This week, the federal government shut down. For many Alaskans, this is not an abstract headline — it’s a personal crisis.

Alaska is home to more than 15,000 federal employees, not counting the military and contractors who also play a vital role in our communities. Some will be asked to keep working without pay — air traffic controllers, TSA officers, weather forecasters, and many others. Others face the terrible uncertainty of furloughs and the threat of permanent job loss. Their families are suddenly left wondering how to cover bills, make rent, or keep food on the table while waiting for Washington to act.

On my website, I have created a shutdown page where I’ll share updates, resources, and links to help Alaskans navigate this disruption. I also hope you will reach out to me and let me know directly how this shutdown is affecting you, your family, and your community. 

Frankly, it bothers me that our office is going to have to put time into understanding and assisting with the disruption of a federal shut down. We should be focused on the initiatives we are developing during Alaska Entrepreneurship Week to advance our future opportunities and economic growth, and of course the need for reliable and affordable energy including Cook Inlet gas as we watch the termination dust come down the mountain side.

But we must face what’s in front of us this morning, and while we grapple with the immediate fallout, we must also step back and recognize what this moment reveals.

A stable, functioning, and well-managed government is not a luxury — it is the foundation of both our civic economy (valuable but not profitable activities) and our market economy (valuable and profitable activities). Without stability, we cannot sustain or build a strong economy, deliver essential services reliably, or make responsible long-term decisions. Political impasses and leadership failures, whether in Washington or Juneau, do not simply stall policy debates — they hurt families, damage our communities, weaken our businesses, and diminish opportunities for the next generation.

This federal shutdown should never have happened. And for Alaska, it is also a mirror.

For 15 years, our own state leaders have failed to resolve Alaska’s fiscal future. Year after year, we’ve drifted without a plan — spending down savings, deferring hard choices, and leaving Alaskans uncertain about the future of schools, public safety, energy, and essential services – and watching many Alaskans leave! Just as federal dysfunction now threatens jobs and families, state inaction erodes trust, drives people away, and puts our long-term prosperity at risk 

We can do better. In fact, we must.

That is why I support efforts that would restore stability and predictability, align state spending with Alaskans’ values, and build a diversified, resilient economy. Yes, I have a plan to share. But Alaska’s leaders have no shortage of plans. What we lack is leadership that recognizes that having a plan is more important than having my plan.

The issue is not a particular plan, but how will we as Alaskans come together to make difficult choices. I’d rather not see the solution forced on the state. We’ve seen what that looks like at the federal level, and we don’t need to repeat that in Alaska.

Just as we expect our congressional delegation to act with urgency to end this federal shutdown, Alaskans must demand the same from our state legislature: the courage to advance proposals, collaborate and negotiate to make the hard decisions, and finally chart a course for stability that supports future generations of Alaska, not just those today who hope the other guy (or gal) will pay the bill.

The lesson of this federal shutdown is clear. Government paralysis is not neutral — it is costly. The longer we delay, the greater the damage.

Let’s resolve to do better, together, for Alaska’s future.

Ky