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Week of Apr 20
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 6mo 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 News6mo 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 News6mo 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 News6mo 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 News6mo 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 6mo 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 6mo 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 6mo ago5 min read
More from Interior
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 6mo 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 News6mo 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 News6mo 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 6mo 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 6mo 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 News6mo ago2 min readPermafrost Thaw Releases Unexpected Methane in Alaska Uplands
Thawing permafrost in Alaska uplands releases methane three times faster than wetlands, surprising researchers. • Coastal erosion from warming threatens Alaska Native villages with relocation and subsistence disruption.
by Alaska News6mo ago2 min readRural Alaska Electricity Costs Run Three to Five Times Urban Rates
Rural Alaskans pay three to five times more for electricity than urban residents because remote villages rely on expensive diesel microgrids, despite state renewable energy plans.
by Alaska News6mo ago2 min read
About Interior
Interior Alaska is the region centered on Fairbanks and the Tanana Valley, spanning the land between the Alaska Range and the Brooks Range. It includes the Fairbanks North Star Borough, the Denali Borough, North Pole, Delta Junction, Healy and Nenana, along with villages such as Fort Yukon, Manley Hot Springs and Lake Minchumina.
Its continental climate brings extreme temperature swings and winter storms, and the Parks, Steese, Elliott, Dalton and Tok Cutoff highways cross summits where winter weather makes driving difficult. The region is also seismically active, and earthquakes there are felt across the road system.
Rural villages rely on small utilities, federally subsidized air service and Tanana Chiefs Conference, the regional tribal organization, for services such as water, planning and grant writing. Golden Valley supplies electricity to the region, and federal land managers set trail and subsistence rules for areas such as the White Mountains, the Steese and Gates of the Arctic.
More from Interior
Week of Apr 13
Northern lights draw crowds to Fairbanks and Kodiak viewing spots
Bright green aurora lit Alaska skies on April 18-19, drawing crowds to Fairbanks and Kodiak as the University of Alaska Fairbanks forecast predicted peak activity around midnight.
by Alaska News6mo ago2 min readInterior hunters report early black bear harvests as spring season begins
Interior hunters are reporting early black bear harvests as spring season opens, with the state tracking kills to manage predator populations and protect moose herds.
by Alaska News6mo ago3 min readFairbanks and Kodiak Residents Capture Last Aurora Displays Before Midnight Sun
Fairbanks and Kodiak residents caught vibrant northern lights on April 18 and 19, likely the last aurora views before the midnight sun eliminates darkness on April 21.
by Alaska News6mo ago3 min readAlaska residents share bear and moose encounters as spring wildlife season begins
Alaskans are posting spring bear and moose sightings on social media as animals emerge from winter across the Kenai Peninsula and Interior, following typical seasonal patterns.
by Alaska News6mo ago2 min readAlaska Lawmakers Propose Legislative Oversight of $80B Permanent Fund Board
Alaska lawmakers proposed legislative confirmation of Permanent Fund Corporation board members for the first time since 1982, as the $80 billion fund now covers over 60 percent of state spending.
by Alaska News7mo ago3 min readAlaska School Funding System Favors Wealthy Districts, Senators Say
Alaska senators say the state's school construction funding system favors wealthy districts that can afford architects and engineers, leaving poorer communities waiting years for basic repairs.
by Alaska Newsadded 7mo ago4 min readWeek of Apr 6
Alaska House Panel Advances Bill to Speed Up State Contract Payments
Alaska House panel voted to require state agencies to pay contractors as fast as private companies do, adding seven state jobs at over $1 million in costs but delaying implementation until 2027.
by Alaska News7mo ago2 min readHouse Finance passes Mount Edgecombe funding bill, advances mail theft measure
House Finance passed a revised bill to fund Mount Edgecombe High School through rural education funds, and advanced a measure making mail theft a Class C felony with up to five years in prison.
by Alaska Newsadded 7mo 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 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 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 read
