Fairbanks North Star Borough
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Veterans sentencing bill advances despite concerns over court authority
House Bill 299 would let judges override prosecutors to place veterans in misdemeanor treatment courts, but prosecutors and court officials warned of separation of powers litigation.
by Alaska News5mo ago5 min read
Housing agency buys 600+ acres statewide to spur development
Alaska Housing Finance Corporation bought 600+ acres statewide with $12.5 million to spur single-family housing development, with developer proposals due in June and construction expected summer 2027.
by Alaska News5mo ago3 min read
House Finance hears divided testimony on $95M West Susitna road allocation
House Finance heard divided testimony on a 95 million dollar West Susitna road project. • Opponents cited habitat risks while supporters argued for economic growth. • The committee also reviewed funding for homeless programs and the Arctic Winter Games.
by Alaska News5mo ago5 min read
House Finance Hears Sharp Divide Over $95M for West Susitna Road
House Finance heard sharp debate Wednesday on a $95 million appropriation for the West Susitna Access Road, with opponents calling it a mining subsidy and supporters touting economic development.
by Alaska News5mo ago4 min read
Senate panel advances gas pipeline tax overhaul with $610M revenue target
Alaska Senate panel voted to replace property tax on gas pipelines with a volumetric tax projected to generate $610 million annually once Alaska LNG reaches full capacity.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago4 min read
Alaska's Right-to-Repair Bill Navigates National Debate on Consumer Access
Alaska House committee advanced a right-to-repair bill requiring manufacturers to provide repair parts and documentation, pushing the effective date to 2029.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago5 min read
Senate Passes $2.47B Capital Budget Focused on School Repairs
Alaska Senate passed a $2.47 billion capital budget Tuesday that directs $88.7 million to fix deteriorating K-12 schools, including a fire suppression system waiting 20 years for repair.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago3 min read
Fairbanks father's testimony drives push for faster body cam release
The House State Affairs Committee advanced a bill requiring police to release body camera footage within 30 days of serious incidents.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago5 min read
Senate panel advances 10 health board nominees to full Legislature
Alaska Senate committee advanced 10 health board nominees to the full Legislature for confirmation, including reappointments to nursing, pharmacy, and optometry boards.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago3 min read
Senate unveils gas pipeline bill with $600M property tax, consumer protections
Alaska Senate rewrote the governor's gas pipeline bill to raise property taxes from $74 million to $600 million at full production and ban passing cost overruns to consumers.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago3 min read
Energy consultant: Alaska LNG tax bill could cut delivered cost by 20 cents
A tax overhaul for Alaska LNG could cut delivered gas costs to Asia by 20 cents per unit, an energy consultant told lawmakers, but the Senate is pushing for higher taxes that could change the math.
by Alaska News5mo ago4 min read
Alaska 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 News5mo ago4 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 5mo 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 5mo ago2 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 News5mo ago4 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 News5mo ago4 min read
Galena 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 News5mo ago3 min read
Senate Resources hears LNG tax framework comparison, transparency concerns
Alaska Senate Resources Committee heard a consultant compare LNG tax frameworks and flag that lack of clarity on property taxes may be blocking project talks with stakeholders.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago8 min read
House Finance advances bill extending professional licensing board
House Finance advanced a bill extending Alaska's professional licensing board and adding registered interior designers, after revising language that prompted a gubernatorial veto last year.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago5 min read
House panel hears Fairbanks road service area reform proposal
House panel heard a bill to let second-class boroughs reshape road service areas without two concurrent elections, a process that has failed 60 percent of the time.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago3 min read
Alaska Energy Survey Shows Strong Support for Renewables, Mixed Views on Nuclear
Survey shows 70% of Alaskans support renewable energy and natural gas pipelines, but backing drops if costs rise or state investment is needed. • Rural Alaska faces energy crisis. Fairbanks burned 250,000 gallons of diesel daily last winter when natural gas power became unavailable. • Nuclear awareness grew from 25% to 40% between 2023 and 2025, with support rising as residents learned about microreactors.
by Alaska News5mo ago4 min read
House panel debates $113M education funding formula shift
House panel heard testimony on a bill that would shift school funding to a three-year enrollment average, costing $113 million annually but giving districts budget certainty earlier in the year.
by Alaska News5mo ago6 min read
Senate Education Committee Advances Opioid Awareness Bill, Hears Tribal School Compact Proposal
Senate Education Committee advanced a bill requiring opioid prevention curriculum in grades 6-12. • Committee heard first presentation on allowing tribes to operate public schools through state-tribal compacts, with second hearing scheduled Monday.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago5 min read
Senate panel hears data center safeguards, tribal education bill
Senate panel heard testimony on a bill requiring data centers to cover their own infrastructure costs and protect Alaska ratepayers from fuel supply risks and rate increases.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago4 min read
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.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago5 min read
House Resources Committee debates LNG equity stakes, rejects wildlife refuge amendments
Alaska House Resources Committee heard testimony on state equity stakes in the Alaska LNG project and rejected five wildlife refuge bill amendments on 5-4 party-line votes Friday.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago7 min read
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.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago3 min read
Senate Finance hears bill to add faculty regent to University board
House Bill 10 would add a tenured faculty member to the University of Alaska Board of Regents, expanding it from 11 to 12 members with full voting powers.
by Alaska News5mo ago4 min read
Senate Finance adopts $13.8B budget with $150 energy payments, school grants
Alaska Senate Finance approved a $13.83 billion budget Thursday with $150 energy payments for every resident and up to $100 million in school grants, leaving a $51.3 million surplus.
by Alaska News5mo ago4 min read
Senate panel advances U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade resolution with border changes
Alaska Senate panel approved a resolution backing the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade deal and calling for easier border crossings for travelers and pets.
by Alaska News5mo ago3 min readAlaska judicial conduct commission to hold rare probable cause hearing this spring
Alaska's judicial conduct commission will hold a rare public hearing this spring to decide whether misconduct charges against an unnamed judge should advance to formal proceedings.
by Alaska News5mo ago3 min readHouse Judiciary Advances Bill Restoring PFDs for Wrongfully Convicted
House Judiciary advanced a bill Wednesday allowing Alaskans whose convictions were overturned to claim missed Permanent Fund Dividends, including the Fairbanks Four.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago4 min read
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.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago5 min read
House Finance hears divided testimony on pharmacist prescribing bill
House Finance heard divided testimony Monday on a bill expanding pharmacists' prescribing authority, with supporters citing rural healthcare access and opponents raising abortion medication concerns.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago5 min read
House Judiciary adopts committee substitute for infant safety device bill
House Judiciary advanced a bill to let hospitals and fire stations install anonymous infant safety boxes, after two infants died abandoned in Anchorage since 2013.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago5 min read
Alaska Senate panel hears bill requiring human operators in commercial autonomous vehicles
Alaska Senate panel heard a bill requiring human operators in commercial trucks and buses with self-driving technology, citing harsh winter conditions as reason for caution.
by Alaska News5mo ago3 min read
Senate panel hears autonomous vehicle bill requiring human operators
Senate panel heard testimony Tuesday on a bill requiring human operators in commercial autonomous vehicles on Alaska roads, citing snow and ice as untested variables for self-driving systems.
by Alaska News5mo ago2 min read
Senate panel advances property tax cap bill despite state warnings
Senate panel advanced a bill allowing cities to cap property tax increases at 3 to 10 percent yearly, despite state warnings of lost revenue and administrative chaos.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago3 min readSenate committee holds Senate Bill 259 on property tax caps
Senate committee delayed a bill allowing Alaska cities to cap property tax assessment increases, citing concerns about lost revenue and state calculation problems.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago3 min read
State regulators extend review periods for Railbelt utility tariffs
Alaska regulators extended review timelines for rate changes from Chugach Electric and Enstar Natural Gas serving Southcentral Alaska.
by Alaska News5mo ago2 min read