Letter to the editor

I encourage every legislator to vote to override impending education veto

To the editor:

Alaska education funding has been making headlines for years – and not for the right reasons. Alaskans have almost grown numb to the Governor’s gamesmanship at the expense of students. As a public-school teacher and President of NEA-Alaska, I am sick of it.

Last Week, I was happy to see the Legislature act to address the school funding crisis. Albeit not a perfect bill, HB69 was a bold step in the right direction. However, that joy was short-lived when the Governor immediately committed to a veto.

Signing HB 69 into law would be the first step in improving some of the challenges facing our education system, but not signing HB 69 will set us back even further than where we are today.

At this point, the Governor has told us what he intends to do, and we believe him—he is going to veto the first meaningful increase in public school funding in almost a decade. I encourage every legislator to vote to override that impending veto. I urge every concerned resident to reach out to their legislators. This is not politics, this is not Republicans versus Democrats, this is about our kids. This is about the future we want for our state. This is about a robust public school system with dedicated teachers and support staff. This is about all of us coming together to say enough is enough. We are out of time—Alaska’s students, through the programs and resources our public schools provide, need full funding now.

Tom Klaameyer,

Anchorage

Sen. Murkowski: Stand up for Alaska’s roads

To the editor:

Out here in Alaska, we live different. We drive further, haul more, and depend on machines that don’t quit when the snow piles up or the road disappears. At Trail Toyz Off Road, we run the largest off-road shop in the state—customizing trucks for people who live beyond the pavement.

I don’t write letters often. But I’m writing now because something’s coming that doesn’t belong here.

California passed a rule called Advanced Clean Cars II, and the EPA gave them a waiver to enforce it. That rule bans the sale of new gas and diesel vehicles by 2035—and eleven other states have already signed on. That’s enough to shake the entire U.S. auto industry.

Here’s the problem: when that many states follow one rule, automakers start building for that market. Even if Alaska doesn’t adopt ACC II, we’ll still lose access to gas and diesel models. It becomes a national ban by default—without a national vote.

And up here? EVs don’t cut it. Range drops in the cold. Reliability drops in the cold. Charging stations are few and far between. You can’t tow a trailer into the Interior on a battery and hope it holds. We barely see electric off-road rigs. If gas and diesel options dry up, so does my business. No trucks means no custom work. No Trail Toyz. No local jobs.

This isn’t just bad policy—it’s forced economic change on communities like mine. Quietly passed. Deeply felt. Senator Murkowski, you’ve always said you stand for Alaska’s independence and infrastructure. Well, this is both. If Washington lets California set national vehicle policy, we lose control over how we live, work, and move.

I’m asking you—on behalf of my business and the people I serve—to lead the fight to overturn the EPA’s waiver. Protect Alaska from one-size-fits-all mandates. Keep the right to drive what works up here.

Because what works in Los Angeles doesn’t work in Wasilla. And it never will.

Harry Cilk

Owner, Trail Toyz Off Road, Wasilla