Dear readers,
First and foremost, Jonah Paul was born early in the morning on February 24! Mom and baby are doing well. Thank you for all your thoughts and prayers and your patience. Natalie has been greatly appreciative!
What were legislators saying in session last week?!
The business of making laws is serious business and an informed citizenry is foundational to our republic. We tried to find quotes that were serious, hilarious, interesting, emotional, and controversial. It’s good to inject a little levity into the discourse and remember we are all human and this country is still the greatest country on the planet. This 250 year experiment will continue … if we can keep it! Enjoy!
Senators
Sen. Rauscher (SJR 26 – 8A program)
“my questions may seem um maybe um immature or whatever” (classic self-own while grilling on $60M bridges)
Sen. Kawasaki (SJR 26 – 8A program)
“we have no room in the budget for wasteful DEI contracts that will not help us win wars” (quoting Hegseth and dragging 8A into the DEI fight)
Sen. Claman (SJR 26 – 8A program)
“the smaller businesses oftentimes are better positioned to deliver the services… more effectively and efficiently… compared to those other other businesses” (Boeing shade)
Sen. Giessel (SJR 26 – 8A program)
“Sheesh, I’ll get this right yet. A is in uh A is in Alberta.”
(hilarious self-own while butchering bill versions)
Representatives
Rep. Mears (HB 271 – Cook Inlet royalty relief)
“I fundamentally believe that this work should be done through DNR’s thorough process rather than legislative action” (calling the whole bill a special-interest hack)
Rep. Prax (HB 271 – Cook Inlet royalty relief)
“I certainly don’t have the expertise to make a finding one way or the other. That’s the DNR’s job” (politely calling the bill amateur hour)
Rep. Fields (HB 271 – Cook Inlet royalty relief)
“this bill definitely does not override what DNR did… it actually takes DNR’s decision and gives us some multi-year predictability” (aggressive spin control)
Rep. Ruffridge (HB 257 – portable solar devices)
“I just heard hair dryer, and then I was connecting it to the solar panels. And I was I got confused in there somewhere” (genuine committee-room brain fart)
Rep. Holland (HB 257 – portable solar devices)
“the maximum allowed on any meter a home is twelve hundred watts… most single circuits on a home are fifteen to twenty amp circuits” (dead-serious hair-dryer math)
Rep. Galvin (HB 257 – portable solar devices & HB 246 – CESA)
“Every Alaskan now is going to say, "I am holding my state representative accountable because I am paying taxes." (huh?)
Rep. Underwood (HB 240 – digital harassment/AI)
“in the last 72 hours I have read and heard two different mothers’ testimonies about their children no longer being with us because of AI bullying” (nuclear emotional nuke)
Rep. Schwanke (HB 240 – digital harassment/AI)
“my 17 year old son sent me a video that walked through ten different individual people’s faces saying something with the same voice” (peak “the kids are not alright” energy)
Rep. Josephson (HB 246 – CESA funding)
“it could have been dealt with as an appropriation measure or as a statutory measure with a fiscal note. And we’ve decided on the latter… cause” (openly admitting they’re just picking the path that works)
Rep. Story (HB 261 – school funding/ADM)
“losing four students if you are around eighty student… that is about $300,000” (tiny rural schools = existential panic)
Rep. Himschoot (HB 240 – digital harassment)
“school is not a silo. We’re not isolated in the school. The things outside the school impact what’s happening in the school. So this is tricky territory” (perfect legislative understatement)
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Table of Contents
Alaska House
Alaska Senate
Facts and Figures
Alaska’s Largely Untapped Resource
Alaska’s lands contain nearly half of U.S. coal reserves. However, with only one operating mine (Usibelli Coal Mine), Alaska ranks 20th in the nation among coal suppliers.
President Trump was recently honored by Lower 48 coal miners as “The undisputed champion of beautiful, clean coal.”
Key Industry Numbers
Alaska Oil: $70.91 per barrel
Alaska Residential Gas Price: $12.80/kcf
Henry Hub Weekly Spot: $3.08/mmBTU
Alaska North Slope Production: 472,803 barrels per day
Permanent Fund (Principal + Earnings Reserve): ~$89.3 billion
Must Read Alaska Show
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Thank you for reading! Until next time,
The MRAK Team
A Force for Good