Alaska's bicameral legislature — 20-member Senate and 40-member House — meeting in Juneau from January to May each year. Sets the state budget, oil and gas policy, school funding, and the annual Permanent Fund Dividend calculation.
120 4th St, Juneau, AK 99801, USA
Video Clips
Browse all clips
Elvi Gray-Jackson
“That is simply, simply not what SB 41 would do. The bill wouldn't create a state takeover of local classrooms.”Alaska Legislature: MISC-20260619-1230
Gary Stevens
“38 Yeas, 22 nays. And so by a vote of 38 yeas and 22 nays, the joint legislative session has failed to override Senate Bill 41.”Alaska Legislature: MISC-20260619-1230
Gary Stevens
“36 Yeas, 24 nays. Thank you. The joint legislative session has failed to override the governor's veto of House Bill 52.”Alaska Legislature: MISC-20260619-1230
Elvi Gray-Jackson
“Alaska has the highest suicide rate in the nation. In many rural communities, suicide rates are nearly 4 times that average, the national average. Teaching our students how to recognize mental health challenges, seek help, and support one another is one of the most basic and meaningful steps we can take to address this crisis.”Alaska Legislature: MISC-20260619-1230
Elvi Gray-Jackson
“our children are watching. They are watching. They are hoping that we hear their voices and understand their pleas for help. They're looking to us for leadership, compassion, and action.”Alaska Legislature: MISC-20260619-1230
Gary Stevens
“by a vote of 43 yeas and 17 nays, the joint legislative session has overridden the governor's veto of CSRA House Bill 195 Finance.”Alaska Legislature: MISC-20260619-1230
House Passes Polystyrene Ban for Restaurants Despite Business Concerns
The Alaska House of Representatives voted 25-15 to ban polystyrene foam food service containers statewide, with supporters citing health risks and environmental damage while opponents warned of costs to small businesses.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago4 min read
Alaska House panel advances ban on heavy fuel oil for cruise ships
The House Transportation Committee narrowly adopted a committee substitute restricting heavy petroleum fuel oil use to large commercial passenger vessels, passing 4-3 after debate over environmental protection versus economic impact.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago5 min read
Fairbanks father's testimony drives push for faster body cam release
The House State Affairs Committee heard emotional testimony from a Fairbanks father whose sons were shot by state troopers, fueling support for a bill requiring police to release body camera footage within 30 days of use-of-force incidents that result in death or serious injury.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago5 min read
House panel advances income tax on large pass-through businesses
The House Labor and Commerce Committee voted 4-2 to advance HB 350, which would impose a 9.4% income tax on S-corporations, LLCs, and partnerships earning over $25 million annually, with first payments due in 2028.
by Alaska News5mo ago2 min read
Alaska House panel advances dental insurance transparency bill
The House Health and Social Services Committee heard House Bill 273, which would require dental insurers to publicly report how much premium money goes to patient care versus administrative costs and profits, and held the bill for future consideration.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago4 min read
Senate panel holds Alaska state seal redesign resolution
The Senate State Affairs Committee heard testimony on a resolution to create a commission that would evaluate redesigning Alaska's 1913 state seal, which critics say lacks Alaska Native representation and emphasizes outdated industrial imagery.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago3 min read
Senate panel advances 10 health board nominees to full Legislature
The Senate Health and Social Services Committee recommended 10 gubernatorial appointees to various health professional boards for full legislative confirmation, including positions on nursing, pharmacy, optometry, and social work boards.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago3 min read
Alaska House panel hears bill to overhaul school funding timelines
The House Finance Committee heard testimony on HB 261, which would allow districts to use three-year average student counts instead of single-year October counts to set budgets months earlier and offer teacher contracts in spring rather than summer.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago4 min read
Senate Passes Alaska Work and Save Retirement Program 15-4
The Alaska Senate approved a first-in-Alaska automatic retirement savings program for workers at small businesses, despite concerns from the Alaska Chamber about mandates on employers.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago3 min read
Senate unveils gas pipeline bill with $600M property tax, consumer protections
The Senate Resources Committee introduced sweeping changes to the governor's gas pipeline proposal, including a $600 million property tax at full production, prohibitions on shifting cost overruns to consumers, and $1 million per mile impact payments to communities during construction.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago3 min read
House passes bill requiring transparency at psychiatric hospitals for minors
The Alaska House unanimously passed legislation requiring psychiatric hospitals to allow minors confidential communication with parents, conduct unannounced inspections, and notify families when seclusion or restraint is used.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago4 min read
Residential Schools Seek Doubled Funding Tied to Base Allocation
Alaska's residential boarding schools are pushing for legislation to double their per-student stipends and link future funding to the base student allocation, arguing current funding has not meaningfully increased since 2015 despite rising costs.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago3 min read
Denali Borough mayor opposes state control of pipeline tax payments
Denali Borough's mayor testified against a provision in SB 280 that would route pipeline tax revenue through the state legislature, seeking direct payments and upfront impact fees instead.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago3 min read
House panel advances tribal victim advocate confidentiality bill
The House Tribal Affairs Committee unanimously advanced House Bill 384, which extends confidentiality protections to tribal domestic violence and sexual assault advocates by adding two words to Alaska statute.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago2 min read
Energy consultant: Alaska LNG tax bill could cut delivered cost by 20 cents
Energy consultant tells House Resources Committee that proposed alternative volumetric tax in HB 381 would reduce delivered cost to Asia by roughly 20 cents per MMBtu compared to current property tax, potentially making the $46+ billion project more competitive globally while still generating stable municipal revenue.
by Alaska News5mo ago4 min read
House panel hears bill to let small Alaska fishermen process, sell catch directly
The House Special Committee on Fisheries heard House Bill 356, which would create a 'microfisheries' pathway allowing small-scale commercial fishermen to process up to 5,000 pounds of fish onboard and sell directly to consumers with streamlined permitting.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago3 min read
Oil industry opposes tax provisions in Alaska gas pipeline bill
Alaska Oil and Gas Association testified against multiple tax provisions in SB 280, warning that sections decoupling oil and gas lease expenditures and imposing new S-corp taxes could harm current operations and chill investment.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago4 min read
House advances bills on autonomous vehicles, nurse training, interior design
The Alaska House of Representatives advanced three bills through second reading on Tuesday, including legislation regulating autonomous commercial vehicles, certified nurse aide training requirements, and expanding the state's professional licensing board to include interior designers.
by Alaska News5mo ago3 min read
Alaska House Revives Defined Benefit Pensions in Narrow 21-19 Vote
The Alaska House of Representatives voted 21-19 to concur with Senate amendments to House Bill 78, restoring defined benefit pension options for state and municipal employees after a 20-year hiatus, despite concerns about fiscal risk and implementation challenges.
by Alaska News5mo ago4 min read
House Finance advances mail theft bill despite competing governor's version
The Alaska House Finance Committee unanimously advanced a bill making mail theft a class C felony, even as a competing administration bill with lighter penalties moves through the Senate, creating potential legislative conflict.
by Alaska News5mo ago3 min read
Alaska Universities Report 73% Jump in Teacher Pipeline Enrollment
University of Alaska reports significant growth in teacher education programs, with Ed Rising student participation up 73% year-over-year and over $1 million in scholarships awarded to 109 teacher candidates.
by Alaska News5mo ago4 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
Alaska lawmakers explore data center development as economic opportunity
National experts briefed Alaska House State Affairs Committee on data center economics, highlighting the state's potential advantages in cool climate and natural gas while noting growing national concerns about energy demands and tax incentives.
by Alaska News5mo ago3 min read
Zoning Board Approves Two Variances, Denies Girdwood Deck Request
The Anchorage Zoning Board approved variances for two Eagle River properties with setback violations but denied a Girdwood homeowner's request to legalize an elevated deck encroaching 5 feet into the front setback.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago4 min read
House panel advances travel insurance consumer protection bill
The Alaska House Transportation Committee moved HB 302 forward Tuesday, legislation that would modernize the state's travel insurance regulations to align with national standards adopted by 42 other states.
by Alaska News5mo ago2 min read
House Judiciary advances bill extending confidentiality to tribal advocates
The House Judiciary Committee moved forward legislation Monday that would extend confidentiality protections to tribal domestic violence and sexual assault advocates, closing a gap that leaves survivors served by tribal governments without the same privacy safeguards afforded to those served by other organizations.
by Alaska News5mo ago3 min read
Senate panel advances two nominees to Alaska Violent Crimes Compensation Board
The Senate Judiciary Committee recommended two gubernatorial appointees — Anna Cometa seeking a second term and Joel Hard, a new nominee with 40 years in law enforcement — for confirmation to the Alaska Violent Crimes Compensation Board, which has seen a 32% increase in applications since 2022.
by Alaska News5mo ago3 min read
Senate panel advances property tax assessment cap bill
The Senate Labor and Commerce Committee advanced legislation allowing municipalities to optionally cap annual property tax assessment increases between 3 and 10 percent, despite opposition from professional assessors who warned the measure would create long-term inequities.
by Alaska News5mo ago3 min read
Alaska House panel hears retirement savings bill for small business workers
The House Labor and Commerce Committee heard testimony on HB 338, which would create an automatic IRA program for employees at Alaska businesses without retirement plans.
by Alaska News5mo ago4 min read
Alaska's tribal school compact bill navigates sovereignty and public education law
Senate Bill 66 would authorize five-year pilot agreements allowing tribes to operate public schools under state funding while maintaining tribal governance, requiring new legislation to balance sovereignty with existing education statutes.
by Alaska News5mo ago4 min read
Alaska LNG tax bill could swing state revenue by hundreds of millions
Department of Revenue warns that regulatory interpretations of Senate Bill 280's complex tax provisions could shift Alaska's annual revenue by hundreds of millions of dollars, with the bill creating new taxes while exempting the Alaska LNG project from property taxes.
by Alaska News5mo ago4 min read
Senate advances pension bill without updated actuarial analysis
The Alaska Senate advanced a retirement system overhaul to third reading despite lacking an updated actuarial analysis on the final version, relying on a legal opinion that last year's analysis meets statutory requirements.
by Alaska News5mo ago3 min read
House Finance considers multi-year school funding averaging bill
The House Finance Committee heard testimony on HB 261, which would shift Alaska's education funding to a three-year enrollment average instead of annual counts, giving districts earlier budget certainty but carrying a fiscal note approaching $1 billion over five years.
by Alaska News5mo ago4 min read
Alaska moves to standardize wildfire evacuation alerts statewide
The Alaska House Community & Regional Affairs Committee heard testimony on legislation to codify a uniform 'Ready, Set, Go' color-coded evacuation system across the state, addressing confusion that arose during the 2022 Clear Fire when inconsistent local systems left residents uncertain about danger zones.
by Alaska News5mo ago3 min read
House panel questions education fund proposal with no guaranteed revenue
Alaska House Finance Committee members raised concerns about a constitutional amendment that would create an education fund without any dedicated funding source or protections against future legislatures spending it down to zero.
by Alaska News5mo ago3 min read
House Finance hears $8.4M in governor's budget amendments
The House Finance Committee heard presentations on two batches of budget amendments totaling $8.4 million in unrestricted general funds, including union contracts and transportation project allocations.
by Alaska News5mo ago8 min read
Senate Finance Advances Agricultural Leasing Reform After Farmer Cites $9,000 Annual Fee
The Senate Finance Committee moved forward with legislation to make state agricultural land more accessible through below-market leases and merit-based selection after hearing testimony about prohibitive appraisal costs.
by Alaska News5mo ago4 min read
Alaska lawmakers hear warnings of rural fuel crisis, weigh loan program expansion
The House Energy Committee heard testimony about fuel supply challenges facing rural Alaska communities and discussed potential expansions to the state's Bulk Fuel Revolving Loan Fund.
by Alaska News5mo ago5 min read
House panel hears confirmation for physician assistant to State Medical Board
The House Health and Social Services Committee held a confirmation hearing for Norman Walker, a physician assistant appointed to the State Medical Board, and received a presentation from UAA College of Health on workforce programs.
by Alaska News5mo ago4 min read
Alaska expands background checks to all medical professionals
The Senate Health and Social Services Committee adopted changes requiring fingerprint-based criminal background checks for all physicians, osteopaths, podiatrists, and physician assistants seeking Alaska licenses, not just those applying through interstate compacts.
by Alaska News5mo ago3 min read