Jennifer Canfield, KTOO

The State of Alaska must recognize and enforce the Tlingit-Haida Central Council’s child support orders, according to a state Supreme Court decision issued Friday.

Central Council President Chalyee Éesh Richard Peterson says that while the court decision is an important milestone, there are still more issues the tribe is working on when it comes to how it serves tribal children, namely how it administers Indian Child Welfare Act cases with other tribes.

Earlier this month the Central Council signed an agreement with the state that lets the tribe oversee custody and funding for tribal foster children.

Peterson says there are families in Juneau that encounter issues when it comes to their children and foster care — they may live in town but are still under the jurisdiction of their home tribe. Because local tribes also receive federal dollars to oversee child welfare, Peterson said the Central Council must be careful to not overstep its bounds.

“That’s a hurdle we’re still trying to get across,” Peterson said. “A lot of our folks want us to step in and solve the problem but we’re really going to have to work with some of the tribes to work out jurisdictional issues and come to agreements. We’re always going to uphold the sovereignty of other tribes and we’re not going to push our weight around.”

Peterson says the court decision sets a precedent for other tribes that may want to more actively oversee their own child support programs.

Read the entire decision below:

Correction: A previous version of this story referred to an agreement signed earlier this month by the tribe and state that concerns tribal children in foster care, but mischaracterized it as being related to tribal child support. We regret the error.

Tribal members in Juneau will have to recast their votes this week for delegates to the Central Council of Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribe of Alaska’s 107-member Tribal Assembly.

President Chalyee Éesh Richard Peterson says a special election is necessary because the firm hired to assist with the original election was unaware of a rule that prevents people from acquiring absentee ballots for someone other than themselves.

Peterson said he learned Wednesday evening of a tribal member who posted on Facebook that he had extra voting materials for anyone who needed them. After looking into it, the council found that multiple individuals were able to acquire additional ballots and the official envelopes that accompany them. Because enrollment numbers are published, Peterson said someone could easily forge the envelopes to appear legitimate.

Peterson also said that he was advised that the election could — and likely would — be challenged.

“It’s incredible, very disheartening,” Peterson said. “There were multiple mistakes made, I think predominantly on the side of our audit firm. Not to throw them under the bus but I also have to be transparent and factual to my tribal citizens and also to those who are running (to be a) delegate. They deserve to know that. They deserve a fair election.”

Thursday was supposed to be the last day of the election. Peterson said the Juneau delegates’ election was the only one compromised and that elections for other communities “went off without a hitch.”

Tlingit and Haida tribal members elect Tribal Assembly delegates from their own communities every two years. The Tribal Assembly’s annual meeting is scheduled to be held in Juneau April 20-22.

Peterson said this was the first year they’d used a third-party to oversee the election. He said Central Council would “come to some conclusions” this week about how to move forward with future elections.

Tribal members can recast their vote several different ways, including online.

 

A Juneau chef has once again been nominated for one of the food world’s highest honors.

Beau Schooler, chef at the Rookery Café in downtown Juneau, is one of 30 named by the James Beard Foundation as a semifinalist for Rising Star Chef of the Year.

Schooler was nominated for the same honor last year, which is given annually by the foundation to young chefs who display “impressive talent” and who are likely to make “a significant impact on the industry.”

Schooler and business partner Travis Smith also operate The Taqueria and will soon open a new Italian restaurant in the old Silverbow Bakery space downtown.

The James Beard Foundation is a nonprofit culinary arts organization. The group will release a final list of nominees March 15.

As parishioners attended Sunday services at Chapel by the Lake Church, Juneau Police were nearby arresting a man who is now charged with one count of terroristic threats in the second degree.

According to a news release, police responded at 8:41 a.m. to a report of a man making statements about having a gun and people owing him money. Thurman Lee Cairns Jr., 36, did not have a weapon but was arrested and taken to Lemon Creek Correctional Center. Police say alcohol was not a factor.

Cairns faces a class C felony. JPD could not be reached Sunday for further details.

A bill that would ban discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity is on the back burner as lawmakers focus their efforts on the state budget and a proposed pipeline.

Rep. Cathy Muñoz’s House Bill 42 isn’t likely to escape the House State Affairs Committee, chaired by Anchorage Republican Rep. Bob Lynn.

“We’ve tried to get the committee to hear the bill and move the bill but it’s going to take the community, individuals who are interested in this issue to contact their legislators, contact the committee chairman to encourage the bill to get a hearing and to move forward,” Muñoz said.

One topic lawmakers must address this session is the state budget and how to fund it. As the price of oil has plummeted since the fall of 2014, the state’s deficit has grown to $3.5 billion. Gov. Bill Walker’s proposal for the budget year that begins in July increases existing taxes on mining, oil and gas, alcohol, motor fuel, tobacco, cruise ships and fisheries.

Walker also proposed a major change to how the Permanent Fund and its earnings are managed, and is pushing for a state income tax equal to 6 percent of a person’s federal tax obligation.

Muñoz said that while there are many options on the table when considering the state’s budget shortfall, a broad-based tax shouldn’t be one of them.

“I’m concerned about the impact that an income tax would have on individual Alaskans at a time when the economy is in a downward trend,” she said.

Muñoz said she is interested, however, in Walker’s proposal to funnel more resource development royalties into the Permanent Fund to generate more earnings. State government would then be funded by a yearly draw on the earnings reserve; Permanent Fund dividends would be based on the amount of natural resource royalties paid to the state, instead of a 5-year average of investment returns.

“If we can get through a sustainable plan using a portion of the earnings reserve, I think we can protect the dividend in the long term and also provide a sustainable and reliable revenue source to pay for state government,” Muñoz said.

And to pay for the Alaska Marine Highway System. Muñoz said she’s working with other coastal lawmakers to stem further cuts and to find a way to reliably fund and operate the ferries.

“I don’t believe the ferry system can continue to sustain the level of cuts going forward,” Muñoz said. “In the governor’s budget we’re looking at $4 million cut. That’s a substantial cut to the system’s budget. I think that will be one area I will focus on this session with other coastal legislators to try to look at a sustainable and reliable level of funding so that we can have predictability in our scheduling.”

The 2016 legislative session is scheduled to end April 17, but Muñoz said leadership may decide early on to push that end date another 30 days. While the legislature is only scheduled to meet for 90 days, the Alaska Constitution allows them to meet in regular session for up to 121 days.

The husband of the former Juneau woman who went missing on New Year’s Day has been charged with murder, according to the Anchorage Police Department. Police have not said if her body was found.

Anchorage police alerted the public to 32-year-old Linda Skeek’s disappearance Jan. 7. Police issued another statement Jan. 16 saying new information led them to believe her disappearance was suspicious.

Police served a search warrant on on Linda and Thomas Skeek’s home and vehicle Wednesday.

Linda Skeek’s husband, 33-year-old Thomas Skeek, is charged with first-degree murder, second-degree murder and tampering with evidence.

On Nov. 30, Linda Skeek filed for a protective order for herself and two children against Thomas Skeek. She withdrew her petition 10 days later. Linda Skeek was reported missing Jan. 4. Her husband claims she left Jan. 1 after the two had a fight.

Linda Skeek moved from Juneau to Anchorage in April. Family told police she’d left home before on weekends, but would always return to start the workweek.

In 2006, Thomas Skeek, who was 24 years old at the time, was accused of raping a 15-year-old girl. He was working as a case worker at Juneau Youth Services at the time. Ultimately, he served four months in jail for third-degree attempted sexual abuse of a minor.