Letters to the editor

Sen. Sullivan supports small businesses

To the editor:

Alaska’s small businesses are the backbone of our state’s economy. More than 99 percent of Alaska businesses are small businesses, employing over half of the state’s workforce. Small businesses are not just small “big businesses,” they are different creatures. Protecting and strengthening them should be a priority for any member of Congress, and Senator Dan Sullivan has made it one of his. Our Senator Sullivan did because he took the time to learn what small businesses are.

As someone who spent years representing Alaska’s small businesses as the state director of the National Federation of Independent Business, I know firsthand how important federal policy decisions can be for the entrepreneurs who keep our communities running. I also know, firsthand, that Senator Sullivan always has an open door to Alaska’s small business owners.

That’s why Senator Sullivan’s work on tax policy deserves recognition. In 2017, Senator Sullivan supported the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which created the 20 percent qualified business income deduction for many small businesses organized as partnerships, S corporations and sole proprietorships. For thousands of Alaska business owners, that deduction meant the ability to keep more of their earnings and reinvest in their operations, employees and communities.

More recently, Sen. Sullivan helped pass the 2025 tax package known as the Working Families Tax Cuts Act. That law made the 20 percent small business deduction permanent and preserved provisions allowing businesses to immediately deduct the cost of many capital investments, including equipment and machinery.

These policies matter in a state like Alaska, where operating costs are high, and capital investments are often significant. Making these tax provisions permanent gives small business owners the certainty they need to hire and grow.

Alaska’s entrepreneurs take risks every day to keep our economy moving. Senator Sullivan’s support for policies that reduce tax and regulatory burdens and create stability for small businesses is good for all Alaskans.

Denny DeWitt,

Juneau

Support Sen. Sullivan’s efforts

To the editor:

As a local Mortgage Broker, I see every day how closely housing and the economy are tied together. A home purchase depends on steady jobs, confidence in the future, and whether people believe Alaska is a place worth planting roots. When the economy is weak, buyers hesitate, builders slow down new starts, and families start looking Outside. When opportunity grows here, people stay, invest and build.

That is why I support Sen. Dan Sullivan's work on behalf of Alaska. He has been one of the strongest voices in Washington for the kind of private-sector growth our state needs. When he fights to open responsible development in ANWR, the NPR-A, and Cook Inlet, he is fighting for jobs, state revenue, and long-term opportunity. I also appreciate his focus on kitchen-table economics. The tax package he helped shape prevents an average $2,380 tax hike, protects more than 58,000 local small businesses from a 25 percent tax increase, and preserves incentives for affordable housing, childcare, and rural investment.

In real estate, I see firsthand what happens when families are squeezed by higher costs and when local businesses lose the confidence to hire employees. When families keep more of their income, and employers see a future here, the housing market is healthier and more stable. Sullivan has also championed investments in aviation safety, military infrastructure, and Coast Guard capacity. Alaska has a high per-capita veteran population, and it is crucial to have a Senator who provides strong military support in our state. He also supported the PRO Vets Act to institute greater oversight and financial accountability within the Dept of VA which was sadly blocked by Senate Democrats.

In a state as large and remote as ours, transportation and national security are economic issues. They affect where people live, where businesses invest, and whether communities grow. No senator will line up perfectly with every Alaskan on every issue. But leadership should be judged by results and by whether someone consistently puts this state first. Dan Sullivan has fought for Alaska's industries, Alaska's families, and Alaska's future. As an Alaska Native woman and mortgage professional with adult children and grandchildren here, who wants to see more families buy homes and stay here for the long haul, I believe he has earned that credit.

Tabitha Scott,

Wasilla

Alaska voters deserve answers

To the editor:

Alaskans are fortunate to have a long history of secure elections. The Alaska Division of Elections, under lieutenant governors of both parties, has been a model of safety, security, and integrity. Rare instances of voter fraud in our state have been identified and prosecuted.

The League of Women Voters, nationally and here in Alaska, has long defended secure and trusted elections. That is why we must speak out about the decision in December 2025 to provide Alaska’s confidential voter registration data to the U.S. Department of Justice. The data released — including voters’ full names, dates of birth, residential addresses, and driver’s license or Social Security information — raises serious concerns under the Alaska Constitution’s right to privacy and under federal privacy protections. Courts in California, Michigan, and Oregon have already rejected similar DOJ lawsuits seeking un-redacted voter data based on current federal law.

The agreement signed by the Lieutenant Governor states that the DOJ will review Alaska’s voter rolls and return a list of voters it believes may be ineligible. In other states where federal databases have been used for this purpose, mistakes have occurred, and eligible voters have been incorrectly flagged. Even if voters are placed on inactive status rather than deleted, it means citizens may need to take time and effort to prove that they should remain on the voter rolls.

In the meantime, confidential information about all Alaska voters has been provided to the federal government with no clear limits on how it may be used, where it will be shared, or how it will be protected. Alaska voters deserve answers. Why did the Lieutenant Governor agree to release our confidential information when other states have not? Why was our confidential information released? Who will have access to it? Alaska voters should demand accountability.

Marianne Mills and Pat L. Redmond,

Co-Presidents League of Women Voters of Alaska