The Alaska House of Representatives narrowly rejected an amendment to redirect $5 million from a Galena school renovation to Anchorage and Mat-Su projects after a dramatic rescind vote brought the measure back for reconsideration.
Senator Cathy Tilton's bill to regulate cryptocurrency kiosks passed the Alaska Senate unanimously after her mother was scammed out of thousands of dollars, part of $26 million Alaskans lost to online fraud in 2024.
The House Finance Committee advanced a bill expanding pharmacist prescribing authority Thursday after voting down an amendment to add Alaska to a 40-state nurse licensure compact, despite warnings the compact is required for federal healthcare funding.
The House Finance Committee heard testimony Thursday on House Bill 381, which would replace traditional property taxes on the Alaska LNG pipeline with a 15-cent per thousand cubic feet volumetric tax, generating an estimated $577 million by 2033 while giving municipalities decision-making authority over gas treatment plants and LNG facilities.
The Senate Finance Committee heard testimony Thursday on legislation to double the maximum bulk fuel loan from $750,000 to $1.5 million and eliminate pooled loan caps, responding to rising fuel costs in rural Alaska.
by Alaska News13h ago2 min readState Capitol, Juneau, Alaska
The House Finance Committee announced Friday that a scheduled hearing on gas line legislation may be canceled pending a Rules Committee decision, prompting the panel to reorganize its agenda around a vehicle and boat transfer-on-death title bill.
The Alaska Legislature has passed HB 1, which recognizes gold and silver as legal tender and exempts precious metal transactions from local sales taxes, with the bill now awaiting Governor Dunleavy's signature.
The Alaska House of Representatives unanimously passed legislation raising the bulk fuel loan cap from $750,000 to $1.5 million for communities under 2,000 people, responding to soaring fuel costs driven by overseas conflict and the coldest Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta winter in 15 years.
The Alaska House Finance Committee voted 7-4 to advance a paid parental leave bill that would create a new payroll tax and provide up to 12 weeks of benefits, despite warnings the fund could be depleted by 2040 and concerns about small business exemptions creating legal vulnerabilities.
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.
The Senate Labor and Commerce Committee advanced legislation Wednesday that would reduce paid sick leave for seasonal seafood processing workers from 56 to 48 hours annually and cap monthly usage at 12 hours.
Alaska DOT is accepting bids through June 11, 2026, for a $2.5 million to $5 million project to refurbish or relocate Hydaburg's seaplane facility, a vital transportation link for the remote Southeast Alaska community.
The Alaska Senate voted 20-0 Tuesday to pass legislation requiring licensing, transaction limits, and fraud protections for cryptocurrency kiosks after Alaskans lost over $26 million to online fraud in 2024.
Alaska Department of Fish and Game has banned marine anglers from filleting or de-heading certain fish at sea before returning to Craig and Klawock ports to enable creel sampling for fisheries management data.
by Alaska News3d ago2 min readPrince of Wales Island
Alaska Department of Fish and Game now requires a free individual permit for all anglers targeting king salmon in the Upper Copper River drainage, with mandatory harvest reporting by August 31, 2026.
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.
The Alaska Legislature failed to override Governor Dunleavy's veto of Senate Bill 64, a comprehensive elections reform bill, falling two votes short of the required 40-vote supermajority in a 38-22 vote during a joint session Monday.
The Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve Advisory Council meets May 13 for the first time in three years to address user conflicts and management issues at the preserve near Haines.
by Alaska News3d ago2 min readChilkat Bald Eagle Preserve
The Alaska House of Representatives voted 40-0 Thursday to recognize gold and silver specie as legal tender and exempt such transactions from borough and city sales taxes.
The House Labor and Commerce Committee heard testimony Monday on a bill that would cap manufacturer fees for electronic pull-tabs at 35%, drawing criticism from operators who say the rate is too high compared to Minnesota's 20% cap.
by Alaska News4d ago4 min read1120 Mendenhall Peninsula Road, Juneau, Alaska
The Alaska House passed HB 261, a major education funding reform using multi-year enrollment averaging, but narrowly rejected amendments requiring public meetings and website posting of mental health curriculum.
The Senate Resources Committee held its 26th hearing on SB 280, examining the proposed volumetric tax system for the Alaska LNG project and discussing technical questions about where gas production would be taxed.
The Alaska Senate Transportation Committee advanced a bill Tuesday requiring human safety operators in commercial autonomous vehicles over 10,000 pounds, drawing opposition from tech companies who warned Alaska would become the only state to effectively ban the technology.
The Senate Finance Committee advanced a bill Tuesday that exempts Alaska's Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management from new state contract payment requirements, giving emergency responders flexibility during disasters.
Alaska House Finance Committee approved amendments restricting pharmacists from prescribing high-risk drugs including opioids and abortion medications, while requiring naloxone prescriptions alongside opioid prescriptions over three days.
The Alaska Senate voted 15-5 Monday to require manufacturers to provide repair access for consumer electronics, advancing legislation that supporters say will keep money in Alaska and reduce electronic waste.
The House Labor and Commerce Committee heard testimony Friday on Senate Bill 35, which would require delivery network companies to provide $1 million in liability coverage when drivers are actively delivering, but leaves a coverage gap when the app is open but no delivery is accepted.
The Alaska Senate unanimously approved legislation Wednesday to expand access to developmental services for infants and toddlers by lowering the eligibility threshold, a change supporters say could save the state $38.9 million annually.
The Alaska House narrowly defeated an amendment that would have allowed school districts to join the state's AlaskaCare healthcare system, potentially saving major districts millions annually.
A House committee narrowed a bill to restore farm property tax deferments, excluding horses and flowers despite testimony that the 2024 change cost operations thousands and threatens Alaska's agricultural ecosystem.
The Alaska Senate Finance Committee heard testimony Tuesday on legislation requiring agencies to spend 80 percent of Medicaid rates on direct caregiver wages by 2030, with provider groups warning the mandate could force rural agency closures while worker advocates argued built-in safeguards would prevent disruption.
The Senate Labor and Commerce Committee heard testimony Friday on legislation to legalize mobile sports betting in Alaska, with sponsors projecting $12 million to $18 million in annual tax revenue from an industry already operating illegally in the state.
Senate Finance Committee heard testimony Monday on an omnibus crime bill that would criminalize AI-generated child sexual abuse material and raise Alaska's age of consent from 16 to 18 across more than 24 criminal offenses.
by Alaska News4d ago6 min readState Capitol, Juneau
The Senate Labor and Commerce Committee advanced a bill that would exempt most Alaska Native village corporations from state reporting requirements, rejecting an amendment to preserve oversight of larger corporations.
The Alaska House adopted an amendment capping annual growth in required local property tax contributions to schools at 2%, shifting an estimated $29 million in education costs from municipalities to the state.
The Senate Health and Social Services Committee forwarded nine gubernatorial appointees to professional licensing boards after confirmation hearings addressing rural healthcare access, scope of practice, and COVID-era business practices.
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.
House Finance Committee held its first hearing on legislation to replace traditional property taxes on the Alaska LNG pipeline with a volumetric tax, with the House Resources version proposing 15 cents per thousand cubic feet versus the administration's 6-cent proposal.
The Alaska Senate advanced legislation requiring manufacturers to provide repair tools and documentation for consumer electronics after narrowing the bill's scope and pushing back its effective date.
The Senate Finance Committee unanimously approved legislation to add a faculty representative to the University of Alaska Board of Regents, updating implementation dates to 2027 with a 2033 sunset clause.
by Alaska News10h ago3 min readJuneau, Alaska
