SPECIAL WAR AND TOXIC POLITICS EDITION

Loopholes Closed While U Wait

I finally filed my bill to try to close some loopholes in the state’s public records law.

You’ll remember that during the past campaign, some pretty weird things happened to public records requests. For one thing, we learned that public officials, including the governor, were communicating about state business on private e-mail accounts that didn’t keep copies of the communications. For another, people seeking public records were quoted ridiculous prices for the information – in one case, $15 million. And so on.

My bill, House Bill 195, tries to fix these things and a few more. It is in the House State Affairs Committee. I have no idea if or when the bill will be heard, move, etc. Like anything even touching on Sarah Palin, it could easily get caught up in the toxic politics that surround her.

I’m not particularly interested in that, but I am just a single – if powerful – member of the state House, so I doubt I’ll be in control of what people think and say about this. But I don’t really care. Alaska has had a public records law since before it was a state – since 1913, in fact – and if we’re going to have a law it ought to work. And there are too many loopholes created by changing technology in the one we’ve got now.

We’re Not Taking The Money- Unless We Are

We’re still wrestling with the federal stimulus package. It’s hard to tell who, or what, is winning. Palin got the national headline she wanted – hey, she’s got her eye on the White House, for cat’s sake – by rejecting some of the money. But then it turned out she wasn’t really rejecting it. She just wants to talk about it. Make what you want of that.

Right now, the rough plan in the legislature is to accept all the money – the stimulus bill let’s us do that even if the governor won’t – and then see if there is money that really is so weighted down with nasty federal requirements that we really don’t want it. I’m betting that if there is some, it won’t be much. Here’s hoping we can get through all the hoops in the next 23 days, which is when we’re supposed to adjourn.

Well, It Can’t All Be Death Penalty and Abortion

Just so you don’t think all legislating is heavy lifting of weighty matters, here are three fun bills for you.

HB14 would make the Alaska Malamute the official state dog. This is pitting the supporters of that genetically altered freak, the modern sled dog, against a bunch of second graders who favor the Malemute. So far, the second graders are winning.

HB194 ups the speed limit on roads in small communities on which you can operate a low speed vehicle. The vehicle tops out at, say 25 mph, and right now you can drive it on a road that has a speed limit of 35 mph. The bill would let you drive it on certain roads that have a speed limit of 45 mph. Seems to me it’d be simpler to get a faster car, but what do I know?

And just to show the House isn’t having all the fun, there’s SB58, which would make Groundhog Day into Marmot Day here in Alaska. Alaska doesn’t have groundhogs. Alaska has marmots.

War- Huh- Good God- What Is It Good For?

This just in: Palin has named Anchorage lawyer Wayne Anthony Ross her new attorney general. It’s all good fun until somebody gets run over by his Hummer.

Best wishes,