Local organizations and topics
Numbers are stories in the last 30 days.
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Week of May 11
Senate panel advances civil rights commission bill with new settlement tool
Alaska Senate Finance Committee advanced a bill that renames the human rights commission to civil rights commission, expands it to cover roughly 40,000 nonprofit employees, and adds a settlement tool.
by Alaska News6mo ago2 min read
Downtown library to be named for Anchorage's original townsite
Anchorage's naming commission scheduled a June 10 hearing to name the new downtown library after the city's original townsite, honoring a $12.5 million gift from Janet Goetz's estate.
by Alaska News6mo ago3 min read
Leaks, mold, cold plague Anchorage apartments after California takeover
Anchorage tenants face leaks, mold, cold, and sewage problems after a California landlord took over their apartment buildings.
by Alaska News6mo ago1 min readHouse panel advances retirement savings program for private workers
Alaska House panel advanced a bill to create a state-run retirement savings program for private workers at small businesses, with automatic enrollment at 5 percent of pay and no cost to employers.
by Alaska News6mo ago3 min readAnchorage zoning board approves deck variance despite staff concerns
Anchorage zoning board unanimously approved a deck variance 3 feet from a property line instead of the required 5 feet, overriding staff concerns about the homeowner's self-imposed hardship.
by Alaska News6mo ago3 min read
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.
by Alaska News6mo ago4 min readUrban Design Commission splits on apartment buffer variance
Anchorage commissioners denied a landscaping variance for a West Dimond apartment project to protect neighbors from drainage issues.
by Alaska News6mo ago4 min read
Alaska Legislature rejects governor's attorney general nominee
Alaska Legislature rejected Stephen Cox as Attorney General, 29-31, over his focus on national legal battles instead of Alaska interests.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago3 min readMore from Anchorage
House rejects Galena school funding swap after dramatic rescind vote
The Alaska House rejected a plan to strip $5 million in school funding from Galena and redirect it to projects in Anchorage, the Mat-Su, and Fairbanks, voting 20-19 after a dramatic rescind sequence.
by Alaska News6mo ago3 min readStone Soup Group finale teaches families IEP advocacy for disabled youth
Stone Soup Group hosts a free workshop May 30 in Anchorage teaching families how to advocate for disabled students at IEP meetings and navigate state and federal policies.
by Alaska News6mo ago2 min readHouse panel advances domestic violence protective order extensions
House panel advanced a bill letting judges extend domestic violence protective orders to five years instead of one, sparing victims from annual court renewals.
by Alaska News6mo ago4 min read
Alaska Marijuana Board schedules special session on Anchorage ordinance
Alaska Marijuana Control Board scheduled a special meeting for June 3, 2026, to address AO360, an Anchorage ordinance, though the notice did not specify what issues the board will tackle.
by Alaska News6mo ago2 min readInterior Secretary Burgum to address Alaska energy conference
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum will speak at the Alaska Sustainable Energy Conference in Anchorage on May 19 alongside Governor Dunleavy, his second year attending the event.
by Alaska News6mo ago2 min read
Senate panel advances bill cutting sick leave for seafood workers
Alaska Senate panel advanced a bill cutting paid sick leave for seasonal seafood workers from 56 to 48 hours annually, citing end-of-season workforce shortages at processing plants.
by Alaska News6mo ago2 min read
Railbelt power grid operator schedules three subcommittee meetings in two days
Railbelt Transmission Organization holds three subcommittee meetings May 13 and 14, with the full Governance Committee meeting May 15 in Anchorage.
by Alaska News6mo ago1 min readUpper Copper River king salmon fishery requires new permit in 2026
King salmon anglers in the Upper Copper River must get a free individual permit this season and report any fish 20 inches or longer by August 31.
by Alaska News6mo ago2 min readComing up
Second Saturday Art Exhibit
Denali Graphics & Frame, 700 W. International Airport Rd, Anchorage, Alaska
Exhibition
Legally Blonde, JR: The Musical
Performance
JCC Bunco and Potluck
Community event
Awakening of Winter 7 – Dude, Where's the Snow?!
Community event
AIGA Alaska The BIG One Awards Reception
Community event
About Anchorage
Anchorage (Dgheyay Kaq') is the largest city in Alaska, set in Southcentral Alaska between the Chugach Mountains and Cook Inlet. The Municipality of Anchorage takes in neighborhoods and communities from downtown, Midtown and Spenard to Eagle River and Girdwood.
The Anchorage Assembly passes ordinances, approves municipal contracts and reviews liquor license renewals, and the mayor appoints members of city boards and commissions. Local questions return to housing density and building in earthquake hazard zones, police funding and surveillance rules, parks and public facilities, and the condition and staffing of its schools.
Anchorage holds the Port of Alaska and sits beside Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, so military needs such as helicopter landing sites come before city government. It shares Southcentral Alaska with the Mat-Su Valley, the Kenai Peninsula and the other communities around Cook Inlet.
More from Anchorage
Alaska Gear Company wins 2024 Manufacturer of Year; 2025 nominations open
Alaska's Made in Alaska Program is accepting nominations through May 29, 2026 for its 2025 Manufacturer of the Year award, which recognizes Alaska-based manufacturers for growth and innovation.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago2 min readAlaska House panel advances penny-rounding bill to standardize cash transactions
Alaska House panel advanced a bill requiring retailers to round cash transactions symmetrically to the nearest five cents, standardizing rules as the U.S. stops making pennies.
by Alaska News6mo ago3 min readAssembly Approves $64.8M Bond Appropriation for Capital Projects
Anchorage Assembly unanimously approved $64.86 million in bond funds for roads, fire protection, parks, transit and other city projects on May 12.
by Alaska News6mo ago1 min read
Anchorage treatment facility debate exposes gaps in public process
Anchorage fast-tracked approval for a Fairview treatment center without notifying neighbors first, exposing gaps between federal procurement rules and community engagement.
by Alaska News6mo ago4 min read
Alaska schools face May 15 deadline for improvement plans, funding
Alaska school districts must submit three-year improvement plans and budgets to the state by May 15, a deadline that comes as districts budget without knowing their actual state funding.
by Alaska News6mo ago3 min readAlaska lawmakers debate farm tax break for horses, flowers
Alaska House committee narrowed a farm tax bill Tuesday, removing horses and flowers from eligibility and angering the bill's sponsor.
by Alaska News6mo ago4 min read
Planning commission postpones wetlands plan update over staffing gaps
Anchorage's Planning Commission postponed wetlands plan updates Monday after staff admitted no one on payroll can use the technical tools needed to manage wetlands permits.
by Alaska News6mo ago3 min read
House panel hears electronic pull-tab bill with 35% manufacturer cap
House panel heard testimony on a bill capping electronic pull-tab manufacturer fees at 35 percent, which operators say is too high compared to Minnesota's 20 percent.
by Alaska News6mo ago4 min read
Alaska House Passes Required Local Contribution Cap for Schools
Alaska House voted 24-16 to cap annual growth in required local school funding at 2%, shifting roughly $29 million in education costs from municipalities to the state.
by Alaska News6mo ago5 min read
Alaska House panel hears push to raise tobacco age to 21, tax vapes at 25%
The House Finance Committee is considering a bill to raise the tobacco age to 21 and add a 25 percent tax on vaping products.
by Alaska News6mo ago4 min readAlaska Senate Passes Right-to-Repair Bill for Consumer Electronics
Alaska Senate passed a right-to-repair bill requiring manufacturers to provide parts and repair information for consumer electronics, advancing to the House with support from repair shops and Google.
by Alaska News6mo ago4 min read
Alaska House rejects optional school district healthcare pooling plan
Alaska House rejected a plan that would have let school districts join the state healthcare program, turning down potential savings of $31 million to $42 million annually for major districts.
by Alaska News6mo ago3 min read
Week of May 4
Alaska Native Women Face Trafficking Risks Across Rural and Urban Areas
Alaska Native women and girls face heightened trafficking and abuse risks across rural and urban areas. • A 2026 federal report found Alaska's foster care system failed to assess Native children in state custody for sex trafficking. • Rural villages lack law enforcement, shelters, and victim services, making communities vulnerable to exploitation.
by Alaska News6mo ago3 min readFrom Alaska House Finance Rejects Cemetery, School, Energy Amendments
Alaska House Finance rejected five capital budget amendments Friday, citing limited revenue. • Denied $850,000 for Eagle River cemetery and full funding for Galena school renovations. • Also rejected Arctic Winter Games support, West Susitna road authority, and $5 million hydroelectric study.
by Alaska News6mo ago4 min read
True North Recovery proposes Fairview behavioral health center
True North Recovery wants $750,000 in city funds for a Fairview health center. Neighbors oppose the site due to service density.
by Alaska News6mo ago5 min read
Alaska House Panel Hears Push to Raise Tobacco Age to 21
A House panel is considering raising the tobacco age to 21. The change would align state law with federal standards and unlock millions in prevention funding.
by Alaska News6mo ago3 min read
New sport fishing rules clarify handling of rockfish, salmon, lingcod
Alaska's 2026 sport fishing rules require anglers to keep rockfish, lingcod, and king salmon identifiable by skin until leaving the water.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago2 min readHouse Committee Hears Divided Testimony on Electronic Pull-Tab Bill
HB 386 would allow electronic pull-tabs on tablets for charitable gaming. • Operators warned the bill's costs could cut charity proceeds in half, especially in rural areas. • Manufacturers and veterans groups backed the change for revenue growth and accountability.
by Alaska News6mo ago5 min readHouse Panel Advances $40M Community Impact Fund for Gas Pipeline
House Resources Committee voted 7-2 to increase a community impact fund for Alaska LNG pipeline municipalities to $40 million, over the project developer's objection that it exceeds economic modeling.
by Alaska News6mo ago3 min read
Alaska House bill to ban polystyrene food containers moves to Senate
Alaska House Bill 25, which would ban polystyrene foam food containers statewide, advanced to the Senate after testimony Tuesday on cost versus pollution concerns.
by Alaska News6mo ago2 min read
ConocoPhillips Cuts 12.5% of North Slope Workforce as Oil Prices Fall
ConocoPhillips laid off 12.5% of its North Slope workforce in September following its merger with Marathon Oil, affecting workers at Kuparuk, Alpine, and Willow fields as oil prices fell.
by Alaska News6mo ago2 min readFrom Recent High School Graduate Appointed to Alaska State Medical Board
A 19-year-old high school graduate with no medical background was appointed to Alaska's State Medical Board, which licenses physicians.
by Alaska News6mo ago2 min read
Senate Finance forwards Anchorage attorney to State Assessment Review Board
Senate Finance Committee advanced Anchorage attorney Jana Welsheen's nomination to the State Assessment Review Board to a joint legislative session for confirmation.
by Alaska News6mo ago2 min read
House advances expanded disability benefits for all public workers
Alaska House advanced a bill raising occupational disability benefits to 75 percent of salary and adding healthcare coverage for all public employees and teachers.
by Alaska News6mo ago3 min read
