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Week of Apr 20
House Finance hears divided testimony on pharmacist prescribing bill
House Finance heard divided testimony on HB 195. The bill would let pharmacists treat routine illnesses to help fill rural care gaps.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago4 min read
House committee hears bill to eliminate tax discounts
Alaska House committee heard a bill to eliminate five obsolete tax discounts and deductions that would raise nearly $500,000 annually for the state.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago3 min read
Senate Education Committee advances teacher loan repayment pilot program
Senate Education Committee advanced a bill offering teachers in high-need subjects up to $5,000 yearly for three years to repay student loans, targeting Alaska's teacher shortage.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago4 min read
Senate panel examines regulatory questions on gas pipeline tax plan
Senate panel debated tax breaks and regulatory oversight for a proposed natural gas pipeline, with municipalities seeking clearer cost projections and more local control.
by Alaska News6mo ago4 min read
Senate panel hears setnet cooperative bill, sets aside land transfer
Senate panel advanced a bill allowing setnet fishermen to work cooperatively, addressing enforcement conflicts, while postponing a land transfer proposal pending more details.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo 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 6mo ago3 min read
Senate Finance hears bill expanding civil rights protections to nonprofits
A bill heard Monday would grant 44,000 nonprofit workers state discrimination protections. It closes a gap for those outside Anchorage and Juneau.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago4 min read
Senate panel hears refuse utility rate reform bill
A Senate panel heard a bill that would let trash haulers use faster rate-setting procedures, cutting delays from three years to months and reducing the large rate increases customers now face.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago3 min read
More from Southcentral
Alaska 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 readSenate Finance subcommittee recommends $1.17 billion university budget
Senate Finance subcommittee approved a $1.17 billion University of Alaska budget for fiscal year 2027, adding $2.25 million for student recruitment and employee raises.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago2 min read
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.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago6 min read
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.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago2 min read
Senate Resources advances three bills on agriculture, evacuations, invasive species
Senate Resources advanced three bills Friday: one speeds up agricultural land leases for farmers, one standardizes evacuation color codes statewide, and one creates an invasive species council to coordinate control efforts. • All three passed without objection.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago2 min read
Wild ice skating draws global attention as Alaska outdoor recreation scene grows
Wild ice skating has grown into an organized Alaska movement with nearly 12,700 club members, drawing global media attention and international visitors to natural ice formations across the state.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago4 min read
Kenai Peninsula CTE students achieve 97% graduation rate
Kenai Peninsula students in career and technical programs reached a 97 percent graduation rate while earning industry certifications.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago4 min read
House Education Committee advances CPR training bill with rural flexibility
House Education Committee advanced a CPR training bill Monday with amendments letting rural schools skip hands-on practice and delaying the requirement to July 2027 to pursue grant funding.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago3 min read
About Southcentral
Southcentral Alaska is the region of the state centered on Anchorage, its population center and transportation hub. It spans the Kenai Peninsula, the Matanuska-Susitna Valley, Prince William Sound and Cook Inlet, and reaches communities such as Kenai, Soldotna, Homer, Seward, Cordova, Palmer, Wasilla and Eagle River.
Much of the region's civic life runs through the Anchorage Assembly, the Kenai Peninsula and Matanuska-Susitna borough assemblies, and city councils. Questions of housing and zoning come up often, along with who pays to extend water and sewer lines to building sites. School budgets, road safety on its highways and oil and gas operations in Cook Inlet also return.
The Kenai River and Cook Inlet tie the region to fishing, and the Parks Highway and Seward Highway link its communities. Windstorms that cut power and trooper reports from the Matanuska-Susitna area are common subjects as well.
More from Southcentral
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
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
House Resources advances Vogler nomination to Regulatory Commission
House Resources Committee advanced Julie Vogler's nomination to the Regulatory Commission of Alaska to the full legislature for confirmation.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago3 min read
Senate panel advances fishing co-op bill with electronic monitoring
The Senate Resources Committee advanced a bill to legalize set gillnet cooperatives and mandate electronic monitoring on trawl vessels.
by Alaska News6mo ago3 min read
Governor's appointee questioned on Holocaust views, residency qualifications
Senate panel advanced Veronica Lambertson to the Alaska Police Standards Council despite questions about her residency and social media posts on the Holocaust and January 6.
by Alaska News6mo ago3 min read
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.
by Alaska News6mo ago3 min readSenate panel advances Lambertson to Police Standards Council despite questions
The Senate Judiciary Committee advanced Veronica Lambertson to the Police Standards Council despite concerns over her residency.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago4 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 readHouse panel advances seafood industry data-sharing bill
House committee advanced a bill allowing the University of Alaska and state labor department to share seafood industry data for research.
by Alaska News6mo ago2 min read
Alaska Airlines Pilots Raise Concerns Over Hawaiian Merger Integration
Alaska Airlines pilots worry the Hawaiian merger will delay their access to widebody aircraft, as seniority list integration begins following Hawaiian's flight code retirement on April 22.
by Alaska News6mo ago2 min readEarly construction work causes two-hour delays on Palmer commute
Construction crews on Palmer-area highways starting at 6 a.m. on April 23 caused two-hour commute delays, with no end date announced yet.
by Alaska News6mo ago2 min readValdez Planning and Zoning Commission Meets Tonight
Valdez Planning and Zoning Commission meets tonight at 7 PM in City Hall to review permits, variances, and subdivisions as part of an ongoing zoning code update.
by Alaska News6mo ago1 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
Assembly rejects resolution seeking larger Basher Trailhead parking lot
Anchorage Assembly rejected a resolution to expand Basher Trailhead parking from 45 to 60 spaces, voting 5-6 over whether it should override the administration's design work.
by Walter AlaskaNews6mo ago3 min read
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 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 readTwo Skiers Rescued After Avalanche Near Turnagain Pass
Two skiers were rescued by helicopter Thursday after an avalanche at Falls Creek Trail near Turnagain Pass, with both sustaining injuries requiring hospital transport.
by Alaska News6mo ago2 min readAssembly Approves Study of Wildfire Service Area for High-Risk Zones
Anchorage Assembly voted to study creating a wildfire service area funded by property taxes on high-risk zones to pay for dedicated fire protection where development meets wildland.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago2 min read
Alaska Overhauls School Construction Funding to Help Rural Districts Compete
Alaska is changing school construction funding to prioritize building safety over age. The new rules start for fiscal year 2028.
by Alaska Newsadded 7mo ago4 min readAlaska House debates school transportation funding amid rural-urban divide
Alaska House debated school transportation funding as diesel prices surge, but rural lawmakers worry the money would shortchange districts using student flights instead of buses.
by Alaska Newsadded 7mo ago3 min readAlaska Rural Health Program Flooded with 'Surprising' Number of Quality Ideas
Alaska's rural health grant program has too many good ideas for its limited federal budget. The state is now hunting for private partners to fund the leftovers.
by Alaska Newsadded 7mo ago3 min readAlaska House Approves $2M for Talkeetna Trooper Post Using ANWR Funds
Alaska House approved $2 million from Arctic refuge revenues to restore a trooper post in Talkeetna, citing a 113-mile law enforcement gap and fentanyl trafficking on the Parks Highway.
by Alaska Newsadded 7mo ago3 min readAlaska OT Law Limits Patient Recovery, Licensing Board Says
Alaska's occupational therapy law limits therapists to helping patients cope with disabilities rather than recover function, a gap House Bill 110 would close to match federal standards.
by Alaska Newsadded 7mo ago2 min read
