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CLARION
Partly sunny 64/45 More weather on Page A-2
P E N I N S U L A
Friday-Saturday, June 20-21 Soldotna-Kenai, Alaska
Vol. 44, Issue 224
Question
50 cents newsstands daily/$1.00 Sunday
Senators propose 12-cent gas tax increase
Nets in
Have you successfully negotiated the new roundabout on Binkley Street in Soldotna? n Yes, worked like a charm; n Yes, but it was not a good experience; n No, I’m avoiding it; n No, I just haven’t
BY JOAN LOWY Associated Press
To place your vote and comment, visit our Web site at www. peninsulaclarion. com. Results and selected comments will be posted each Tuesday in the Clarion, and a new question will be asked. Suggested questions may be submitted online or e-mailed to news@peninsulaclarion.com.
In the news C
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Alaska defends ban on same-sex unions
Co m m e
rc i a l d r i ft n e tte rs s ang dry h t a r t th e i o t r s e a s o n, set net s
BECKY BOHRER Associated Press
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — The state denies its laws on marriage curb the constitutional rights of five same-sex couples suing over Alaska’s gay marriage ban. The couples, four married outside Alaska and one unmarried couple, sued in federal court seeking to overturn the ban. Alaska voters approved a constitutional amendment in 1998 defining marriage as between one man and one woman. In a filing Thursday, the state doesn’t get into its legal arguments. Instead, there is a claim-by-claim response to the plaintiffs. State attorneys say voters had a “fundamental right to decide the important public policy issue of whether to alter the traditional definition” of marriage. They say Alaska isn’t required to recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states and that, as a sovereign state, Alaska has the right to define and regulate marriage.
Index Weather..................A-2 Local.......................A-3 Opinion.................. A-4 Alaska....................A-5 Nation.................... A-6 World..................... A-8 Sports.....................B-1 Recreation..............C-1 Classifieds............ C-3 Comics.................. C-9
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Photos and story by RASHAH McCHESNEY Peninsula Clarion
The Snug Harbor Seafoods receiving dock was bustling Thursday, though not with commercial drift gillnetters bringing in volumes of sockeye salmon from the season’s first opener; rather with captains and crews who spent the afternoon putting the finishing touches on their boats, readying for the upcoming fishing season. Typically, the first opener of the commercial season is slow, said Fish and Game managers and
fishermen on the dock, though the banner run of Kasilof River sockeye lured some into the water Thursday for the 12-hour Cook Inlet-wide opening. In 2013, 60 boats went out on the first commercial drift opener and caught about 3,500 fish, according to Fish and Game catch data. Several dozen people spent the sunny afternoon working on their boats, running new crew through equipment and boat operations or, like Paul Usoltseff, doing minor repairs before putting into the water. “I will be going into the water
on Wednesday,” Uloltseff said. “I’ll fish Thursday’s opener.” The commercial drift gillnetting fleet in the Cook Inlet is scheduled to fish regular 12-hour openers on Mondays and Thursdays through July 8, before regulations change their fishing period time and the areas where they are allowed to fish. Roland Maw, drift gillnet fisher and executive director of the United Cook Inlet Drift Association, said he had skipped fishing the first opening day of the season and was instead getting ready to go fishing See FISH, page A-14
WASHINGTON — Two senators unveiled a bipartisan plan Wednesday to raise federal gasoline and diesel taxes for the first time in more than two decades, pitching the proposal as a solution to Congress’ struggle to pay for highway and transit programs. The plan offered by Sens. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., and Bob Corker, R-Tenn., would raise the 18.4 cents-a-gallon federal gas tax and 24.4 centsa-gallon diesel tax each by 12 cents over the next two years, and then index the taxes to keep pace with inflation. The increase would be applied in two increments of 6 cents each. The plan also calls for offsetting the tax increases with other tax cuts. Senators said that could be done by permanently extending six of 50 federal tax breaks that expired this year, but they indicated they would be open to other suggestions for offsets. The plan was immediately embraced by industry and transportation advocacy groups seeking a long-term means to keep the federal Highway Trust Fund solvent. However, it would require a lot of heavy lifting from Congress in the politically charged atmosphere of an election year to pass such a plan before late August, when the trust fund is forecast to go broke. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden, D-Ore., has indicated he’s looking for means to shore up the fund for about the next six months while working on a long-term plan. That would move debate on a gas tax increase or some other revenue-raising scheme until after the midterm elections in November. See TAX, page A-14
Council to keep Kenai memorial Small dog, great deed By DAN BALMER Peninsula Clarion
After more than a year of internal debate about the cross symbol on the veteran’s memorial at Leif Hansen Memorial Park, the Kenai City Council voted in support of the memorial staying on city property, despite the threat of a lawsuit. Members of the public packed the council chambers after the issue again appeared on the council’s Wednesday agenda. Council member Terry Bookey introduced the item and requested to go into executive session to hear from Kenai City Attorney Scott Bloom about possible legal action. After a brief executive session, council member Tim Navarre moved that the council take a stand and show support for the veterans request and asked for support from the state to work with the city against a potential lawsuit. Council member Brian Gabriel Photo by Dan Balmer/Peninsula Clarion seconded the motion. A veteran’s memorial in Leif Hansen Memorial Park has been The Kenai City Council a hot-button issue in the City of Kenai for more than a year. The voted 4-2 in favor of Navarre’s city voted Wednesday to support the location and any potential motion. Some members of the litigation that may result from having a cross on public land. public clapped after the vote. C
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“This is the first case in the state of Alaska dealing with an outside entity wanting to challenge a community veteran’s memorial,” Navarre said. “If we get sued we will fight this thing. We already have firms willing to take pro-bono and not charge the city a dime.” In April, the city received a letter from the Americans United for Separation of Church and State that asked the city to remove the Latin cross from the veteran’s memorial. The group requested a response within 30 days. Bloom responded with a neutral position; he said no lawsuit has been filed with the city at this time. Council members Ryan Marquis and Bookey voted against Navarre’s motion. The motion was similar to a resolution Navarre sponsored at an April 2 council meeting. At the time, the council voted to table it indefinitely. During that meeting, council members Mike Boyle, Bob Molloy, Bookey and Marquis and voted to suspend the resolution. On Wednesday, Molloy voted in support of Navarre’s See MEMORIAL, page A-14
By MELISSA GRIFFITHS Morris News Service-Alaska Juneau Empire
When Lady Bunny, a 7-month-old Maltese pup, brought home a wallet, Bonnie and Brad Gruening weren’t the only ones who were surprised — Rudy Vonda hadn’t realized his wallet was even missing. Vonda is a sanitation worker with Pacific Waste Management and drives a North Douglas route on Monday mornings. While returning from the route that afternoon, he received an unexpected phone call. The Gruenings informed See DEED, page A-5