ON PARADE – Children dressed as their favorite animals hold a Sitka Spruce Tips 4-H Club banner as they march down Lincoln Street on Earth Day, Monday. The Parade of Species was held in recognition of Earth Day. It was hosted by Sitka Conservation Society, University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension Service and the Sitka Sound Science Center. (Sentinel Photo by James Poulson)
By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
The Assembly its regular meeting Tuesday approved dou [ ... ]
By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
“We want to hear from the public, what they value i [ ... ]
By Sentinel Staff
Sitka schools were notified at around noon today that the city administrator had re [ ... ]
By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Sports Editor
Sitka High’s track and field athletes faced off aga [ ... ]
By YERETH ROSEN
Alaska Beacon
Alaska is getting an infusion of nearly $125 million to build and [ ... ]
By JAMES BROOKS
Alaska Beacon
The Alaska Senate voted unanimously on Monday to make it easier f [ ... ]
By JAMES BROOKS
Alaska Beacon
The Alaska House’s Rules Committee has eliminated, at least temporaril [ ... ]
By DAVID A. LIEB
The Associated Press
A conservative quest to limit diversity, equity and inclusion in [ ... ]
By NATHANIEL HERZ
Northern Journal
Alaska’s three-member, bipartisan congressional delegation is sid [ ... ]
Sitka police received the following calls by 8 a.m. today:
April 23
At 3:14 a.m. a downtown bar report [ ... ]
Vaughn Blankenship
Dies at Age 91
Vaughn Blankenship, a longtime Sitka resident, died Tuesday at SEARH [ ... ]
By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
With about a month left before the end of the regular [ ... ]
By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
The city will hold a public meeting Wednesday for pub [ ... ]
By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Sports Editor
With only days to go before the statewide Native Yout [ ... ]
By Sentinel Staff
The Daily Sitka Sentinel and KCAW-FM Raven Radio won awards Saturday at the [ ... ]
By JAMES BROOKS
Alaska Beacon
To address a surge in mental health problems among young Alaskans [ ... ]
By JAMES BROOKS
Alaska Beacon
A bill passed Thursday by the Alaska House of Representatives wou [ ... ]
City to Conduct
Relay Testing
The city electric department is conducting systemwide relay testing th [ ... ]
By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
Another lawsuit that has implications in Southeast Al [ ... ]
By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
The Assembly on Tuesday will consider final reading o [ ... ]
By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Sports Editor
Competing in their first home games of the season, Si [ ... ]
By YERETH ROSEN
Alaska Beacon
Citing what they characterized as unacceptable risks to wildlife [ ... ]
By YERETH ROSEN
Alaska Beacon
The Yup’ik village of Newtok, perched precariously on thawing permafro [ ... ]
Daily Sitka Sentinel
Legislators Convene; GOP in Majority
By BECKY BOHRER
The Associated Press
JUNEAU (AP) — The Alaska Senate organized a Republican majority as the new legislative session got underway today, with Soldotna Republican Peter Micciche elected Senate president.
“You might note that the Senate is ready for business on Day 1,” Micciche said, telling reporters plans for the majority were made official Tuesday, ahead of the session’s start. He said the majority would include all 13 Senate Republicans and be willing to add members who agree with the caucus’ objectives.
The 20-member Senate also has seven Democrats, and it has not been unusual in past years for at least one Democrat from rural Alaska to join a Republican-led majority.
Micciche’s election as Senate president was held by voice vote, with no one dissenting. Micciche has served in the Senate since 2013.
Senate Democratic Leader Tom Begich, in a statement, said Democrats had “many conversations with Republican members of the Senate, but unfortunately, some of those members will not put party politics aside in favor of working with Democrats in a bipartisan fashion for an Alaska agenda that seeks to help all of us recover from the difficulties of this past year.”
In an interview, he declined to say which members he was referring to. Begich said the nation has been “riven by partisan politics” and said the Alaska Senate could have set an example by forming a bipartisan majority coalition.
Begich had a working relationship with former Republican Senate President Cathy Giessel that he said turned into a “very valuable friendship” built on finding common ground on issues. He said he’s hopeful the new majority will see value in working with Democrats. Giessel was not re-elected to the Senate.
The majority announced Tuesday that Palmer Republican Sen. Shelley Hughes would be majority leader and Sens. Bert Stedman of Sitka and Click Bishop of Fairbanks would co-chair the powerful Senate Finance Committee. Full details on committee assignments are pending.
The House, which in recent years has had a bipartisan majority, hasn’t organized for the new Legislature. While 21 of the House’s 40 members are Republicans, one of them, Rep. Louise Stutes, who has been part of the coalition, last month said she’d stick with her coalition colleagues.
It took until February in 2019 for the House to organize a majority.
Big and familiar issues await lawmakers, including decisions on the budget and the future of the annual checks that have been paid to residents from the earnings of the state’s oil-wealth nest egg.
The first day of a new Legislature is typically one of pomp, but Tuesday’s start was muted amid COVID-19 concerns. The Capitol is closed to the public, so there was no choir brought in to perform the state song. And lawmakers, who usually stand shoulder to shoulder as they are sworn in, were spaced on the House and Senate floors to encourage distancing. Dividers surround legislators’ desks on their respective floors.
Masking and COVID-19 testing rules were established ahead of session. But they could change with the new Legislature.
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20 YEARS AGO
April 2004
Michael Stringer, environmental specialist for Sitka Tribe of Alaska and a founder of the community garden, takes the concept of Earth Week literally. This weekend he hopes others will share his appreciation for “earth” and things growing in it by joining him in preparing the community garden just behind Blatchley Middle School for another growing season.
50 YEARS AGO
April 1974
Classified ads Houses for Sale: Price dropped to $36,500 for 2-story, 4-bdrm. carpeted home on Cascade. Kitchen appliances, drapes, laundry room, carport, handy to schools.