AFN endorses U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola and opposes ranked choice repeal

The Alaska Federation of Natives on Saturday endorsed Alaska U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola and voted to take other political positions as the state’s largest Native group wrapped its annual three-day convention on Saturday in Anchorage.

Peltola, the first Alaska Native member of Congress, enjoys strong support from many in the Alaska Native community, and dozens of convention delegates cheered and waved handheld pro-Peltola signs when they voted to support her. They selected Peltola over others in the House race, including top challenger Republican Nick Begich.

“I ask for unanimous consent!” shouted Matthew Nicolai, from the Calista region in Southwest Alaska, hoisting a sign with Peltola’s face.

The Alaska Federation of Natives, meeting at the Dena’ina Civic and Convention Center less than three weeks before the Nov. 5 election, also decided in a voice vote to indefinitely table a resolution that expressed support for Ballot Measure 1. The measure seeks to increase the minimum wage and improve other working conditions.

An influential voice in Alaska politics, AFN represents about 150,000 Alaska Native members. Its annual convention brings together more than 5,000 Alaska Natives. At the event, they set goals designed to improve Native communities.

The decision to not hold an up-or-down vote on the minimum-wage increase came after Curt Chamberlain, deputy general counsel for Calista Corp., took the floor. Chamberlain raised concerns from the corporation that the measure could lead to increased economic burden for small Alaska Native village corporations with limited resources.

The ballot measure would increase the minimum wage $11.73 to $15 by 2027 and guarantee Alaska workers paid sick leave for the first time. It would prohibit employers from requiring their employees to attend meetings of a political or religious nature, which can sometimes be used to dissuade employees from unionizing.

Debra Call, with resolution sponsor Knik Tribal Council, joined a small number of speakers who expressed support for Ballot Measure 1. She said there needs to be a better economic foundation for people who are struggling to pay rent and other bills.

“It’s about (providing) a living wage,” she said of the increase.

An audience voice vote seemed to favor the side that opposed the measure, said Jodi Mitchell, an AFN board member and moderator of the resolutions meeting. Mitchell said the AFN board could consider the measure in December. But that will be after the November election.

With little discussion, the Alaska Native group also voted to oppose Ballot Measure 2, which seeks to eliminate Alaska’s open primaries and ranked choice general election system.

“Alaskans should be able to choose a person, not a political party, and trust that the process will encourage good public policy, not extreme partisanship,” the resolution said.

The group also passed a long list of other resolutions that:

• Call on Congress to approve broader subsistence benefits for Alaska Natives, amid an ongoing legal battle with the state over subsistence. The Native group’s measure would amend the rural subsistence priority so it applies to all Alaska Natives, not just rural residents who are mostly Alaska Native and already enjoy the priority for access to fish and wildlife. The resolution also calls for increased co-management of fish and wildlife that involves Alaska Natives, and amending the 1971 Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act to allow Native management of fish and wildlife on Native corporation lands, among other proposals.

• Demand increased funding for public education. The resolution argued that flat funding, rising inflation and escalating costs have hurt districts and made it increasingly difficult to produce strong student performance. Specifically, it urges the state to raise the Base Student Allocation by $1,526 to account for inflation. The Anchorage School District has projected that the $5,960 Base Student Allocation would need to be increase by that same amount to match losses from inflation since 2017 — the last time the BSA was substantially boosted. A school funding increase of that size would cost the state over $385 million per year.

• Urge Alaska and federal policymakers to take action on what the resolution described as the “historical crisis” involving heroin, fentanyl and methamphetamine. The measure blamed the limited presence of state troopers and city police in villages, and unfilled positions on the Western Alaska Alcohol and Narcotic Team, a statewide drug-enforcement unit in the Alaska Department of Public Safety, for reduced oversight in communities facing “an incredible increase in drug trafficking for the past three years.” The resolution calls for more state and federal funding to help tackle the issue. It also calls for distribution of anti-overdose kits, setting up a state-level task force to study how drugs are entering rural communities, and having public hearings before the Legislature on the problem.

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