Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s 10,000-word State of the State address to a joint session of the Alaska Legislature on Jan. 22 was notable for what it omitted.
In particular, the governor’s eighth and final State of the State had almost nothing for cultural conservatives and supporters of traditional family values. Instead, his 80-minute address focused on natural resource development, revenue generation and his efforts to fight crime.
Unlike some of his past speeches, when he made at least passing references to pro-life efforts, initiatives to strengthen marriage and families and other priorities that are key to the conservative base, Dunleavy made zero mention of things like abortion, judicial activism, homeschooling, parental rights, election integrity, gun rights or the need to support strong marriages and create a culture of life – not one word.
He also avoided any talk about faith, protecting religious liberty, free speech threats or the proliferation of DEI and LGBTQ gender theory in Alaska’s schools and state-funded university system.
Likewise, he never broached topics related to gun rights, correspondence school allotments, medical freedom, ranked-choice voting or declining school enrollments across the state. Neither did he touch on Alaska’s plummeting births, high divorce rates or ongoing challenges to its foster care and adoption programs.
It’s not that these are fringe issues that no one cares about, but they can be politically divisive, and Dunleavy decided not to stir the pot in last hurrah.
It may have something to do with the fact that the State Legislature – both the House and Senate – are now under the majority control of Democrats, and Dunleavy knows that many core conservative priorities are essentially dead in the legislative water.
So, the governor’s speech outlined ideas that may be more palatable to moderate Democrats – highlighting significant reductions in crime and increased law enforcement in rural Alaska. He noted that since 2018, Alaska’s overall crime rate has declined by more than 40%, including a nearly 50% drop in property crime.
Dunleavy also laid out his plan to reduce crime in Anchorage – Alaska largest city – where the violent crime rate is three times the national average and higher than Chicago, Washington D.C., and Los Angeles.
He announced a new partnership between the state and the Municipality of Anchorage to surge resources to reduce crime and addresses quality of life issues like retail theft, open drug use, disorderly behavior, violent crimes and public camping.
He also said he is going to roll out a five-year fiscal bridge to stabilize Alaska’s finances until the state begins realizing more revenue from new production on the North Slope. Without going into details, he said the fiscal plan ensures that the PFD is “protected” and growth in government spending is “restrained” to provide predictability and stability for families and businesses. The governor said he would provide additional details on the fiscal plan once the legislation is introduced.
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Additionally, he explained that the Alaska LNG gas project is entering a decisive phase, with key federal approvals in place and commercial negotiations progressing. The project, he said, would provide decades of “affordable and reliable energy” for Alaska residents and businesses, and provide an economic tailwind benefiting the entire state for years.
On the education front, Dunleavy emphasized the need to continue improving student outcomes – which are still some of the very worse in the nation – expand charter school options for families, and address teacher recruitment and retention.
To view the entire speech, click here.
