Thoughts from YWCA Alaska CEO, Jessie Lavoie

A response to our latest federal news and the ongoing struggle for education funding support in the State of Alaska….

Federal:

What an intense few weeks. Right when things seemed they couldn’t get more intense, the supposed “One Beautiful Bill” narrowly passes the Senate, thanks to our own Senator Lisa Murkowski (voting yes because of potential carve outs for Alaska that no one fully understands yet), and then bounces over to the House where it passes just a day or two later. The cuts to Medicaid and SNAP, among many others including defunding Planned Parenthood, will have catastrophic rippling and everlasting effects on community and community health for decades to come.

YWCA Alaska is deeply disappointed to see the passage of this bill as it strips away so many necessities for all of us, just to provide tax cuts to the top 1% and add trillions the national debt. While we won’t know the full effects of this bill for weeks to months, we do know this: this bill is illogical at best, devastating at worst.

State:

Not that the federal political scene wasn’t frustrating enough, our own power struggle at the state level in Alaska has proved as damaging. After vetoing bipartisan support for education funding, Governor Dunleavy called for a special session knowing full well two members of the legislature would be unlikely to attend. Then, he went a step further: “Dunleavy asked House minority members to not show up for the first five days of session because like any governor, he does not want his vetoes overturned” according to the Governor’s spokesperson, Jeff Turner. How morally and ethically wrong.

It’s hard enough to see the devastating party line politicking happening at the federal level… It’s so disheartening to see it occurring at the state level too. This is not a game. People’s lives and livelihoods depend on our state government working collaboratively for ALL Alaskans. And our legislature has done that… but our governor has not.

I’ll echo our YWCA USA’s closing statement, representing us all in this terribly confusing time: “and yet, as we have for 167 years, YWCA will continue to do the work. We will continue to stand in the gap and serve the women, children and families who are the backbone of this nation. Where Congress has faltered, YWCA will hold the line—and we will continue to fight for the just and equitable future that all of us deserve.” Margaret Mitchell, YWCA USA CEO

Jessie Lavoie, CEO

YWCA Alaska

Until Justice Just Is.