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Wednesday, Apr 29
Alaska House Revives Defined Benefit Pensions in Narrow 21-19 Vote
Alaska House voted 21-19 to restore defined benefit pensions for public employees, citing a 30 percent teacher turnover rate and $140 million in annual overtime costs.
by Alaska News6mo ago4 min read
House Finance advances mail theft bill despite competing governor's version
House Finance advanced a bill making mail theft a class C felony, though the governor's competing version treats it as a misdemeanor and may be merged before final passage.
by Alaska News6mo ago3 min read
Board considers trawl gear restrictions in Aleutian Islands state waters
The Alaska Board of Fisheries delayed a decision on banning large trawlers from Aleutian state waters to weigh habitat concerns against a potential 7 million dollar processing deal.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago3 min readFish and Game Opens Two-Week King Salmon Fishery at Gunnuk Creek
Fish and Game opens Gunnuk Creek to king salmon fishing June 1-14, allowing residents two fish per day from hatchery surplus while most Southeast Alaska waters stay closed.
by Alaska News6mo ago3 min readAlaska Universities Report 73% Jump in Teacher Pipeline Enrollment
University of Alaska teacher pipeline enrollment jumped 73 percent, with the university awarding over $1 million in scholarships to 109 candidates as the state works to fill 324 teacher vacancies.
by Alaska News6mo ago4 min read
Board of Fish Defers Trawl Gear Restrictions, Opts for Federal Coordination
Alaska Board of Fisheries unanimously deferred trawl restrictions, opting to coordinate with federal managers on gear standards instead.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago3 min read
Alaska Board Rejects 25% Hatchery Production Cut After Heated Debate
Alaska Board of Fisheries rejected a 25% hatchery production cut, voting 6-1 against the measure after debate over wild salmon impacts and coastal fishing jobs.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago3 min read
Kodiak Borough Lands Committee develops framework to streamline land disposal
Kodiak Borough mayor proposed a three-tier framework to speed land sales and prioritize workforce housing on parcels near town requiring minimal infrastructure work.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago4 min read
More from Alaska
Tlingit & Haida building two education campuses on Prince of Wales
Tlingit & Haida is building two early education campuses on Prince of Wales Island, opening summer 2026, to expand Head Start and childcare access with Tlingit and Haida language immersion.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago2 min read
Juneau committee weighs limiting short-term rentals to one per owner
Juneau's housing committee is reviewing a draft rule to cap short-term rentals at one per owner starting January 2027, but members disagree on whether rentals actually worsen housing shortages.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago2 min read
Planning Commission accepts DOT concept for Tudor Road interchange redesign
Anchorage's Planning Commission approved a redesign of the aging Seward Highway and Tudor Road interchange that will add protected bike and pedestrian paths, following five fatalities in the corridor.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago2 min read
Fish and Game sets cleanup rules for herring pound structures
Fish and Game issued cleanup rules April 28 for herring pound structures in Prince William Sound, requiring commercial operators to remove them after harvest to prevent disease spread.
by Alaska News6mo ago2 min read
Alaska LNG Consultant Flags Potential 50% Return for Developers vs. $1B State Revenue
A consultant warned lawmakers that Alaska LNG developers could net $8 billion annually by 2050. He cautioned his preliminary model may contain errors that require further review.
by Alaska News6mo ago5 min read
Tuesday, Apr 28
Alaska lawmakers explore data center development as economic opportunity
Alaska lawmakers heard Tuesday that the state's cold climate and natural gas could attract data centers, which cost over $1 billion to build but create few permanent jobs once running.
by Alaska News6mo ago3 min read
Borough proposes $580K budget with new staff, building upgrades
Kodiak Island Borough's $580,000 fiscal year 2027 budget adds a construction manager, switches to electric heating, and funds $147,000 in ADA accessibility upgrades.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago3 min read
How to challenge your property assessment in Fairbanks North Star Borough
Fairbanks North Star Borough property owners have 30 days from their January assessment notice to appeal the assessed value, with unresolved disputes decided by a public Board of Equalization hearing.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago2 min read
Coming 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
Zoning Board Approves Two Variances, Denies Girdwood Deck Request
Anchorage's Zoning Board approved variances for two Eagle River properties with setback violations but denied a Girdwood homeowner's request to legalize a deck encroaching into the front setback.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago4 min read
School Board Reverses Course on Calendar After Community Backlash
The Anchorage School Board moved the 2026-27 start date back to August 19. The change follows community outcry over subsistence conflicts.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago3 min read
Commission Approves Explosives Storage Site for Avalanche Control
Anchorage Planning Commission unanimously approved an explosives storage facility near Girdwood for avalanche control, pending Assembly rezone vote May 12.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago3 min read
Assembly postpones developer's land deadline amid mobile home park dispute
Assembly delayed a developer's land deadline extension until May 12 after mobile home park residents testified they are losing $70,000 investments for $6,000 buyouts.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago3 min read
Willow Woman Charged After 25 Sled Dogs Found Dead on Property
A Willow woman was arrested after 25 sled dogs starved to death on her property, with the borough investigating why animal control ignored months of neighbor complaints.
by Alaska News6mo ago2 min readHouse panel advances travel insurance consumer protection bill
Alaska House panel advanced HB 302 to update travel insurance rules for the first time since 2013, joining 42 states with stronger consumer protections.
by Alaska News6mo ago2 min read
House Judiciary advances bill extending confidentiality to tribal advocates
The House Judiciary Committee advanced a bill to grant tribal victim advocates the same legal confidentiality protections as other state programs.
by Alaska News6mo ago3 min read
Alaska LNG Tax Bill Walks Tightrope Between Project Viability and Local Needs
House committee approved a three-part tax on Alaska LNG with a six-year break, but Senate wants rates up to 55 cents per thousand cubic feet. • The bill requires community benefit agreements and revenue sharing with municipalities, but lacks enforcement details. • North Slope and Kenai Peninsula boroughs could take equity stakes instead of tax payments, a structure unlike other major LNG projects.
by Alaska News6mo ago4 min read
Senate panel advances two nominees to Alaska Violent Crimes Compensation Board
Alaska Senate Judiciary Committee advanced two nominees to the Violent Crimes Compensation Board, which processes about 1,000 payment requests yearly for crime victims' funerals and medical care.
by Alaska News6mo ago3 min read
Senate panel advances property tax assessment cap bill
Senate panel advanced a bill letting cities cap annual property tax increases on owner-occupied homes, despite assessors warning it creates unfair burdens between longtime and new homeowners.
by Alaska News6mo ago3 min read
Alaska House panel hears retirement savings bill for small business workers
Alaska House panel heard testimony on HB 338, which would create automatic retirement savings accounts for workers at small businesses that lack retirement plans.
by Alaska News6mo ago4 min read
Alaska's tribal school compact bill navigates sovereignty and public education law
Senate Bill 66 would authorize up to five Alaska tribes to operate public schools under compact agreements, with a seven-year pilot costing $19.2 million in the first year.
by Alaska News6mo ago4 min read
Alaska LNG tax bill could swing state revenue by hundreds of millions
Alaska's proposed LNG tax bill could swing state revenue by hundreds of millions depending on how regulators interpret rules for separating oil and gas costs, the Department of Revenue warned Monday.
by Alaska News6mo ago4 min read
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.
by Alaska News6mo ago3 min read
House Finance considers multi-year school funding averaging bill
House Bill 261 would let Alaska school districts know enrollment by July 1 instead of October, using three-year averaging to give them budget certainty and time to hire teachers earlier.
by Alaska News6mo ago4 min read
Alaska moves to standardize wildfire evacuation alerts statewide
Alaska is moving to standardize wildfire evacuation alerts statewide using a three-tier Ready, Set, Go system after confusion during the 2022 Clear Fire left residents uncertain about danger zones.
by Alaska News6mo ago3 min read
House panel questions education fund proposal with no guaranteed revenue
House Finance Committee questioned whether a proposed constitutional education fund guarantees school money, since it requires no dedicated revenue and lets future legislatures spend it down to zero.
by Alaska News6mo ago3 min read
House Finance hears $8.4M in governor's budget amendments
House Finance heard $8.4 million in budget amendments, including salary increases for public safety workers and a reversal of pay raises for newly unionized University of Alaska employees.
by Alaska News6mo ago8 min read
Monday, Apr 27
Valdez Fire Department Contains Late-Night House Fire on Gulkana Street
Valdez firefighters contained a house fire on Gulkana Street late April 27 with no injuries or damage to nearby homes.
by Alaska News6mo ago1 min readGalena School District Shows Early Learning Drives Math, Reading Gains
Galena School District's early learning programs show students performing above national math and reading norms, but most programs depend on grants that may not be sustainable long-term.
by Alaska News6mo ago3 min read
Homer Council to Vote on HART Sales Tax Renewal for November Ballot
Homer City Council votes tonight on whether to ask voters to renew the city's 0.75 percent sales tax for roads and trails for 20 more years, with the ballot measure set for November 3.
by Alaska News6mo ago2 min readSenate Finance Advances Agricultural Leasing Reform After Farmer Cites $9,000 Annual Fee
Senate Finance advanced a bill to let farmers lease state land at agricultural rates instead of development prices, after a Homer farmer's annual fee jumped from $1,000 to $9,000.
by Alaska News6mo ago4 min read
Sunday, Apr 26
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.
by Alaska News6mo ago4 min read
House Labor Committee Advances Travel Insurance Bill, Hears Disaster Pet Plan
House Labor Committee advanced HB 302 updating travel insurance rules to take effect January 1, 2027. • Committee heard HB 335 requiring state disaster plans for pets and service animals after October 2026 typhoon response gaps. • Committee heard SB 180 to repeal 2024 language that created confusion over the Regulatory Commission of Alaska's authority over natural gas import facilities.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago5 min read
