House hopefuls face the voters
Candidates forum puts focus on ferries, hate crime, Native relations
State Democratic Rep. Beth Kerttula said at a Native-sponsored candidates' forum Tuesday that she would push hate crimes legislation if re-elected to the state House of Representatives.
Andrew Engstrom, her Republican challenger for House District 3, said he would not have supported the hate crimes bill sponsored last year by Democratic Sen. Georgianna Lincoln of Rampart, but he did not elaborate on which part of the bill he opposed.
Engstrom said he would support education to prevent hate crimes.
Native Vote 2004, a local initiative driven by a nationwide campaign to get out the American Indian vote, sponsored the forum, which was held at the Juneau Tlingit and Haida Community Building in Salmon Creek.
The House candidates who appeared at the forum will face off in the general election on Nov. 2. The candidates received the questions before the forum.
"Hate crimes carry a special trauma with them," Kerttula said. "When you single out a group, when you focus on a person because of their cultural identity, you deeply, deeply traumatize not only them but all of the entire group."
Engstrom said every Alaskan deserves equal protection under the law.
"What hate crimes legislation should do is bring awareness to our communities of the growing problem of intolerance and injustice," he said.
House District 3 represents downtown Juneau, Douglas and parts of Lemon Creek.
The forum also spotlighted the candidates for House District 4, which represents the Mendenhall Valley and all points north. The seat is held by Republican Rep. Bruce Weyhrauch, who is being challenged by Democrat Bob Doll.
Doll hammered on the theme of electing Democrats to break up the Republican majority in the Legislature.
"One-party government means the governor feels free to move the marine highway headquarters, 40 jobs and 40 families out of Juneau," Doll said. "It means he can decimate the Alaska Marine Highway System a little bit at a time and no one seems to do anything about it."
Doll also reminded the audience that Republicans eliminated the state's Longevity Bonus program for seniors and cut funding for government entities that served Native communities.
Weyhrauch noted that while serving in the Republican majority for the last two years he secured money for the Juneau Charter School and funds to design a swimming pool in the Mendenhall Valley.
"I think it's easy to be negative," Weyhrauch said. "People who have worked with me know who I am and what I've done and watched my actions."
Weyhrauch said he fought against the controversial decision to move the Alaska Marine Highway System to Ketchikan. He said he would continue to fight for ferry funding if re-elected.
Engstrom, who struggled to find his place in his notes, also said he would push for stable ferry funding.
The marine highway is a highway system and must be funded like one, he said.
• Timothy Inklebarger can be reached at timothy.inklebarger@juneauempire.com.