Latest news with #Schrage
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Alaska House votes to eliminate restriction that bars paramedics from helping police and search dogs
Rep. Calvin Schrage, I-Anchorage, speaks to the Alaska House of Representatives on Friday, April 25, 2025. (Photo by James Brooks/Alaska Beacon) In a disaster, service dogs are assigned to search for victims and comfort them. A new bill passed Monday by the Alaska House of Representatives intends to assist those dogs when it's their turn to need help. If approved by the Senate and Gov. Mike Dunleavy, House Bill 70 would allow ambulance crews to aid injured these dogs in a crisis and while they're being transported to a veterinarian. The aid would be limited to dogs used by law enforcement and those working search and rescue cases. In cases where both people and dogs are injured, the bill requires people to be helped first. The bill's sponsor, Rep. Calvin Schrage, I-Anchorage, explained on the House floor that under current law, paramedics and emergency medical technicians are legally forbidden from helping animals while on the job because doing so would be considered veterinary care, which is regulated by law. An ordinary Alaskan could legally help an injured dog, Schrage explained, but not a trained medical professional. 'These are working dogs that go through serious risk to their safety in order to serve us, to help us be more safe, to be rescued in an emergency, and to be able to provide emergency care on scene, I think, would be an incredible thing,' Schrage said. The bill was inspired by the death of Alaska State Trooper canine Rico, who was shot and killed during a 2017 police chase in Wasilla. The House approved HB 70 on a 32-8 vote, with opposition coming from some legislators who cited concerns from veterinarians. Rep. Rebecca Schwanke, R-Glennallen, said her vote against the bill was for that reason. 'We heard tremendous opposition to this bill by veterinary professionals across our state, largely because it does offer EMS personnel the opportunity to practice emergency veterinary care without proper training,' she said. House Majority Leader Chuck Kopp, R-Anchorage, referred to his decades of experience as a police officer and said he supported the bill. 'You want the person who is closest to the scene and best able to help save that animal — if the animal is shot or otherwise critically injured — to have a fighting chance,' he said. 'These dogs have over $50,000 invested in just the purchase and training of the animal, and hundreds of thousands of dollars to continue to train with the canine officers. They are worth it.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
With lawmakers' help, Alaska political donation limits could come before 2026 election
Rep. Calvin Schrage, I-Anchorage, speaks to the Alaska House of Representatives on Friday, April 25, 2025. (Photo by James Brooks/Alaska Beacon) Four years after a federal appeals court eliminated Alaska's limits on political campaign contributions, the Alaska House of Representatives has taken a step toward reimposing them. On Monday, the House voted 22-18 to approve House Bill 16, which mirrors the language of a ballot measure slated to go before voters in 2026. Alaskans are expected to approve the upcoming measure by a wide margin, based on historical trends, but that approval would bring new limits into effect for the 2028 elections at the earliest. If the Legislature approves a substantially similar bill, it would allow limits for the 2026 election and remove the upcoming initiative from the ballot. 'This is something that Alaskans very clearly want,' said Rep. Calvin Schrage, I-Anchorage and the sponsor of HB 16. Schrage is also a co-sponsor of the ballot measure. HB 16 proposes to limit Alaskans to $2,000 in donations per candidate in each election cycle. For the governor's race, where a lieutenant governor candidate and governor candidate run together on a single ticket, the limit would be $4,000. The limit for donations from one person to a political party or group would be $5,000. If a group wants to donate to a candidate, the limit is $4,000, or $8,000 for the governor's race. Those limits would be adjusted for inflation every 10 years. Alaska's politicians have been able to collect unlimited amounts of campaign contributions since a 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling that found the state's prior limits were unconstitutional. In 2021, a three-judge panel of the court ruled that a $500 annual limit — amounting to $1,000 over a two-year cycle — was too low. The U.S. Supreme Court has held that a $1,075 limit set by Missouri in 1998 for a two-year cycle was constitutional; adjusted for inflation, that would be roughly $2,100 today. Gov. Mike Dunleavy's administration declined to appeal the 2021 decision, and the Alaska Public Offices Commission implemented it starting with the 2022 election. 'This bill would allow us to reinstate those limits and again provide that protection to Alaskans — and frankly to us as elected officials — in helping to ensure that there is some faith and confidence among Alaskans in their elected officials, acting with integrity and not having undue influence on them by outsized donations,' Schrage said. Each time ballot measures have proposed new limits for political donations, Alaskans have approved them by large margins. Public polling has shown continued large support for new restrictions. Rep. Andy Josephson, D-Anchorage, has been elected to the House four times and spoke in support of the bill. 'I can tell you that, to me, putting these contribution limits in place will help us do what we should be doing, and that is spending more time discussing and hearing from our constituents, learning about the needs and concerns of the voters that we will hopefully represent, and not thinking about the biggest check writers,' he said. Voting against the bill were 18 members of the House's Republican minority caucus. The only member of the caucus to vote in favor of it was Rep. Justin Ruffridge, R-Soldotna. Rep. Sarah Vance, R-Homer, spoke against the bill and urged lawmakers to reject it. 'I believe in Alaskans' right to free speech, and the courts have ruled that political contributions are free speech,' she said. 'We've gone through an entire election cycle without any limits, and I have not once heard on record any specific Alaskan contributions that have given the appearance or showed proof of corruption,' Vance said. That matters because the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that limits on campaign donations are legal only if they are needed to avoid quid-pro-quo corruption or the appearance of corruption. Schrage responded to Vance's point by observing that the Alaska Department of Law has already reviewed the similar campaign-limits ballot measure for constitutionality and found no problems. 'It does not get certified unless the limits herein are viewed by our own administration as being constitutional,' he said. Schrage said that it's clear by state history and opinion polling that Alaskans want to restrict campaign contributions, and that legislators should advance HB 16 to the governor's desk. 'I would just encourage my colleagues here to vote yes on the bill,' he said, 'and listen to their constituents who want to see us do something concrete to improve the trust in their elected officials and in their government.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Centier Bank Named Best Retail Bank for Customer Satisfaction in the North Central Region by J.D. Power
MERRILLVILLE, Ind., March 27, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Centier Bank, Indiana's largest private, six generations family-owned and operated bank, is proud to announce its #1 ranking in customer satisfaction in the recently released J.D. Power 2025 U.S. Retail Banking Satisfaction StudySM. This marks Centier Bank's first-ever J.D. Power award for retail banking in the North Central region, which includes Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, and West Virginia. "This recognition is an honor and privilege we owe to our outstanding Associates, who intentionally and consistently enrich our customers' financial journeys," said Michael E. Schrage, Centier Bank's Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board. "The customer-focused nature of the study speaks directly to the heart of Centier's mission over our 130-year history as a community bank." Now in its 20th year, the J.D. Power study is the longest-running and most in-depth, independent analysis of retail banking customers across 15 geographic regions. It measures customer satisfaction across seven dimensions: trust; people; account offerings; allowing customers to bank how and when they want; saving time and money; digital channels; and resolving problems or complaints. This year's study is based on responses from more than 100,000 retail customers in the United States regarding their experiences with their retail banking institutions. Responses were fielded from January 2024 through January 2025. Centier Bank ranked #1 in six of the seven dimensions of the study: Level of Trust Helping to save time or money Allowing customers to bank how and when they want Account offerings meeting needs Resolving problems of complaints People "Our customers are guests, friends, and valued members of the communities in which we operate, and we are proud to know they are receiving meaningful service, guidance, and connection across the Centier footprint," said Schrage. Centier Bank's unwavering commitment to culture, customers, and employees is consistently recognized and awarded. Centier has been named a Best Place to Work for 19 consecutive years by the Indiana Chamber of Commerce. In 2024 Forbes® ranked Centier as Indiana's top-rated bank in its Best-in-State Banks list. It was the bank's seventh consecutive year on the list, which is also based on customer satisfaction data. Centier was also named the best bank to work for in Indiana, and #2 across banks with assets between $3-$10 billion in American Banker's 2024 Best Banks to Work For list. More information on the J.D. Power 2025 U.S. Retail Banking Satisfaction Study can be found here. To learn more about Centier Bank, visit About Centier Bank Centier Bank is Indiana's largest private, family-owned and operated bank, having served hometown banking across communities since 1895. With a purpose of enriching lives through financial guidance and caring relationships for an even better tomorrow, Centier Bank currently has over 1,000 associates and 60 offices, serving 35 communities across Indiana. For more information on Centier products and services, visit Member FDIC. View source version on Contacts Media Contact: Kathy AtwoodDirector of Public RelationsCentier Bankkatwood@ Sign in to access your portfolio
