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Tuesday, May 19
Pikka field begins oil production on Alaska's North Slope
Pikka field on Alaska's North Slope began oil production this week and is expected to add about 80,000 barrels per day to state output.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago1 min readAlaska House debates youth vaping penalties amid justice concerns
Alaska House debated whether to remove a $100 civil fine for minors caught with vaping products, with opponents citing research that justice system involvement harms youth outcomes.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
House Finance adds feral cat spay-neuter provisions to invasive species bill
House Finance added feral cat spay-neuter provisions to an invasive species bill in a 9-2 vote, delaying the cat management rules until 2028.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
Monday, May 18
Homer posts conflicting times for Tuesday's council work session
Homer posted conflicting start times for Tuesday's City Council work session, listing 4:00 p.m. on one page and 5:30 p.m. on another, leaving residents unsure when to tune in.
by Alaska News5mo ago1 min readSenate panel advances education bill with energy relief, loan program
Alaska Senate Finance Committee advanced a bill providing energy cost relief to school districts and expanding teacher loan repayment programs.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago3 min read
Alaska Senate Passes Statewide Styrofoam Ban for Restaurants
Alaska Senate passed a statewide ban on polystyrene food containers at restaurants, effective January 1, 2027, citing health and environmental concerns.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago3 min read
Senate panel advances gas pipeline tax bill after 36 hearings
Alaska Senate panel advanced a gas pipeline tax bill Monday after 36 hearings, despite senators saying they lack expert information and the governor's administration has offered no support.
by Bill AlaskaNews5mo ago3 min read
State Signs Deal to Develop Geothermal Energy at Mount Augustine Volcano
Alaska and South Korean company POSCO International signed a two-year exploratory deal on May 18 to study geothermal energy and green methanol at Mount Augustine volcano. • The agreement also covers five other projects: a sustainable aviation fuel refinery, rare earth element mining on Prince of Wales Island, port expansion, and the Knik Arm Crossing.
by Bill AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
More from Alaska
House approves stricter hunting residency rules in divided vote
Alaska House approved stricter hunting and fishing residency rules in a 24-16 vote, requiring 180 days per year in state instead of just maintaining a domicile, effective January 2028.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min readHouse Finance advances tobacco age increase, e-cigarette tax on 7-4 vote
House Finance advanced a bill raising the tobacco purchase age to 21 and taxing e-cigarettes at retail, effective July 2026 and July 2027.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago4 min readHouse panel hears bill to restore PFDs for wrongfully convicted Alaskans
A House panel heard testimony on a bill allowing wrongfully convicted Alaskans to reclaim Permanent Fund dividends lost during incarceration, affecting roughly five known cases worth about $107,852.
by Walter AlaskaNews6mo ago3 min read
Alaska deploys $272M rural health program through regional meetings
Alaska is holding regional planning meetings to decide how to spend a $272 million federal rural health program, with sessions scheduled in Mat-Su Valley on June 4 and Anchorage on Sept. 22.
by Maggie AlaskaNews6mo ago3 min readSenate panel reviews oil tax floor increase projecting $132M annual gain
Senate panel reviewed modeling showing a higher oil tax floor would generate $132 million annually on average, though some years could see revenue decline.
by Bill AlaskaNews6mo ago4 min read
Alaska House panel hears bill to shield ratepayers from data center costs
Alaska House panel heard testimony on a bill requiring data centers to pay for their own transmission infrastructure instead of passing costs to residential ratepayers.
by Walter AlaskaNews6mo ago3 min read
Alaska lowers bar for toddlers to get early intervention services
Alaska lowered the eligibility threshold for toddler early intervention services from 50 percent to 25 percent developmental delay, allowing thousands more children to access help earlier.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago3 min readMat-Su Job Center Offers Free Digital Literacy Help Twice Weekly
Free one-on-one digital literacy tutoring is available Tuesdays and Thursdays at the Mat-Su Job Center in Wasilla, covering email, job searching, and basic computer skills.
by Alaska News6mo ago1 min readComing up
Interior Department and Marine Minerals Administration Regional Tribal Meeting
Alaska
Meeting
Alaska LNG ROW Lease Conversion Public Hearing (Virtual)
Hearing
2027 Statewide Summer Reading Program Registration Deadline
Public notice
GMU 2 Wolf Trapping Season Opens
Public notice
Alaska Mental Health Trust Land Office Sealed Bid Deadline
Public notice
About Alaska
Alaska is a United States state spanning Arctic, subarctic and coastal regions. Its communities range from Anchorage, Fairbanks and Juneau to Kodiak, the North Slope and villages such as McGrath and Adak that sit off the road system.
The Legislature, the governor's office and state agencies set policy on oil and gas, fisheries, transportation and public lands, and state boards such as the Board of Fisheries and the AIDEA board decide on catch rules, loans and investments. Cities and boroughs keep their own budgets, taxes, liquor licenses and planning decisions.
Questions that recur across the state include local budgets and tax rates, fishery catch limits, air service and ports for remote communities, and decisions on state land. Federal agencies and courts also shape life in Alaska, from air service contracts for rural towns to the certification of statewide election results.
More from Alaska
Alaska Legislature Passes Bill Requiring Itemized Student Fee Statements
Alaska Senate passed a bill requiring the University of Alaska to send students itemized fee statements showing exactly what they pay for, heading to the governor.
by Walter AlaskaNews6mo ago3 min readDeadhorse Airport fence project reaches 3,500 feet of installation
Crews installed 3,500 feet of fence at Deadhorse Airport. • Work continues on 24 Northern Region road and bridge projects. • Travelers should check 511 for ongoing construction delays.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago4 min readLate breakup delays Chitina dipnet season; salmon run expected late
Chitina dipnet season tentatively opens June 10, delayed by late ice breakup and expected late salmon passage at Miles Lake sonar.
by Bill AlaskaNews6mo ago3 min readKing Salmon Fishing Banned Across Tanana Drainage Due to Yukon Forecast
Alaska banned all king salmon sport fishing in the Tanana River drainage, including catch-and-release, due to a forecast for below-average Yukon River king salmon returns this year.
by Bill AlaskaNews6mo ago4 min readOne Spot Left in Denali Wildfire and Wildlife Workshop for Educators
Alaska Department of Fish and Game has one opening left in a June 1-3 wildfire and wildlife workshop for educators in Denali National Park.
by Bill AlaskaNews6mo ago2 min readJBER plans 7-mile barbed-wire fence along Anchorage neighborhoods
Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson plans a 7-mile barbed-wire fence along Anchorage neighborhoods, drawing concerns from residents about wildlife and trail access.
by Walter AlaskaNews6mo ago2 min read
Sunday, May 17
Alaska News Roundup: Gas pipeline tax fight, Point Thomson trade-off, and McNeil River access debate
Senate passed gas pipeline tax bill raising oil production tax floor to six percent, drawing industry criticism. • Point Thomson regulators warn blowdown for pipeline risks sixty-five million barrels of condensate. • Mount Edgecumbe enrollment dropped a quarter to three hundred eleven students amid facility and health concerns. • Fish and Game reviews wheeled plane landings at McNeil River bear sanctuary despite conservation objections.
by Walter AlaskaNews6mo ago3 min read
Alaska House passes fisheries tax credit expansion unanimously
Alaska House unanimously approved a bill extending a tax credit for seafood processors through 2037 and expanding it to all fish species, aiming to help the industry during poor market conditions.
by Bill AlaskaNews6mo ago3 min readSenate Passes Insurance Gap Fix for Gig Economy Drivers
Alaska Senate passed a bill requiring delivery app companies to provide insurance coverage for injured gig workers, closing a gap that left drivers with no protection after accidents.
by Walter AlaskaNews6mo ago3 min read
House Finance Committee advances auto-IRA bill for Alaska workers
House Finance Committee advanced a bill creating an automatic IRA program for Alaska workers at businesses without retirement plans, with employees able to opt out.
by Walter AlaskaNews6mo ago3 min read
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.
by Walter AlaskaNews6mo ago3 min read
Gas pipeline bill adds oil tax increase, industry calls process rushed
Alaska Senate passed a gas pipeline bill raising the oil tax floor to six percent starting in 2027, even without the pipeline, over industry objections.
by Alaska News6mo ago2 min read
House panel cuts youth tobacco fines, advances Tobacco 21 bill
Alaska House panel advanced a Tobacco 21 bill Saturday, cutting fines for minors from $300 to $100 and eliminating mandatory court appearances for tobacco possession citations.
by Alaska News6mo ago3 min read
Saturday, May 16
Senate Finance advances public safety bill with parole board overhaul
Senate Finance advanced a public safety bill that shrinks Alaska's parole board to five members, adds tribal and addiction expertise requirements, and creates address protections for crime victims.
by Alaska News6mo ago3 min readGas line tax break delivers 20% savings, far less than competing states
Alaska's gas line tax break gives developers a 20% savings, far less than the 65% savings they'd get under a 10-year tax holiday like Texas and Louisiana offer, a consultant told lawmakers Saturday.
by Alaska News6mo ago4 min read
Alaska House Passes Paid Parental Leave, Exempts Seasonal Workers from Sick Leave
Alaska House passed the state's first paid parental leave program but exempted seasonal workers from a voter-approved paid sick leave mandate.
by Alaska News6mo ago4 min readSenate panel weighs municipal concerns over Alaska LNG tax structure
Alaska Senate panel revised the LNG tax bill to raise annual revenue to $625 million and added a 10-year sunset clause to address municipal concerns about setting a precedent for future tax breaks.
by Alaska News6mo ago3 min read
Senate panel advances bill requiring humans in autonomous commercial vehicles
Alaska Senate panel advanced a bill requiring human operators in autonomous commercial vehicles, despite industry warnings it would halt testing in the state.
by Alaska News6mo ago4 min read
House Finance advances civics education bill after rejecting military exemption
Alaska House Finance advanced a civics education bill for high school graduation, rejecting a military exemption after finding existing law already protects military families.
by Alaska News6mo ago3 min read
Alaska Senate tightens hunting residency rules to match PFD standards
Alaska Senate voted to require hunters and anglers to spend at least 180 days in state per year to qualify for cheaper resident licenses, using the same residency test as the Permanent Fund Dividend.
by Alaska News6mo ago4 min read
Senate panel advances full funding for pre-K students statewide
Senate panel voted to count pre-K students as full-time in school funding, removing a $3 million cap and 2034 sunset date to boost aid to districts.
by Alaska News6mo ago2 min read
8-Year Boundary Error in Jonesville PUA Finally Corrected
Alaska lawmakers unanimously approved a bill to fix an 8-year-old boundary error in the Jonesville Public Use Area, clearing the way for the state to finish writing rules for the land.
by Alaska News6mo ago2 min readHouse committee advances LGBTQ anti-discrimination bill on 4-3 vote
Alaska House committee advanced a bill adding sexual orientation and gender identity protections to state civil rights law in employment, housing, and public accommodations, voting 4-3 Thursday.
by Alaska News6mo ago4 min readSenate panel advances bill to stabilize Alaska school funding with enrollment averaging
Senate panel advanced a bill letting school districts use three-year enrollment averages for budgets, aiming to let them make staffing decisions earlier and reduce teacher turnover.
by Alaska News6mo ago4 min read
