Alaska Senate P and R candidate forum - recording and transcript

KUAC appreciates corrections to typos and misspellings in the transcription.

Moderator Victoria Denning: The long term financial sustainability of such a plan. What is your position on returning to a defined benefit pension plan for state employees? 60 seconds.

[00:00:13] Leslie Hajdukovich: Thank you, Victoria, and thank you for holding this forum. I'm so pleased to be here. Thank you for everybody attending. That's my quick intro. Um, so, on the, um, returning to the Defined Benefit pension program. I'm open to the discussion and I've said that all along And I think we have a workforce shortage here in Fairbanks and all of Alaska and frankly the entire country So it's worthy of discussion I think what we have to be careful of is That we do not put ourselves in the position again that we were About 10 to 15 years ago of having a very large unfunded liability. So, um, that is something that would have to be evaluated and to understand. And I think the assumptions in going back to a defined benefit are uncertain. So any parts of that discussion needs to include that. Thank you.

Moderator Victoria Denning: Thank you. Senator Kawasaki, 60 seconds.

[00:01:17] Scott Kawasaki: colleagues here and thanking everybody for being here to hear us today.

I'm State Senator Scott Kawasaki. I support the return to a defined benefits pension system, and I'll tell you why. Over the last 20 years, since 2004, we've seen an erosion in the number of people who are taking jobs, and not only just taking jobs, but returning and remaining here in Alaska. Thank you. We absolutely need to make sure we have a pension system that is solid, that is, uh, sustainable for the long term, and that is something that Senate Bill 88 did this last year.

I've been criticized for supporting it, but it passed a bipartisan majority by a lot in the Senate, and it was held up in the House. These types of things are important if we want to continue to have a great place to live and work and raise a family And we have some retired teachers here. We have a lot of retired state employees who are here. We're benefiting from that pension system and we should go back to it.

Moderator Victoria Denning: Thank you. Representative Cronk, 60 seconds.

[00:02:20] Mike Cronk: Thank you. for everybody being here. I like Leslie I support the Opportunity to discuss this. Um, we were, I think, 15 billion dollars in, in debt. We are still currently 7. 5 billion dollars in retirement debt. Um, the, the plan that they had looked like it was gonna break even, but it's not gonna look good on paper until people start retiring again.

And it is the first draw. It is the constitutional requirement that the retirement is the first draw. So, I am open to discussion. I feel like I'm an absolute hypocrite talking about this because I do have a teacher retirement, and so I do benefit from it. But, my first job and obligation is to the state to make sure that we are fiscally responsible and we don't put ourselves into further debt.

Again, we're currently 7. 4 billion dollars in debt to the retirement system.

Moderator Victoria Denning: Thank you. Ms. Fletcher, 60 seconds.

[00:03:11] Savannah Fletcher: Yes, I want to echo the thanks to everyone for taking the time during lunch to come listen to us and To answer the question, I am in support of having a pension, some defined benefit retirement system, but I hesitate to say returning to because as folks have highlighted, that led to major debt.

Serving on the borough assembly, I've seen firsthand the debt that the borough is still paying off. But the good thing about what's been discussed moving forward is that it would shift the burden and there'd be more risk taken on by the employees and not solely the employer. And that's how we do this sustainably.

When you think of our teachers, our first responders, our law enforcement, they all deserve the same. Guarantee of a pension and they're not going to stay in our state if we don't offer it. I spoke to a new teacher in Delta Junction this summer. He had just moved up with his one year old and his wife. And I said, How do you feel he came from Washington coming to a state without a pension?

And he was like, What? I thought I had one. I worry if he's going to be staying with us for more than a year or two with his family knowing that he won't have that retirement. So I want a system that supports people coming here and staying here. Thanks.

Moderator Victoria Denning: Thank you. Mr. Williams, 60 seconds. Thanks.

[00:04:13] Bert Williams: Hello everybody, thank you for being here.

Um, I actually have very little to say that hasn't already been said by everybody else. Um, I think we have to be very careful when looking at pension systems. It would be a shame for us to fall into the trap that states like Illinois have. Um, a pension system can rapidly become a millstone around the state's economy.

Um, but at the same time, Savannah raises an excellent point. Really a pension system is a question of who takes on the risk with retirement income. Is this, is the risk of an economic downturn effecting that going to be taken on by the employer, in this case the state, or by the workers? I'm I'm open to discussion.

There's merits to both sides, but we have to be very careful that we don't create a huge problem for future generations in the form of pension obligations.

Moderator Victoria Denning: Thank you. Moving on to our next question. Mr. Cronk, you'll answer first in this next question. Ballot measure one, which Alaskans will vote on this November, has generated debate among many businesses and organizations, including the Fairbanks Chamber.

Advocating for a vote no. If passed, this measure will raise the minimum wage by 3 per hour, require paid time off for employers of any type and size, and limit employers free speech rights. It will impose new restrictions on employers and hamper economic development and job creation. Where do you stand on ballot measure one?

And how do you believe it will affect Alaska's business, environment, and economy? Sixty seconds.

[00:05:58] Mike Cronk: Um, thank you for that question. Um, I agree with everything you just said. The consequence, there's unintended consequences, and we, we play the same game down in Juneau when there's legislation in front of us.

Um, sometimes you vote no because of the unintended consequences, but I think, uh, the business, uh, uh, avenue here has, has, you Pointed out the highlights of what could happen with this. I think a lot of businesses are already paying more than what minimum wage is. So we don't need a government to tell us this is what we're going to do.

But it's the unintended consequences for small businesses across Alaska. Those are the backbones of our state and we need to make sure that we're actually encouraging more small business. So I would definitely support a no vote on it.

Moderator Victoria Denning: Thank you. Ms. Fletcher, 60 seconds.

[00:06:39] Savannah Fletcher: Yes, I am in support of ballot measure one, and it's because it does protect our freedom of speech rights.

It protects the rights of workers to not be subjected to speeches that would otherwise infringe on that. So the way the question was framed, I would take some issue with. But most importantly, it's a 15 minimum wage that we're working towards over the next few years. All the businesses here, I am certain, are paying more than that, because we know you can't hire someone at KFC for less than 20 an hour.

This is really raising the bar so that there are. I'm going to start with you, Mr. Williams. I want to set a standard for companies not taking advantage of workers and undercutting businesses that are doing it right by paying our employees a just amount. I think of my dad. We run a family farm and we pay our blueberry pickers a better wage than other farms in the region and they come back to us year after year because they know they're going to be respected and treated well there.

I want to set a standard where we respect our workers so they want to stay here for the long haul and continue to invest in our small business community. Thanks.

Moderator Victoria Denning: Thank you. Mr. Williams, 60 seconds.

[00:07:35] Bert Williams: Um, on the issue of the ambivalent wage portion of this, uh, I'm ambivalent because the reality is, like it's already been mentioned, most places are already paying more than that, and this takes effect so late that it's going to be essentially meaningless.

Um, the other aspects of the measure, I'm against, I'm against regulatory overburden. Uh, this just adds more of that, and it's not a good thing to keep constraining small businesses. Um, that's all I have to say.

Moderator Victoria Denning: Okay, thank you. Senator Kawasaki.

[00:08:08] Scott Kawasaki: Thank you. Um, I'll be supporting Senate, uh, or the ballot measure one when it comes up this year.

Um, I'm sensitive to the fact that, uh, there are some businesses, particularly businesses that are like non profits for instance, that might have to raise wages in which, um, they're on a slim margin. But I also know that, again, most folks here in this room, probably every folk in this room, is more, is paying more than 15 an hour, uh, to start, uh, in addition to the benefit of allowing for, um, paid time off for families so that families can be together.

I think that's a win for the state. Um, I will also say that, um, I was just watching the, um, uh, It's a Wonderful Life, the movie. And this is where, um, That he was talking about. Doesn't it make them better citizens? Doesn't it make them better, better consumers? People when they have money in their pockets will spend that money right here in Fairbanks and they'll spend money at minimum wage businesses.

Thank you.

Moderator Victoria Denning: Thank you. And Ms. Hajdukovich,, 60 seconds.

[00:09:11] Leslie Hajdukovich: So I will be voting no on ballot measure one for a couple of reasons. My family, we, I come from a family of small business owners. And, um, the parts to this ballot measure being the minimum wage, the paid time, uh, paid leave portion, and then the employer meeting portion.

I think the most egregious part of this is actually the paid leave for small businesses. And I was talking to a, uh, long time business owner yesterday and she immediately zeroed in on this. And I think it's, uh, It's um, most burdensome to those businesses, especially the seasonal businesses where you have shift work or you have potentially fishing work or tourism.

And so it falls on the backs of those business owners. And let's not forget, small businesses are the drivers of our economy. And that's very important to remember. So I will be voting no.

Moderator Victoria Denning: Thank you. And to help ensure that our audience members know where you stand exactly, using your yes no cards, please hold up your vote of no or yes on ballot measure one.

Thank you. All right, thank you.

Okay, Ms. Fletcher, you will be first in our next question, which will be again a 60 seconds to respond. Despite increasing funding for public education, there is still concern surrounding student outcomes. What reforms or accountability measures would you advocate for to ensure that the additional investment in Alaska's education system leads to better results and improved student performance?

[00:11:02] Savannah Fletcher: Yes, thank you. I am a strong supporter of investing in our schools, and the amount of money we've put toward our education system has not kept pace with inflation over the last decade. So we are still behind in funding our education system sufficiently, but the way we ensure good outcomes in addition to that funding need is to take things like the Reads Act.

We've seen our literacy shortcomings and now we need to be able to fund a literacy aid. We need to be able to fund a smaller classroom size or additional tutors so students who are struggling can have that smaller group learning session and space to really improve their outcomes. When you look at something holistically in that fashion and when you have teachers who, again, have the A pension that know they're working towards something will be taken care of outside of the classroom.

They're going to have energy and capacity to do that much more for our students. I've especially seen it in the rural parts of our district too, and here in the Fairbanks North Star Borough School District. We've cut our entire ELP program for middle school, our entire honors program due to lack of funding.

When we bring that back, we see better outcomes. Thanks.

Moderator Victoria Denning: Thank you. Mr. Williams, 60 seconds.

[00:12:05] Bert Williams: Um, I actually have a rather I'm not sure that we're to the point where this problem can necessarily be solved only by the state My background is in biology and what I am seeing is that as we move forward here more and more of the children They have neurological problems from overexposure to electronic and social media Attention spans are dropping across the board, um, for the most part, the majority of students now have attention spans that are under 60 seconds, which would be perfect here, of course.

Um, so how do we address this? I don't think the state can fix this problem. This comes back to parents controlling what their children are consuming electronically or even keeping them from these things. Uh, perhaps the only solution lies with what Savannah said, and that is smaller settings where the children can get more attention from educators to keep them on track.

But it's a serious problem that goes beyond what we can do, I think.

Moderator Victoria Denning: Thank you. Representative Cronk, 60 seconds.

[00:13:11] Mike Cronk: Thank you. Um, I'm just going to go back a little bit of history. So we did pass the Reads Act my, uh, second year in the legislature, and the Reads Act passed the Senate 20 0. Came to the house. It was an absolute war because the NEA sided with the Democrats and they did not want that passed because it was outcome based.

So it's easy to sit up here and say, oh more funding. We'll get these outcome based things. That's not how it works down there. Um, they do not want outcomes. And so we passed that on the final night 21 to 19. Out of the house. A bill that passed the Senate 20 to 0. It's easy to say. I am the only teacher, regional school board member, legislator down there.

And this is why I get attacked all the time because I, I didn't vote to override the governor's veto because, um, I have a district that has nine school districts and there is no set of money that matches everyone. One needs none. One needs 400. One needs 680. One needs 2000. We haven't solved the problem.

I've been asking for four years to solve it. We haven't done it. So, getting outcomes is, is, is key, but we have not had the will to do that.

Moderator Victoria Denning: Thank you. Ms. Hajdukovich,, 60 seconds.

[00:14:18] Leslie Hajdukovich: So I think the question, without going down a rabbit trail of education, which I absolutely could, you know, is on outcomes. And I spent six years on the Fairbanks School Board and three of those years as board president.

And we talked all the time. Anytime we'd get off track talking about educational. Uh, possibilities. We would always bring it back to student achievement and student learning. And I see our superintendent here in the audience and so he, he knows this, but, but we would bring each other back because that is the core of our educational system.

And I believe education is the core of our communities. And I spent a lot of time in the schools. I was a reading tutor. I don't know if everybody remembers Erie reading tutors, but I was a reading tutor. And so I know that personal touch to our students. And the READS Act really does this going forward, but I think we also have to look at our district and look at the way kids are learning now and also that That parents want choice for their kids. They want different options for you.

Moderator Victoria Denning: Senator Kawasaki 60 seconds.

[00:15:29] Scott Kawasaki: Thank you, and it is all about accountability and we've got a school board.

I see dr Meinert in the audience right now They have so many reports that they have to go to every single year, whether it's testing, how many students are in school every day. They're, in fact, spending a lot of time, an inordinate amount of time, on making reports instead of teaching kids. And, you know, I'm just thinking that that might be one of the changes.

But I'll tell you, for 10 years, since 2014, we've seen a constant erosion of education funding to our schools. Uh, that's what it is. And uh, if anybody tells you differently, um, I don't know what to say. We, during the time that Leslie was on the school board, we increased the budget between 2008, 2009, 2010, and it tracked for several years after.

We saw the results. We saw those results going up during that time. It's over the last 10 years that uh, this legislature and our imbalance in the budget has been a failure to keep up.

Moderator Victoria Denning: Thank you. And as a reminder to the audience, and I think I've seen some hands being held up. If you have a question that you'd like to submit, please fill out the cards on your tables and hold them up for our chamber staff to collect them.

All right, now we will jump into our first candidate to candidate question round for some direct exchanges with candidates. First, beginning with CP Senator Kawasaki. You'll ask a question first in this round. Each candidate will have 30 seconds to ask their opponent a question with a 60 second response.

If you are unsatisfied with the answer or want your opponent to clarify, we will offer you another 15 seconds to redress and then your opponent will then have 30 seconds to close. So Mr. Kawasaki, you have 30 seconds. 30 seconds to ask Ms. Hajdukovich your question.

[00:17:33] Scott Kawasaki: Thank you. Uh, so I, I have been a member of the legislature for a long time.

Um, during the last decade, uh, or during the last now 18 years I've served in the legislature, I have rarely heard from you. Uh, we haven't heard, uh, we haven't gotten any emails in our office. I think you've only, you visited two times, uh, during the time that you were on the school board. Thank you. You're welcome.

I'm not sure what you've done for the last couple years, but where have you been?

[00:18:03] Leslie Hajdukovich: Well, um, so I've raised a family. That was a big part of what I've done for the last 30 years. Raising a family, helping my husband with his small business, and, uh, challenging airline business, and I served six years on the school board, so I think I was down there more than five.

Um, but I did advocate for school funding, and then, um, I worked on the oil tax issue, which was a statewide issue, trying to keep Alaska open for business for all of us. And I also worked, uh, five years as Senator Dan Sullivan's regional director, and worked on federal issues, helping, um, Uh, local Fairbanksans with issues with the IRS, with the VA, uh, with Social Security.

So, um, I've stayed involved and been to a lot of chamber meetings, a lot of community meetings and, um, yeah, I haven't emailed your office, so I did ask, actually I talked to Joe about our voter rolls and I don't know if Joe remembers that, but I did call and, um, it was about trying to, uh, curb our voter rolls because my boys have stayed on the voter rolls.

Moderator Victoria Denning: Senator Kawasaki, would you like to redress?

[00:19:13] Scott Kawasaki: Sure, I'll just say that um, you know, you mentioned the oil taxes and I think it's really important for this business crowd to understand that over the last 10 years, the same time that we've had to cut our budget from education, all of that money's been going back to oil and I consider it a Hajdukovich tax.

Moderator Victoria Denning: Do you have a question there, Senator Kawasaki?

[00:19:33] Scott Kawasaki: Oh, is it? Would you consider it a tax to the people of Alaska?

[00:19:38] Leslie Hajdukovich: Absolutely not. Listen, our revenues have been flat, but our revenues are, the projected revenues are to go up. And a big part of that is due to Willow and Pica. And a big part of Willow and Pica is because we've had a stable tax environment in the state of Alaska.

It will affect all of us, and it will affect all of us going forward, and I want Alaska to stay open for business for all of us.

Moderator Victoria Denning: Thank you. And now we'll go in reverse. So Ms. Hajdukovich, you may ask Senator Kawasaki a question. You have 30 seconds for a question.

[00:20:18] Leslie Hajdukovich: So, um, Scott, I, maybe you've seen them, but I've had a large amount of outside dark money attack ads against me in the past couple weeks. And, um, they have said that I'm bad for Alaska, I don't support police, I, uh, Don't support families, and so my question for you is do you support these ads and approve of these ads?

And would you consider? Telling this outside dark money group to stop the ads

[00:20:52] Scott Kawasaki: Thank you, thank you for the question and the answer is yes, I don't condone any sort of attacks This is an attack ad that came out over a year ago from the same organization that's attacking me now, and I hope that you will consider the same thing. Um, this is about the, uh, outsized, oversized Alaska state budget according to the Americans for Prosperity, an outside, an outside 501c3.

So, what I'll just say is that, um, yeah, I don't think there's any place really for negative campaigning. I think both of us, um, And I think all of us here know who's been working hard down in Juneau for the last 18 years. And what that means as far as commitment goes. So I'm, I'm really proud to have been serving and working hard down in Juneau.

Uh, I hope to continue on that streak, uh, if re-elected. And, um, so the answer to your question, which is a yes or no question, is yes.

Moderator Victoria Denning: Thank you. Ms. Hajdukovich, would you like to redress?

[00:21:49] Leslie Hajdukovich: No, I really appreciate that. I appreciate you saying that, Scott, because I think, uh, you and I are both, uh, really proud to be Fairbanksans and, um, and I think having an outside group trying to influence our elections is not what I'm about and I don't think it's about what you're about either. So I appreciate that.

Moderator Victoria Denning: Senator Kawasaki, would you like to make a comment?

[00:22:12] Scott Kawasaki: Yeah, I would because I've been you know, I've been here about campaign finance reform for a long time We have a ballot measure potentially in the next year to change the money that's in politics all around We've seen so much money in politics whether it was for the oil tax debate that came ten years ago 70 million dollars came out of state To make sure that oil taxes, um, the oil tax repeal happened, or the oil tax repeal didn't happen.

So I think we want to make sure that we have local elections and that local elections are locally funded, and I'll continue to do that. Thank you.

Moderator Victoria Denning: Thank you. Moving on to our next prepared question. We'll hear from you first, Mr. Williams, with a 60 second response. For each of you, given Fairbanks is reliance on coal, diesel and natural gas from South Central for power and the impending natural gas shortages in South Central Alaska.

How do you plan to ensure Fairbanks has access to affordable, reliable energy in the coming years? 60 seconds. Mr. Williams.

[00:23:16] Bert Williams: In a perfect world, we would give ourselves better access to natural gas from the North Slope. Right now, it's not. We would actually attempt to utilize the natural gas on the north slope. It's there and it's largely being wasted right now. And that could alleviate some of the problems, but that requires a great deal of infrastructure that's not in place right now.

And, as far as electrical generation goes, it doesn't necessarily solve the problem. Um, I think realistically, rather than renewables, the only good answer for Alaska is the development of next generation nuclear power plants, which isn't necessarily popular, but it's likely to be the only thing that gives us cost effective energy relief.

Moderator Victoria Denning: Thank you. Representative Cronk, 60 seconds.

[00:24:16] Mike Cronk: I believe we need an all hands-on above approach. Um, we passed really good legislation this year. I think it was HB 307 that, um, helped, uh, upgrade the, the line. Um, we actually are working on another grant to finish the line to Fairbanks. So we have a, uh, electric group that, uh, Uh, takes over from the five different groups and, and doesn't allow, you know, taxes and, and it's freewheeling and terrorists to be charged.

So that's the first step, but none of that stuff happens overnight. Those are like 10 year projects and we've funded part of our match grant of 212 million, but they can't take it all at once because they can't build it all at once. So this is like a 10 year plan, but I think we need to all hands on approach.

I, I'm fine with some renewables, but. We have the cleanest coal in the world. There's no reason we're not building coal plants. China's building one every two weeks. We need to use our resources. We do need to get the gas line finished, you know, for Fairbanks. I know Representatives Stapp and Tomaszewski. We were on Finance.

We worked hard. We got a zero-tax royalty from IGU Gas from the slope. That passed the House, but it didn't get through the Senate. So we worked hard.

Moderator Victoria Denning: Thank you. Ms. Fletcher.

[00:25:19] Savannah Fletcher: Yes, affordable energy is one of my biggest priorities for our district and for our state because that is how business can grow and move forward and I think it's one of the biggest costs holding us back.

As folks have said already, I'm really heartened we talk about a shortage of natural gas from South Central, but we now, I meet quarterly with IGU and we are the first ones to get natural gas coming from the North Slope and I think that's the way of the future. And for now, my priority is to continue to fund and give more money to our natural gas transition programs in the borough.

Folks have not been able to afford it with the current grants in place, so we need to subsidize that more. And we also need to make sure we have federal highway dollars going towards the Dalton Highway. I've heard from many businesses that that road is falling apart, and if we're going to be trucking our natural gas down, along with many other critical resources back and forth, we've got to make sure we focus on that so businesses do not get held up.

Additionally, increasing our transmission capacity in Willow will allow us to utilize the best, most affordable energy across the entire rail belt moving forward. Thanks.

Moderator Victoria Denning: Thank you. Senator Kawasaki.

[00:26:19] Scott Kawasaki: Can you repeat the question?

Moderator Victoria Denning: Sure. Given Fairbanks reliance on coal, diesel, and natural gas from South Central for power and the impending natural gas shortages in South Central Alaska, how do you plan to ensure Fairbanks has access to affordable, reliable energy in the coming years?

[00:26:37] Scott Kawasaki: Okay, well first off, uh, when I was in, in Juneau hearing about this natural gas shortage and this impending shortage, um, I, I sort of laughed because people in Fairbanks know that we are paying some of the highest energy and utility costs, costs across the country, 200 percent. Um, above what the norm is.

Anchorage is just now feeling a pinch. I'll tell ya, 10 years ago they were also feeling a pinch. And what happened was we, uh, passed what was called the Cook Inlet Recovery Act. And it was supposed to be done. It was a huge amount of credits. We paid for a 50 million jackup drill rig. 50 million dollar jackup drill rig for Anchorage basically.

I'll tell ya, what it, what it boils down to is this. The person down in Juneau is going to have to push hard and advocate for Fairbanks. And that's exactly what I did in the halls of Juneau for the last couple years when, uh, the LNG was discussed and we didn't have a tie in line between, uh, to Fairbanks costing a billion dollars, uh, that was our fight.

Moderator Victoria Denning: Thank you. Miss Hajdukovich,. I

[00:27:46] Leslie Hajdukovich: agree with Scott. Um, We're at a crossroads. We're at an energy crossroads right now, I believe, in the state of Alaska. And, and I agree that with Cook Inlet gas, with things changing down there for the, you know, our largest population base, We're at a moment in time where we can really take advantage, and we have had the highest energy costs.

And I want to work together with people from across the state to solve our energy needs. You look at every, every aspect of our community, education, businesses, the university, the military. If we're able to solve our energy issues, we're Look at what we can do, and it is a priority for me. It absolutely is.

And, and if I'm elected to, uh, serve in the state Senate, I will be making energy and cheaper energy for Fairbanks, a priority.

Moderator Victoria Denning: Thank you. And this is the last call for audience questions. I know we've collected quite a few, but if you have any that you would like collected right behind you there, um, Amanda, um, we'd be happy to do so.

And moving on to our next question, uh, really remaining on the, the theme of energy, uh, Ms. Hajdukovich, you'll begin first with a 60 second response for each of you. As utilities face growing pressure to transition to renewable energy sources, there is still a critical need for baseload firm power that renewables cannot consistently provide. What is your strategy to balance adopting renewable energy with ensuring reliable, continuous power for Fairbanks, especially during extreme weather conditions when energy demand peaks?

[00:29:35] Leslie Hajdukovich: I'm going to echo what Representative Cronk said of being an all of the above energy person, and that's how I look at this.

Renewables are great and I think we should explore them. And I think with some of the grants that we've gotten from the federal government, we need to continue to look at those. But we will always need that base load of energy which comes from You know, gas, oil, coal, and like also Mike said, that we have this amazing coal mine just down the road from us, and they have such a powerful.

Fantastic safety record. Coal powers our university. And, and that is, um, that's something that we can't forget, but we can help assist and work towards renewables and so, and all of the above. Energy plan is something that I would support and, and going forward work hard to, um, contribute to.

Moderator Victoria Denning: Thank you.

Senator Kawasaki, 60 seconds.

[00:30:32] Scott Kawasaki: Yeah, thank you. Um, I to support and all the above strategy and I've been really consistent in that message, uh, during the entire time I've served in the legislature on the resources committee. Some things can be done quickly. Some things take a little bit longer time. Uh, one thing is we have, uh, we have some of the cheapest electricity right now in hydro.

That is, uh, down near Anchorage. That facility was built 40 years ago. We need sort of long term approach to ensure that we have a reliable, um, sustainable and cheap, uh, energy. I'll also just say, since I still have 20 seconds, that Fairbanks Natural Gas and the, the, I'm sorry, IGU, the folks that are building out It's such an important thing for the Fairbanks community.

We supported some money in the budget this year. Some of it was cut down by the governor, unfortunately, but that sort of build out is important as we transition to renewables.

Moderator Victoria Denning: Thank you. Representative Cronk, 60 seconds.

[00:31:37] Mike Cronk: Thank you. We have failed our state. We, we, we should have built a lot of this a long time ago.

Uh, and that's the unfortunate thing. Now we're trying to clean up a mess and nothing is built quickly. There, there's issues of getting the materials up here to do this. I know Senator Bishop and I have talked a lot. You know, he's a big advocate of the Wantana Dam. And if we had built that 30 years ago, we wouldn't be having these conversations.

But unfortunately, we're not there. Um, I, again, I'm, I'm all hands on. Let's, let's get something done, um, renewables are obviously going to take a lot of money from the federal government to do, um, but we have to be able to invest our own money because if we're building this and we're charging the rate payer, there's no, there's no savings.

So we have to figure out a way to pay for this stuff without the rate, rate payers paying for it because we're not going to see any lower energy costs. But when we do, we're going to have businesses come here. We were just talking about possible, you know, uh, tech companies coming up here because we have fresh water and we have cold temperatures, but we don't have the energy.

So maybe we can get some investment in some of these firms to help invest in a generation that we should have.

Moderator Victoria Denning: Thank you. Yes,

[00:32:42] Savannah Fletcher: I echo everyone here in that it's an all of the above approach to having both affordable electricity and that sort of energy and affordable heat for our homes. And I think, speaking to the electricity front, even proponents of renewables are saying it's an all of the above.

NREL had that study that came out this March, and it showed, even looking forward to 2040, the most affordable plan forward is a mix of continuing to use electricity. Fossil fuel based energy, and using renewables. And I think the key is to make our grid work most efficiently for everyone. As I said, increasing that willow transmission capacity so that we can get the most affordable hydropower when that's in season, or we can get the most affordable coal power when it's coming from up here.

We just need to work better along the entire rail belt, and continuing that intertie so the rest of our state can benefit from that as well is really critical. Otherwise, infrastructure for heating. Yes, I'm a supporter of getting the natural gas pipeline, and It would never pass me if it did not have an extension to Fairbanks.

That just seems crazy. So having that option for heat and in the shorter term continuing to support The trucking and the other means of getting affordable heat here is critical. Thanks.

Moderator Victoria Denning: Thank you and Mr. Williams 60 seconds

[00:33:48] Bert Williams: I'm actually not going to be as agreeable as everybody else. I don't believe that all of the above is the best approach.

Renewables, simply from a physics standpoint, are not advisable. The energy return on energy investment from renewable sources of electricity is terrible, and you're going to spend a great portion of The energy you generate creating more renewables. It's economically a disaster and that comes from base physics.

Um, what we need is steady state generation and I agree hydroelectric is terrific. It's very clean, um, and you do very little actual work other than the initial upfront. Um, but this idea that we're going to integrate renewables into this, it has proved a disaster economically in Europe. It has proved a disaster for the grid in Texas.

Um, we have many, many other examples across the world. Renewables simply do not play well with a real electric grid. So if we want a real grid that provides real cheap power, we need to get rid of this fantasy.

Moderator Victoria Denning: Thank you. And Representative Cronk, you'll begin with our next question. So shifting away from energy into another important interior matter with military affairs.

With the launch of a new commission dedicated to Alaska's military affairs, what should be the commission's top priority? How would you ensure that this commission effectively supports the needs of Alaska's military communities? And strengthens the state's role in national defense. 60 seconds, rep.

[00:35:23] Mike Cronk: Oh, thank you.

Well, being the fact that I'm in Alaska because my dad was in the Air Force and stationed at Elmendorf, um, I believe, you know, I feel really strong about the military and, and I think we all know how important the military is to the Fairbanks community, you know, with Fort Wainwright and, and Eielson and obviously I have Fort Wainwright, uh, Fort Greeley down in Delta, um, plays a big role in our communities.

So I believe this commission really should be looking at the ways to help, you know, Help the military like for say we have the housing shortages right now. Uh, we need to work on those kind of things especially if we're going to be promoting this is where we need the military. We have to make sure we're really good partners with them.

So I, I believe that would be the best part is to make sure that we are supporting them in every way possible.

Moderator Victoria Denning: Thank you. Ms. Fletcher.

[00:36:09] Savannah Fletcher: Yes. Thank you for the question. The military is an enormous part of our economy here in Fairbanks and plays a really critical role especially as the Arctic is really the new frontier.

For national security and I support both at the borough level. We've worked on this for years. As folks have said, housing is a big need for our military. We brought a couple hundred new units online over the last couple years through a tax exemption process at the local level. And I want to see more partnerships between localities and the state to encourage military to succeed here.

In addition to the housing need, they also express a frustration over education. We closed Ben Allison High School last year. That was in the time of education funding uncertainty, and I know many families who said I'm going to leave my family in the lower 48 and come stay here for my term and then leave our state again.

That's not what we want moving forward. So continue to have one of the, a strong education system that comes with funding and accountability measures will also keep our military partners happy and families happy. Lastly, I want to make sure that when the whole family comes up, they can get those licenses recognized as an attorney.

I understand that struggle moving state to state, so we need to update that system too.

Moderator Victoria Denning: Thank you. Mr. Williams, 60 seconds.

[00:37:17] Bert Williams: I agree with Savannah. Closing Ben Eielson was really quite a mistake. It was a, Was the wrong move housing really is one of the things that affects the most people up here the Number of personnel that have been moved up has really put a crunch on the housing market and people are feeling it But from my perspective I think the question that really needs to be asked is just how the military is going to protect the state because It is being said from very high levels in the United States military that we are looking at a war with China in the very near future, um, and Alaska is geographically on the front line of that war.

Um, we are also the most vulnerable because of how concentrated our infrastructure is. So we need to be asking the question, if we're going to get ourselves into this war, how are they going to prevent the state from being gutted with relative ease because of how vulnerable our infrastructure is?

Moderator Victoria Denning: Thank you.

Senator Kawasaki, 60 seconds.

[00:38:16] Scott Kawasaki: Thank you. I was proud to be able to be a part of the Alaska Military Affairs Commission. We have Representative Will Stapp and his staff, Bernard, who were able to get that passed this last year over this two year cycle. Uh, the Military Affairs Commission is, um, sort of modeled after what we have in here that many people know is the Tiger Team.

Um, the best way is to stand that committee up and to ensure that it communicates very well with our garrison command. And I do want to spend just a little bit of time because I serve on the Joint Armed Services Committee as its chair. Uh, I've served in, uh, the Military Affairs Committee both in the, in the House from previous years.

But the number one thing that we can do like represent, or like, um, like she said was make sure that we have education and make sure we've got a good place for education up here because people are deciding whether to station, whether to base here. And I remember getting a call during this debate from Colonel Suri and his wife Alicia about that.

That is so important that we have funding for education.

Moderator Victoria Denning: Ms. Hajdukovich,, 60 seconds.

[00:39:21] Leslie Hajdukovich: Fairbanks and Alaska, we are a military town and we're a military state. And this commission is so important. I was thrilled to hear of it, um, being put into action. As Scott said, it's, uh, fashioned after the Tiger Team, which I served for five years on the Tiger Team in my role with Senator Dan Sullivan.

So what it did is it brought people from around the community. It brought the. It brought, uh, troopers, it brought, uh, you know, the congressional offices, it brought people from the airport, it brought all the entities together. And so we work to solve problems and to, um, to work on things involving our military.

And it really was, I was just so pleased to see this. And I think things like working on the bed down of the F 35 when I was working for the With Senator Sullivan and making sure that went as seamless as possible. And like it's been said, education is very important to our military personnel, daycare, um, places to shop, good housing, all of those things are really important.

And I think this will be a great, um, asset.

Moderator Victoria Denning: Thank you. The next question will be first answered by Senator Kawasaki and each of you have 60 seconds again for your response. Moving on to matters related to our university. The university continues to have a deferred maintenance need that, statewide, is 1. 4 billion dollars.

Many of the deferred maintenance projects are here in Fairbanks. How much of a priority will you place on obtaining deferred maintenance funding for the university? Senator Kawasaki, 60 seconds.

[00:40:57] Scott Kawasaki: Thank you. Um, for folks who don't know, my parents moved up to Alaska to attend graduate school. And they knew this was the place they wanted to raise a kid.

That's why I'm here today. That's why I'm before you, uh, running for election to the Senate. And I want to make sure that this university is a strong university that attracts talent from across the world, across the world, to come right here to study. Um, we do have a deferred maintenance both at the university and statewide that approaches over two and a half billion dollars.

That's not just trying to put things together with, uh, duct tape and gum. It's going to take real leverage and real commitment. Um, what I mentioned earlier about, uh, the Hajukovic tax and the fact that we're not getting as much money into the state is meaningful because this is, we've lost 40 billion dollars 10 years 40 billion dollars this next year.

We're gonna shell out another billion in tax credits 1. 3 billion dollars in tax credits There's no way to come up with that money any other way, but I'm all in to support the university

Moderator Victoria Denning: Thank You senator miss I do kovats 60 seconds.

[00:42:01] Leslie Hajdukovich: Yeah, I'm just gonna take issue with that. I do kovats tax because Because having our state open for business is a big deal This is an important aspect of our economy, important aspect of funding of the university, and our revenue projections are going up because of a result of a stable tax structure.

So on to the university, I think deferred maintenance is so important, and I met with uh, Chancellor White early on in this process, and learning about the projects that the university has in the works, and also the public private partnerships that have occurred. In response to our deferred maintenance needs, I think it's a brilliant way of solving our, our, some of our deferred maintenance problems, and it's great to build new buildings, but we have to take care of the buildings that already exist on our university, and all three of my boys graduated from the university system, UAF, and then one from UAS, so, um, and as did my mother, and my dad has an honorary doctorate, so the university's in my heart and soul.

Moderator Victoria Denning: Thank you. Ms. Fletcher.

[00:43:05] Savannah Fletcher: Yes, thank you. I'm a strong supporter of maintaining our buildings and our great institutions like UAF and the UA system generally I know that there was a lot of talk about funding the UA system to become a top tier research institution this past year and Representative Carrico I believe is in the crowd actually brought forward an amendment for that funding Unfortunately, my opponent here voted against that additional funding representative Cronk and those are the kind of steps that set us backwards We need to be able to move forward to support university infrastructure at the local level.

The boroughs partnered with UAF to try and get more funding as they continue to expand their child care training center. And I will continue to look to prioritize those maintenance needs at the state level. It's really important to me that we look at this strategically and really go from biggest need in maintenance before we go to new additions because we got to hold steady with the great university we have and keep it here for years to come and many more students to come through its doors.

Thank you.

Moderator Victoria Denning: Thank you, Mr. Williams. 60 seconds.

[00:44:04] Bert Williams: Mr. Kawasaki is absolutely right. The money has to come from somewhere and we're short on money. Um, I spent probably too much time being a miscreant graduate student up on campus and I worked at facility services for a time, so I've seen some of what goes on.

And the reality is that at some point, we're going to have to force UAF to actually clean house. We've got this problem nationwide with higher educational institutions where the amount of money that they spend on administration balloons compared to what they spend on facilities and students. Um, it's a problem.

It's a budgetary cancer. At some point they're going to have to be forced to actually prioritize where they're spending the money and deferring maintenance so that they can run administrative jobs is not the answer because deferred maintenance left long enough results in very real serious problems that are even harder to afford.

Moderator Victoria Denning: Thank you. And Representative Cronk, 60 seconds.

[00:45:03] Mike Cronk: Thank you. Well, um, I am an Anik. I played basketball up on Instapaddy Center for four years. Um, so I do bleed blue and gold. Uh, we did a lot of good things in the budget this year. We, you know, we did, uh, support deferred maintenance. We supported the R1 program.

We supported the drone program, which we saw the other day, which is going to be amazing for Fairbanks. Um, you know, talked with President Pitney about, You know, if we're going to do this, let's be the best university. Let's be world renowned about what we're doing. Well, I love some of my ads are so deceiving that I voted against university funding.

Well, this is how it works every year. We did our budget in finance, and when we come to the floor, um, we vote down all amendments that add money to the budget. And this is another one of those amendments, but it's very deceiving. They don't want to tell you that. This is how we would not add any more money.

So, yes, I voted in finance. And, and the house majority voted every amendment down that added money to the budget at that time. And whether, and that was all of our Fairbanks reps and all of our Anchorage reps. We voted down every single money. So it's very deceiving when you come up and attack me over one amendment that we voted no on.

But I'm a big supporter of the university and I believe in making it the best.

Moderator Victoria Denning: Thank you. All right, now we'll step away from our questions here, um, from the chamber and, and or audience upcoming and we'll do some rapid fire yes, no card. Um, answering so first make sure your cards are upright in the direction that you want them to be.

All right, we have seven questions. Are we ready? So just hold your answer up. First question. Do you support raising taxes on the oil industry? Yes or no. Should state enforcement on wood burning restrictions increase on bad air days? Yes or no.

Would you support a nurse licensure compact bill if it's reintroduced? Yes or no. Do you support implementing a state income tax? Yes or no.

How about implementing a state sales tax? Do you support designating the Alaska Long Trail as a scenic trail?

Okay. Last question. The Fairbanks North Star Borough caps its budgets to manage spending. Do you support implementing a similar spending cap at the state level? Okay. Thank you very much. Now we'll jump back to candidate to candidate questions. We'll begin with Ms. Fletcher. You'll ask first, and as a reminder, you have 30 seconds to ask one of your opponents a question.

Your opponent then has 60 seconds to answer. If for some reason you're not satisfied or want follow up, you'll have 15 seconds to redress, and then your opponent will have another 30 seconds to close. Okay? So, Ms. Fletcher, who would you like to address your question to? 30 seconds.

[00:48:12] Savannah Fletcher: Apologies, Mr. Williams, but I'm going to direct it to Representative Cronk.

Um, so the biggest burden on our borough assembly budget is the required local contribution that we chip in for the state's education funding requirement. And this year it was just over 38 million that we had to pay in property taxes. And you have supported budgets the last four years that include this burden on our community.

I'm curious why and do you still remain in support of the required local contribution?

[00:48:42] Mike Cronk: Um, thank you. I don't believe I've supported all four budgets over the last four years. I'm pretty sure I voted no on one of those. Um, I believe that's obviously it's local control over things, you know, and that's how local people get to spend their money Um, I live technically live in an ongoing or unorganized borough So we don't have any of this stuff.

And so I believe it's your your opportunity to spend your money However, you want if it's important that you spend it on education. That's that's your choice um, but I believe i'd be open to all conversations because I think it's it's the fair thing to do is to be able to listen to You But if we're putting more burden, I guess you're asking are we going to put more of the financial burden upon the state or the taxpayers, I'd be willing to listen to any avenue to assess that, so.

Moderator Victoria Denning: Thank you. Ms. Fletcher, would you like to redress?

[00:49:34] Savannah Fletcher: I would. Um, I know we talked about this in June and you said you'd do your research, but it seems like there's still a misunderstanding. The required local contribution is not what we voluntarily choose to fund education for above this requirement. It is required and the state says you're saving us 38 million.

You must chip it in. So do you, knowing that, still support it?

[00:49:54] Mike Cronk: I do.

Moderator Victoria Denning: Okay. Now, Representative Cronk, you may ask a question to one of your fellow opponents here. Again, 30 seconds to ask your question. They have a 60 second response. If you would like to redress with a question, you may do so. So please address your question.

Thank you.

[00:50:15] Mike Cronk: Um, I've seen some of my ads. One of your, this is to Ms. Wester. One of your ads is very attacking me for not living in Fairbanks. Well, I've had a relationship with Fairbanks for the last 45 years. We shop here. We play sports here. We come in for medical. Lots of different things. Fairbanks is important to rural Alaska, as rural Alaska is to Fairbanks, and I think it was really disingenuous.

So, my question is, are you, are your, is your team going to keep putting out very disingenuous ads against me? I've been a part of the Interior Delegation for four years, and have represented the parts of Fairbanks Borough for four years.

[00:50:49] Savannah Fletcher: Yes, I'm really glad you asked that because that's a misrepresentation of what is a really critical issue.

He's referencing a mailer I sent to folks in the borough in our district saying, I know borough issues and Representative Cronk does not. We just saw that illustrated. He doesn't understand that the required local contribution. It wasn't voluntary funding in addition to state education funding, it was mandated property taxes on us.

And I think it's really important to represent such a diverse district that you understand the nuances of a borough and an unorganized borough. And that's what I'm communicating in those mailers. I really am a sincere straight shooter. I care about the facts and I want to make sure that we have a senator for this district that's going to balance the interests of those in our rural communities and in the more urban part of Fairbanks.

So, yes, I will continue to speak the truth about those issues because as someone who's been on the Borough Assembly the last three years and have seen some of these hardships we face here, I think it's really important to know how to walk in both of those worlds. Thanks.

Moderator Victoria Denning: Mr. Cronk, would you like to redress?

[00:51:46] Mike Cronk: I would. Again, the question wasn't answered. Is your campaign going to continue? You guys put another ad out that said I wrote a hatchery bill that would destroy the Yukon, which is totally not true. So is it, are you going to keep misleading voters to win this election, or are you going to be honest? That's all I'm wondering. It's a yes or no.

Moderator Victoria Denning: Ms. Fletcher, go ahead.

[00:52:05] Savannah Fletcher: I'll take my full 30 seconds because, again, it's a misrepresentation. TCC, who is a critical part of our district and Representative Cronk's house district, was adamantly opposed to that hatcheries bill because of concerns that it would hurt wild salmon populations in the Yukon.

All I have been telling folks is that truth. That TCC asked Representative Cronk to stop pushing a harmful hatcheries bill, and he kept pushing it forward. I want to listen to our entire district, including our tribes, when I advocate for our fisheries and everything else. Thanks.

Moderator Victoria Denning: Thank you. And finally, Mr.

Williams, you may now ask a question of one of your opponents. Again, 30 seconds to ask your question, they have 60 seconds to respond, and you have an opportunity to redress with a question. So please, Mr. Williams, go ahead and ask one of your opponents a question.

[00:52:54] Bert Williams: Um, this question is for Savannah. I don't have any very mean questions to ask.

Um, but personally, I feel food security is very important to the state. We've seen how fragile that our global supply lines are and we largely rely on those for getting food up here. So, I'm curious what solutions you propose or initiatives to, um, emphasize or enhance development of an agricultural sector up here.

[00:53:21] Savannah Fletcher: Yeah. Thank you so much for that question. At the local level, I've really tried to support Farmers in our area. We just passed last year a property tax exemption on farm structures and a reduced tax on farm land And that's trying to get more folks into the agricultural sector I've seen a lot of state land sales that are furthering that and I'd like to continue to do that and most important is we Have some great agricultural land in interior and we need to keep protecting it for generations to come I think As long as we educate farmers and provide them with tools and make transportation costs easier.

The farmers I speak to spend a lot on trying to get fertilizer up here. Sometimes their water access is a challenge. So I really want to work hand in hand with them and continue to support the organizations statewide that will continue our local ag and make it easier, like our dairy in Delta Junction.

That's the milk that my son drinks. How can we support that business's continued growth and get rid of some of the barriers? Because in Alaska, you shouldn't have to send your produce to Anchorage to get tested. It's stamped only to then sell it again in Fairbanks. So trying to get some of those measures forward would be a first step.

Moderator Victoria Denning: Thank you. Mr. Williams. Would you like to redress?

[00:54:26] Bert Williams: No. I thought that was a very tidy answer. It was well thought out.

Moderator Victoria Denning: Okay. Thank you. Moving back to the prepared questions from the chamber, Ms. Hajdukovich,, you'll begin again. Each of you will have a 60 second response. The Alaska Statewide Transportation Improvement Program, a mechanism for funding state transportation projects, was delayed for approval this year, causing uncertainty about future projects.

What can be done to get things back on track? Ms. Hajdukovich,, 60 seconds.

[00:55:01] Leslie Hajdukovich: Yeah, I had heard about this and, um, I think that as legislators you need to, um, you know, be in a role of oversight and making sure that these, uh, reports and programs are, um, produced to the public. So I think that's important. I also think that, um, that I think our transportation, um, overall in the state of Alaska, you know, we have limited infrastructure and we all have to share our roads, our highways, everything that we do.

That is here and we don't often build new roads and highways. So I think understanding the use of our roads and making sure that we're able to share them, uh, appropriately safely, I think, is very key in our whole statewide program.

Moderator Victoria Denning: Thank you, Senator Kawasaki.

[00:55:50] Scott Kawasaki: Thank you. The statewide transportation improvement plan is a very specific, very delineated process.

It picks projects based on community input. Uh, then it, they rise up to the top, uh, they find out if we've got enough money. We are 10 years, it's 10 years forward that we're looking at these statewide projects. The statewide transportation improvement plan, the STIP, was delayed because for the first time in history of the state, we forgot to file the reports that were necessary.

The administration, um, tried to change some things outside of the scope of the law. They were rejected soundly by the Department of Transportation that don't, that gives us funds. And by the way, we get one billion dollars of funds. For every, um, every, for 10%, we have a hundred per a hundred, a hundred million dollars that we match with their nearly $1 billion.

So it's a, it's a big important thing that we do it right. This year it was just announced we lost $52 million of that federal money. That's a shame.

Moderator Victoria Denning: Thank you, Mr. Cronk. Uh,

[00:56:55] Mike Cronk: thank you. Yeah, it, it's. Leslie and Scott, I think, hit it both on there. I don't want to waste anybody's time on it. It, it, we, we did some things that we needed to fix and clarify and do them a lot better this last year.

We did lose money. Uh, we just, I just found out about, you know, asked about that specifically. So, the state needs to do better and if we have to have the oversight as a legislature and make sure that they're doing the things correctly, then, uh, we should do that.

Moderator Victoria Denning: Thank you. Ms. Fletcher. Yes,

[00:57:21] Savannah Fletcher: this has been a really challenging circumstance, especially for the northern region of DOT.

We have so many roads we need to maintain, and we could see this coming. Actually, our own director of fast planning here locally, Jackson Fox, sent a really detailed letter to the state. Months prior to the STIP being rejected, saying these are very concerning issues that aren't going to meet their requirements.

Again, let's look to our local experts. Let's elevate the local voice here in Interior and hold the state accountable. We had hearings once the STIP was rejected in the legislature last year. Let's try to be even more proactive with that and have those hearings sooner so we don't get caught off guard again.

Because these funds are critical. As I said earlier, the Dalton Highway has major maintenance needs and when we lose that federal highway funding, we can't take care of that. We can't take care of just the mini street bridge that has needed updates here in Fairbanks for years. So I'm a big proponent of utilizing those federal highway funds, using our local knowledge and expertise on what's the biggest priority, and holding our administration accountable.

Thanks.

Moderator Victoria Denning: Thank you. And Mr. Williams.

[00:58:22] Bert Williams: I frankly agree with everything else that's been said. They covered it quite nicely. These funds are really vital. We cannot afford these infrastructure costs on our own. And so it was a shame that the ball was dropped. But we don't need to rehash that for a 5th time.

Moderator Victoria Denning: Thank you. All right. Next question. Mr. Cronk, you'll begin. 60 seconds for each of you. The Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act includes a provision that Congress shall permit access for surface transportation across the gates of the Arctic National Preserve to connect the Ambler Mining District with the Alaska Pipeline Haul Road.

How would you support the state's efforts to ensure the federal government honors this provision and what steps would you take to advance this critical, critical infrastructure Mr. Croc, 60 seconds.

[00:59:15] Mike Cronk: Well, I think we all know how many executive orders the Biden administration has placed on Alaskan. It's pretty much crippled us at every step that we've tried to place.

Um, I believe our state has a responsibility to fight the federal government at every chance. Um, and I do believe we do that with the Attorney General. So we need to hold the federal government accountable. Our state is a resource state and we need to develop our resources. We know how critical that is for our future and our jobs.

So I believe the state should do whatever they need to do to push forward, uh, you know, to take the, take on the federal government. And so we can actually have access and develop our resources.

Moderator Victoria Denning: Thank you. Ms. Fletcher.

[00:59:52] Savannah Fletcher: Yes. So specifically to the Ambler Road and that access, that's already, Ongoing legal challenges.

I think the state is taking care of that through the Attorney General's office to really reclaim and make clear what Rights to certain lands it has, but in general I think the legislature's role is to be accountable and make sure that we get reports from the administration, what are your litigation funds going toward?

We have some lawsuits that the states joined in Texas that don't relate to anything to the issues going on here in Alaska, or other lawsuits across the country. I want to focus on what's best for Alaskans in affirming our rights in this state, and I think we need to make sure the administration gives us updates and reports on how are we Utilizing those funds so we know that Our public dollars are going to the most effective advocacy for all of our residents.

Moderator Victoria Denning: Thank you. And Mr. Williams.

[01:00:43] Bert Williams: It's a hairy issue. We as a state butt heads with the federal government a lot. The federal government owns the majority of our state. And really, we are sort of corralled in. And they let us develop resources when they feel like they want to. Um, we do need to assert ourselves.

We really should aspire to being more than a functionally a banana republic for the benefit of the federal government of the United States. Um, the federal government does need legal challenges from the state of Alaska and we need to put ourselves out there and say that we have the right to our own self determination.

If we want to put in infrastructure to develop a project, we need to be able to do that. That's all.

Moderator Victoria Denning: Thank you. Senator Kawasaki.

[01:01:29] Scott Kawasaki: Thank you. Thanks for the question. I was just looking at a map inside the resource committee room that has a road and a railroad all the way up to Nome and it was printed probably in the early fifties or so that is something that we should still consider and still do right now.

Um, there are, there's ongoing litigation as was mentioned. Uh, we have within the attorney general's office, a federal defense group. That, that is their sole job is to make sure that we as a state assert ourselves when it's right to do so. Um, so not taking a side on whether we like Ambler Road or not, I think it's important that the state always represent, uh, the best interest of the state of Alaska.

And I'll say one other thing is that, um, that, well, that we're absolutely, we absolutely should be accountable for those funds that go in. I was upset the governor did not spend money on this Fred Meyer cars Safeway Albertson merger instead spending money across the country.

Moderator Victoria Denning: Ms. Hajdukovich,?

[01:02:35] Leslie Hajdukovich: You know, I've done some reading on when we became a state, and, um, and I think some of you know my grandmother was one of six women who served on the Constitutional Convention.

But, looking back to some of those writings, it's amazing how We were fighting against the federal government back then. It's one of the reasons we wanted state, to be a state, to get, to have our own rights as, as a state. And so I find that it's interesting that we still have trouble with the federal, federal government and with people in DC.

So I think as far as, uh, government over, or federal government overreach. We need to let permitting processes go forward. Of course we want to do it safely. Of course, of course we want to be environmentally conscious, but allowing the permitting process through for some of these larger projects to move forward, move through the courts if needed, but move forward because we are a resource rich state and that's how we're going to be able to live here going forward and our kids and grandkids.

Moderator Victoria Denning: Thank you. And, Senator Kawasaki, we'll hear from you first on our last prepared question. This will, uh, give a 60 second response for each of you. With several large construction projects on the horizon requiring thousands of workers, how would you attract more people to Alaska to meet the growing workforce demands?

What strategies or policies would you implement to ensure the business community can access the skilled labor needed for these projects? 60 seconds, Senator.

[01:04:11] Scott Kawasaki: Thank you. Um, you probably have all heard of this out migration of the 25 to 45 year old cohort. It is sad, it's a little disappointing and it's kind of demoralizing because we're trying to find those workers to come up here and to stay up here.

The best thing that the state can do is ensure one, We have a strong economy and there's lots of different ways we could do that too. We need to make sure that we have a strong education system because the parents that have left that I know have left because we don't have a stable funding for our education system.

I think there's other things we can do in this legislature. This last year, the state chamber and the governor got together and they said, what can we do? We put money into Senate Bill 189, a bill that I introduced regarding the child care tax credit. One of those things, uh, that all of these businesses will be able to utilize in the next year.

Um, so having affordable childcare is something that's a priority. Um, and again, just making this a great place to live.

Moderator Victoria Denning: Thank you, Senator.

[01:05:13] Leslie Hajdukovich: Ms. Hajdukovich,. So, what makes a great community? It's good schools. It's good paying jobs. It's, uh, day, daycare, housing. A vibrant arts community, a strong university, good health care.

It's all of those things. And when I think about that, I think How do we make our how do we make that community stronger and for us in Fairbanks? I think cheaper energy is the key. It's the way we're going to keep our economy strong going forward And so it will be a primary focus of mine And so that's how we keep good people here in the in the interior and I think that um, That it's been really unfortunate and I think the pandemic I think high, uh building costs which has contributed to housing Shortages All these things, we've kind of hit, been hit with a double whammy, so I will be singularly focused on helping bring cheaper energy to Fairbanks if elected to the Senate.

Moderator Victoria Denning: Thank you. Ms. Fletcher.

[01:06:12] Savannah Fletcher: Yes, thank you. I think Senator Kawasaki hit on the big picture themes here, and it's that housing, it's education, cost of living, including energy costs, and as someone who moved here as a young professional myself, I know what kept me here. It's the amazing community, and It was pre pandemic.

I was able to buy a house one year out of law school, even with all the debt I had, and it's a quality home that I'm now raising my family in. Unfortunately, our housing stock is not as readily available these days, and a lot of the homes available are really old, and they're outdated, and it's not quality.

So, we need to find a way to really infuse more housing funds, because across the state, whether it's in a rural part of our community or a more urban one, we're hearing the need for quality housing to be available for young professionals to want to stay here. For But also our education system. I was door knocking off Geist recently and a family that moved up from Texas last year have three little kids and they said our class sizes were never this big and she was alarmed only being here one year so far and we need to really support our schools to keep those families here long term.

Thanks.

Moderator Victoria Denning: Thank you. Mr. Williams. 60 seconds.

[01:07:16] Bert Williams: Um, I actually agree with Leslie on this. The reality is that, um, Alaska, because of our. Geographical location. Our cost of living is higher than the rest of the country to begin with and what we're seeing nationwide Is a crunch on the lower and middle class because of inflation the cost to live is rising And it's not keeping pace with wages Realistically, there's not much we can do To fight inflation as a state because we don't have any control over the monetary supply So our options simply are to a make energy cheaper like Leslie said and that is well within our power as a state And be it's to alleviate the housing crisis by making more land available for development Um, less than 1 percent of this state is privately owned.

We need to open more of it up so that people have space to breathe and grow and live. Um, that's what people are looking for and if we don't do that and we try to keep things corralled to a small space, it's continue, it's going to continue to be unpalatable.

Moderator Victoria Denning: Thank you. And finally, Representative Cronk.

[01:08:21] Mike Cronk: Um, thank you. I, I believe that, you know, lowering our energy costs is, is really key to keeping people here. Um, you know, obviously paying good wages. We, we have shortages in the state because we're not matching private. We have a, a, a new mine opened out in Chetland and I, I can honestly say five kids that I taught got their first jobs.

Hundred thousand dollar a year plus jobs. You know, we were not teaching the right things in school. We need to be focusing on our trades because that's where a lot of kids are going. Kids that are going to go to college are going to go to college. So I believe, you know, we need to, you know, look at our education system and refocus what we're doing, especially in rural Alaska.

But those five kids are going to make more money than I ever did teaching. Right. You know, so I was very proud when I found out that they went and did that. But, um, I'll tell you what keeps people around. It's called leadership. You know, we have a teacher shortage. We have a trooper shortage. Whenever you look at it.

The better your leadership is, the more people are going to want to stay. Okay, so we have to focus on being the best leaders that we can be in every avenue of our state government and private business. People will want to stay.

Moderator Victoria Denning: Thank you. And now it looks like we have a few minutes, uh, for a few of our audience questions.

Um, all, all candidates in some cases and specific candidates in other cases will be asked, uh, to answer the questions. Um, our first audience question is specifically for Senator Kawasaki. And I do apologize, I'm not familiar with one of these senators named in here, so maybe you could help me with that.

Uh, but Senator Kawasaki, you have claimed to be an advocate. For a large PFD and claim to fight for a full PFD every year. You've been in the legislature Why then as chair of the Senate State Affairs Committee, did you refuse to have a hearing for Senator will? Chowski

[01:10:14] Scott Kawasaki: Bill Wielechowski

Moderator Victoria Denning: Wielechowski. Thank you, which would have constitutionalized the PFD. You have 45 seconds to reply

[01:10:23] Scott Kawasaki: Thanks for the question, and just so folks know, I do support a PFD.

I support a full PFD. This, and I support constitutionalizing the PFD, and I've been on record saying that, not only on record, I've introduced a bill to do that. I think we just ran out of time in the legislative session to be able to hear this particular bill. Um, so I guess that's, that's all I got to say, but really, you could ask Senator Wilkowski because I'll bet he'll agree with me that we just didn't have time to finish it.

Moderator Victoria Denning: Thank you. This next question is for all candidates. You'll each have 45 seconds to respond. We'll begin with Representative Cronk. Would you support an override of Governor Dunleavy's veto of a bill, even if that agitates the governor and his supporters? 45 seconds.

[01:11:17] Mike Cronk: Thank you Every veto would be a separate veto so I would have to look at what he was vetoing So absolutely if it was something that I disagreed with the governor on I would absolutely overwrite his veto So I guess it's a case by case basis of what he's what he's vetoing

Moderator Victoria Denning: Thank you, Miss Fletcher

[01:11:36] Savannah Fletcher: Yes, I I would stand strong by what I believe is right the first time and I wouldn't flip flop on my votes Just because the governor is unhappy about it Um, I think when you work with them in partnership prior and you come to a compromise, especially a bipartisan one, I'm hoping the governor will be on board and I think communicating prior to any veto is the best way to get that success, but if he still would seek to veto something that I believe in, I'm going to stick true to what's best for my district and for Alaska and I would vote to override it.

Thanks.

Moderator Victoria Denning: Thank you. Mr. Williams.

[01:12:06] Bert Williams: Yes, as an elected official, my job would be to look after the interest of my constituents, not to make friends with the governor. So if it's the right thing to do, yes, I would veto. I mean, vote to override the veto.

Moderator Victoria Denning: Thank you. Senator Kawasaki.

[01:12:20] Scott Kawasaki: Yes, we have separate branches of government.

We are the legislative branch. From time to time, I agree with the governor. Other times, I disagree with the governor. When I disagree with the governor and, uh, he wants us to override the veto Um, I stand with the people of the City of Fairbanks, with the people at Fort Wainwright, and the people in the community on what they would like to, like to see.

Moderator Victoria Denning: Thank you. And Ms. Hajdukovich,.

[01:12:46] Leslie Hajdukovich: Yes, I would be willing to override a veto even if it, um, agitates another leader because I think you have to stay true to yourself. You have to represent the people that you're elected to represent. And so, no matter, no matter what, you, you have to stand by that. And I would look at each individual case, uh, if there was a veto and whether, uh, I felt that the best move would be to override.

Moderator Victoria Denning: Thank you. Next audience question, again for each of you. There are several outside groups that look at Alaska as their park and attack natural resource development beyond oil and gas. How would you support natural resource development? Beginning with Ms. Hajdukovich, 45 seconds.

[01:13:32] Leslie Hajdukovich: So, beyond, uh, beyond oil and gas, that was the question?

Um, so I think, uh, You know, I'm looking at natural resources as timber, fisheries, tourism, those types of things. Um, I, you know, back to my comment earlier about, you know, we're Alaskans and we know how to develop our resources responsibly. And it is hard when you have outside forces. She's telling us how we should go about doing that because I think we know we've been doing this a long time.

So, um, I think that, uh, we have to stand strong. We have to always look at, uh, You know, whatever resource it is and whether, uh, we want to make sure it's environmentally, uh, safe and if it's a renewable, how we go about that doing it the best way.

Moderator Victoria Denning: Thank you. Senator Kawasaki, 45 seconds.

[01:14:23] Scott Kawasaki: Thank you. And, you know, there is a lot of money that comes out from other places into the state of Alaska to try and sway a person's opinion one way or the other, and Leslie mentioned that early on.

You know, I'm, I'm, I'm opposed to seeing those type of campaigns run at the ballot box. We've seen that year over year. The way to stop that is to change one federal law that Citizens United happened about a dozen years ago and really change the way that corporations could get engaged in politics. We don't want to see that, uh, here in Alaska.

We don't want to see that anywhere, uh, in the country, really. Um, and then finally, we can also do things within our own campaign finance reform limits to ensure that that doesn't happen. Those are the things we can do.

Moderator Victoria Denning: Thank you, Representative Cronk.

Mike Cronk: Can you repeat the question?

Moderator Victoria Denning: Sure. There are several outside groups that look at Alaska as their quote unquote park and attack natural resource development. Beyond oil and gas, how would you support natural resource development?

[01:15:24] Mike Cronk: Um, thank you. Well, um, four years I've been in the legislature and believe it or not, Alaska has the most forest of anybody and we have no forestry. Thank you. So, we introduced a bill to, uh, numerous bills to actually invigorate our forestry, you know, where we can actually harvest our own timber and create our own lumber.

Uh, it's really sad that we're in this state where we just ignored it. Um, so I'm an all in. No one does resource development better than Alaska. We expect the best. The highest qualities, the highest standards, um, so when we do a project, I, I have the total, you know, total, uh, feeling that we are going to do the absolute best job for the environment, but you know, we have a lot of, um, you know, earth justice attorneys out there that are trying to shut down our state every day, and we have to battle them.

Moderator Victoria Denning: Thank you. Ms. Fletcher, 45 seconds.

[01:16:13] Savannah Fletcher: Yes, I'm a strong supporter of utilizing our resources, especially at the local level. You think of timber, for example, and I got to give a kudos to Mike. Like I said, I'm a straight shooter and he's done a lot of progress and we've seen success now to reduce our wildfires.

Let's manage those forests in advance and then use that wood for something productive. Whether it's for heating our homes or for building a new home, I really support those measures, especially in the more rural parts of our communities where they're developing sawmills, building out a workforce, and starting to build local homes with local lumber.

I love to see that. I think it's a great small business endeavor and continue to do things like that both in the tourism and fishing sectors as well. If Alaskans wanna support it, I'm all in. Thanks.

Moderator Victoria Denning: Thank you. And finally, Mr. Williams, 45 seconds.

[01:16:57] Bert Williams: Um, the others have touched on a number of good things, but one thing that hasn't been touched on is mineral wealth, and there's a great deal of mineral wealth in this state that is untapped and a great deal that we don't even know where it is.

One avenue that we should look at is the revival of the RS 2477 trail system as it used to be. To enable access to more remote parts of the state and hand in hand with that, we need to reduce restrictions, um, regulatory restrictions on prospectors. Uh, the difficulty in mineral prospecting now compared to 50 years ago is outrageous.

Um, if we don't make it so that people can go out there and find these resources, we won't ever be able to benefit from their being here in the first place.

Moderator Victoria Denning: Thank you. And in order for us to stay on time, um, that will conclude our audience questions. I realized we were not able to get to all of them, but thank you to all of you who submitted a question, uh, moving now into our last, um, candidate question.

Really more comments, um, we'll begin in the reverse order that we started. Uh, so, Mr Williams, that means that you will go 1st, given your experience and knowledge. Please tell us what sets you apart from your opponents. And why voters should cast their vote for you. 60 seconds.

[01:18:17] Bert Williams: Um, I admittedly don't have a lot of experience in the political realm.

I haven't dallied in politics or rubbed elbows. Um, so that makes me very unusual as a political candidate. I'm a working man, but I didn't actually start out as a working man. I started out as a bum of a student. I have a background in science. I've spent way too many hours of my life reading scientific papers, and at this point I do it possibly out of, um, uh, enjoyment of how miserable it is, or possibly because I actually enjoy it.

I still haven't figured it out. But when it comes to legislative issues, I am actually able to look at the papers that are out there, the research that has been done, and understand it, and look at it from my rational point of view. Um, of course, this isn't palatable to all voters because often the rational point of view doesn't mesh with our emotional point of view with how we look at an issue, but there is something to be said for it.

Sometimes we simply have to look at the data and the information in front of us and make the right choice.

Moderator Victoria Denning: Thank you, Representative Cronk.

[01:19:22] Mike Cronk: Oh, thank you. You know, I have, I'm a lifelong Alaskan, uh, minus a year of infancy when my dad was transferred up to Elmendorf. Um, I have to give that disclaimer. Um, but, um, I've been invested, you know, I've been in the interior for 45, 46 years now.

Um, that means, even though I lived out in Northway and Toke, that means I've been invested in Fairbanks. I spent five years of my life going to college up here, um, two of, three of my daughters went to Randy Smith, uh, two of them graduated from West Valley, so when people say there's no connection to Fairbanks, I, you know, I have to sit there and say, well, actually there is.

It's 45 years. Uh, Fairbanks is important to rural Alaska as it is the vice versa, the other way. Um, we all depend on each other. Fairbanks is the second home to most of rural Alaska because it's our, it's our hub. And, you know, Um, being an educator, I, I know the value of education, I know the value of education at the university level, and we have to move Alaska forward.

My job is I have kids, I have grandkids, I want this state to be a place where they can stay and they can have jobs and be prosperous. That is the bottom line.

Moderator Victoria Denning: Thank you. Ms. Fletcher.

[01:20:26] Savannah Fletcher: Yes, thanks again to everyone who's stuck around with us this long, I really appreciate it. My name is Savannah Fletcher, and I would be honored to have your support as our next senator for District R, because I am a hardworking mother who has put in the time at the local level.

I have been an attorney and advocate for those within Fairbanks and in all of our interior tribes. And I want to apply those skills and experience to be a strong advocate for us down in Juneau. I'm the mother of an almost two year old that my husband and I are raising here in town. And I have sled dogs, and I, Like I said, I work as a civil rights attorney in my day job, I work as your presiding officer in the evenings, and all of these experiences really help me see what do we need to keep young families here, what are our daycare needs, what do we need in terms of housing stock, how are we going to make this a place that families love to be in and bring more people here.

I'm living that day to day and I really want to apply that experience and knowledge for all of you down in Juneau, and I feel like I have the skills and aptitude to do it really well. And I will do it in a bipartisan fashion, which I think is key to the future. So thanks for your support.

Moderator Victoria Denning: Thank you. Senator Kawasaki.

[01:21:28] Scott Kawasaki: Thank you. And thanks for this crowded room I think there's more people here than there were than there was last week for the congressional race, which is is just makes my heart warm I uh, i've served in the legislature now for 18 years But before that I worked at the hospital for a dozen years.

I I went to school here graduated from school here I'm, not a fifth generation kid and i'm not I'm not an employer, but I take this job very seriously, and, uh, I take the job of being, uh, your senator very seriously, in that, if there's, um, when I, uh, decided that we need more service organizations in the evening, I'm wearing this, uh, this, uh, This, uh, button from, from Valerie Therian for the Rotary Club.

I started a Rotary Club. Uh, when I went to college, I said, we need more outlets for young men. I started a national fraternity. Uh, when it comes down to it, um, my 18 years of service, my history in the city and the fact that I'm a hard worker. Or what puts us apart.

Moderator Victoria Denning: Thank you, Senator. And finally, Ms. Hajdukovich.

[01:22:35] Leslie Hajdukovich: Yeah, thanks to the chamber and thanks for everybody being here. And um, uh, I love Fairbanks, and I love Alaska, and, um, and I think, uh, Scott alluded to the difference between us. Scott has been in the legislature almost two decades, and I think that probably qualifies him to be a career politician, and I don't mean any offense to that, but being in politics for that long can cause you to look at certain instances and certain circumstances in a certain way.

And I think being a small business owner, and being a mom, and having raised three kids with my husband, I think it gives me a unique perspective. And, Um, in fact, it's, it's supposed to be a citizen's legislature. It's not supposed to be a career. And so I think with the energy, the new energy, the new ideas and the new leadership that I can bring to this Senate seat, I think I'm the best choice and I'm ready to go do it.

So, uh, thanks everybody.

[01:23:35] Moderator Victoria Denning: Thank you. And before we conclude, um, I, I heard some round of applause. We'll get there in one second. Um, we want to thank all of you so much for joining us today to learn more about. Uh, your perspectives, um, and also special thanks again to my employer, Denali State Bank, for being the political forum sponsor.

If we could all, um, give a round of applause, a final applause to all of our candidates today.