With summer in full swing in Alaska, staying informed about what’s happening related to our state’s fiscal crisis, the climate crisis and threats to our democracy can be challenging. With this in mind, our summer newsletter is chock-full of information from our recent events on these topics to help you stay engaged. Check out these updates, along with a welcome to our newest board member, below. Wishing everyone a safe and happy Fourth of July!

Alaska Common Ground’s Board of Directors continues to monitor the efforts of the Legislature and the Governor to develop a sustainable fiscal plan for the State of Alaska. Board members are concerned that overspending the Permanent Fund’s Earnings Reserve Account to finance a supersized Dividend will jeopardize both future PFDs and the ability to use the Fund’s earnings to help pay for State services.

Senator Tom Begich and Representative Ivy Spohnholz provided a review of proposals to address the fiscal problem at ACG's Annual Meeting on April 6. Representatives Spohnholz, Zack Fields, and Bart LeBon provided informative updates on the Legislature’s progress at recent ACG Board meetings. Representative LeBon, from Fairbanks, was one of four Republicans—and one of two Republicans who are not members of the bipartisan House majority coalition—who voted on June 15 in favor of making the effective date July 1 on the FY 2022 budget approved by the House during the first special session. The Governor refused to sign the budget because the House failed to get 2/3 of its members to support the budget with an effective date of July 1 instead of 90 days after the budget bill becomes law. That failure led to this year’s second special session, where on June 28 enough minority Republicans switched their votes to “Yes” on the July 1 effective date to adopt that effective date and thereby avoid a State government shutdown. A court has stated that it will proceed to consider a lawsuit that could produce a ruling regarding whether the State could face such a shutdown again over a future failure of an effective clause to secure a supermajority vote.

Going forward, we are considering what sort of discussion ACG can facilitate before or near the start of the third special session scheduled to begin on August 2. This third special session is intended to focus on a long-term solution to the State’s fiscal situation, including (hopefully) some additional significant new revenue sources. Watch for announcements of any upcoming events on the State’s fiscal situation.

Review previous ACG events and fiscal policy items here.

In April, Alaska Common Ground cohosted an event with Alaska Humanities Forum (AHF). We used the values written into the Preambles of the Declaration of Independence and Constitution as a starting place to explore the things that matter to us and our nation. You can find out more about this event here. Since then, AHF has continued to create opportunities to engage, including three new podcast episodes thinking critically about the importance of community representation in conversation, at the polls, and at the table. To learn more, check out AHF’s "Why It Matters: Civic and Electoral Participation" initiative.

On May 25, Alaska Common Ground cohosted a virtual screening of the film Unrepresented, an award-winning documentary that explores how special interests bankroll political campaigns and rig the system in their favor, all while following the letter of the law. Watch a trailer of the film here. Afterwards, Jason Grenn from Alaskans for Better Elections moderated an Alaska-focused panel discussion featuring Alaska State Senator Bill Wielechowski, the film’s director Daniel Falconer, former US Comptroller General David Walker, and Julie Olson with Alaska Move to Amend. Check out the panel discussion here. 

We were pleased to cohost this event with Alaskans for Better Elections, Alaska Move to Amend, American Promise Alaska, Braver Angels Alaska and FixUS - Alaska. We are especially grateful to Brad Keithley who coordinated our efforts. If you’d like to join in the discussion, check out the Facebook group created by our cohosts at We Are Unrepresented - Alaska.

Alaska Common Ground is pleased to welcome Chuck Gilbert as our newest board member. Chuck retired in 2016 from a more than 40-year career with the National Park Service. Through his many roles—from Planner to head of the Land Resources Program Center—he acquired an in-depth knowledge of and appreciation for the issues we face as Alaskans.

An ACG member since 2010, Chuck jumped into his new board role with both feet when he also agreed to serve as treasurer! He tells us why he values ACG’s mission: Alaska Common Ground provides opportunities for substantive conversations about issues of importance to Alaskans. This leads to better understanding of the issues and our fellow Alaskans, and ideally, to common ground and positive actions.

We are honored Chuck joined our board and look forward to you meeting him at future events. Learn more about ACG’s board of directors here.

Are you concerned about the amount of divisiveness in our country and state today? Alaska Public Media in collaboration with StoryCorps, and community organizations across Alaska, is launching a new program to reconnect Alaskans, one conversation at a time. One Small Step conversations are not to debate or convince, they’re just a chance to talk to a fellow Alaskan who has different views than you. Find out more and how you can be a participant here.

If you applied for your PFD this year but missed the opportunity to donate to Alaska Common Ground (or other worthwhile causes you care about) through Pick.Click.Give. or if you wish to change the amount you are contributing, you still have until August 31 to make a difference. Click here for more information. Thank you for your support!