ seat last month. Representative Sarah Vance (R – Homer) could also run for the seat, but it’s not likely as she’s in a safe House seat and Stutes would be very difficult to beat.
Hoffman told the Alaska Beacon that he wants Speaker Bryce Edgmon (I – Dillingham) to run for his seat. Edgmon filed a letter of intent this week and did not indicate an office, meaning he’s at least keeping his options open. The problem for Edgmon is that if Calista decides to back a Democrat from the Bethel district, Edgmon would have a real race on his hands. Calista is in a partnership for the Donlin gold mine and could put big money behind a candidate for the open seat. However, if Hoffman can convince Calista to stay out, Edgmon will likely run for the Senate.
If Stutes and Edgmon are out of the House next year, there will be a similar power vacuum as in the Senate with Stevens and Hoffman’s departure. Both Edgmon and Stutes have served as speaker and have been key members of the House majority coalition. There could be very interesting power struggles in both the House and Senate after the election in November 2026.
Other Happenings
Check out this wild letter Governor Dunleavy sent to legislators regarding his veto of Senate Bill 183. Next session, Dunleavy’s last one, is definitely going to be contentious between him and both majorities.
Well that escalated quickly. #akleg https://t.co/GPviqKmpTU pic.twitter.com/n2TkbKCTOu
— The Alaska Landmine (@alaskalandmine) June 27, 2025
With things calming down in the Middle East, it appears that we will not be bailed out by high oil prices again. ANS crude nearly hit $80/barrel on June 17, but has fallen to $70 since.
Guess Bibi didn’t save us after all. #akleg https://t.co/5Up8n7yUo7 pic.twitter.com/FrDTGvYH3r
— The Alaska Landmine (@alaskalandmine) June 27, 2025
The following people filed letters of intent for the Legislature this week:
- Representative Julie Coulombe (R – Anchorage) filed for re-election.
- Representative Bryce Edgmon (I – Dillingham). He did not indicate an office. (See above write up.)
- Representative Andy Josephson (D – Anchorage) filed for re-election.
- Representative Kevin McCabe (R – Big Lake). He did not indicate an office. He may be keeping his options open in case Senator Mike Shower (R – Wasilla) decides not to run for re-election.
Earlier this week I confirmed that legislative staffers Trey Watson and Forrest Musselman will no longer be working comms for the Republican House minority effective July 1. This leaves the House minority with no press staff.
This is positive news, but it’s not serious until countries and companies in Asia sign “take or pay” contracts. And we also need the producers to sign contracts to sell the gas.
Glenfarne announced they signed a cooperation agreement with Thailand’s largest publicly traded company for 2 million tonnes per year from AKLNG for 20 years. #akleg pic.twitter.com/cqUzVHHTFz
— The Alaska Landmine (@alaskalandmine) June 23, 2025
Jenna Wright, the president and CEO of the Anchorage Economic Development Corporation, is on medical leave for an unknown period of time. The last paragraph of the announcement is rather strange.
The last paragraph is weird. pic.twitter.com/KjlFLvFa6C
— The Alaska Landmine (@alaskalandmine) June 26, 2025
If you have not already seen it, check out the Landmine’s updated version of the famous “Wild About Anchorage” commercial. You can either laugh or cry about how much Anchorage has devolved over the years.
If you grew up in Anchorage you’ll remember the famous “Wild About Anchorage” animated commercial. Check out this updated version! pic.twitter.com/rY8FqgPspn
— The Alaska Landmine (@alaskalandmine) June 27, 2025
You had one job to do! The seal is finally back up on the website.
The state seal has not been showing up on the official page of Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom all day. She’s supposed to protect the seal! #akleg pic.twitter.com/DDPNLkyGEA
— The Alaska Landmine (@alaskalandmine) June 29, 2025
This Week’s Loose Unit
This week was real easy. This week’s Loose Unit is all the lunatics who came to Tuesday’s Anchorage Assembly meeting to essentially testify in support of the drug addicts, alcoholics, and trouble makers that are running roughshod by living in parks and trails all over our city. You can watch this live stream I recorded on Wednesday to understand just how loose it got.
Here are some more examples of the insanity that these people brought to the Assembly. Classic Loose Units! We definitely have mental health crisis in our city.
If you have a nomination for this week’s Loose Unit, or if you have any political news, stories or gossip (or any old pics of politicians or public officials) please email me at jeff@alaskalandmine.com.
Every day, you sound more and more like Sue Downing
I thought they were same person?
Edit: How’s Grants Pass doing?
“…….How’s Grant’s Pass doing?……….”
They’re screwed. Again. In January, the city was sued again for breaking state laws, both disability protections and rules about how cities can regulate homelessness. Now, camping bans are, again, mostly blocked here by the judge hearing that lawsuit until it’s resolved. And she ordered Grants Pass to create more camping spaces.
Are you getting the picture on why strong leaders like Trump, Hitler, Putin, Zi, Khomeini, Saddam, et al rise to power? Eventually, somebody has to break the impasse.
How was Hitler a strong leader? And what impasse did he break by burning 6 million Jews (instead of focusing on his war)?
Hitler broke the impasse of the dissolution of the Weimar Republic by overpowering the communists after years of street battles (sorta’ like the street battles we see today with the anarchists, communists, and racists in American cities). His genocide of the Jews (and his wars with neighboring nations) occurred afterwards, after he gained total power.
Hitler published mien kampf in 1925 and came to power in 1933. Do the math.
He didn’t kill a single Jew from 1925 through 1933. There’s no math to do. Zero dead Jews = zero dead Jews.
After he gained complete power? Well, now, that’s a new mathematical formula.
Now, diversions finished, or do you have more side roads to travel?
Again, this back-and-forth race to death will continue until a strong man takes control. SCOTUS couldn’t help Grants Pass. They can’t help Anchorage.
Dachua concentration camp opened what year? Do the math.
1933, AFTER Hitler became chancellor. And WHY did Hitler become chancellor?
Do the history………..
He becomes the leader in 1933 and Bans Jews from the military in 1933 (sound familiar?). Do the math.
“…….sound familiar?……..”
It most certainly does. That’s why I brought it up. And here you are with circular arguments dancing around the point like a fairy with no point of your own. You’re just arguing. That, too, is familiar, and that, too, is why strongmen rise to power.
Do the history…………..
You have not in anyway pointed out how Hitler was a strong ruler nor what impasse he dealt with and how a strong leader like Hitler would deal with the Homeless situation. All you have done is acknowledge Hitler hated Jews and others and used his position to perpetuate his hate. I personally find that very weak and the signature of a weak leadsr.
Hitler and his goons broke the ideological stalemate of the Weimar Republic. Think about those words carefully: the end of the republic. This is relatively elementary history. It is known, not opinion. Germany suffered almost exactly what American society is suffering now during that process (not in homelessness, but) in ideological stalemate, complete with the riots and street battles. The courts are not only Ineffective in any kind of response to this (ala the Grant’s Pass decision), but they’re the freaking targets in such cities as Portland Oregon. The federal courthouse in Portland has been under recurring siege for five… Read more »
Who were the first prisoners in Dachau?
Do the history.
Since you didn’t answer: “The Dachau concentration camp was established in March 1933. It was the first regular concentration camp established by the National Socialist (Nazi) government………During the first year, the camp had a capacity of 5,000 prisoners. Initially the internees were primarily German Communists, Social Democrats, trade unionists, and other political opponents of the Nazi regime. Over time, other groups were also interned at Dachau, such as Jehovah’s Witnesses, Roma (Gypsies), gay men, as well as “asocials” and repeat criminal offenders. During the early years relatively few Jews were interned in Dachau and then usually because they belonged to one of the above groups… Read more »
Have begun thinking the same myself. Landmine used to be a solid balance, but more and more it’s MRA on a different site.
Oh, well. Maybe you ought to buy the Daily News/Dispatch/whatever and make another go of it?
Also: Jeff, please stop using the word “lunatics” to describe anyone who has a slightly different opinion or different concerns from you. It’s tedious.
No, Jeff. You chose to highlight perfect lunatics, and probably could have highlighted dozens more.
Michael Patterson is probably the single most obnoxious and counterproductive person in Anchorage politics. He’s threatening and aggressive, and thinks he can change minds by getting in peoples faces and screaming. I guarantee his full-throated support for lawless homeless encampments will help the anti-camping ordinance pass. David Song is right about housing. We need to evict the corporate squatters who have locked up a lot of our land and build housing. That would help (though not fix) the homelessness issue, make Anchorage more affordable, and boost our stagnant economy. If we’d used eminent domain on half of the parking lots… Read more »
The problem is drugs, mental illness, anti-social disorders, criminal impulses. Houses don’t fix any of that and they won’t even cover it up temporarily. Lack of housing is a bullshit excuse dreamed up because we fear to admit the problem originates with the person. Worse we are paralyzed in fear and throw out stupid ideas because we really don’t know what to do. Either way, noting gets better until we get over the fear. I don’t have the answer either but I’m open to ideas and willing to try. However, building houses for folks that have problems so severe they… Read more »
How does one “fix” mental illness? And where? Expand API? What is the fiscal note?
“………How does one “fix” mental illness?……..” Treatment. “Illness” is different than “disability”, which is permanent, but is still treatable. “……Where……”. Treatment of most mental illnesses require talk therapy and/or medication. But it requires commitment to the treatments. “…….Expand API…….” Well, yeah. API has existed in the same exact footprint that it did since at least the 1960’s as Anchorage’s population has more than quadrupled. Outpatient psychological care offices, of course, have ballooned while inpatient care facilities has relatively stayed the same. “………What is the fiscal note?………” Cheaper than the expansion of Providence Hospital. Or you can just continue to let… Read more »
API: At $2555 a day per patient (80 beds total now): say 500 beds needed total…that is ~$1,000,000,000 a year
So yeah perhaps the fiscal note matters?
Reggie and Florida, API is a short term acute mental hospital. It is not chartered or licensed to provide long term care. API is a trauma center for those that are in immediate danger. Like they are going to kill themselves or someone else. Serious IMMEDIATE danger. Trauma centers are not treatment centers. The docs and nurses in the ER are there to get your heart going after an arrest or stop the bleeding when bear eats half your leg. But that’s all they do…they get you stable and send you to a cardiologist or plastic surgeon for the “cure.”… Read more »
The average length of stay at API is a month. $100,000,000 a year to treat 500 taken off the street folks….there is always a fiscal note. Not to mention the cost of increasing capacity from 80 beds to 500.
Edit: ~2000 homeless in Anchorage, ~25% severe mental health needs. We could waste our time on if its 200 or 1000 beds needed or $100,000,000 a year or $1,000,000,000. But at even the low-end where is the $ coming from, from a city that can’t seem to afford to plow its streets, let alone patrol them?
The only people that need to be in API are the criminally insane. It has been used as a “diagnose center” for 30 day diagnose periods for the uncooperative by judicial decision. The growth of “behavioral health” inpatient centers works for the cooperative. By rejecting any treatment of psychological illness, you subject yourself to the results. If you’re in Florida, I suppose that’s fine when talking about Anchorage. I don ‘t live in Anchorage, either, but I do live in Alaska, and my area is being flooded with cultural refugees from Anchorage. We don’t have a a homeless crisis in… Read more »
“………Now, a treatment center, I would assume primarily out patient based might have some merit. I’d support it … If we had a plan to get people to use it…….” Excellent post, Scott, and right on the money. We have both inpatient and outpatient facilities for mental health, but both in inadequate numbers for the need. Over the past 25 years or so, the rise of “behavioral health” hospitals has occurred. The newer term “behavioral” has a number of reasons, but the bottom line is that they (as well as outpatient psychological help) are only for those who want or… Read more »
We have nearly ONE BILLION dollars and one million acres of land that is designated for mental health, and yet we only spend about $25,000,000 annually on mental health. We spend about $10,000,000 on the budgets for this agency.
https://alaskamentalhealthtrust.org/
“……..We need to evict the corporate squatters who have locked up a lot of our land and build housing……..”
“We”? Well, get to buying and building…………on your own dime. Let’s see how you do. I’ll watch.