The AKPIRG Advocate, December 2024
A Year in Review:
2024 Annual Report & end of year reflections
As 2024 comes to a close, AKPIRG staff and board have been reflecting on the remarkable year that we have had. 2024 has been a year of incredible progress and impact for our organization, and we are excited to share a snapshot of that work in our 2024 Annual Report.
This year, AKPIRG’s impact across all of our issue areas was impressive. We helped draft and pass community solar legislation, which will save Alaskans money on their electric bills and offset our reliance on fossil fuels. We fought the continued internet monopolies in Alaska through federal rulemaking reforms. We opposed the Kroger-Albertson (or Fred Meyer-Carrs) merger, with legal success. We made our first motion in front of the Regulatory Commission of Alaska, and we launched the Alaska Queer Voting Bloq to collect data about LBGTQ+ voters in Alaska for the first time.
We also gathered our community in ways we haven’t before, from celebrating Alaska Native languages and the translation of information about the American Community Survey, to several events celebrating AKPIRG’s 50th Anniversary.
Internally, we created seven new positions, adopted restorative wellness policies like a four-day workweek and sabbaticals, and supported each other through staffing transitions and office moves.
We are deeply grateful for the trust and support of Alaskans like you who stand with us in striving for a more just and equitable Alaska. If you’ve chipped in during 2024, thank you for being part of this journey! If you haven’t yet made a donation, there’s still time to make your mark this year. Every dollar helps us sustain and grow this vital work.
From submitting public comments, to showing up at community events, to giving generously — your partnership drives this work. We couldn’t do it without you.
We’re Hiring! 🥳
Apply to be our Communications Specialist!
Our team is growing! 🥳 Apply to be our Communications Specialist by January 20: akpirg.bamboohr.com/careers/27
AKPIRG is seeking a creative, compassionate, and self-motivated individual to join AKPIRG’s communications team. AKPIRG’s Communications Specialist will work with the Communications Lead to develop cohesive, compelling, and engaging communications across all of AKPIRG’s program areas for a wide variety of stakeholders. Core responsibilities include digital asset development (graphic design, video editing, etc.), social media management, website management, email communications, and press relations and strategy.
If this sounds like a good fit for you or someone you know, apply or share this opportunity! Applications are due by January 20.
Join us for Neezhraazhii, We Are Healing 💚
Register for Neezhraazhii, We Are Healing: bit.ly/neezhraazhii
This will be a healing space for the community to come together for a conversation around our Alaska Native languages. Language is vital to our identity and connects us to our ancestors and ways of knowing. We each hold some sort of connection to our language or the loss of language. Our goal is to bring people together to stoke the fire inside of each of us to keep it burning brightly. It is to build a community of support, to heal together, be grounded in our values and uplift one another.
The AKPIRG Language Access Team will facilitate the discussion by creating a comfortable space for our diverse community with some prompting questions, and will encourage open dialogue between participants.
This event is geared for the Alaska Native and Indigenous community. All ages are encouraged to join. Children are welcome to come with their parents and do not need to register. Dinner will be provided. This event is limited to 30 participants.
Hosted by the AKPIRG Language Access Team, with support from the Alaska Humanities Forum.
Date: January 20th, 2025
Time: 5-8pm
Location: Athabascan Ceremonial House at the Alaska Native Heritage Center (8800 Heritage Center Dr, Anchorage, AK 99504)
Contact us at: info@akpirg.org
AKPIRG celebrates federal court decision blocking Kroger-Albertsons merger
HUGE WIN FOR ALASKA: the Kroger-Albertsons merger has officially failed!
The grocery store competition we have is crucial to keeping prices fair. This victory safeguards affordable food access, preserves consumer choice, and protects good-paying grocery jobs in Alaska.
This win took years of work from many antitrust advocates across the country, including AKPIRG. Our petition opposing the merger was signed by hundreds of Alaskans (perhaps including you!), which was instrumental in securing the bipartisan opposition from Alaskan lawmakers in Juneau and D.C. That opposition strengthened the Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) case before federal courts, who ultimately blocked the merger.
THANK YOU to all who joined us in fighting against a grocery monopoly in Alaska!
To stay involved in this work, visit akpirg.org/take-action.
To support AKPIRG's antitrust work, make a donation at akpirg.org/donate.
Partner Spotlight:
Shop at Green Star's ReUse IT Store for refurbished tech this holiday season!
Looking for affordable electronic gifts for the family this holiday season? Skip the big box store and head on down to Green Star of Interior Alaska’s ReUse IT Store! Green Star has refurbished laptops, computers and gaming computers for sale from November 25th through December 28. Their mission is to enable and encourage waste reduction in Alaska’s Interior. All electronics donated have been expertly wiped and refurbished to give them a second life.
You can also apply for Green Star's Reboot IT program to see if you are eligible for low or no cost Technology Grants for individuals and families in Interior Alaska. Suggested donation per-system is just $20 to cover the hard cost of the new SSD.
ReUse IT's main office is located at 2134 Texaco Ave. The store is open Tue – Fri from 10-5 and Sat from 1-5. The phone to the Reuse IT store is (907) 457-1900.
AKPIRG in the Capitol
Last Week AKPIRG staff attended the Consumer Federation of America's High Cost Lending Summit and Financial Services Conference in Washington, D.C. Veri, Erin, and Claire joined advocates from across the country to learn about predatory lending reforms, medical debt protections, pro-housing policies and more!
The team also met with Senator Lisa Murkowski and encouraged her to support the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's proposal to limit bank overdraft fees and to remove medical debt from credit reports. The CFPB is under threat from the incoming presidential administration. AKPIRG stands in support of the CFPB as an essential mechanism for protecting Alaskans from unfair, deceptive, and abusive financial practices.
Please consider donating to AKPIRG today to help us cover the costs of our travel and maintain our presence in decision-making spaces:
AKPIRG offices closed for the holidays, December 20 - January 2
Happy Solstice, Happy Holidays, Happy New Year! 🌞
In this season of rest, AKPIRG offices will be closed December 20-January 3 so our staff can recharge before the New Year.
As we mark the winter solstice, we welcome the turning point of the year and the gradual return of longer days. May this season bring renewed light, hope, and growth to us all.
See you in 2025!
