Incumbent Sen. Dennis Egan, D-Juneau, and Tom Williams, R-Juneau, are squaring off to represent Senate District Q in the Alaska Legislature, but Williams has been notably absent in past weeks.
Williams didn’t attend a candidate forum in Juneau on Monday, and did not return multiple calls and emails from the CVN requesting an interview. A call to Williams’ employer, Ward Air, revealed Williams is “out of the country for several weeks” and won’t return until after the election.
Egan, a lifelong Alaskan, was appointed by Gov. Sarah Palin to the Senate in 2009. He served on the Assembly for the City and Borough of Juneau from 1989 to 1995, and subsequently served as Mayor.
Williams has lived in Juneau for 37 years. He works as chief financial officer for Ward Air, and has worked as CFO for Aero Services, legislative assistant for the Senate Finance Committee chairs, and as director of the state’s Permanent Fund Dividend division.
Egan and Williams support a road up Lynn Canal.
Egan said he “reluctantly” supports the east-side option, but would prefer a road up the west side.
“I really want a road, but I really wish it would be up the west side,” Egan said. “But that’s not going to happen.”
Williams has been a vocal proponent of the Juneau Road. “For the region’s long-term economic health, we need to build the road up Lynn Canal, one piece at a time, without any further delays,” Williams said on his website.
“By building the road, we will be able to redirect our ferry resources to provide better service on routes for which we cannot build roads. The improved economic activity that the road will bring to the region should actually increase ferry ridership, stemming and potentially reversing the current unsustainable trend of diminishing ridership accompanied by increasing costs,” he added.
According to Williams’ campaign website, he opposes Proposition 2 because Alaskans shouldn’t promote the expanded use of recreational drugs. Williams also anticipates legal conflicts between the state and federal governments on the issue.
“I do not drink alcohol and I don’t use marijuana or other illicit drugs recreationally or otherwise,” Williams said. “And I know life presents enough challenges even when we are not impaired by alcohol or drugs.”
Egan also opposes Proposition 2. “I just think more work needs to be done and I think we need to wait and see what happens in Colorado and Washington,” Egan said.
Egan said he is more focused on Southeast as a region than Haines specifically. “To be honest, I don’t know all of Haines’ issues, but I get along great with Bill Thomas, your former representative, and we talk a lot,” Egan said.
The state-mandated senior property tax exemption should either be repealed or funded entirely, as it was originally, Egan said. The legislature’s failure to reimburse municipalities for funds lost through the senior property tax exemption creates an “unfunded mandate,” which is “wrong,” he said.
Regarding funding for capital projects, the state should focus on finishing existing projects and maintaining infrastructure instead of throwing money at new projects like the Knik Arm Crossing.
“We have to protect the infrastructure we already have and complete the major projects that have already started, like the Veterans Village in Haines,” Egan said.
Egan supports raising the base student allocation and increasing municipal revenue sharing. He opposed school vouchers and passage of SB21.