Juneau
RSSNews from Juneau, Alaska
Alaska Senate opens special session on natural gas tax overhaul
Alaska Senate opened special session to overhaul natural gas taxes through Senate Bill 2001. • New volumetric tax on gas throughput and revised municipal property tax calculations for schools. • Governor Dunleavy called session under May 19 proclamation limited to natural gas tax bills. • Senate coordinating with House and three state departments to avoid costly errors.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Dunleavy vetoes transit plan, calls special session on gas pipeline tax
Governor Dunleavy vetoed a statewide transit bill and called a special legislative session to address natural gas pipeline taxation, with Senate Finance Committee hearings beginning Wednesday at 9 a.m.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
School district property insurance costs to double, equivalent to four teaching positions
Juneau School District property insurance costs will more than double to over $800,000 next year, forcing the district to cut the equivalent of four teaching positions since state law caps school funding and insurance falls under that cap.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Alaska Legislature proclaims May 2026 as Myositis Awareness Month
Alaska Legislature unanimously proclaimed May 2026 as Myositis Awareness Month to highlight a rare autoimmune disease that causes muscle inflammation and weakness.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
Alaska Senate rejects healthcare compact bill in 11-9 vote
Alaska Senate rejected a bill allowing out-of-state healthcare providers to practice through interstate compacts, voting 11-9 against it. Opponents worried providers would lack experience with Indigenous populations and Alaska's specific healthcare needs.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
Alaska Senate passes $13.9B operating budget with $200 energy relief
Alaska Senate approved $13.9B budget with $200 energy relief per person added to Permanent Fund Dividend. • Budget passed 17-3 and includes $11M for heating assistance and $29.1M in school fuel grants. • Operating budget maintains $44M surplus and now goes to House for final vote.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Alaska House raises unemployment benefits, expands telehealth coverage
Alaska House raised maximum weekly unemployment benefits from $370 to $470, first increase since 2009. • Expanded telehealth coverage and raised disability pay for firefighters and police from 40 percent to 75 percent. • Updated insurance laws to clarify rebates and ban misleading advertising.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Alaska House passes five healthcare licensure compacts in single bill
Alaska House unanimously approved five healthcare licensure compacts for physicians, physician assistants, EMS personnel, psychologists, and social workers to help the state compete for federal rural health funding.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
House advances complex care homes for behavioral health patients
Alaska House unanimously approved HB 73 to create new residential homes for people with behavioral health conditions like schizophrenia. • New license category takes effect July 1, 2027, giving the Department of Health time to set service standards and payment rates. • Bill addresses people who cannot access existing group homes or assisted living facilities.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
House moves to close property tax overpayment loophole
Alaska House voted to end a loophole that let taxpayers deliberately overpay property taxes to collect 8 percent interest refunds, passing House Bill 13 by 32-7.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
House votes to eliminate tax filing discounts worth $500,000 annually
Alaska House voted to eliminate four tax discounts worth $500,000 yearly, including a cigarette stamp break that persisted two decades after the equipment it subsidized was paid off.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
Alaska Passes Age of Consent Bill After Weeks-Long Senate Delay
Alaska raised age of consent from 16 to 18 after Senate delay sparked public outcry. • Omnibus crime bill also criminalizes AI-generated child abuse images and requires sex offender registration. • New rules make sexual assault by healthcare workers a standalone crime and expand parole board. • Lawmakers worried about compressed timeline but voted yes anyway.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago3 min read
Alaska districts face June 30 deadline for federal education funds
Alaska school districts must submit federal education grant applications in substantially approvable form by June 30, 2026, to receive funding starting July 1, or face delays.
by Alaska News4mo ago2 min read
Alaska Energy Conference Highlights Gas Pipeline Progress Amid Legislative Tax Debate
Alaska LNG pipeline signed contracts, targets 2029 delivery, but governor and legislature split on tax framework. • Southcentral consumers could pay $22.96 per thousand cubic feet if exports fail, double current rates. • Federal officials highlighted critical minerals and $1 billion in funding, but permitting takes 15 to 18 years. • Rural Alaska pays $6.63 per gallon with no pipeline relief in sight.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago4 min read
Juneau Assembly Finance Committee votes 6-3 to end gondola project, repay Goldbelt
The Juneau Assembly Finance Committee voted 6-3 Tuesday to direct staff to end the Eagle Crest gondola project and draft an ordinance to repay Goldbelt and terminate the revenue sharing agreement, after construction costs ballooned from $7 million to $27 million.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago4 min read
Public Commenter Blames Management Turmoil for $12M Gondola Cost Surge
A public commenter told the Assembly Tuesday that forced management changes and procurement delays added millions to the Eagle Crest gondola project, with Trump tariffs worsening costs after two construction seasons were lost.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago3 min read
Inupiaq craftsman revives nearly lost qayaq-building tradition
Lou Logan will present on his 18-month project building a traditional Inupiaq qayaq at the Alaska State Museum, working to recover construction techniques that were almost entirely lost due to cultural loss and assimilation.
by Alaska News4mo ago3 min readUnorganized Borough Gains First Seat on Boundary Commission
Senate Bill 63 creates the first Local Boundary Commission seat for Alaska's Unorganized Borough and passed the Legislature with overwhelming bipartisan support.
by Alaska News4mo ago2 min readNew Forensic Methods May Help Alaska Museums Identify Ancestors
Alaska State Museum and Sheldon Jackson Museum will host a virtual meeting on May 19, 2026, featuring a University of Alaska researcher presenting new forensic methods to identify ancestral remains and connect them to descendant communities as part of NAGPRA compliance efforts.
by Alaska News4mo ago2 min readGas tax hike could net Alaska $590M over pipeline life, analysis shows
Department of Revenue analysis shows increasing the North Slope gas production tax from 13% to 17% would generate $590 million over 30 years without affecting in-state gas prices due to existing tax ceiling protections.
by Alaska News4mo ago3 min read
Navy eyes return to Adak amid Arctic security concerns
The U.S. Navy is gathering information to potentially reestablish operations at Adak, marking a significant shift in Arctic military posture as adversary activity increases in the region.
by Alaska News4mo ago4 min read
State Defends Transboundary Mining Oversight as Stakeholders Demand Stronger Protections
Alaska officials testified that water quality monitoring shows no pollution from British Columbia mines crossing the border, but fishing groups, tribes, and conservation organizations argued the state is not doing enough to protect Southeast Alaska's salmon rivers from upstream mining risks.
by Alaska News4mo ago5 min read
Douglas man to share journey building traditional Inupiaq qayaq
Douglas resident Lou Logan will present on his 18-month experience building a traditional Inupiaq qayaq at the Alaska State Museum on May 16.
by Alaska News4mo ago2 min readAlaska bill would penalize state for late payments to contractors
The Alaska Senate Finance Committee heard testimony on HB 133, which would impose 10.5% interest penalties when the state fails to pay nonprofits, municipalities, and tribal organizations within 30 days.
by Alaska News4mo ago4 min read
Recent High School Graduate Appointed to Alaska State Medical Board
The Alaska House Health and Social Services Committee held a confirmation hearing Tuesday for Hannah Milkey, a 19-year-old who graduated high school in 2025 and was appointed to the State Medical Board one week earlier.
by Alaska News4mo ago2 min read
19-year-old homeschool graduate appointed to State Medical Board
Hannah Milkey, who graduated high school in 2025 and has no medical training, was appointed to Alaska's State Medical Board one week before her confirmation hearing, prompting questions from legislators about her ability to evaluate physician disciplinary cases.
by Alaska News4mo ago3 min read
Alaska bill would require human operators in autonomous freight trucks
The Alaska Senate Transportation Committee heard House Bill 217, which would mandate human safety operators in commercial autonomous vehicles while exempting personal vehicles under 10,000 pounds.
by Alaska News4mo ago3 min read
Dunleavy says Alaska gas pipeline depends on property tax overhaul
Governor Mike Dunleavy urged the legislature to pass a payment-in-lieu-of-taxes bill within three weeks, calling it essential to financing what he described as the largest project in Alaska history, an LNG pipeline from the North Slope.
by Alaska News4mo ago5 min read
Attorney General Cox Defends 'Counter-China Initiative' Amid Jurisdiction Questions
Alaska Attorney General Stephen Cox defended his proposed 'counter-China initiative' during a House Judiciary confirmation hearing, describing it as focused on reviewing Chinese-made technology in state infrastructure while lawmakers questioned whether the effort crosses into federal jurisdiction.
by Alaska News4mo ago3 min read
Juneau schools seek $10M bond for roofs, HVAC after state funding dries up
The Juneau School District is reviving a $10 million bond proposal for critical maintenance including roofs at three schools, HVAC upgrades, and security systems after years of minimal state capital funding left the district unable to address mounting infrastructure needs.
by Alaska Newsadded 4mo ago3 min read
Generations Southeast brings CDL simulator training to Juneau, Prince of Wales
Generations Southeast Community Learning Center has installed virtual driving simulators at its Juneau and Prince of Wales campuses to provide commercial driver's license training locally, eliminating the need for Southeast Alaska residents to leave the region for CDL certification.
by Alaska News5mo ago2 min read
Hundreds pack Juneau Assembly meeting to oppose recreation facility cuts
Juneau residents filled a special Assembly meeting to testify against proposed budget cuts to pools, field house, ice arena, and Eagle Crest ski area, with many families warning closures would drive them from the city.
by Alaska News5mo ago4 min read
Eagle Crest faces $1.68M subsidy request or severe cuts
Eagle Crest Ski Area presented three budget scenarios to the Assembly Finance Committee, revealing that operating at the historical $930,000 subsidy level would require 56% staff cuts and eliminate operational resilience, while a bare-minimum viable operation requires $1.68 million in taxpayer support.
by Alaska News5mo ago3 min read
Airport firefighting trucks fail, leaving Juneau one flat tire from losing all flights
Juneau's airport dropped to Index B status when two of three firefighting trucks failed simultaneously, limiting service to only 737-700s Alaska Airlines is phasing out and prompting urgent funding requests for replacement equipment.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago4 min read
Juneau committee weighs limiting short-term rentals to one per owner
The Assembly Lands, Housing and Economic Development Committee reviewed a draft ordinance that would cap short-term rental ownership at one property per person, with members divided on whether the restriction addresses housing availability concerns.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago2 min read
Alaska LNG Consultant Flags Potential 50% Return for Developers vs. $1B State Revenue
Legislative consultant Nick Fulford presented hastily-prepared analysis showing Alaska LNG midstream developers could earn roughly 50% annual returns by 2040-2050 while the state receives approximately $1 billion in combined taxes, raising questions about the proposed tax structure's fairness.
by Alaska News5mo ago5 min read
State employee per diem frozen since 2010 despite 40% inflation
The House State Affairs Committee heard testimony on legislation to raise state employee per diem rates for in-state travel, which have remained unchanged since 2010 while Alaska's cost of living has risen 40%.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago4 min read
House Finance sets amendment deadline for police, firefighter disability bill
The House Finance Committee set an amendment deadline for legislation increasing disability benefits for injured peace officers and firefighters, while also advancing a mail theft bill and revising a paid parental leave measure.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago6 min read
Alaska lawmakers hear testimony on four ballot initiatives
The Alaska Legislature held a joint hearing on four ballot initiatives covering citizenship voting requirements, campaign finance limits, and ranked choice voting.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago5 min read
Senate panel approves $163.8 million judiciary budget with lease, staff additions
The Senate Finance Subcommittee on the Judiciary approved a $163.8 million operating budget for Alaska's court system that includes funding for lease increases and therapeutic court staff.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago2 min read