State

Last November’s election was a watershed for Alaska. Not only do we have the opportunity to overturn the stunning mistake made during the Palin years of gouging North Slope oil producers with a dangerously high tax rate, but we have a conservative majority in the legislature that is willing to address other festering issues. One of those issues is education.

Clean water and clean air standards have long been a large caliber club used by greens to beat businesses, state and local governments about the head and shoulders. They offer the perfect opportunity to demagogue anything that is released into the watershed or the atmosphere, for who could possibly be against clean air or clean water.

Public Policy Polling's survey of questions no one in Alaska is asking.

The question must be asked, “Why does Chairman-Elect Russ Millette not have to meet the same standards he will be enforcing on candidates?”

Last weekend, I attended my first party convention. I signed up because it was time to stand up and defeat Barak Obama for reelection and elect a conservative majority to both houses of the state legislature. I expected conservatives to band together and ready themselves for the fight. What I got was Occupy Ron Paul, a bunch of Paulians acting like democrats.

For two gruesome nights this week I listened for hour after hour as the Senate Resources Committee took public testimony on ACES reform.

The one thing that actually stood out to me was how many people parroted the “we need MEANINGFUL reform” line. What exactly does “meaningful” mean in this debate? 
 

Like the rest of the nation, Alaskans have been discussing and debating the merits of school choice for decades. Many parents say they would like having the option of choosing non-government schools for their kids; teachers’ unions say they hate the idea.

An important piece of legislation for Alaska’s children is House Bill 145, establishing the parental choice scholarship program that would allow students K-12 to attend non-government schools. The bill has already been approved by the House Education Committee and is now before House Finance.