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Week of Apr 6
House committee advances bill recognizing dispatchers as first responders
House committee advanced a bill to classify emergency dispatchers as first responders, unlocking federal grants for rural Alaska centers.
by Alaska Newsadded 7mo ago2 min read163 Alaskans Wait for Life-Saving Organ Transplants
163 Alaskans await organ transplants, mostly kidneys, while the state lacks transplant programs and forces patients to travel to Washington for surgery.
by Alaska News7mo ago2 min readFairbanks Seeks $3.5M in State Funding to Host 2028 Arctic Winter Games
Fairbanks is seeking $3.5 million in state funding to host the 2028 Arctic Winter Games, expecting 2,000 athletes and thousands of family members to boost local tourism.
by Alaska News7mo ago2 min readAlaska House committee advances bill to expand early intervention eligibility
A House bill would lower Alaska's early intervention eligibility threshold to match federal standards, potentially saving $34.9 million annually in special education costs.
by Alaska Newsadded 7mo ago2 min readAlaska House committee advances plan for state immigrant welcoming office
Alaska House committee heard testimony on a bill to create a state immigrant welcoming office by 2027, when the state must take over refugee services from a nonprofit.
by Alaska Newsadded 7mo ago2 min readHouse Panel Hears Bill to Waive ID Fees for Homeless Young Adults
House panel heard a bill to waive state ID and birth certificate fees for homeless people aged 18-25, removing a barrier to employment and housing.
by Alaska Newsadded 7mo ago2 min readAlaska House panel advances free school meals for reduced-price students
Alaska House panel advanced a bill to provide free school meals to 3,326 students who qualify for reduced-price programs, at an estimated cost of $200,000 to $430,000 annually.
by Alaska News7mo ago2 min readHouse Finance committee debates pharmacist prescribing bill amid abortion concerns
House Finance Committee debated a bill Tuesday that would let pharmacists prescribe for minor ailments, but lawmakers split over whether it could permit abortion medication prescribing.
by Alaska News7mo ago2 min readMore from Alaska
Alaska Senate considers tougher penalties for hit-and-run deaths
Alaska Senate committee heard testimony on a bill making fleeing a fatal accident a Class A felony with 7 to 11 years prison time, instead of treating it the same as injury hit-and-runs.
by Alaska News7mo ago2 min readHouse panel considers expanding early intervention for Alaska children
A House committee heard testimony on a bill to expand early intervention services for Alaska children by lowering eligibility thresholds, potentially saving the state up to $229,000 per child.
by Alaska News7mo ago2 min readAlaska parole board grants 85% of recent applications, reversing trend
Alaska's parole board approved 85% of recent discretionary parole applications, reversing years of declining approval rates as prisoner programming improved after COVID disruptions.
by Alaska News7mo ago2 min readAlaska Senate panel considers banning synthetic food dyes from school meals
Alaska Senate panel heard testimony on a bill to ban six synthetic food dyes from school meals, citing links to behavioral disorders and allergies and minimal cost to districts.
by Alaska News7mo ago2 min readAlaska Scholarship Funding Projections Show Potential Shortfalls Through 2029
Alaska's scholarship program faces funding shortfalls through 2029 after the state expanded eligibility last year and more students applied, forcing potential cuts to both merit and need-based aid.
by Alaska News7mo ago2 min readWeek of Mar 30
State seeks public comment on Yukon River salmon fishing rules by April 30
Alaska is taking public comments through April 30 on adding traditional knowledge to Yukon River fall chum salmon fishing rules, with a decision vote May 1.
by Alaska News7mo ago1 min readHouse Panel Considers Bills to Ease Alaska's Liquor Liability Insurance Crisis
Alaska lawmakers are considering bills to address a liquor liability insurance crisis that has tripled premiums and forced five carriers out of the market.
by Alaska Newsadded 7mo ago2 min readSenate Committee Hears Testimony on Nurse Licensure Compact Bill
State officials want to join a nursing compact to fill 1,100 vacancies and save $272 million in federal funding. The nurses union opposes the bill over concerns about workplace conditions.
by Alaska Newsadded 7mo ago2 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
Conference Committee Approves Supplemental Budget with CBR Safeguards
Alaska lawmakers approved a supplemental budget Monday with new limits on drawing from the constitutional budget reserve and cut contingency funding from $30 million to $20 million.
by Alaska Newsadded 7mo ago2 min readHouse Passes Barbers Board Reform, Honors NICU Lifesaving Work
Alaska House unanimously passed a bill streamlining barber and aesthetics licensing by letting the state handle paperwork while the board keeps oversight.
by Alaska Newsadded 7mo ago1 min readHouse Education Committee Advances Bill to Boost Residential School Funding
House Education Committee heard testimony Thursday on a bill to raise funding for Alaska's nine residential schools for the first time since 2015, adding $2.3 million annually to cover inflation.
by Alaska Newsadded 7mo ago2 min readMayors Oppose Alaska LNG Tax Bill, Cite Revenue Concerns
Five Alaska borough mayors told lawmakers the proposed Alaska LNG tax bill would slash municipal revenues by up to 90 percent, prompting the Senate to delay it for further review.
by Alaska Newsadded 7mo ago2 min readAlaska Special Education Crisis: 200 Teaching Positions Unfilled Statewide
Alaska school districts cannot fill 200 special education teaching positions, forcing some schools to operate without a resident special education teacher.
by Alaska Newsadded 7mo ago1 min readHouse Finance weighs bill to standardize state payment timelines
House Finance examined a bill requiring Alaska to pay nonprofits and tribal groups within 30 days, matching private contractor timelines, with interest penalties for delays.
by Alaska Newsadded 7mo ago2 min readSenate Panel Questions DNR Commissioner Nominee on Gas Development
Senate committee pressed DNR nominee John Crowther on Cook Inlet gas supply and oil royalty disputes as he seeks confirmation to lead Alaska's resource department.
by Alaska Newsadded 7mo ago2 min readSenate Committee Advances Bill to Raise Alaska's Age of Consent Amid Sexual Violence Crisis
Alaska Senate advances bill to raise age of consent from 16 to 18, addressing the state's crisis of sexual violence against young people.
by Alaska Newsadded 7mo ago2 min readHouse Committee Extends Deadline for AI Personhood Amendment
Alaska House committee delayed a vote on whether to add language to the state constitution denying personhood rights to AI systems, pushing the deadline to April 7 to allow more legal review.
by Alaska Newsadded 7mo ago2 min readHouse Judiciary Confirms Four Governor Appointees to State Boards
House Judiciary Committee confirmed four of Gov. Dunleavy's appointees to state boards overseeing judges, crime victims, law enforcement, and violent crime compensation.
by Alaska Newsadded 7mo ago2 min readHouse Faces Russian Seafood Ban, Spending Limits, and Healthcare Access Bills
House advanced bills to keep Russian seafood out of U.S. markets, require a supermajority vote for large state savings withdrawals, and expand rural healthcare access through telehealth reimbursement and physician assistant authority. • Representative Stutes recognized Juneau advocate Katie Boats for a decade of work on sexual assault law reform.
by Alaska Newsadded 7mo ago2 min readHouse Advances Corporate Tax Bill, Rejects AI and Nuclear Amendments
Alaska House advanced a corporate tax bill targeting multi-state and digital businesses, rejecting amendments to tax AI companies and restrict AI from nuclear systems.
by Alaska Newsadded 7mo ago2 min readAlaska Senate Passes Russian Seafood Import Ban Extension Resolution
Alaska Senate unanimously backed extending the federal ban on Russian seafood imports to protect the state's 44,000 fishing workers from subsidized foreign competition.
by Alaska Newsadded 7mo ago2 min readWildlife refuge bill faces pushback over jet ski ban, firearm restrictions
House Bill 321 would simplify wildlife refuge designations and add 688 acres to Creamer's Field. • Alaska Department of Fish and Game opposes a jet ski ban in Kachemak Bay, but public testimony supports it. • Legislators want more time to review the complex 80-plus page bill with 20-plus maps.
by Alaska Newsadded 7mo ago3 min readPanel Calls for Standardized Child Abuse Reporting Training Across Alaska
A state review panel called for standardized child abuse reporting training across Alaska after finding current programs vary widely and confuse mandatory reporters.
by Alaska Newsadded 7mo ago1 min readState's $2.9B Reserve Fund Ranks Second Highest Nationally
Alaska's $2.9 billion reserve fund ranks second nationally, but the state is shifting away from oil revenue and increasingly relying on permanent fund earnings to balance its budget.
by Alaska Newsadded 7mo ago2 min read
Conference Committee Forms to Resolve HB 289 Budget Differences
A six-member conference committee started resolving differences in Alaska's fiscal year 2026 supplemental budget, with power to set disputed items between zero and the higher chamber amount.
by Alaska Newsadded 7mo ago2 min readAlaska Senate Panel Weighs Naturopathic Doctors' Prescription Authority
Alaska Senate panel heard arguments for and against letting naturopathic doctors prescribe non-controlled drugs under physician supervision, with medical groups citing training gaps as a safety risk.
by Alaska Newsadded 7mo ago2 min read
