The AKPIRG Advocate, October 2024
Celebrate AKPIRG's 50th Anniversary with us on
Wednesday, November 13, 2024!
Dear Friend,
We're having a big party to celebrate our 50th Anniversary with our whole community! Join us at Williwaw Social in Anchorage on November 13, and help put us on the path toward another 50 years of public interest advocacy in Alaska. We’ll celebrate all that we’ve accomplished together, eat good food, see old and new friends, and toast to 50 years.
Dinner, door prizes, a live performance from a local musical group, and silent auction access are included in your ticket.
By participating, you will be contributing to a future with cleaner, more affordable energy, digital equity for rural and urban communities alike, robust language access, transparent and ethical government, and a more accessible and just economic safety net for all Alaskans.
Thank you for being part of AKPIRG. We look forward to seeing you at the celebration!
Wishing you all the best,
The AKPIRG Team
TICKET TIERS:
Grassroots: $30
True Cost: $50
Advocate: $75
Champion: $100
Sponsor: $500
SPONSORSHIP TIERS:
Sponsor: $500
Champion: $1,000
Partner: $5,000
Founder: $10,000
Choose your own adventure: Please reach out if you’d like to be a sponsor at an adjusted level!
Can’t make it to the Celebration? Consider making a donation to AKPIRG to support our work:
We’re Hiring! 🥳
Apply to be our Infrastructure Funding Analyst by October 25!
We're hiring! 📣 Apply to be AKPIRG's Infrastructure Funding Analyst BY OCTOBER 25: akpirg.bamboohr.com/careers/25 🎉
With once-in-a-generation federal infrastructure funding through the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) and 2022 Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), Alaskans have an opportunity to shape their infrastructure and energy future. This position will work with in-state partners and agencies to make sure the myriad federal funding opportunities are accessible to and reflective of Alaska’s frontline communities. This technical role involves research, community and industry outreach, policy advocacy, and direct project engagement.
Please apply or share this opportunity with someone who might be a good fit by October 25! To see the full description and apply, visit:
Welcoming our Deputy Director, Erin! 🎉
We are so excited to welcome Erin Willahan into her new role as Deputy Director! 🎉
Erin Willahan grew up on Dena'ina Ełnena (Dena'ina Lands) in Anchorage. Prior to her role as Deputy Director, Erin worked on AKPIRG’s Language Access Team and as the Executive Director for Out North. She is excited for the opportunity to work more closely with AKPIRG’s staff and areas of expertise!
We are so grateful to Erin for stepping up to take on this new role, supporting our teams as they develop workplans to deepen our impact across the state. Please join us in welcoming Erin, and celebrating our growing team!
AKPIRG calls on attorney general to weigh in on Kroger-Albertsons merger
Proceedings are ongoing in the U.S. District Court to determine if the Federal Trade Commission’s attempt to block the Kroger-Albertsons merger will be granted. Attorneys general from nine states, including Wyoming, have joined the FTC lawsuit to block the megamerger between grocery giants Kroger and Albertsons. Two more have filed independent lawsuits to protect consumers and prevent grocery monopolies in their states.
Alaska is poised to be one of the states most impacted by the Kroger-Albertsons merger, yet Alaska Attorney General Treg Taylor hasn’t stepped up to join this lawsuit — instead, he’s just “watching.” With this inaction, he is failing Alaskans.
Check out our opinion in the ADN coauthored with former Attorney General Bruce Botelho, who oversaw the Carrs-Safeway merger, to learn more:
Concerning turnover at the RCA as it faces new regulatory challenges
The Regulatory Commission of Alaska (RCA) is responsible for regulating public utilities in Alaska -- a hugely complex but incredibly important task. However, turnover among commissioners, questions about their qualifications, and staffing issues have led some observers, including legislators, to express concern about the RCA’s capacity as it faces a number of new, complicated regulatory challenges.
Although the RCA’s work often seems arcane, its decisions can have real and substantial impacts on Alaskans’ utility bills and the services available to them -- some of the challenges before the RCA include creating rules and processes for newly codified Community Solar legislation and addressing the Cook Inlet gas crises, to name just a few.
Check out this article from the Alaska Energy Transparency Project to learn more about these challenges at the RCA, the potential solutions, and how it will affect Alaskans:
Election Day is November 5! 🗳
Make a plan to vote in the General Election!
The November 5 General Election is **less than a month away!!** Whether you’re voting early, absentee, or in person on November 5, it’s time to make a plan to vote. Here are some resources to help you make that plan:
🗳 Check your voter registration status
🗳 Find your House District & polling place
🗳 Request an absentee ballot (Deadline: October 26)
🗳 Voter language assistance resources
🗳 Election Information (Ranked Choice Voting, Candidate Info, & More!)
BTW: check out an amazing new podcast episode about voting! ➡️
The inaugural episode of Native Movement's new podcast, Half Smoke, gets into the importance of voting for local leadership that represents our values, and also the hard contradictions of participating in a colonial system that continues to marginalize and extract from Indigenous peoples. Hosts Sasha Kramer (Native Movement) and Brittany Woods-Orrison (AKPIRG & Native Movement), are joined by guests Michelle Sparck and Princess Daazhrii on this amazing episode! ➡️➡️➡️
