Video Clips

Quoted moments from Alaska public meetings, hearings, and press conferences.

Kathy Bolling “the borough, whether or not it— the library's gonna be a borough department, may decide to only allow the budget to increase 3%, 4%, 5% a year. And if you're If your costs are 8-10% in 5 years, are you also thinking about the impact if your budget gets reduced 15-20% in 5 years?”

Ketchikan: Library Advisory Board Quarterly Meeting of July 8, 2026 · Jul 9, 2026

Pat Bowling

“The whole borough discussion is the big unknown. Will the library become a department of the federal? If not, will the terminated borough-city library services agreement be renegotiated by the December 31st deadline? According to the old agreement, which remains in place until the end of December, the borough pays a percentage of the library's budget that is the same as the percentage of the borough population who lives outside the cities of Ketchikan and Sassafras.”

Ketchikan: Library Advisory Board Quarterly Meeting of July 8, 2026 · Jul 9, 2026

Kathy Bolling “whether it stays as a city department or moves to the borough, you have a borough assembly who is not interested in spending very much money on the library. So it's going to be a battle no matter what.”

Ketchikan: Library Advisory Board Quarterly Meeting of July 8, 2026 · Jul 9, 2026

Daniel Volland “I will just say I am flabbergasted and offended, and the trust that Member Scout mentions, I do not share anymore. We had multiple conversations where you intimated to us as the representatives of this neighborhood that you would not provide crisis care at this location You described the model that you described here tonight, but now you're saying, oh no, we will provide crisis care.”

Anchorage Assembly: Assembly Regular - July 7, 2026 - 2026-07-07 17:00:00 · Jul 7, 2026

Daniel Volland “our understanding, as they've represented to us, is that they have changed the model, what they're looking to do in this location, in response to the feedback they have received from the community. And so I want to thank True North, who I know we have some folks here tonight. I want to thank you for your enhanced efforts to interface with our constituents, with the neighborhood, and ultimately, I believe, arrive at a, a solution that I think can be a good fit in the neighborhood, even within proximity to the Neighborhood Rec Center. And what that is, is essentially a model where this location will be not used for acute crisis care. Instead, it can be used for administration, for telehealth, and for scheduled behavioral health outpatient care.”

Anchorage Assembly: Assembly Regular - July 7, 2026 - 2026-07-07 17:00:00 · Jul 7, 2026

Kameron Perez-Verdia “I can't support this amendment as it stands. I want us to move forward, and I believe that you and your organization and this community can find agreement without us interfering in this way.”

Anchorage Assembly: Assembly Regular - July 7, 2026 - 2026-07-07 17:00:00 · Jul 7, 2026

Daniel Volland “We have a 2018 adopted policy guidance calling for a dispersed, scattered site model that says we're not going to put things in East Anchorage and Fairview anymore. And that was co-sponsored by then Assemblymember LaFrance.”

Anchorage Assembly: Assembly Regular - July 7, 2026 - 2026-07-07 17:00:00 · Jul 7, 2026

Kameron Perez-Verdia “I really appreciate— I mean, I have not seen an organization go above and beyond like this, go to every community council and respond to every person. I've spoken with you guys several times and move and shift and do what you can to make this work. We want you in this community. We need you in this community.”

Anchorage Assembly: Assembly Regular - July 7, 2026 - 2026-07-07 17:00:00 · Jul 7, 2026

Carl Soderstrom

“Somebody walks up to our front door and says, I need help, I'm not turning them away. So I appreciate the opportunity. I would, I would ask that you guys vote no on this amendment and we move forward as the, the plan was originally proposed.”

Anchorage Assembly: Assembly Regular - July 7, 2026 - 2026-07-07 17:00:00 · Jul 7, 2026

Tom Kowalske “These setback requirements are very important here in Petersburg, and one of those rationales being that there's safety issues, including ice buildup. We had a lot of ice this year, and that's something that needs to be considered with setbacks.”

Petersburg Borough: 7.6.2026 Assembly Meeting · Jul 7, 2026

Stan Gregor

“On the first reading we had 5 amendments, and now here we have 10+ again because there's subsets A, B, and C. I think this is a very rushed ordinance that due to all these amendments can appear that it lacks transparency. I don't think that is the intent of this, but I think it feels that way. During my time on the assembly, I've never seen 15 amendments on an ordinance.”

Petersburg Borough: 7.6.2026 Assembly Meeting · Jul 7, 2026

Tom Kowalske “Our group— we're formalized now and it's called Alaska for Safe Tech. And we're also connecting with other organizations to help our efforts.”

Petersburg Borough: 7.6.2026 Assembly Meeting · Jul 7, 2026

Stan Gregor

“My take is, if we have to do 15 amendments, we should have not brought it forward until it was done. It's not a good ordinance, not a good piece of legislation. So I wanted to be very clear on the record. I think this process is and has been deeply flawed in how we got there.”

Petersburg Borough: 7.6.2026 Assembly Meeting · Jul 7, 2026

Tom Kowalske “I believe that hospitals where patients are hard to move and also living, assisted living facilities, the fire hall, places like that, very important infrastructure should be protected even more than just the average structure, building, or whatever.”

Petersburg Borough: 7.6.2026 Assembly Meeting · Jul 7, 2026

Dan Sullivan “what I've been doing in my position as your senator is engaging. We've been engaging for years on this, but to really kind of up the tempo on engaging with the top people in our federal government that was the Maritime Administration Director, the mayor, and Administrator Steve Carmel, who— that was the direct litigation against the city. Secretary of Transportation Duffy, Attorney General Blanch, as he mentioned. And my message to all of them was, hey guys, come on, let's settle this.”

Governor Dunleavy: Press Conference: Port of Alaska · Jul 7, 2026

Steve Cox

“Today's settlement, I really do think, changes that. It brings finality to a dispute that really has lasted, as the Attorney General said, really since 2003, while providing meaningful resources to help rebuild this critical piece of infrastructure.”

Governor Dunleavy: Press Conference: Port of Alaska · Jul 7, 2026

Mike Dunleavy “this port has been a longstanding issue in terms of it being repaired and upgraded.”

Governor Dunleavy: Press Conference: Port of Alaska · Jul 7, 2026

Dan Sullivan “what this settlement is going to do, it is going to dramatically help us bring down costs on everything from food and fuel that Alaskans need.”

Governor Dunleavy: Press Conference: Port of Alaska · Jul 7, 2026

Suzanne LaFrance “it's the largest settlement in the municipality's history. Every single dollar of this funding will go directly toward construction costs for the Port of Alaska modernization program.”

Governor Dunleavy: Press Conference: Port of Alaska · Jul 7, 2026

Steve Cox

“Governor Dunleavy asked me to assist in facilitating the negotiations, and I'm grateful for his confidence. I want to thank Mayor LaFrance for welcoming that assistance.”

Governor Dunleavy: Press Conference: Port of Alaska · Jul 7, 2026

Mike Dunleavy “Steve used a lot of his good relationships with the Trump administration to be able to explain really what was happening here with the port and why the port actually and the city of Anchorage and the state of Alaska need this settlement to happen.”

Governor Dunleavy: Press Conference: Port of Alaska · Jul 7, 2026

Dan Sullivan “I was very much in the mindset that it's time to settle the litigation. As the mayor, as the attorney general said, this has been going on for more than a decade. We have won, and the federal government shouldn't just be dragging its feet. Enough is enough.”

Governor Dunleavy: Press Conference: Port of Alaska · Jul 7, 2026

Suzanne LaFrance “every federal or state dollar that we secure for construction reduces the impact of future shipping surcharges by about $2.50 down the line. When you add this $191.3 million settlement to the $25 million from the state and the $61.5 million in federal grants secured under my administration, The impact is massive. We are effectively protecting Alaskans from as much as $694 million in future surcharges on food, goods, and everyday supplies.”

Governor Dunleavy: Press Conference: Port of Alaska · Jul 7, 2026

Margo Bellamy “I also agree with, uh, uh, Member McDonnell that we need to look at this, and so that especially to bring the new board the new board members up to speed, um, and get them the answers that they, that they require. So I would like— I, I think it's appropriate that we send this back to, uh, I want to say Finance Committee, so that it can come forward as a non-action item at our next meeting.”

Anchorage School Board: 7/7/26 ASD School Board Meeting · Jul 7, 2026

Margo Bellamy “we are still in a climate of diminishing resources. We are facing declining enrollment. We're going to have empty seats, and this is not because people hate the district. This is because people are leaving our state in massive numbers.”

Anchorage School Board: 7/7/26 ASD School Board Meeting · Jul 7, 2026

Paul McDonogh “I move to strike everything in the first bullet point down and replace it with restoration of the Campbell STEM Elementary School.”

Anchorage School Board: 7/7/26 ASD School Board Meeting · Jul 7, 2026

Kelly Lessens “The second bullet point is the restoration of 5.5 school-based nurse FTE, which amounts to $715,000, which would permit— and this is really based on the board's conversation during the work session at the early June meeting— permit an FY27 pilot of a fully staffed regional nursing model.”

Anchorage School Board: 7/7/26 ASD School Board Meeting · Jul 7, 2026

Andy Ratliff “the contracts we have, I think most of them have about 5% wage growth in them for next year. Uh, 5% across all of our budgeted items would be about $30 million in growth. Um, that coupled with about $14 million in one-time funds that we're spending this year currently, that's how we get to about the $45 million structural deficit that we're facing for FY28. So yeah, if we do, even if we do get the energy relief money, the $18 to $20 million, we still have, you know, $25 more million to go or so after that.”

Anchorage School Board: 7/7/26 ASD School Board Meeting · Jul 7, 2026

Andy Ratliff “Reopening closed schools changes from 7 to 4 years”

Anchorage School Board: 7/7/26 ASD School Board Meeting · Jul 7, 2026

Carl Jacobs “ASD Memorandum Number 006 is adopted by a vote of 6 to 1.”

Anchorage School Board: 7/7/26 ASD School Board Meeting · Jul 7, 2026

Kelly Lessens “the amendment is essentially to strike the English language arts grade 6 through 10 curriculum for $2.7 million bullet point and the supporting language on page 2 of the Memorandum 006 and replace that expenditure in that language with the following investments, which total the same $2.7 million. The first bullet point is $1.2 million... $1.2 million for 9 additional classroom teacher holdback FTE to address class size bubbles and scheduling conflicts at all levels.”

Anchorage School Board: 7/7/26 ASD School Board Meeting · Jul 7, 2026

Andy Ratliff “for the ELA curriculum options, in the recommendation, it funds the entire, about $2.79 million, purchase in FY $625,000 in FY27. The other payment options that we have are about $620,000 or $625,000 in FY27, and then a little over $1 million in each of '28 and '29.”

Anchorage School Board: 7/7/26 ASD School Board Meeting · Jul 7, 2026

Paul McDonogh “the state undermined our own justification, and so this Amendment, and the reason I'm taking over the Lessons Amendment is not to remove those as priority. I think they'll need to be brought back, but it's because it's this dollar amount. $2.78 Million is nearly identical to what we said we recovered from the first year of closing Campbell.”

Anchorage School Board: 7/7/26 ASD School Board Meeting · Jul 7, 2026

Rachel Blakeslee “it sounds like we don't know— we don't know if the school is legally, technically closed, but that's something that— because the paperwork hasn't been submitted to DEED because we haven't reached the fall, so that's something that legal needs to vet.”

Anchorage School Board: 7/7/26 ASD School Board Meeting · Jul 7, 2026

Jharrett Bryantt “looking ahead to FY28, I just want to recap that much of this funding is one-time., and it certainly does not eliminate ASD's long-term financial challenges.”

Anchorage School Board: 7/7/26 ASD School Board Meeting · Jul 7, 2026

Kelly Lessens “the amendment to the amendment restoring Campbell would do a good thing, but it would also prohibit the ripple effects that utilizing those funds across the district would enable.”

Anchorage School Board: 7/7/26 ASD School Board Meeting · Jul 7, 2026

Jharrett Bryantt “The budget proposal reflects a spending plan for approximately $11.6 million in new revenue that was recently approved by the legislature. Board Memo 006 directs these resources to the immediate priorities before students return to school. The largest investment restores more than 50 classroom teachers to help address class size pressures, elementary planning time, and scheduling pressures across all levels.”

Anchorage School Board: 7/7/26 ASD School Board Meeting · Jul 7, 2026

Andy Ratliff “Starting with HB 263 was the state's operating budget. It included about $144 million in one-time funding, of which ASD would receive approximately $5.5 million for energy relief and $32.1 million in one-time funds contingent upon revenue that's to be determined as of August 31st.”

Anchorage School Board: 7/7/26 ASD School Board Meeting · Jul 7, 2026

Carl Jacobs “Amendment 2 to Lessons Amendment 1 has failed to be adopted by a vote of 3 to 4.”

Anchorage School Board: 7/7/26 ASD School Board Meeting · Jul 7, 2026

Andy Ratliff “Alaska Middle College, the $437,000 that we've been discussing earlier, that's generally mostly a result of just increased participation in the program. Just more kids are taking those college classes.”

Anchorage School Board: 7/7/26 ASD School Board Meeting · Jul 7, 2026

Kelly Lessens “I am concerned that in two— sort of in two areas, well, maybe three, that primarily that the recommendation, the initial recommendation to invest in the English language arts curriculum, is not something that the public has had a robust opportunity to weigh in on as a board action item. There has been a prior public process, but it was news to the board. However, I also recognize that there are time-sensitive concerns with respect to establishing a pilot for that program.”

Anchorage School Board: 7/7/26 ASD School Board Meeting · Jul 7, 2026

Jharrett Bryantt “It also proposes allocating funds for a grade 6 through 10 ELA curriculum. Curriculum. Uh, to be clear, the board is not being asked to adopt a new curriculum tonight. That would take place at a later date per our normal public process for boards approving curriculum.”

Anchorage School Board: 7/7/26 ASD School Board Meeting · Jul 7, 2026

Kelly Lessens “finally, it invests $625,000 for the SAWAS My Perspectives Grades 6-10 Curriculum Pilot Materials.”

Anchorage School Board: 7/7/26 ASD School Board Meeting · Jul 7, 2026

Andy Ratliff “this payment would be for our— it would help fund the second semester of school so we could get through the first semester. But if we don't have the funding in place for second semester, it really is going to limit the number of kids that can participate or the classes they can take.”

Anchorage School Board: 7/7/26 ASD School Board Meeting · Jul 7, 2026

Jharrett Bryantt “we must be mindful of the projected FY28 structural deficit of more than $45 million. And just to recap, to balance the FY27 budget, we had to make $90 million in reductions across the entire district.”

Anchorage School Board: 7/7/26 ASD School Board Meeting · Jul 7, 2026

Paul McDonogh “this is the last time that a vote can even exist on this issue. And I don't relish constantly relitigating old business, but the old business is about Campbell, and it's about the justification this board gave in choosing to close— declaring that it will close the school. Um, and basically the way that Juneau has responded, I think, warrants a public response from the board.”

Anchorage School Board: 7/7/26 ASD School Board Meeting · Jul 7, 2026

Rachel Blakeslee “the first bullet here on classroom teachers, that $6.8 million, the language here reads that it would provide 50.5 FTE for classroom teachers to adjust the metric for elementary special specialist teachers to provide planning time for elementary teachers”

Anchorage School Board: 07/07/2026: School Board Work Session · Jul 7, 2026

Paul McDonogh “I would find a really hard time funding and accepting— the word accepting— the curriculum during a special meeting in the summer. Lots of people have other commitments. Um, that definitely feels like predictable, foreseeable, regular business, and I would encourage my colleagues to consider with care the public process required for us to be able to affirm knowledge contained within a curriculum”

Anchorage School Board: 07/07/2026: School Board Work Session · Jul 7, 2026

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