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Week of Apr 20
Senate panel approves $163.8 million judiciary budget with lease, staff additions
Alaska's Senate Finance Subcommittee approved a $163.8 million judiciary budget on April 15, adding $722,000 in lease, staff, and travel costs the courts had requested.
Senate Panel Advances Nine Board Nominees After Confirmation Hearings
Alaska Senate committee advanced nine board nominees for confirmation, after hearings on rural healthcare access, pharmacist scope of practice, and COVID-era business practices.

Senate panel approves $485 million Department of Revenue budget
Senate Finance Subcommittee approved a $485.1 million Department of Revenue budget for fiscal year 2027, rejecting a proposal to consolidate Permanent Fund Corporation spending into a single account.

Senate panel advances Salazar to Human Rights Commission
Senate Judiciary Committee advanced Grace Salazar's nomination to the Alaska State Commission on Human Rights to a joint session for confirmation.

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.

Alaska lawmakers urge federal reclassification of 911 dispatchers
Alaska lawmakers are urging Congress to reclassify 911 dispatchers as first responders to give them access to federal training, grants, and mental health resources.
Alaska mines release toxic metals into rivers, state data shows
Alaska's mines released over 450,000 pounds of mercury in 2018, the most in the nation, contaminating rivers that villages depend on for drinking water and subsistence fishing.
Week of Apr 6
House committee advances special education funding resolution, CTE mobility bill
House Education Committee unanimously passed a resolution urging Congress to fully fund special education, which currently covers only 10 to 15 percent of costs in Alaska. • Committee advanced a bill allowing rural school districts to share career and technical education programs like welding and healthcare training. • Special Education Service Agency reported its first-ever waitlist, with nine students across seven districts waiting for services.
More from Juneau
Alaska 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.
House 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.
Week 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.
House 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.
House 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.
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.
Coming up
Second Saturday Makers Market at Mendenhall Mall
Mendenhall Mall, 9105 Mendenhall Mall Rd., Juneau, AK 99801
Community event
Sketching in the Museum
Class
Basic Rifle Class
Class
Assembly Ordinance Introduction - View Drive Buyout
Meeting
City and Borough of Juneau — Assembly Human Resources Committee
Meeting
About Juneau
Juneau (Dzánti K'ihéeni) is the capital of Alaska, a city and borough in Southeast Alaska on the Gastineau Channel. Set between mountains and the channel and reached only by air or sea, it holds the State Capitol and the Legislature, Mendenhall Glacier and Douglas Island.
The Juneau Assembly and its boards decide on housing development such as Telephone Hill, harbor ramps and charter fees, trail rules and whale watching. Cruise tourism raises recurring questions over docks, tidelands and whale watching boats, and the city also supports the Eaglecrest Ski Area.
Juneau is home to Alaska Native organizations including Tlingit and Haida, Sealaska Heritage Institute and Goldbelt. Its links to the rest of Southeast Alaska, including Sitka, Haines and Skagway, run through its airport and ferry terminals.