Friday in the Sun!!! (December 30)
Legislative staff drama, office drama, and a new game about it all. It’s Friday in the Sun!!!!
December 2016
Governor’s Office Announces Legislative Staff Changes
Late last week Governor Bill Walker’s office sent an email to legislators announcing staffing changes to both his own Legislative Office and to the coterie of legislative liaisons at state agencies.
LeDoux Hammers Colleagues With Lounge Price Hikes
Incoming House Rules Committee Chairwoman Rep. Gabrielle LeDoux sent a memo to legislators late Wednesday telling them because of the state’s fiscal crisis she has been forced to raise prices at the State Capitol cafeteria.
Best Things We Saw In Alaska Politics In 2016
Yesterday we went negative to close out 2016, but today we go positive. Here are the best things we saw in Alaska politics this year.
Incoming House Majority Alters Budget Process
In a move billed as an effort to make things more efficient, the new bipartisan Alaska State House Majority says they are revamping subcommittee overview of each state agency’s budget.
Alaska Politics Gets Fantasy League
Now our friend Patrick Race (@alaskarobotics on Twitter) has created a fantasy league where you can pick your favorite Alaska politicians and play them against other Alaska political enthusiasts’ picks, with a real world based scoring model.
KTUU Maintains TV News Dominance, But KTVA Gains Morning Traction
When it comes to the fight for local news viewers in the Anchorage market, new ratings numbers show both KTUU-Channel 2 and KTVA-Channel 11 succumbing to national election “fatigue,” but their morning shows bucking the trend.
The 2016 Soapy Smith Awards For Dubious Achievement In Alaska Politics
To start things off we’re going to resurrect the Soapy Smith Awards, once given by our delightful forerunner The Alaska Ear in the old days of the Anchorage Daily News. As the Ear would describe it, “Soapy Smith Award — a citation for dubious achievement, named in honor of Skagway’s Gold Rush con man and all-around scoundrel.”
Democrats Debate Digital Future
Democratic digital consultants aren’t waiting for the party to do an official post-mortem on 2016. The debate over the future of their side’s campaign strategy is raging through the festive season.
The Midnight Sun Podcast (December 24)
In our December 24h episode, Casey Reynolds and Forrest Dunbar discuss Gov. Walker’s proposed budget, the pay cut he’s asked for, and Obama’s action restricting development in large offshore areas of Alaska. We are also joined by outgoing Alaska Democratic Party (ADP) Executive Director Kay Brown to discuss her accomplishments, the controversy surrounding the hiring of her successor, Jay Parmely, and the future her party.