Alaska State Legislature · Photo source · US government work
Mike Cronk
Senator · Alaska State Senate · District R
50 articles · 20 transcripts · 6 clips
Affiliations
Federal orders reach Alaska's beef labeling and processing gaps
“The community of Delta does a fantastic job of farming and ranching, but what we lack is that critical infrastructure.”
Conference draft keeps oil-and-gas pass-through tax, delays it to 2029
A House-Senate conference committee draft of HB 381 keeps a proposed income tax on oil-and-gas pass-through entities but delays collections to 2029.
Alaska LNG tax bill advances as working draft, disputes unresolved
Alaska lawmakers advanced a working draft of HB 381, the tax framework for Alaska LNG, but disputes over the alternative volumetric tax remain unresolved.
An Alaska village will own its solar power — and sell it back to the utility
A state grant puts village-owned solar and batteries in Allakaket, letting it sell power to its utility instead of buying diesel. A second grant expands a hydro project.
Gas-line developer warns Alaska's Senate terms could drive it off
Glenfarne told lawmakers the Senate's gas-line amendments — a 9.4% investor tax, an automatic state takeover clause, tough labor rules — could make it walk. Lawmakers say they're protecting the state.
Alaska's gas-pipeline bill now carries a tax on Hilcorp and others
A permanent tax on pass-through oil companies like Hilcorp is riding inside Alaska's gas-pipeline bill — and it kicks in by 2028 whether the pipeline gets built or not.
State economist: even with tax breaks, the gas line barely works
Even with the Senate's tax breaks, Alaska's gas project still costs more to make than Asia pays for it — and one lawmaker put it bluntly: "It seems like they don't work."
A pass-through tax, not the pipeline, is the real fight in Juneau
A conference committee spent two days on Alaska's $44B gas line, and the sharpest fight was over a pass-through tax on Hilcorp that doesn't need the pipeline to exist.
Alaska Senate digs in on gas tax bill, sends it to conference
Alaska Senate refused to back down on HB 381, sending the natural gas pipeline tax bill to a conference committee to resolve how to tax the Alaska LNG Project and fund municipalities and schools.
Alaska Senate passes S-corp LNG tax with 2028 effective date
“the language is incomplete, untested, and poorly drafted. This proposal is incomplete and leaves major questions unanswered regarding entry-level treatment, apportionment, deductions, depreciation, loss carryforward, or as an investor taxation. Tax professionals from impacted parties agree the language is unworkable and would have chilling effects on the project's economics and the ability to attract investors.”
Alaska Senate minority demands clean floor vote on LNG tax bill
“They need it to match the loan.”
Senate Finance presses Alaska LNG spur line: who builds, who pays, who regulates
Senate Finance gets into the numbers of the LNG line in a hot and spicy day of meetings
The $15,000 PFD buy-out that never got a vote
A 2024 House bill that would have let Alaskans trade future Permanent Fund dividends for a guaranteed $15,000 payout never left committee and died when the Legislature adjourned.
Alaska keeps veto power over LNG project despite 25% stake
Alaska keeps veto power over major Alaska LNG decisions despite owning only 25 percent of the joint venture with Glenfarne Group, including approval rights over contracts, capital requests, and rate structures that prioritize in-state gas use.
Senate Finance hears $18 billion revenue trade-off for Alaska LNG tax break
Senate Finance heard the proposed Alaska LNG tax break would cut state and municipal revenues by $18 billion over 30 years, but the estimate rests on construction costs that may range from $45 billion to $90 billion.
Alaska Senate adds telehealth parity and disability coverage to benefits bill
“HB 14 repeals the Catastrophic and Acute Medical Assistance Program, or CAMA, which has been obsolete for the past 5 years.”
Alaska Senate passes bill letting pharmacists treat minor illnesses without a doctor's call
Alaska Senate passed bill letting pharmacists treat strep throat, bladder infections, and manage diabetes without doctor approval first. • Pharmacists cannot prescribe opioids or high-risk drugs but can give naloxone. • Rural areas and emergencies benefit most, with pharmacist visits costing $277 less than clinic visits.
Senate panel advances education bill with energy relief, loan program
“it would allow members of regional school boards to substitute teach under emergency circumstances for a time-limited duration”
Alaska Legislature approves $1,000 PFD, $200 energy relief payment
Alaska Legislature set the Permanent Fund Dividend at $1,000 and raised energy relief payments to $200 per person, with the energy increase costing $127.3 million.
Alaska Senate tightens hunting residency rules to match PFD standards
“our resources are getting tighter and tighter. Social media has certainly not helped Alaska. It's actually brought a lot more people here to hunt and fish”
Alaska Senate advances university regents reform bill with 2027 start date
Alaska Senate advanced a bill to restructure the University of Alaska Board of Regents, setting it to take effect Feb. 1, 2027, with a sunset review date six years later.
Alaska budget fight leaves $40M in senior, disability care hanging
A six-member legislative committee decides by May 20 whether to fund $40 million in senior and disability care that the House backs but the Senate opposes.
Unorganized Borough Gains First Seat on Boundary Commission
Alaska Legislature passed a bill giving the Unorganized Borough its first seat on the commission that decides municipal boundaries and incorporations.
Alaska Legislature Passes Bill Recognizing Gold, Silver as Legal Tender
Alaska Legislature passed a bill recognizing gold and silver as legal tender and exempting those transactions from local sales taxes, sending it to Governor Dunleavy for signature.
Senate panel advances bill barring felons from school boards
Alaska Senate panel unanimously advanced a bill Tuesday that would ban convicted felons from school boards statewide, prompted by a 2022 Tok election that left students concerned about safety.
Home care worker pay mandate divides Alaska lawmakers over rural access
House Bill 96 would require home care agencies to spend 80 percent of Medicaid rates on worker pay over four years. • Rural providers warn the mandate could cut service access; worker advocates say it protects caregivers bearing travel costs. • Lawmakers divided as Alaska's elderly population is projected to surge 500 percent in 25 to 30 years.
Alaska Legislature Forms Conference Committee on $14B Operating Budget
Alaska lawmakers formed a conference committee Monday to resolve differences between House and Senate versions of the $14 billion fiscal year 2027 operating budget and mental health funding bill.
Senate Finance considers $1M teacher loan repayment pilot program
Senate Finance is weighing a $1 million pilot program to pay off student loans for teachers in high-need fields.
Alaska Senate Passes Right-to-Repair Bill for Consumer Electronics
“Alaska is a relatively drop in the bucket compared to the markets here, and I don't really want to be, you know, punishing the manufacturers for being up here and maybe even removing products from us.”
Alaska Senate committee advances sports betting bill with tax revenue promise
“Simply put, the intent of this legislation is to legalize sports betting in Alaska while ensuring that it's properly regulated. This bill aims accomplish three major goals: converting consumers from the black market to the legal market, establishing consumer protections for sports wagering activities, and providing for new ways to generate revenue for the state of Alaska.”
Alaska Senate Passes Operating Budget With Energy Relief
Alaska Senate passed a $70 per barrel operating budget with $150 energy relief payments, avoiding a major Constitutional Budget Reserve draw that the House budget requires.
Alaska House passes gold, silver legal tender bill unanimously
The Alaska House voted 40-0 to allow gold and silver as legal tender. The bill exempts metal value from sales tax but keeps tax obligations for fees.
Alaska Legislature Falls Two Votes Short of Overriding Elections Bill Veto
“I can look at the two reddest states in America, Texas and Florida, and have ballot tracking involved in their election. Ballot curing. Two of the reddest states in America, Texas and Florida, have ballot curing.”
Alaska residential schools seek doubled stipends to cover rising costs
“Alaska's residential school stipend funding statute has remained unchanged since 2014, while the cost of taking care of our kids has only gone up. Senate Bill 257 aims to bring the stipend much closer to what it actually costs to feed, house, and care for residential students by effectively doubling the current amount of the residential school stipend and tying it to various percentages of the base student allocation.”
Alaska Senate passes bill to ease classic car import registration
Alaska Senate unanimously passed a bill Wednesday letting collectors register legally imported classic cars 25 years or older, aligning state law with federal rules.
Senate advances pension bill without updated actuarial analysis
Alaska Senate advanced a major pension overhaul allowing public employees to choose between retirement plan types, but without an updated actuarial analysis of the final bill version.
Soldotna fisherman files for governor on food-security platform
“Food security is a huge issue for the state”
House panel hears bill requiring disclosure of out-of-state campaign funding
A House bill would require political groups funded mostly by out-of-state donors to disclose that fact in campaign ads, closing a transparency gap that lets outside money influence Alaska elections.
House committee advances Local Boundary Commission expansion bill
House committee advanced a bill to add one seat to Alaska's Local Boundary Commission and guarantee representation from the unorganized borough.
Senate Finance advances pension bill with municipal opt-in provision
The Senate Finance Committee advanced a pension bill on April 24 that lets municipalities choose whether to pay higher rates for the new plan.
Senate adds $156M to capital budget, prioritizes deferred maintenance
Alaska Senate added $156 million to the capital budget for deferred maintenance at schools, universities, and state facilities after oil prices rose beyond the governor's projections.
House committee advances bill adding unorganized borough seat to boundary panel
House committee advanced a bill to add an unorganized borough seat to Alaska's Local Boundary Commission, giving 74,448 residents a voice in decisions about city and borough incorporation.
Residential Schools Seek Doubled Funding Tied to Base Allocation
Alaska's seven residential boarding schools want legislation to double their per-student funding to $25,700 and tie future increases to the base student allocation.
Senate Passes Alaska Work and Save Retirement Program 15-4
The Alaska Senate passed a bill creating an automatic retirement savings program for employees at small businesses. It now heads to the House.
Senate passes capital budget focused on school maintenance
Alaska Senate passed a capital budget prioritizing school maintenance over new construction, targeting roughly 15 projects from a $401 million statewide list.
Alaska lawmakers hear testimony on four ballot initiatives
Alaska lawmakers heard testimony Thursday on three November ballot initiatives covering citizenship voting requirements, campaign finance limits, and ranked choice voting repeal, with no votes taken.
Alaska Senate adjourns technical session after committee report
Alaska Senate advanced its FY27 capital budget bill to the Rules Committee after a Finance Committee substitute, reconvening April 20.
Senate minority outlines pension reform, gas line concerns at press conference
Alaska Senate minority members outlined concerns about pension reform, the Alaska LNG project's economic viability, and several judiciary bills at a Thursday press conference.
Senate Finance subcommittee recommends $1.17 billion university budget
Senate Finance subcommittee approved a $1.17 billion University of Alaska budget for fiscal year 2027, adding $2.25 million for student recruitment and employee raises.
Alaska right-to-repair bill draws fire over broad scope and safety concerns
Alaska lawmakers raised safety concerns Thursday about a right-to-repair bill that would let consumers fix everything from iPhones to aircraft, warning it could endanger remote communities.
