The November general election is just over six weeks away. The amount of the 2024 Permanent Fund Dividend was announced this week, which will be $1,702 to each qualified Alaskan. Former President Donald Trump endorsed Republican Nick Begich in his bid to unseat Representative Mary Peltola (D – Alaska). The federal Department of Education sent a letter to the state Department of Education and Early Development informing them they will be withholding money due to non-compliance with federal requirements. And two of the six Anchorage Assembly members who are up for re-election in April announced they will not be running. 

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Feds sanction Alaska for failing to act on education demands

The following is an excerpt from this week’s edition of the Alaska Political Report. You can click here for more information about the Political Report. A subscription is $1,299/year per organization. Discounted pricing is available for non-profits and government entities. Our coverage of the budget starts with the governor’s proposed budget, and we track everything in detail through the entire process. If you have any questions or would like to subscribe, please email jeff@akpoliticalreport.com.

Recently, the Alaska Landmine published a letter received by Education Commissioner Deena Bishop from the federal Department of Education (DOE). That letter is the latest in a series of communications between the Department of Education and Early Development (DEED) and DOE regarding the maintenance of effort and maintenance of equity requirements imposed on the state by the over half-billion dollars of relief paid to Alaska school districts during COVID. These requirements, while new in their application, did not require the state to increase its K-12 funding, just to ensure that funding for low-income districts coming from the state and local governments remain stable during the public health crisis. 

Alaska, among other states, had some difficulties in ensuring the requirements were met. Population shifts, a move to correspondence study, and other demographic factors all feed into the states funding formula in ways that were not perfectly aligned with the federal requirements. What makes Alaska different, though, is that, after being notified by DOE of several areas that needed adjustment, Alaska failed to act. We are now the only state not in compliance with the federal rules governing the use of education-related COVID relief.

This is not a new issue and the letter, dated Sept. 13, should be no surprise to those following K-12 funding. During the 2024 session, the Legislature attempted to take action. They included $12 million in funding to address the issues detailed in earlier DOE letters. Despite the clear communication from DOE, GOP Gov. Gov. Mike Dunleavy vetoed that funding and provided the following statement: “Need for funding indeterminate at this time as underlying funding request remains unresolved.”

DOE has now responded by designating Alaska as a high-risk grantee and will be withholding funding from the state in the amount of the shortfalls. This means the state is on the hook to reimburse local school districts for about $17.5 million of valid expenditures made by school districts in their response to COVID. Dunleavy, and DEED, will need to seek authority from the Legislature this session to resolve this issue.

At a time when state funding for K-12 remains unpredictable and inconsistent, both through the Base Student Allocation (BSA) and the change in policies set by DEED on the tools municipalities use to fill the gaps, undermining the stability of federal funding to our districts is sure to create concern throughout the education community.

Neil Steininger, Budget Correspondent

Other Happenings 

Republican U.S. House candidate Nick Begich announced this week that Donald Trump has endorsed him. Trump had endorsed Begich’s then-primary opponent Lieutenant Governor Nancy Dahlstrom (R – Alaska), but she withdrew from the general election after finishing well behind Begich in the primary. This will help Begich as turnout will be higher this year – a presidential election year – compared to two years ago when Peltola won. The big question is do all of the extra voters coming out to vote for Trump also vote for Begich?

Political activist Yarrow Silvers announced this week her campaign for the East Anchorage Assembly seat currently held by Assembly member Karen Bronga. In her press release, Silvers announced that Bronga will not seek re-election and has endorsed Silvers. Bronga was elected to the Assembly in 2023 in a special election to fill the seat of now-Senator Forrest Dunbar (D – Anchorage), who resigned his seat after being elected to the Senate.

Landmine readers may recall Bronga was one of several Assembly members that disparaged the late Don Young when the Assembly was debating naming the Anchorage port after him. Bronga was also one of three Assembly members who succumbed earlier this year to the pro-Palestine lunatics who had been disrupting Assembly meetings by offering a cease fire resolution to the war in Gaza – that Hamas started.

The next day, West Anchorage Democratic House candidate Carolyn Hall announced in a fundraising email that Assembly member Meg Zaletel, who is also up in April, will not be seeking re-election. Apparently some mystery progressive woman candidate to replace Zaletel will be announced soon. It would be hilarious if a conservative man takes over the seat. 

Zaletel was first elected to the Assembly in 2019 and re-elected in 2022. She beat a recall attempt in 2021. In late 2021 she was appointed as the executive director of the Anchorage Coalition to End Homelessness. She has received criticism for being in that role and also on the Assembly, which spends millions on homelessness in Anchorage. She often recuses herself on matters dealing with homelessness before the Assembly.

Anchorage and Mat-Su schools will be closed to students on Election Day “due to concerns over safety, and to make the voting process smoother.” I expect this from Anchorage but not the Mat-Su. 

Last Sunday’s Loose Unit is on the loose! 

These are some of the most reprehensible people in Anchorage. Don’t forget these are the same people who praised the brutal October 7 Hamas terrorist attack on Israel.    

This Week’s Loose Unit

This week’s designee became clear on Wednesday (9/18/2024). This week’s Loose Unit is a tie between Anchorage Mayor Suzanne LaFrance and her homelessness coordinator, Farina Brown. On Wednesday, LaFrance held a press conference on a variety of topics including crime, homelessness, and snow plowing. LaFrance read a nearly 13-minute statement before taking questions from the media.

I asked what the policy is for all the people camping in public areas, like parks, who refuse shelter or help. Brown actually said the city will “honor and respect” their choice. Maximum loose. When I pressed Brown about these people who are breaking the law, she evasively responded saying that she is not a law enforcement officer and that community members who observe crime should call 911 for emergency or 311 for non-emergency.

You can read this Landmine article that goes into more detail, “LaFrance administration appears to sanction indefinite camping on public property.”

I have always supported bonds for new parks or to improve existing parks. But not anymore. Until the message from the city radically changes, I will no longer vote for these bonds so we can just turn around and tell people they can live there, trash them, and not allow the public to enjoy them. 

We did a Landmine satire article in 2023, “Anchorage Assembly passes ordinance for designated bicycle chop shops.” It’s sad that this is now basically the policy of the LaFrance administration. 

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.