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

Kelly Lessens
“if we subtract $600,000 sorry, $25,000 or so from that $2.7 million, we can actually then leverage the remaining $2.1 in other immediate ways this evening that would be aligned with conversations the board has already had about the importance of teachers, perhaps about the importance of nurses, perhaps about the importance of other priorities this board has already identified.”Anchorage School Board: 07/07/2026: School Board Work Session · Jul 7, 2026

Kelly Lessens
“would supporting an investment in pilot materials this evening be a fundamentally different action than a full adoption of materials, which could conceivably take place in the fall at a regular board meeting with a multi-week cycle?”Anchorage School Board: 07/07/2026: School Board Work Session · Jul 7, 2026

Paul McDonough
“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

Andy Ratliff
“The recommendation we put before the board funds the entire $2.8 million purchase in FY27. I'm working with the vendor. The other payment options we have are to put $625,000 to it for the current year, which will fund the, some materials, the pilot, the pilot program and some professional development surrounding that, and then pay the balance in FY28 and FY29.”Anchorage School Board: 07/07/2026: School Board Work Session · Jul 7, 2026

Kelly Lessens
“my inclination would be to recommend at this time that we move forward with the pilot project so that our educators are able to implement and evaluate this program and intend to come back to the remaining dollar amount in this fiscal year with this board sometime in the fall.”Anchorage School Board: 07/07/2026: School Board Work Session · 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

Andy Ratliff
“The English language arts curriculum, about $2.8 million is needed for the 6 through 10 adoption, as Dr. Bryant said”Anchorage School Board: 07/07/2026: School Board Work Session · Jul 7, 2026

Rachel Blakeslee
“the curriculum piece threw me by surprise. It— I feel a little bit blindsided by it because it's a very large dollar amount that I think I'm seeing for the first time. I didn't know anything about, um, and, and is a big chunk of money, especially when we're talking about a spending plan for a dollar size that's almost equivalent to the amount of money that we we're advocating for the public around the levy.”Anchorage School Board: 07/07/2026: School Board Work Session · Jul 7, 2026

Andy Ratliff
“the recommendations are 50.5 teaching FTE.. In the memo, that's split between elementary specialists and holdback teachers. That's about even, about 50/50 split on that. Really though, this really is going to effectively allow us to put about those, those 50 teachers back into schools kind of where they're needed, just like holdbacks.”Anchorage School Board: 07/07/2026: School Board Work Session · Jul 7, 2026

Sean Prince
“College Board had announced their decision to sunset the SpringBoard curriculum, which was something that we had already entered into a long contract with. But this was about halfway into the actual 6-year adoption of that curriculum”Anchorage School Board: 07/07/2026: School Board Work Session · Jul 7, 2026

Donald Trump
“I don't want to waste my time with them. Now, I'll let our wonderful negotiators keep talking if they want, but I don't see it.”White House: President Trump Participates in a Greeting with the Secretary General of NATO · Jul 8, 2026

Donald Trump
“Is the ceasefire done? Is the MOU dead? It's a very interesting question. To me, I think it's over. I don't want to deal with them anymore.”White House: President Trump Participates in a Greeting with the Secretary General of NATO · Jul 8, 2026

Donald Trump
“instead of that, they start shooting rockets at ships yesterday. And so we hit them very hard last night. Very hard. I would say 20 to 1. 20 Times tougher.”White House: President Trump Participates in a Greeting with the Secretary General of NATO · Jul 8, 2026

Donald Trump
“what if I make a deal with him? We have a deal and he goes out, he talks. We make a deal. Everyone's agreed. No nuclear weapon.”White House: President Trump Participates in a Greeting with the Secretary General of NATO · Jul 8, 2026

Donald Trump
“As far as I'm concerned, it's over. I'll speak to our negotiators. They want to negotiate.”White House: President Trump Participates in a Greeting with the Secretary General of NATO · Jul 8, 2026

Donald Trump
“They're scum. You know what scum is? They're scum. They're sick people. They're led by sick people.”White House: President Trump Participates in a Greeting with the Secretary General of NATO · Jul 8, 2026

Donald Trump
“Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner. But they have to come back to me. As far as I'm concerned, it's just a waste of time dealing with them. They're liars.”White House: President Trump Participates in a Greeting with the Secretary General of NATO · Jul 8, 2026

Donald Trump
“I think we waste a lot of time with them. I think we should— I think we should just do our business. Can you imagine? They start shooting bombs, actually missiles at ships yesterday.”White House: President Trump Participates in a Greeting with the Secretary General of NATO · Jul 8, 2026

Donald Trump
“I don't care. They can talk, but I think they're wasting their time. They're a bunch of lying guys.”White House: President Trump Participates in a Greeting with the Secretary General of NATO · Jul 8, 2026

Donald Trump
“We make a deal. They go outside, talk to the press. They say we never even talked about it. There's something wrong with them. They're cuckoo.”White House: President Trump Participates in a Greeting with the Secretary General of NATO · Jul 8, 2026

Donald Trump
“Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, a couple of others.”White House: President Trump Participates in a Greeting with the Secretary General of NATO · Jul 8, 2026

Timothy Petty
“if this passes and moves forward, when is the estimated time that the projects would be started and what's the projected time that they would be completed?”Kenai: 07/08/26 City Council Meeting · Jul 8, 2026

Kenai: 07/08/26 City Council Meeting · Jul 8, 2026

Timothy Petty
“I also wanted to say thank you for Tidewater and am looking forward to seeing the success of this project and the collaboration with our city. It's a great opportunity to work together.”Kenai: 07/08/26 City Council Meeting · Jul 8, 2026

Timothy Petty
“if they want part of the property now, the appraisal for their consideration for properties in 5 years from now would require a new appraisal 5 years from now for that. Is that how that would work?”Kenai: 07/08/26 City Council Meeting · Jul 8, 2026

Timothy Petty
“If Tidewater does not get all the properties under their jurisdiction, will the planning still move forward, or is there contingents for that if that doesn't happen, sir?”Kenai: 07/08/26 City Council Meeting · Jul 8, 2026

Scott Pulice
“I intend to support the motion. And as a finding of fact, you know, we heard no public opposition, and the replat will resolve DOT's comments on the rezone.”Anchorage Assembly: Planning and Zoning Commission - July 6, 2026 - 2026-07-06 18:30:00 · Jul 6, 2026

Rachel Riley
“With election season approaching, the primary election is coming up August 18th. To help voters get informed, Interior Native Vote is hosting a Meet the Candidates event on Monday, July 20th. Attendees will have the opportunity to meet state Senate and state House candidates from across the region, ask questions, and learn where they stand on issues that matter most to our communities. The event will be held from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Chief David Salmon Tribal Hall.”Tanana Chiefs Conference: TCC Weekly Episode 54 · Jul 6, 2026

Rachel Riley
“Candidates from across the Interior have been invited to attend, and everyone is welcome to participate.”Tanana Chiefs Conference: TCC Weekly Episode 54 · Jul 6, 2026

Justin Ruffridge
“I want to ask the question, what about protecting the interest of our constituents, who I think have been worried for quite some time about what the answer is going to be to their energy solutions, and we're seeking maximum government take.”Alaska Legislature: Conference Committee On HB 381, 7/2/26, 10:30am · Jul 2, 2026

Bert Stedman
“We have a property tax established in 1974 for 20 mils of our oil and gas. And that is a significant tax. And it hasn't been updated.”Alaska Legislature: Conference Committee On HB 381, 7/2/26, 10:30am · Jul 2, 2026

Erik Gunderson
“Adds new subsection D6 specifying non-confidential documents filed and approvals received since the last report in connection with the natural gas pipeline project, including filings with FERC under the Natural Gas Act, filings and approvals from the U.S. Department of Energy related to free trade and non-free trade export authorizations and notices or declarations filed with the U.S. Department of Energy for review by CFIUS shall be included in the biannual report.”Alaska Legislature: Conference Committee On HB 381, 7/2/26, 10:30am · Jul 2, 2026

Calvin Schrage
“I move that the House Conference Committee adopt Work Draft 34-G HB 381, HB 2038/Q as the working document for HB 381 and ask for an objection for the purposes of an explanation of changes.”Alaska Legislature: Conference Committee On HB 381, 7/2/26, 10:30am · Jul 2, 2026

Justin Ruffridge
“I think, Mr. Chair, of just a molecule of gas. For example, a molecule of gas in this state, if we are to produce a project, it's going to go through royalty payment. That's step number 1. It's going to be taxed for its production. It's going to be taxed for its gas treatment, taxed for its transport, taxed for its export, and then also pay sales tax on its use in the state.”Alaska Legislature: Conference Committee On HB 381, 7/2/26, 10:30am · Jul 2, 2026

Bert Stedman
“The economics of putting the project forward do not work at 20 mils. You cannot get it over the line. We're talking about a couple hundred million dollars a year more in debt service. So they need some relief through construction and, and then after first gas to make their economics work.”Alaska Legislature: Conference Committee On HB 381, 7/2/26, 10:30am · Jul 2, 2026

Justin Ruffridge
“In effect, by taking out Section 3, you are saying that the Senate version did not allow AVT to be required to apply to required local contribution, and the House version did not require AVT to apply to local contribution, but now you're saying by the removal of Section 3 that AVT can apply to require local contribution, thereby making a substantive change in this conference committee to the effect of the bill on required local contribution.”Alaska Legislature: Conference Committee On HB 381, 7/2/26, 10:30am · Jul 2, 2026

Erik Gunderson
“The removed language would have sunset the required RLC for the AVT 5 years after the final investment decision, also known as FID, on Phase 2. Modeling from Director Payne Painter and the Department of Revenue indicated this sunset would have effectively prevented any RLC from being paid on the AVT.”Alaska Legislature: Conference Committee On HB 381, 7/2/26, 10:30am · Jul 2, 2026

Justin Ruffridge
“I'm referencing the fact that the entirety of Section 3, which was the amendment on the Senate floor that essentially allowed the Senate floor version to match the House version, which was to effectively remove AVT from required local contribution, is entirely removed in this draft document before me.”Alaska Legislature: Conference Committee On HB 381, 7/2/26, 10:30am · Jul 2, 2026

Calvin Schrage
“I know we've had some positive feedback from stakeholders that we're moving in a good direction, including from the project developers, that we've made— that they're encouraged by the conversations that we're having here.”Alaska Legislature: Conference Committee On HB 381, 7/2/26, 10:30am · Jul 2, 2026

Bert Stedman
“This is a significant reduction in the tax burden on this gas line in any way you cut it. And some of us are concerned maybe we are a little too aggressive in that direction.”Alaska Legislature: Conference Committee On HB 381, 7/2/26, 10:30am · Jul 2, 2026

Erik Gunderson
“We amend Section 3509-020 to clarify when the alternative volumetric tax takes effect. Based on a Department of Revenue request for clarification, this clarification makes clear when the annual inflation adjustment begins, which is the year after Phase 1 begins for both the 6.2 cents starting rate for Phase 1 and 10.6, um, for Phase 2. This also changes Alaska CPI to US CPI to conform with changes made in Section 24.”Alaska Legislature: Conference Committee On HB 381, 7/2/26, 10:30am · Jul 2, 2026

Calvin Schrage
“We're going to continue to work through this process, continue to work on this committee substitute. This is not the final product and it will be refined further.”Alaska Legislature: Conference Committee On HB 381, 7/2/26, 10:30am · Jul 2, 2026

Calvin Schrage
“I want to emphasize that this draft committee substitute is not a final decision on conferenceable items, and I look forward to continued conversations with all of you as we further work to refine HB 381.”Alaska Legislature: Conference Committee On HB 381, 7/2/26, 10:30am · Jul 2, 2026

Justin Ruffridge
“What I hear you say in a nutshell is the effect of the language is irrelevant. It's just the fact that the language exists or doesn't exist.”Alaska Legislature: Conference Committee On HB 381, 7/2/26, 10:30am · Jul 2, 2026

Bert Stedman
“If you take the tax rate to zero, it still doesn't get this project over the line financially. So there's more work to be done by the developer to get this project economic.”Alaska Legislature: Conference Committee On HB 381, 7/2/26, 10:30am · Jul 2, 2026

Erik Gunderson
“The new language amends the language outlining the legislature's finding that the project labor agreement, also known as a PLA, and apprenticeship utilization requirements are necessary to advance the project. The work draft removes reference to prevailing wage.”Alaska Legislature: Conference Committee On HB 381, 7/2/26, 10:30am · Jul 2, 2026

Austin Esterbrooks
“under a low abundance year, which we were under in 2025 and have been for a series of years, the 1.8 or 0.018 number there is what the fleet is striving to achieve. So essentially, if you catch more than 2 Chinook salmon in any given tow over the course of the season, that's too many. And so that, that's the goal at which our fleet is trying to operate across the entire season.”NPFMC 279 Day 2 - June 5, 2026 · Jun 5, 2026

Austin Esterbrooks
“prior to the IPA years, you can see the extremely broad distribution of individual vessel level bycatch performance on the left-hand side. And then as you move into the post-Amendment 91, 2011, and to the present, the fleet level distribution has become incredibly homogenized, and that continues to hold true in 2025 and 2026.”NPFMC 279 Day 2 - June 5, 2026 · Jun 5, 2026