Barring more human beings – through increased births and more newly arrived residents – Alaska’s state slogan, “North to the Future,” will never be fulfilled.
This was a key part of Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s annual State of the State speech delivered to a joint session of the Alaska Legislature on Jan. 30 in Juneau.
Dunleavy began his address with a strong appeal for measures that encourage natural resource development. He blasted radical environmental activists and outside groups that want to lock up Alaska’s vast oil, gas and mineral reserves, claiming such voices undermine the state’s economy and ultimately Alaska’s future.
“I came from the working class, and my values are with the working class,” Dunleavy told lawmakers, who recently assembled in Juneau for the legislative session. “Our job is to be the voice of the voiceless.”
Dunleavy said special interest groups simply want to lock up Alaska’s resources and turn it into a “protectionist state.”
Without good paying jobs that can support families and children, Alaska will continue to suffer from a lack of people who are needed in order for the state to flourish, he maintained.
As for those who claim that the state’s declining birth rates and a languishing population are a benefit to Alaska, Dunleavy said such developments will eventually spell “suicide” for the state.
“How do we create opportunities for our kids and our grandkids?” Dunleavy added. “Let’s face it, people will go where there is opportunity.”
He noted that every time oil drilling in ANWR, timber harvests in Tongass or projects like Pebble Mine get killed, there are people who celebrate. That, he claimed, is not what the vast majority of Alaskans want or need to thrive.
“We’re in competition for people,” he said. “We need more people in Alaska.”
While Dunleavy never mentioned the word “abortion,” he did say Alaska needs “pro-life policies” that encourage more families and kids. This, he said, “shouldn’t be controversial.”
As for those who claim that the state’s declining birth rates and a languishing population are a benefit to Alaska, Dunleavy said such developments will eventually spell “suicide” for the state.
On the education front, Dunleavy countered the narrative, long pushed by teachers’ unions, that Alaska needs to increase its Base Student Allocation (the amount of money given to school districts for each enrolled student). Simply pouring more money into district coffers is not the answer, Dunleavy suggested.
“As long as the conversation is only focused on money, it’s difficult to discuss outcomes,” he said, adding that Alaska must put money where it can spark the greatest educational improvements. To that end, Dunleavy called on lawmakers to approve his bill (House Bill 106), which would provide added monetary incentives directly to classroom teachers.
By increasing teacher take-home pay, the investment is more likely to generate improved academic outcomes, Dunleavy suggested.
“We need great teachers,” he said. “We need more teachers.”
Dunleavy later turned his attention to high energy costs for Alaskans, saying he wants to remove electrical tariffs and advance natural gas development to drive down costs.
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On the housing front, the governor said he wants to increase the number of affordable homes as a way to entice more people to Alaska. He proposed creating a mortgage assistance fund for Alaskans who want to purchase their first homes.
Food independence was another major theme of the night with Dunleavy calling on lawmakers to support local farming initiatives such as allocating money to help farmers with feed, expanding power lines in Delta, and establishing loan programs for local agricultural projects. All of this is part of Dunleavy’s focus on helping Alaska become food independent.
He concluded by claiming that he will continue to fight for the annual Permanent Fund Dividend payment for Alaska residents.
“The reason I fight for the PFD is because it is an Alaskan institution and it benefits the working families of Alaska,” he said, adding that as long as he is governor we will “continue fighting for the PFD.”
40 Comments
THERE IS NO FIGHT FOR THE PFD….ONLY LAWBREAKING LYING POLITICIAN WORKING ON THEFT…
Then he needs to stop caving into the left, eliminate spending, take on the courts, cleanout his swamp riddled staff, defy the Biden administration on drilling, and exploration, and build real industry in Alaska while promoting the will of the people. Those who are leaving probably shouldn’t have come here in the first place IMHO!
Joel, I honestly don’t think you and I listened to the same speech! Go back and listen to his statements regarding prolife! Did you walk away with the idea he’s prolife/ anti abortion? Mike Dunleavy is very nuanced about this subject and nowhere in his statements does he declare that abortion is intolerable, wrong, or a bad choice! His focus is strictly on the economic status that Alaska is dependent on the amount of people that choose to stay here! $$$$$$$$$!! He is very pro government which takes a hell of a lot of money! More people means more taxes!
I’m encouraging you to read him more accurately and listen to what he doesn’t say as well! As a journalist can’t you make a call and inquire about this and try to illuminate the nuances? 20 bucks says I’m right!
I don’t understand how Dunleavy can say we need more people when he has approved abortions at all stages in Alaska and his legislators (except one) all approve continuing with the abortions. Anyone want to start talking about that good old replacement theory that has been bouncing around the world with all of these illegal immigrants flooding each state and each nation?
Regarding the PFD, why should I need to argue with my stock broker about receiving the dividend on my investment?
Regarding immigration: Unfortunately, many of those people you want to invite to live here, Governor, bring there “woke” agenda with them. We don’t need more of those immigrants.
Dunleavy is not here to help us. Those two sitting behind him in the story photo are not here to help us and the legislation, excluding one, are not here to help us. Get ready for illegal immigrants to be given the red carpet here in Alaska.
GET READY FOR THE GREAT REP[LACEMENT FLOOD,,, DUNLEAVY IS A SOLD OUT GLOBALIST,,,ITS THE KALERGHIPLAN…
I agree!
Our understanding of the Governor’s job description is that he is the state police man. Someone in a past comment pointed out that when Dunleavy was overrun by the legislators who refused to move to the mainland, he should have taken the state troopers to enforce his move to the mainland. When he was overrun by the judges that insisted only certain lawyers could be appointed taking the power of the governor to appoint who he chose, he should have taken the troopers to the justices and made arrests. Dunleavy has the power to put the 1776 Curriculum in Alaska like Governor Christy Noem and outlaw CRT and the 1619 Project. He should push against the justices that are legislating from the bench and ignoring the other branches. The god-hating Marxists should not be more powerful than the originalists who defend the U.S. Constition. The Constitution is static and not “living” as a justice in the past claimed and declared and who was not pushed back.
Our state pays for abortions with pro-aborts influencing Dunleavy. He has the power to defund this continuing murdering. The problems we have, we have caused by allowing god-hating Marxists to take over including the NEA. We the People need to make the decisions and push back. This state and country mess is simply playing out by our disregard for God (anti-god Marxists, or, Honor Him just as He instructed. Man does not know better than our Creator and Redeemer what we should do. . Pray for Revival and Repentance. Like Benjamin Franklin who led the Congress to their knees to pray for the impasses, The “church” and the government needs to be on our knees asking for help from God. II Chronicles 7:14.
THESE POLITICIANS ARE THE BEAST……
Duleavy is a deceiver. He is a sold out Globalist, as John Ottness said. He has refused to fire Anne Zink, who is worried about Alaska’s population increasing, and who is “trying to keep our state from getting into a place of exponential growth.” Joel pointed this out in his 2021 article: https://alaskawatchman.com/2021/11/04/dr-anne-zinks-family-link-to-population-control/ What these people have done to our state is beyond appauling. Dunleavy is an evil liar.
Dunleavy destroyed my business in 2020 and countless other working class Alaskans have also suffered due to his illogical decisions. To say he speaks for the working class is laughable. He has done everything he can to destroy us.
Illogical decisions lead the conclusion that rep Tim Burchett Tennessee stated that most in govt are blackmailed by child rape tape…
Alaska politicians aren’t exempt we are governed by evil….
Right on Jennifer, keep up the speak truth to power mode! It’s tremendously encouraging to here!
Hear
Thank you for bringing this up. After I posted about their stance on abortions, I got to thinking about the other things Dunleavy has not stopped – Zink was one of those things! I am going to send a link of that article that you reshared to Dunleavy’s office as a reminder that we know…we know. Thanks to DaveMaxwell also for bringing up Dunleavy’s recent speech.
Here’s another thought. All of that agricultural land Dunleavy is opening up out by Nenana and the legislature is going to fund the first phase – is all that land going to go to the illegals to help get them established here in Alaska?
Your welcome
This is the man who brought us Carbon Sequestration, and sold it to the legislature on a 58-2 vote. And then went to Berlin to talk to the globalists, telling them how great and progressive Alaska is. Then he blames the Radical Environmentalists while actually buying into their agenda. The man is either schizophrenic, compromised or threatened.
I agree 100%
It’s very sad where Alaska was before COVID and where we are at now! We need someone strong with insight to run our state. We don’t need Walker back. He was the disaster that started all this crap. Stealing the PFD. He was going to use the money for a gas pipeline from the north slope. I’ve been here almost 40 years and I’ve waited for almost that long to get a job working on that pipeline. Well I’m to old now! I’ll never see it in my life time! Alaska went from boom to bust! Who’s going to be our FDR? While I’m at it, this WOKE, LGBTQ+ Crap needs to go. look at the Mat-Su school District, it’s being sewed because some kid that used the boys bathroom don’t want to use it this year. It was fine last year. Nothing has changed except everyone is having this crap show shoved down out throats. How about time we cut the fat on top in our schools and give the teachers what they need to get off the bottom of the list on our kids test scores? Schools don’t need $175 million to do it. They need some cuts in pay to top administration.
I realize that many of you hate Dunleavy. But several of the statements he made are absolutely true. The state DOES need more people. The population has been steadily decreasing since 2013. The main reasons for leaving are cost of living, healthcare reasons, and corruption (the rate of people leaving the state due to weather and geographic difficulty I believe are fairly consistent). All of these reasons are related to the Marxist takeover of Alaskan government, legislature, schools, healthcare, etc…
It’s time to face the facts, Anchorage and Juneau (and soon Fairbanks) have gone the way San Francisco, Seattle, Portland, etc… They have become shadows of their former selves, completely corrupt, overrun by filth – not just in the streets – but in the institutions. Good people leave and more filth moves in, further empowering the corruption. So its not just that Alaska needs more people, it needs PRODUCTIVE people. Alas, there is no place for them in the land of Big Brother and they, like me, have moved or are planning our move to a place where our neighbor is more likely to be John Galt than John Kerry.
Here’s a hint daddio regarding the corruption. Good people in our government and or institutions won’t do a damn thing! I consider myself to be one of those good people you indicated that are needed. While working for the state I discovered the fact that the state is deeply corrupt! That led me down the trail to try and expose it and hopefully clean it up! I like so many others didn’t realize the intense firebombs that would be thrown at me for simply wanting to bring integrity to this work place! Fired for whistle blowing! The point is good people will not be tolerated in these wicked places! Any other suggestions?
Reliance on resource extraction only is a crutch and short sighted. I am not opposed to additional development but it needs to stop being the drum everyone keeps harping on. we need to take a leaf from other artic countries and encourage tech development among other things.
Hey max , ever been to the
North slope? If not I worked there and the great mystery is why is there an ongoing practice of burning off excess natural gas into the atmosphere? It lights up the night sky, but does nothing else! Resources wasted daily! Energy that could have been used to make electricity! We’re stupid and controlled by asses like dunleavy! Read your Bible and appreciate the fact that God designed this place and we have been assigned stewards of it! It’s not that difficult!
Please tell me why my post was moderated into oblivion.
Give us our PFD
Don’t give to the globalist agenda
Don’t support satanism
reeder, are you implying that those who want to reduce the size of the PFD are guided by satan?
We need more people like I need a nuclear detonation in my watch pocket.
Straight butter Reggie……what a crock of sheet,,,, More frozen homeless bodies,,,, but the truth is this is the great replacement theory.
Bring the uneducated slave class in as they inject toxic MRNA death shots into the society to cull. The vermin we have for a legislature are criminal complicit
and we all know it. They are globalist prostitutes.
DUNLEAVY… YOU PUSHED MRNA SUICIDE…… DEMON…
John your directly over the target! Keep it up!!!!
If Dunleavy really wants to support pro-life and pro-family policies, perhaps he shouldn’t be trying to abolish the Board of Midwives.
And abolish his department of health and human services who are killers and mutilators! And abolish his own department of ocs. Abusers destroying the nurturing of children! I can’t believe I helped this ass get into office!!!!? I apologize!!!!!
Check out Launch Alaska’s overview statement at launchalaska.com/overview . We have so many things happening that it is like a swirling, boiling pot of water. The globalists are trying to lower us Alaskan frogs into that boiling, swirling pot of water first.
Prayers for the EU farmers for refusing to be lowered into the pot of boiling water. God Almighty bless them for standing up against the tyranny. David Dubyne gives an update.
https://www.brighteon.com/d8d623ef-f23c-47b7-aade-326809b8a838
Launch Alaska on linkedin:
https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/accelerator-associate-at-launch-alaska-3786135606?refId=GVb2OSYpYYxLH%2FEjpEyqEg%3D%3D&trackingId=DDMxf%2Fvs5GacaanLCijFww%3D%3D&trk=public_jobs_topcard-title
Poor Mans Poison – Give And Take (Official Video) A.K.A. Feed The Machine II the sequel
https://youtu.be/HHPZynI6pwQ?si=QHXO9jNWXeOrRWmI
Ugh. No. I see a hundred posts a month from young childless liberals moving to Juneau and looking for housing. We’re full. Encourage Alaskan families to have children, and discourage useless degree holders from moving here.
Eleanor. Ten bucks says you’re a Trump supporter cuz he “loves the poorly educated”.