Three Calls to Action: BSA, Anti-LGBTQ+ Legislation, Rushed Bridges
Happy Wednesday!
Big week for things at the state level. Here are three issues in particular you can keep an eye on.
Chance to Testify on Increasing the Base Student Allocation Tomorrow, Thursday, April 13
As I’ve written about before, it’s time to increase the Base Student Allocation (BSA), the primary funding mechanism for Alaskan public schools. You have a chance to testify in front of the State Senate Finance Committee tomorrow, April 13 at 1:00pm. You can also send them testimony via email, preferably by the end of the day today, Wednesday, April 12.
You can follow a group called “Raise the AK BSA” on Facebook for more info and updates.
How to Testify over the phone
Thursday, April 13 at 1:00pm
Call in 15 min before the hearing:
Anchorage: (907)-563-9085
Juneau: (907)-586-9085
Fairbanks: (844)-586-9085
All other locations: (844)-586-9085
Ask to testify on SB 52 in the Senate Finance committee.
Stay on the line, when it is time to testify they will call on you.
Be sure to state your name, your community, and that you are in SUPPORT of SB 52.
Or email: senate.finance@akleg.gov
You can find a sample email and talking points at the bottom of this post: just note that today this issue is in front of the Senate, not House.
Anti-LGBTQ+ Youth House Bill 105 Again Up for Public Hearing
This unfortunate bill is back up for public hearing. More info on it can be found here.
How to Testify over the phone
Thursday, April 13 at 5:15PM
Call in 15 min before the hearing:
Anchorage: (907)-563-9085
Juneau: (907)-586-9085
Fairbanks: (844)-586-9085
All other locations: (844)-586-9085
Ask to testify on HB 105 in the House Education committee.
Stay on the line, when it is time to testify they will call on you.
Be sure to state your name, your community, and that you OPPOSE HB 105.
Email written testimony:
Send to House.Education@akleg.gov, or use this form from Planned Parenthood Alaska to email your Representative, your Senator, and the House Education committee. A sample letter is available through the links above at Planned Parenthood, or at the bottom of this post here.
Fast-Tracked Alaska DOT Bridge Replacements Spark Concern
Something new: the Department of Transportation (DOT) has initiated comment periods for the Johnson River, Gerstle River, and Robertson River bridge replacement projects.
This work would be welcome, except these projects have been fast-tracked to expedite their design and construction to serve the ore-hauling plan proposed by Kinross, likely leading to much higher costs.
Although these bridges are still functional for normal traffic volume and weight, their aging design has rendered them susceptible to increased degradation caused by the proposed heavy and frequent ore haul truck crossings. If not for the Kinross ore haul, the bridges could have followed standard DOT timelines for replacement.
Public comments on the Johnson River bridge replacement project must be submitted by April 21, 2023. Public comments on the Gerstle River and Robertson River bridge replacement projects must be submitted by May 5, 2023.
Here are some suggested talking points that you could consider including in your comments:
The Johnson River bridge replacement was the only one included in the November 2022 Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP, page 318), and it is unclear which Northern Region projects will be postponed or cancelled due to the "fast-tracking" of five bridge replacements to accommodate Kinross' project.
The condensed design and construction timelines projected by DOT will likely increase the cost of all of these bridges due to the need to expedite materials.
Rushing multiple bridge replacements concurrently will create labor conflicts and price escalation, as there are a limited number of bridge design firms and bridge construction companies available to do the work.
The proposed construction schedules for the new passing lanes on the Richardson Highway, the new bridge over CHSR, the Johansen/Steese interchange, the northbound bridge over the Chena flood control, and these three bridge replacements will overlap with the use of the same roads/bridges by ore trucks, which will cause delays and congestion for residents and tourists.
If DOT were to impose weight restrictions on the Kinross ore haul, all of the bridge replacements could be done in a more reasonable, sequential order over a period of years, which would also prevent serious road damage.
The cost to the State of Alaska is untenable, particularly at a time when a budget shortfall is projected. There is not enough money in the capital budget to bunch these new construction projects into a compressed timeframe, and this may require the State to seek additional funding through bonding or cancelling other needed projects.
The return on investment of this immense capital outlay (estimated at $500M) to meet the Kinross ore haul is poor. Mining contributes very little to the State's general fund, and the Manh Choh project contributes even less since it is on private land.
Questions and comments may be directed to Sarah Schlichting, Engineering Manager, at (907) 451-2041, sarah.schlichting@alaska.gov, or via physical mail at the following address:
Sarah Schlichting
Department of Transportation & Public Facilities
2301 Peger Road Fairbanks, Alaska 99709-5316
Sign up for email updates from Advocates for Safe Alaska Highways at www.safealaskahighways.org to stay updated about the proposed ore hauling plan, or follow them on Facebook at facebook.com/every5mile. Thank you to ASAH for sharing this info!
Thanks for your attention to these issues, and hope you’re having a good week so far!