Alaska: Alaska Supreme Court gives Governor go-ahead with Medicaid expansion By MARY KAUFFMAN - Alaska Superior Court Judge Frank Pfiffner denied on Friday the Legislative Council’s request to stop the implementation of Medicaid expansion in early September. Judge Pfiffner’s decision allows the Administration of Governor Bill Walker to begin expanding Medicaid on September 1st.

Governor Bill Walker said in a prepared statement, “Judge Pfiffner’s ruling [Friday] ensures 20,000 working Alaskans will have access to health care on September 1st. Medicaid expansion will not only save the state over $100 million in its first six years, it will save Alaskan lives. I look forward to working with members of the legislature on implementing the Healthy Alaska Plan.”

Alaska Senate President Kevin Meyer and Alaska House Speaker Mike Chenault were disappointed with the ruling.

“[Friday's] preliminary ruling was not in our favor, but we remain hopeful going forward,” President Kevin Meyer (R-Anchorage) said. “Regardless of the legal outcome, the Senate will continue to work toward Medicaid reform. We owe it to future generations to ensure the program is sustainable and adequately serves today’s most vulnerable, particularly during these fiscally challenging times.”

“I’m disappointed with [Friday's] ruling on the temporary restraining order,” Speaker Chenault (R-Nikiski) said. “This motion was just one step in the process, and we continue to feel very strongly about our constitutional argument that was presented. We are by no means looking for a way to stop Medicaid expansion; we are trying to do it the right way so that we have a reliable, sustainable system.”

The ruling is being praised by the members of the Alaska Independent Democratic Coalition (AIDC).

“Medicaid expansion does several very good things for the state of Alaska,” said AIDC Leader Rep. Chris Tuck (D-Anchorage). “It saves the state millions of dollars during tight fiscal times, injects billions into the Alaska economy, increases the number of Alaskans with healthcare, and will result in cheaper healthcare insurance for everyone. The Republican Majority should not be frivolously spending public money supporting an outside advocacy law firm dedicated to stopping Medicaid expansion nationwide.”

The Alaska Independent Democratic Coalition asserts that during the first session of the 29th Alaska Legislature, the Republican led leadership in the House and Senate repeatedly tried to prevent consideration of Medicaid expansion by refusing to hold hearings on expansion bills, tabling amendments on the floor, and including unconstitutional restrictive language in the FY 2016 budgets.

Rep. Andy Josephson (D-Anchorage) has been working on the Medicaid expansion issue since 2013. He put forward specific pieces of legislation in 2014 and 2015 authorizing the State of Alaska to accept federal funding to expand eligibility in the Medicaid program.

“By refusing to properly consider Medicaid expansion legislation, the Majority leadership in the House and Senate left the Governor no choice but to use his executive power to help thousands of Alaskans get life-saving healthcare,” said Rep. Josephson (D-Anchorage). “It’s clear to me that the Republican controlled Leadership in the House and Senate didn’t want a vote on Medicaid expansion legislation because it likely would have passed. Instead of allowing an up or down vote, they chose to use the legal system to try to deny healthcare to needy Alaskans.”

Friday’s Superior Court ruling was only focused on the request to stop the implementation of Medicaid expansion on September 1st. The Legislative Council lawsuit will proceed in the coming months. Rep. Sam Kito (D-Juneau) sits on the Legislative Council and he cast the lone vote in opposition to going forward with the lawsuit against the Governor.

“Only ten members of the Alaska Legislature signed off on the lawsuit despite the public claim that the Legislative Council’s action represents the will of the full Legislature,” said Rep. Sam Kito (D-Juneau). “[Friday] ruling clearly shows that there will be no damage to the State of Alaska from expanding Medicaid this fiscal year. I am confident the Governor will prevail in the lawsuit and thousands of Alaskans will be have better health outcomes through Medicaid expansion.” - More...
Wednesday PM - September 02, 2015

Southeast Alaska: Coffey Named ADOT&PF Southcoast Region Director - Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (ADOT&PF) Commissioner Marc Luiken has named Mike Coffey as Southcoast Region Director.

The Alaska Department of Transportation's Southcoast Region covers Southeast Alaska, Kodiak Island, the Alaska Peninsula, Aleutian Chain, and the Pribilof Islands.

Coffey has over 30 years of maintenance, operations, design and construction experience with ADOT&PF. He exits his current role within the department as the Chief of Statewide Maintenance and Operations where he has displayed great leadership through the implementation of efficiencies and department-wide collaboration.

Coffey has held a versatile range of positions at ADOT&PF including design engineer in Southeast Alaska, project engineer in Southcentral Alaska, Homer area maintenance and operations superintendent, and Northern Region maintenance manager. - More...
Wednesday PM - September 02, 2015

Alaska: Denali's elevation revised By SUE MITCHELL - Denali has been downsized by 10 feet as a result of data captured during an expedition this past summer.

The elevation of North America’s tallest peak is now estimated to be 20,310 feet. The previous elevation, established using 1950s-era technology, was 20,320 feet.

Surveying technology and processes improved significantly since the last survey and enabled scientists to establish a much more accurate height.

Rhett Foster from CompassData pauses on a ridge leading to the 17,000-foot base camp on Mount McKinley in June 2015.
UAF photo by Tom Heinrichs

Tom Heinrichs, director of the Geographic Information Network of Alaska at the University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute, climbed the mountain in June with a survey party led by CompassData, a private contractor hired by the U.S. Geological Survey. The team of four experienced climbers carried survey-grade global positioning system equipment weighing about 50 pounds, including batteries. On June 24, they placed the equipment on the summit to gather data. They left the equipment on the summit for about 25 hours, then came back to retrieve it.

After the climbers successfully descended the mountain, teams from CompassData, the University of Alaska Fairbanks and the National Geodetic Survey independently processed the survey data. The teams met to compare preliminary results and found they were very consistent.

The Department of the Interior’s USGS announced Denali’s new elevation Wednesday, Sept. 2. The expedition was funded by the USGS and by the NGS, a division of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in the U.S. Department of Commerce. - More...
Wednesday PM - September 02, 2015