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Table of Contents
The Great Debate Continued
Part X: The People’s Right to the PFD Based on Quiet Title
By Michael Tavoliero
Quiet title is a legal remedy that can be applied to Alaska’s Permanent Fund Dividend (PFD). It signifies valid ownership rights when possession has been long-settled but competing claims arise that disrupt the status-quo. It does not create ownership; it recognizes ownership that already exists. Its purpose is to eliminate uncertainty by affirming rights matured through use, reliance, and acknowledgment…
Alaska Industry
Cook Inlet Comeback: Alaska Grapples with Natural Gas Supply and Prices as LNG Imports Loom
By Todd Lindley
The disparity between oil and gas operators, utilities, and the state government towards Cook Inlet natural gas volumes leaves residents of Southcentral Alaska caught between the expiring gas contracts and the higher costs of imported liquefied natural gas (LNG). Current prices for Cook Inlet gas hover around $8 per thousand cubic feet (Mcf), according to data from the November 2024 Wood MacKenzie analysis, providing a stable and relatively affordable source for heating and electricity. However, with Railbelt utility gas contracts expiring and utilities diversifying towards renewables, importing LNG could push prices to $12-$14 per Mcf…
Alaska Railbelt Reliability Council Selects Black & Veatch to Lead First-Ever Regionwide Energy Plan
By Todd Lindley
In a pivotal step toward managing power reliability for the majority of Alaskans, the Alaska Railbelt Reliability Council (RRC) has chosen engineering firm Black & Veatch to spearhead the development of the Railbelt’s inaugural systemwide Integrated Resource Plan (IRP). Announced December 2, 2025, this comprehensive strategy aims to ensure a reliable, affordable, and future-ready electricity system across the 700-mile corridor from Fairbanks to Homer, which serves about 75% of the state’s population.
Historically, Railbelt utilities have operated independently, consistent with seven co-op principles.
Education in Alaska
Fairbanks School Board Prioritizes Pornographic Literature
By Natalie Spaulding
Despite receiving approximately 500 community complaints about pornographic material in the public-school library, the Fairbanks School Board refused to revise school library policy. School Board Member Loa Carroll-Hubbard proposed the revision in a school board meeting on November 18, 2025: “There should be no sexually explicit material in our libraries. Period.” As of now, current policy permits pornographic literature.
Superintendent Dr. Luke Meinert responded to the request for revision by emphasizing the current policy’s provision of parental rights: “Parents do have the full rights and responsibilities. If they don’t want their student to check books out from our library, they certainly have that right. They can also restrict certain books that they don’t want their children to have access to.”
Alaska Politics
Public Speaks on MOA’s Proposed 3% Sales Tax; Public Hearing to Continue Jan 13
By Natalie Spaulding
On Tuesday night, Dec 2, the public gathered at the Loussac Library Assembly Chambers to discuss the Municipality of Anchorage’s proposed 3% sales tax. The Assembly did not vote on the proposal at this meeting but instead chose to extend public hearing to January 13, 2026. According to Assemblyman Christopher Constant: “The intent of the sponsors is to continue the public hearing… to allow more time for public process and conversation.”
Public hearing on Ordinance No. AO 2025-133 lasted a little over 1 hour with each person receiving a maximum of 3 minutes to speak. Here is a sampling of what the public testified regarding the proposed 3% sales tax…
Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly to Hear Update on Grand Jury Investigations Amid Allegations of Judicial Corruption
By Todd Lindley
Residents of the Kenai Peninsula Borough are gearing up for a pivotal assembly meeting where local advocate David Haeg will present an update on investigative grand juries, spotlighting ongoing concerns about judicial integrity in Alaska. Scheduled for today, December 2, 6pm, the brief presentation promises to delve into a series of resolutions that have fueled calls for greater transparency and accountability in the state’s legal system.
The presentation stems from a history of borough-approved resolutions that initiated scrutiny of the grand jury processes…
Alaska Culture Hotspot
Fisherman Sci-Fi Filmed in Ketchikan Screens at Anchorage International Film Festival
By Natalie Spaulding
Filmed entirely in Ketchikan, The Ladder boasts award-winning cinematic captures of Alaskan beauty and showcases local Alaskan talent. Alaska-raised writer and director, Emilio Miguel Torres, brings his film home to Anchorage after a nationwide screening tour. Torres introduced the proof-of-concept short film at the Anchorage International Film Festival in 2021.
The Ladder follows the story of an aging fisherman who undergoes a futuristic medical procedure that gives him a new lease on life. According to a press release, The Ladder is an “Alaskan sci-fi drama exploring the universal questions of aging, purpose, and the longing for second chances.”
Facts and Figures
The Historic “Model Mine” That Trained Alaskan Miners
In 1922, the University of Alaska Fairbanks (then called the Alaska Agricultural College and School of Mines) opened a model mine to train miners in blasting, ventilation, ore sampling, timbering, underground surveying, and early metallurgical testing. It was the only state-operated training mine in America at the time. The model mine was closed in the 1950s.
Key Industry Numbers
Alaska Oil: ~$62.5 per barrel
Henry Hub Gas: ~$5.06 per mmBTU
Alaska Residential Gas: $15.38 MCF
Alaska North Slope Production: ~484,298 barrels per day
Permanent Fund (Principal + Earnings Reserve): ~$87.4 billion
Community Meetings
Who? | What? | When? | Where? |
|---|---|---|---|
Anchorage | A) Worksession re AO 2025-135(S), amending Anchorage Municipal Code section 1.40.020 to adopt a new, or affirm the current B) Work session re Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP) with Anchorage Metropolitan Area Transportation Solutions (AMATS) C) Work session re AO 2024-123 and AO 2024-123(S), agreements pertaining to Municipal Public Water Supply and Eklutna Hydroelectric Project Fish & Wildlife Program D) School Board Meeting E) School Board Governance Committee Meeting F) School Board Finance Committee Meeting G) School Board Communications Committee Meeting | A) 12/12 @11:50am B) 12/12 @1pm C) 12/12 @2:10pm D) 12/16 @6pm E) 12/18 @11am F) 12/18 @12:15pm G) 12/18 @1:30pm | A-C) Assembly Chambers D-G) Anchorage School District/ Live Online |
Juneau | A) Board of Education Regular Meeting -Thunder Mountain Middle School Library B) Docks & Harbors Operations and Planning Committee Meeting, Zoom and Port Directors Office C) Board of Education Student Services Committee meeting | A) 12/9 @6-10pm B) 12/10 @5-7pm C) 12/12 @12pm | A-B) Assembly Chambers C) Zoom |
Kodiak | Planning and Zoning Commission Work Session | 12/10 @6:30pm | Library Multi-Purpose Room (612 Egan Way) |
Mat-Su | A) Joint Assembly and School Board Meeting B) Regular Assembly Meeting | A) 12/9 @6pm B) 12/16 @6pm | Assembly Chambers |
Fairbanks | Regular Assembly Meeting | 12/16 @6pm | Not specified |
Nome | A) Common Council Regular Meeting B) Port Commission Meeting C) Common Council Regular Meeting | A) 12/8 @7pm B) 12/18 @5:30pm C) 12/22 @7pm | Not specified |
Wasilla | Planning Commission Regular Meeting | 12/9 @6pm | City Hall Council Chambers (290 E Herning Avenue) |
Chugach Electric | 12/10 @4PM | Meeting Participation Form: https://www.chugachelectric.com/meeting-participation-form | |
Matanuska Electric | 12/8 @4pm | Palmer Headquarters/ Zoom | |
Homer Electric | B) AEEC Board Meeting | A) 12/9 @12pm B) 12/9 immediately following HEA meeting | Homer Headquarters/ Microsoft Teams |
Golden Valley Electric | 12/9 @ 4:30PM | Attend in person at Employee/Board meeting room (Fairbanks facility), via Microsoft Teams, or phone; sign up for member comments by 6:45pm | |
Railbelt Reliability Council | A) 12/8 @ 1PM B) 12/9 @ 9AM C) 12/9 @ 1:30PM D) 12/12 @ 10AM | Links are provided on each meeting notice to fill out the requested information to participate and submit comments. |
In Pursuit of Wisdom
There are two fools in this world. One is the millionaire who thinks that by hoarding money he can somehow accumulate real power, and the other is the penniless reformer who thinks that if only he can take the money from one class and give it to another, all the world's ills will be cured.
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The MRAK Team
A Force for Good