Email from Alaska Senate Majority No Failure to Prepare No Failure to Prepare September 12, 2025 Dear Friends and Neighbors, The rain is back, sure, but the silvers are still running and there's plenty of outdoor fun left to be had. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. People sometimes ask what my job is between legislative sessions. The answer is I work for our district year-round. Read on for work and preparations on lots of fronts: accountability, oversight, and the tech work that keeps the capital accessible to all Alaskans. Plus a rare case where losing is a good sign. I was humbled to present a legislative citation honoring the life of Ed Kunz, Jr. Ed served in the Alaska Territorial Guard, the Alaska National Guard, and he was deeply involved with Southeast Alaska Native Veterans. He was also a teacher, an artist, a community volunteer, a dancer, and much more. Southeast Native Vets Commander Ozzie Sheakley is shown here accepting the citation. Ready for Action Protecting the separation of powers keeps government from sliding off the rails. We have checks and balances so no one branch of government gets unchecked power over the people. Lately that's gotten contentious. Governors and legislatures often push up against each other, especially around the edges where ambiguous language creates an opening for one branch or the other to push its boundaries. This week, the Legislative Council, which is constitutionally created to act on behalf of the legislature between sessions, voted to hire outside council to bring suit against the governor if he moves forward with creating a Department of Agriculture. The legislature voted down his first executive order to do it. The second one we sent back to him because he didn't follow the constitution. But that's not the only push-pull going on. We have another interim committee that oversees the Legislative Auditor (whose job is also in the constitution!) The Legislative Budget and Audit Committee has worked for years on one that's either about to resolve or come to a head. It stems from the Department of Revenue stonewalling the auditor when it comes to oil & gas taxes. When the State of Alaska and an oil company disagree about how much tax is owed, they don't always go to court. Sometimes the dispute gets settled. The department stopped giving the auditor information about settlements back in 2019. That means she lost the ability to audit that portion of the State’s finances. How much money was at stake how long the settlement process is taking, and how much the state is giving up in the settlements are all crucial information. Alaskans deserve to know whether the department is driving a hard bargain or giving away the farm. And there's some smoke here: the change in cooperation coincides with a significant decline in how much is actually coming in from tax settlements. That could reflect a general decline in oil production. It could be because long-simmering questions about what's deductible got answered and the rules are clearer now. Or it could be something nefarious. Some of my colleagues have publicly speculated about corruption. I can't go there without some facts. Ideally, I could use a nonpartisan, neutral auditor's look at the details. After all, that's what Alaska law requires. Back in 2020, LB&A ordered a special audit to delve into the issue. For years, the department refused to cooperate. This year, the legislature passed SB 183 to make the Auditor’s authority, which was never in much doubt, crystal clear. When Governor Dunleavy vetoed it, we overrode him with votes to spare. Hopefully that does the job, and the Department of Revenue will stop hiding the ball from Alaskans. If not, there may need to be another legal process to make sure the auditor can do her constitutional duty for the people. I talked with JDHS students in the SPAARC club this week. (Students for Political Action, Advocacy, Reform, & Civics.) They asked great questions! Alaska's future is in good hands. Capital Connections My computer always works better when the IT person is standing in the office. If yours worked especially well this past week, it could be because about 200 legislative computer wizards and communications gurus from around the country were in Juneau for a conference and some training. It was a great opportunity for Alaska legislative staff to showcase the Last Frontier’s rich history of ground-breaking innovation improving the public’s access to the legislature. Folks don't often realize the ways Alaska led the nation on this. Connecting a small population across a vast and infrastructure-challenged state made it important to innovate. Professionals behind the scenes in the legislature and in public broadcasting thought outside the box for decades, making it happen. In 1976, Alaska became the first state in the country to broadcast legislative floor sessions live on television. KTOO also developed legislative coverage with weekly and daily recaps. Alaska was also the first to teleconference testimony in committees in 1978, setting a phone’s receiver into a bulky speaker contraption. And we coordinated it through a network of Legislative Information Offices that still exist today in 23 communities across the state. Alaska was also one of the first to build an electronic legislative record-keeping system, creating the Alaska Legislative Computer System (ALECSYS) Infobases in 1982. When the world wide web came on the scene, Alaska pioneered again, establishing an online bill tracking system in 1993, the Bill Action and Status Inquiry System (BASIS.) That one's been updated through the years and is now incorporated into the Alaska Legislatures award-winning website. In 1995, Gavel Alaska again broke barriers with a two-week demonstration project at the end of session. The next year, Gavel’s cameras started providing full-time coverage. Camera operators rolled tripods from the Floor to committee rooms and back, capturing hours of unfiltered content. And the funding came not from the state, but from the City & Borough of Juneau, with help from private sponsors. They couldn’t be everywhere at once, though. So in 2010 our legislative tech team created a streaming site tied to stationary cameras in every committee room. Today, every legislative meeting is recorded with state-of-the-art equipment, robotically controlled from KTOO's production studio off-site. Federal funding cuts now endanger the public TV station's very existence. As we work to keep Gavel on the air, I'm still excited about what they'll do next to give every Alaskan digital access to state government. I can’t wait to see what's coming. I started the summer meeting with the team from Southeast Alaska Conservation Council. They published important information this week on cruise ship scrubber discharges. When Losing is Still a Win This week an Alaska jury found a chiropractor not guilty on two counts of sexually abusing patients and couldn't reach a verdict on the other dozen charges. The pain and frustration of the women who testified about what happened to them at his hands is understandable. What's remarkable—and what we should count as a win—is that the case went to trial. Too often, under resourced prosecutors don’t feel confident enough to bring tough cases like these in front of a jury at all. Alaska is not alone in a long track record of charging lots of offenses that later get dropped. Sometimes that's for valid reasons, like evidence of innocence, witnesses who change their stories, or civil rights violations. Other times it's because an office is short staffed, a prosecutor is worried about lowering their conviction rate, or the defendant seems sympathetic. Dropping cases for reasons like those—unrelated to justice—is the wrong way to go. I need to be very clear: I wasn't in the courtroom during the recent case, so I don't know all the details. And crucially, elected officials like me should never decide who gets prosecuted and who doesn't. That's a fast track to the grave injustices of a banana republic. But we should make sure that when law enforcement makes an arrest, and a professional prosecutor genuinely believes someone is guilty, that lawyer can bring the case to trial. Even if it isn't a 100% slam dunk. That's expensive. And it carries with it the obligation to make sure the accused has access to a well-resourced lawyer to defend themselves. The government's power to punish carries with it the power to destroy reputations, livelihoods, and freedom. It has to come with strong safeguards for the accused. In recent years, we've adjusted the law in important ways. In 2022, I worked with colleagues to broaden the definition of sexual assault to include not getting consent (previously it required force or the threat of force.) That should make it easier to hold people who commit these horrible assaults accountable. The year after it passed, sexual assault prosecutions went down. That appears to have been a one-year fluke. But it explains why I've started keeping an eye on whether—for lack of a better phrase—the state is trying hard enough. The prosecution last week was a good sign. Obviously it wasn't a slam dunk, but the district attorney took it to trial out of the genuine belief that the defendant harmed people. I can only imagine how heavy the burden is for survivors, who must carry their pain while waiting for justice that too often feels out of reach. How much farther out of reach would it be if the state hadn't made the effort? I have no say in whether the DA's office tries again on the charges where the jury deadlocked. But I'll continue to work to make sure Alaska has the resources and laws to make that sort of decision based on justice, and not other factors. All my best, Did someone forward you this newsletter and you want your very own copy? Did you fall into it through the series of tubes and now want it sent straight to you? SUBSCRIBE Events & Happenings Around District B Juneau Discover Eaglecrest Get ready for the ski area's 50th season Saturday, Sept. 13. Music, ziplining, fun & games! Juneau Bookmark Contest Know a young artist? The annual Juneau bookmark contest starts Sept. 15. Students in pre-K through high school can submit their art. Juneau Game Day On Sept. 28 head to the Douglas Library to play board games and maybe have a chance to take one home! Juneau Perseverance Play Through Sept. 28, you can check out Perseverance’s new play: What the Constitution Means to Me! Juneau Romeo and Juliet Come watch a great production of this classic starting Sept. 19! Juneau Sketching in the Museum Bring your sketching materials to the State Museum on Sept. 20 to make art in the gallery! Juneau Clean Energy Fair On Sept. 21 join the fun for games, food, music, and a celebration of local power and lasting climate solutions! Gustavus Harvest Fest On Sept. 20 come for games and fun—plus loaded baked potatoes! Gustavus Community Yard Sale Bring your hidden treasures and shop for new-to-you purchases at the community yard sale Sept. 27. Gustavus Open Mic Come share your talent and cheer on your neighbors at open mic night Sept. 20! Gustavus Teen Sketchbook Club Teens bring your sketchbook to the library on Sept. 25. Fun art supplies provided! Gustavus Peg-A-Palooza Take on the two time reigning champ at the cribbage tournament on Sept. 27! Klukwan Cookbook Challenge On Sept. 27 head to the library to share food, recipes, and browse cookbooks! Klukwan Foods Workshop On Sept. 17 it’s time to “Turnip the Beet” at the Foods Workshop! Chilkat Valley Artist Exhibit Do you want to share your creations with the community? Apply for a six week spotlight exhibit at the Sheldon Museum. All artists who live in the Chilkat Valley are welcome! Haines Afternoon Art Come create beautiful stained-glass style bookmarks at the library on Sept. 22. Check out a book to use it in too! Haines Hammer Museum Been a while since you’ve visited the world class Hammer Museum? The museum will close for the winter at the end of the month, so head over now for a “smashing good time”! Haines Watercolor On Sept. 24 explore watercolors and paint Alaska at sunset! Haines Story Time Bring the 6-8 year olds to the library on Sept. 24 for stories, songs, and crafts! Haines Tikes and Trykes Bring the kiddos, infants through kindergarten, the Haines school on Sept. 23 for indoor play group! There will be fun activities and a chance for parents and kids to socialize! Skagway Chamber Music On Sept. 29 enjoy chamber music with a violin and piano duo! Skagway Book Club Come to the library Sept. 28 to discuss “The Thursday Murder Club”! Skagway Garden City Market Shop local on Sept. 20 at the Garden City Market. Local artisans are selling jewelry, painting, plans, produce, wearable art, baked goods, and so much more! Skagway Oktoberfest October is coming early to Skagway. On Sept. 20 join the fun with food, music, games, and more! Skagway Windy Valley Babies On Sept. 24, bring the littles to the library for story time and fun! This will be the last one on Wednesday before it moves to Thursdays in October. Is there an event in our district I should know about? Please call or email! Want to Send Snail Mail? Alaska State Capitol Room 514 Juneau, AK 99801 You Can Call: 800 550 4947 907 465 4947 Or Email Me! Contact My Staff, the people who power the work: Aurora Hauke 907 465 5051 [email protected] Ella Adkison 907 465 6419 [email protected] Cathy Schlingheyde 907 465 6827 [email protected] Senator Jesse Kiehl | Alaska State Capitol Rm. 514, 4th Avenue & Main Street | Juneau, AK 99801 US Unsubscribe | Constant Contact Data Notice