Juneau Empire
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DUNLEAV Y ’S RED PEN
Governor’s vetoes take more than $400M out of budget Lawmakers, officials react with outcry to enormous cuts to state
Climber dies on Mendenhall Towers JUNEAU EMPIRE
A 23-year-old climber from Washington who was injured on the Mendenhall Towers near Juneau has died from his injuries, authorities say. Bartlett Regional Hospital spokeswoman Katie Bausler confirmed that Bryson Allen died Friday around 11:30 a.m. Next of kin has been notified, she said. Allen was climbing the towers, jagged peaks that rise nearly 7,000 feet above the
By BEN HOHENSTATT JUNEAU EMPIRE
Gov. Mike Dunleavy unveiled more than $400 million in cuts to the Legislature-approved budget in the form of line-item vetoes, and said more are on the way. Dunleavy and Office of Management and Budget Director Donna Arduin discussed the 182 items vetoed by the governor during a press conference Friday at the Capitol that doubled as an announcement of the budget’s signing. Dunleavy said reductions in spending on the University of Alaska, Medicaid, senior benefits, school bond debt reimbursement, public broadcasting, village public safety office program, the Ocean Ranger program and more are the first half of an envisioned two-year process. “This is a difficult situation, but I believe everyone realizes something has to be done,” Dunleavy said. The $409 million in vetoes coupled with about $270 million in cuts previously approved in the Legislature’s budget adds up to almost $680 million less in spending than last year, according to the Office of Management and Budget. The biggest chunk of the $409 million came from the University of Alaska at $130.3 million. “This budget is going to impact all Alaskans,”
SEE CLIMBER | Page A8
BEN HOHENSTATT | JUNEAU EMPIRE
Gov. Mike Dunleavy speaks during a press conference to announce more than $400 million in line-item vetoes to the Legislature-approved budget, Friday.
Dunleavy said. “The University of Alaska, I have a lot of faith in. I know their leadership. I know a lot of their regents. I believe they’ll be able to work through this. … I don’t think they can be all things to all people, and I think that’s generally speaking for the state of Alaska. We can’t be all things to all people, we don’t have money for that.” University of Alaska President Jim Johnsen said during a press conference the university does not try to be all things to all people. “There are many degree plans that we don’t provide,” Johnsen said. “There are programs that are only available at one of our universities.” SEE BUDGEET | Page A6
JUNEAU’S LAWMAKERS RESPONSE Rep. Sara Hannan, D-Juneau: “I think it’s a worst case scenario. I think the governor in many of the vetoes went back to where his budget was in February. I have some deep concerns, and I anticipate when we meet in special session we will have many conversations about veto overrides.” Rep. Andi Story: “I want to work with the governor to do what is best for Alaska, but from what I see, these vetoes will continue to damage our economy, lead to further job losses, and harm our most vulnerable citizens. The governor makes fundamental assumption that is wrong: that gutting government will build and attract the private sector. And the economy of the last three years prove this.” Sen. Jesse Kiehl, D-Juneau: “Governor Dunleavy demands a false choice between smaller Permanent Fund Dividends and crashing Alaska’s future. The governor’s vetoes today would crash Alaska’s economy and trash our future. Now it’s up to the legislature to protect our state — for this generation and the next.”
COURTESY PHOTO | IAN MARTIN
Impaired bald eagle, rescued along the Kaxdegoowu Heen Dei (Brotherhood Bridge) Trail on Tuesday.
Juneau father, son and dog helped save injured eagle The raptor is now on the mend from apparent head injury in Sitka By NOLIN AINSWORTH JUNEAU EMPIRE
A Giant Schnauzer’s concern and father and son’s teamwork changed the fate of an injured bald eagle Tuesday evening in the Mendenhall Valley. SEE EAGLE | Page A8
Amalga Harbor plan OK’d with some big changes By BEN HOHENSTATT JUNEAU EMPIRE
Fish cleaning is no longer part of the plan for the proposed float extension at Amalga Harbor. City and Borough of Juneau Docks & Harbors Board voted Thursday night to approve a 75-foot extension of the existing float at the harbor in an effort to reduce congestion at the harbor, but the motion to OK the project came with some anti-fish cleaning conditions. Those included that the fish cleaning table at the harbor will be removed, signs discouraging fish cleaning will be put up and prohibiting fish cleaning at the dock will be pursued. When or how some of those goals might
Volume 108 No. 152
happen will need to be worked out, said CBJ Port Maser Carl Uchytil. The ultimately successful motion was made by board member Dave McCasland, and it passed by a 6-1 vote. Board member Bob Janes was the lone vote against it. “I don’t think we’re ready for it,” Janes said of the project before the vote. “I think we have a lot of studies to do.” Initially the float extension was envisioned as a fish cleaning float that would contain multiple fish cleaning tables. However, over the course of multiple months of meetings, Amalga Harbor Road residents and their neighbors sent pages of public comments and provided hours of public testimony against that aspect of the project.
MICHAEL PENN | JUNEAU EMPIRE
A fisherman approaches the boat launch with its current fish cleaning station at Amalga Harbor on Wednesday.
They said fish waste created unpleasant sights and smells and was at-
tracting dangerous, hungry bears. “I think adding more
cleaning stations will add more fish waste,” said Denise Chase. “But what
I really wanted to tell you is it was my dog that was killed last year by a food conditioned bear.” Her voice welled with emotion while speaking. “That bear was seen fishing at the weir, he was seen eating fish carcasses in the tide flats, and he came over Huffman Harbor,” Chase said. “He attacked my dog in my front yard, I was there. Bears are unpredictable. Why I didn’t get hurt, I don’t know, but my dog died. Please don’t make it any worse.” After the meeting, Chase said she was pleased that fish cleaning will not be a significant part of the project, but she is still dissatisfied with the float extension overall. SEE AMALGA | Page A4