Alaska’s Proposed Climate Change Commission: Did Harris/Waltz Win?

By Kassie Andrews -- March 26, 2025

“Politicians and ENGOs gaslight the public into believing Alaska has a magic thermostat that can stop erosion, reverse damage to fisheries, and fix every other contestable issue—as long as they scream ‘CLIMATE CHANGE’!”

Climate alarmism is a tired way to get what you want—not unlike a kid throwing a tantrum in the cereal aisle. Except begging for Froot Loops, the panicking alarmists—backed by ENGOs desperate to push their mandates through—demand more bureaucracy, heavier regulations, and political energy “solutions” that serve their agenda, not the public.

Never mind that these schemes do little to actually “save the planet.” They’re really about forcing costly policies, expanding government control, and driving up energy prices, all while making people poorer for their warped vision of the future.

Here in Alaska, the opportunity is to ‘read the room’ and dial back climate exaggeration and forced energy transformation. Not so looking at Senate Bill 120, introduced this month by Senator Elvi Gray-Jackson, beginning with its 25-word title:

An Act establishing the Alaska Climate Change Emergency Response Commission; and relating to the powers and duties of the Alaska Climate Change Emergency Response Commission.

This bill begins by first adding a section of uncodified law proclaiming that the legislature finds that “a state of emergency exists because of the threat climate change poses on communities in the state, the state economy, traditional ways of life, fish and game populations, and natural ecosystems.”

While legislators do have the power to shape policy, they do not have the authority to declare an emergency—but that hasn’t stopped them from making dramatic proclamations they lack the legal power to enforce, hoping the theatrics will be enough to push their agenda forward.

The bill establishes a new 15-member commission under the governor, ensuring representation from municipal leaders across the state. The commission consists of six state departmental representatives serving by virtue of office and nine municipal representatives.

Per the sponsor statement:

It will be the goal of the commission to advance diverse energy options, adaptive infrastructure, and CO₂ reduction strategies; as well as monitoring climate impacts. The commission will work in harmony with rural and tribal organizations through grant writing and assistance programs.

Trying to regulate CO₂ in a state that contributes less than 0.1% globally is like banning spoons to stop obesity—completely missing the point, utterly ineffective, and guaranteed to impress only the most clueless. Yet, politicians and ENGOs gaslight the public into believing Alaska has a magic thermostat that can stop erosion, reverse damage to fisheries caused by destructive fishing practices (such as trawl), and fix every other issue happening outside—as long as they hit the easy button and scream “CLIMATE CHANGE!”

It’s the ultimate political cheat code: slap the label on any complex issue, ignore the real causes (or solutions), and pretend that more regulations, more bureaucracy, and more taxpayer money will magically control nature itself.

The Real Problem

The real unprecedented threat facing Alaskans isn’t climate change. It’s a rogue, unchecked legislature that is acting like squirrels on crack, scrambling to codify every last remnant of the Green New Deal before the political winds shift. Even with the Trump administration working overtime to dismantle the bureaucratic insanity, the Democrats, all Independents and even some Republicans legislators in Alaska are in full-blown panic mode, rushing to lock in radical climate policies while they still can.

To make matters worse, rabid climate alarmist groups such as the Alaska Venture Fund, Earthjustice, and the Alaska Center will be given a clear advantage in shaping new climate policies going forward. This is an especially troubling prospect given that Earthjustice’s stated goal is to “end the extraction and burning of fossil fuels”.

Senate Bill 120 gives the commission the power to “consult and cooperate with” “public or private persons, organizations, and groups” that are “interested in, affected by, or concerned with climate change effects and response.” That’s insane. It’s the green lobby’s dream come true—an unelected commission with the power to rubber-stamp whatever radical policies special interest groups demand, all under the guise of an “emergency.”

This isn’t policymaking, it’s outsourcing Alaska’s future to the loudest, most politically connected voices in the climate-industrial complex. It is as if Harris/Waltz beat Trump/Vance, and John Podesta’s shock troops were ensconced in Fairbanks.

Governor Dunleavy Must Reject

After two rounds of public testimony and overwhelming written testimony in opposition, the fate of SB 120 hangs in the balance. With continuing evidence of climate exaggeration (here), and the rest of the country (if not world) going in the opposite direction, will Alaska’s legislature respect the people or a climate elite?

And if the bill does pass, will Governor Dunleavy veto this blatant attempt to enshrine climate hysteria into state law? Such would be a far more rational choice than cementing his legacy as part of the climate cult, allowing bureaucrats to seize even more power under the guise of an “emergency” they have no authority to declare.

Conclusion

“It does not take a majority to prevail,” wrote the father of the American Revolution, Samuel Adams, in 1775, “but rather an irate, tireless minority, keen on setting brushfires of freedom in the minds of men.” These words define the opportunity to repel energy statism in Alaska today.