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P E N I N S U L A
Vol. 49, Issue 127
In the news Lawmaker’s spouse takes $185K job with governor JUNEAU (AP) — Gov. Mike Dunleavy has signed a contract with the wife of a Republican legislator and the owner of an Anchorage advertising, marketing and political strategy firm to work as his acting communications director. Mary Ann Pruitt’s contract with the Republican governor’s administration calls for her to be paid $15,400 a month, or $185,000 a year, Alaska’s Energy Desk reported. Pruitt is president of PS Strategies. She is married to Rep. Lance Pruitt. Dunleavy also signed a contract with Mike Nizich, the former chief of staff to Republican governors Sarah Palin and Sean Parnell. Nizich was hired to review the state Constitution, laws and regulations, consult with Dunleavy and senior staffers and analyze budgets and organizational structures. His two-month contract is capped at $34,500. Nizich declined comment on the contract. Dunleavy spokesman Matt Shuckerow said Pruitt’s contract does not have an end date but that Pruitt does not plan to permanently stay in the job. “Her contract is focused on building out the governor’s communications team and the messaging behind his agenda,” he said by email. Pruitt remains sole owner and president of Anchorage-based PS Strategies, according to documents filed with the state Division of Corporations. Pruitt said she still has “some involvement,” but that it entails limited oversight work such as approving payroll. “My main focus right now is in the governor’s office,” said Pruitt, She does not see her outside work conflicting with her state job, she said. Most of the firm’s clients are from outside of Alaska, she said. The state contract calls for her to work 37.5 hours a week, without benefits or vacation. In a phone interview Friday, Pruitt said she’s working 12 hours a day. See $185K, page A3
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A conversation with the governor By MOLLIE BARNES Juneau Empire
Legislators have been speaking about it. Alaskans have been speaking about it, and now Gov. Mike Dunleavy is speaking about it. The governor sat down to talk about his budget and the proposals to cut expenditures in it. Read the full interview below. The interview has been edited for length and clarity. Juneau Empire reporter Kevin Baird: Governor, when you campaigned, you voiced some support for the ferry system, even calling it the ‘backbone’ of the Southeast. (This is in reference to an article in the Ketchikan Daily News). There’s concern over the closure after October, and whether or not the ferry system would be able to open afterward without funding to do so. How do you justify the campaign message with the proposal to Alaskans in the Southeast? Gov. Mike Dunleavy: During the campaign we were told we were looking
By VICTORIA PETERSEN Peninsula Clarion
Juneau Empire reporters Kevin Baird, left, and Mollie Barnes interview Gov. Mike Dunleavy at the Capitol on Tuesday. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)
at $75 a barrel oil. Obviously that wasn’t the case. We’re down at $64 barrel oil, and we’re hoping that stays in the neighborhood of $60-64 a barrel. Even at that, we have a $1.6 billion deficit. This is a budget we put together that was an open budget, an honest budget for all Alaskans to look at in terms of what re-
ally are the fiscal realities we’re looking at. We’re also talking about the fact that we only have $2 billion left in our CBR, and the problems that will occur if we start to go into the earnings reserve at any great length or any depth, how that’s going to impact the fund going forward. Again, during the campaign we were told
Local doctor to share tale of Antarctic journey By BRIAN MAZUREK Peninsula Clarion
Most Alaskans take the harsh winter months as an opportunity to travel to warmer climes like Hawaii or Florida. One of Soldotna’s resident physicians, however, recently went as far south as south can go. Dr. Kristin Mitchell, Medical Director of the Sleep Laboratory at Central Peninsula Hospital, spent 20 days on a boat navigating the coast of Antarctica this past January and will be giving a presentation at the Kenai Visitors and Cultural Center on Thursday about her experience. The presentation is part of
Kenai VA clinic closed due to structural damage
Kristin Mitchell smiles for the camera at Paradise Bay, Antarctica, on Jan. 12, 2019. (Photo courtesy of Kristin Mitchell)
KDLL’s Adventure Talks series, which aims to put a spotlight on the travels and trials of Kenai Peninsula
residents. Mitchell traveled to Antarctica as part of the See TALE, page A3
$75 barrel oil. We even had people tell us $80-85 barrel oil. That’s been revised, as a result we’ve had to revise this budget. And it’s a budget that’s going to impact all Alaskans. There’s going to be no group that is not going to be touched by the fiscal deficit that we’re looking at. See GOV, page A6
The Kenai Veterans Affairs Community Based Outpatient Clinic is closed due to structural instability until further notice. Samuel Hudson, director of Public Affairs and Congressional Affairs for the Alaska VA Healthcare System, said last Thursday the clinic was informed of the building’s compromised structural integrity. Hudson said the staff was asked to evacuate last week, and appointments were canceled on Friday. Appointments have been canceled until Thursday. Hudson did not know what caused the structural damage, or if it affected other nearby businesses. The clinic is located in a large strip mall, which See VA page A6
DHSS warns of flu risk, encourages vaccine By BRIAN MAZUREK Peninsula Clarion
With flu season in full swing, Alaska’s Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) is encouraging Alaskans to get their flu shots in order to avoid this year’s strain of the virus. Leslie Felts, nurse manager at the Alaska Division of Public Health in Kenai, said that the two most common strains identified so far this year have been Influenza A H1 and Influenza A H3. Public health nurse Tami Marsters said that the “A” flu types come with more severe symptoms than “B” types and Alaskans should take every precaution they
can to prevent the virus from spreading. Flu season is typically associated with the winter months, and because Alaskan winters often last longer than what the Lower 48 experiences, Alaskan flu season also lasts significantly longer. Felts said that over the past few years April has been the peak month for the virus in Alaska, so anyone who thinks they may be too late in getting their flu shot still has plenty of time. According to a press release by DHSS, getting a flu shot can reduce the risk of contracting the virus by about 50 percent. Felts said that the shot takes
See FLU, page A6
Tariffs a challenge for Alaska seafood, new markets emerge By KEVIN BAIRD Juneau Empire
Alaska’s fishing industry provides more jobs than any private sector in the state. On Tuesday, the House Special Committee on Fisheries received
an update from the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute. The tariff war with China remains a concern. The Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute put a lot of effort into selling Alaska’s seafood to China, said Jer-
emy Woodrow, the interim executive director of the ASMI. For every $10,000 spent on marketing in China, the Alaska seafood industry gets $1 million. But with the tariff war between the U.S. and China, Woodrow said, “We are expect-
ing big drop offs in our Chinese market.” However, Woodrow had plenty of positive news to report. In December, U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan was able to add a provision to the Farm Bill that would require Alaska seafood
pollock to be used in fish sticks in American school lunches. Previously, fish sticks in American school lunches were comprised of Russian pollock. Woodrow said this would equate to about $30 million a year. See NEW, page A2
Budget cut approval ‘unrealistic’ without more analysis By MOLLIE BARNES Juneau Empire
Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s budget proposes making a lot of cuts. There’s been outcry. There have been protests. But has there been enough analysis? The budget director with over 20 years of experience working in Alaska thinks not, and that there needs to be more caution in accepting these cuts. David Teal, the budget director of the non-partisan Legislative Finance Division, presented an overview of the governor’s proposed FY20 budget and said there is no way that the Office of
David Teal, Director of the Legislative Finance Division, gives his analysis of Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s state budget to the Senate Finance Committee at the Capitol on Tuesday. (Michael Penn/Juneau Empire)
Budget and Management or the budget given that the the Legislature could pos- session is almost halfway sibly analyze the effects of over already.
“It seems many of you share my disappointment in the lack of analysis done to support the government’s proposals,” Teal said. “I think (the) budget shouldn’t simply be a math problem … you cannot make good policy or budget decisions without full information. All cuts are not equal,” he said, adding that the OMB has justified many of the cuts by stating the most important thing is to address the deficit, and that it is not their job to do analysis of the effects on independent bodies such as municipalities or school districts. He said the Legislature would have a difficult time even if all the analysis that
is needed to make this decision was available right now. “Maybe creating chaos is just a clever way to force a conversation that needs to happen to move forward,” said Teal. “Maybe people are going to see these budget reductions that are required to pay a $3,000 dividend, and they’re going to come in and plead to reduce the dividend to avoid the consequences of the budget cuts.” When questioned about this statement in a later interview with the Empire, the governor said chaos was not his intention. “Chaos — that wasn’t See CUT, page A2