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Vol. 49, Issue 241
In the news
UA credit ratings downgraded FAIRBANKS — The University of Alaska’s revenue bond ratings have been downgraded. The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner reported Wednesday that Moody’s Investors Service announced the rating decreases Wednesday. Moody’s cites an “unprecedented” singleyear reduction in state funding for the university. The company downgraded University of Alaska general revenue bonds from A1 to Baa1, with $270 million outstanding. The university’s Series 2012 Lease Revenue Bonds were downgraded from A2 to Baa3, with $23 million outstanding. Moody’s is one of three major credit-rating agencies, along with S&P and Fitch Ratings. Moody’s says the downgrade “reflects the severity and magnitude of the financial challenges confronting University of Alaska following an over 40% cut in the university’s appropriations” from the state. The university’s president says the downgrade “amplifies the impact of the state’s funding cut.”
Firms using Anchorage port want terminal work delayed ANCHORAGE — A group of companies using Anchorage’s port want major rehabilitation work delayed while earthquake damage to critical infrastructure is still being assessed. The Alaska Journal of Commerce reported Wednesday that eight companies have sent letters to city officials urging them to stop advancing work to build a new petroleum and cement import terminal. The companies that make up the informal “Port of Alaska Users Group” wrote to Anchorage Mayor Ethan Berkowitz on June 28 and members of the Anchorage Assembly on July 12. They say a plan to begin building a $220 million terminal without a strategy to cover all costs would leave the city with a “trestle to nowhere.” Port officials say inspections following a November earthquake show the port’s two fuel docks remain at risk of failure in another earthquake. — Associated Press
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Artist in Homer displays encaustic paintings
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Dunleavy amends special session call By Dan Joling Associated Press
ANCHORAGE — Facing a loss of federal grants for highway construction projects and village water systems, Gov. Mike Dunleavy has amended his call for a second special legislative session and will support lawmakers meeting in Juneau.
Dunleavy originally called for the special session to be in his hometown of Wasilla, which led to legislators meeting in two locations and a legal dispute over the legality of any actions taken. Leaders of the state House and Senate, citing security and a television service that allows residents around the state to observe proceedings,
gathered most lawmakers July 8 at the Capitol. About a third of the Legislature, including minority Republicans in the House and a handful of senators, met at a makeshift legislative hall inside the gymnasium of a Wasilla middle school. The split Legislature ended Wednesday when Dunleavy called
fresh fruit, veggies beckon
for the special session to be in Juneau. Lawmakers from both locations said progress was needed on the state construction budget and could not be completed at two locations, Dunleavy said. “With sensitivity to the time that remains to capture federal funds, See special, Page A3
Measles case in Soldotna confirmed By Brian Mazurek Peninsula Clarion
photos by Victoria Petersen / Peninsula Clarion
Kale Morse places produce at the pickup center Wednesday for Ridgeway Farm’s Community Supported Agriculture programs, which help distribute locally grown produce to residents near Soldotna.
A single case of measles in Soldotna was confirmed by Alaska’s Department of Health and Social Services on Tuesday, according to an announcement from DHSS. According the announcement, an unvaccinated teenager who is a resident of the Kenai Peninsula recently traveled out of state and began to show symptoms about 10 days after returning to Alaska. Before the person was diagnosed, they were in several public locations in a time frame where they could have been infectious. Anyone who was at the following locations during the times listed could have been exposed to measles: ■■ At Froso’s Family Dining from 10:30 a.m.-6 p.m. on July 8-13 ■■ At Soldotna Urgent Care from 3 -7 p.m. on July 14 ■■ At Central Peninsula Hospital’s Emergency Department from 5-11 p.m. on July 14 The times include the period when the person was at the location and two See measles, Page A3
By Victoria Petersen Peninsula Clarion
During long summer days, peninsula residents can take advantage of fresh, locally grown produce. Local farmers offer several ways for residents to find food, whether it’s at a local farmers market, through U-Pick events or through Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs. On the central peninsula Ridgeway Farms offers one of the only CSA programs. Abby Ala, who runs the farm, said they first started the program in the ‘90s but quit until about 10 years ago. The program runs all summer, and residents pay an initial $50 down payment, and then pay at the first of each summer month. Support for the program See ridgeway farms, Page A3
Court budget veto nets ACLU suit By Dan Joling Ashely Ala, Neka Cooper, Caroline Correia and Elijah Cooper are all volunteers at Ridgeway Farms where they help Wednesday pickup days for the farm’s program.
of the current economy, while a small majority of Democrats (52%) responded negatively. People who have lived in Alaska for more than 20 years had a more negative view of the economy than those who have lived here for fewer than 10 years, with 55% of 20-year residents responding negatively and 65% of newer residents responding positively. When asked if the state of Alaska is headed in the right direction, 30% of those surveyed said that the state is headed in the right direction, while 64% said the state is on the wrong track. A majority of all demographic categories responded negatively to this question with the exception of those who identified as Republican. Fifty one percent of Republicans say the state is headed in the right direction, compared with only 16% of Democrats. These results differ only slightly from the
ANCHORAGE — A civil rights watchdog sued Gov. Mike Dunleavy on Wednesday over his budget veto of money for the state court system. The ACLU of Alaska claims Dunleavy’s reduction of the Alaska Court System budget by $334,700 is an attack on the independent judiciary. “Gov. Dunleavy is punishing the court for exercising its judicial power,” said executive director Joshua Decker at a news conference. “He’s threatening the court with further budget reductions if it makes decisions with which he disagrees. He’s improperly trying to influence the court and erode its independence.” A spokesman for Dunleavy, Matt Shuckerow, did not immediately respond Wednesday morning to a request for comment on the lawsuit. Dunleavy last month vetoed more than $400 million from the budget approved by the Alaska Legislature, including $130 million from the University of Alaska. Dunleavy’s reduction to the court system budget was tied to an Alaska Supreme Court decision on abortion. “The Legislative and Executive Branch are opposed to State funded elective abortions the only branch of government that insists on State funded elective abortions is the
See opinion, Page A3
See SUIT, Page A3
Opinion divided on state economy, policy By Brian Mazurek Peninsula Clarion
At this week’s Kenai Chamber of Commerce Luncheon, President and CEO of the Alaska Chamber of Commerce Kati Capozzi gave a presentation on the results of the Alaska Chamber’s annual Public Opinion Survey. Capozzi has been traveling the state and sharing the survey results with local chambers of commerce, and on Wednesday she came to Kenai to highlight where public opinion is on a number of issues including resource development projects and the constitutional amendments proposed by the governor earlier this year. The survey was taken from March 27-31 and polled 705 likely voters statewide. Sixty percent of respondents were contacted via landline, while 40% were contacted by cellphone. The geographic representation was weighted based on population, and respondents
from Southcentral Alaska — which includes the Kenai Peninsula Borough, the Matanuska-Susitna borough and the Valdez-Cordova borough — accounted for one quarter of the total respondents. The full survey can be found on the Alaska Chamber website. Below are some of the major takeaways from the results:
Economy When asked to rate Alaska’s current economy on a general level, 43% of those surveyed responded “good” while 40% responded “not too good.” Only 4% of respondents rated Alaska’s economy as “very good” and 12% rated it as “pretty bad.” Compared with 2018 results for the same question, the percent of positive responses went up, from 38% to 47%, while negative responses went from 61% to 52%. A majority of Republicans (61%) responded with a positive view
Associated Press