The Alaska State Legislature is the bicameral legislative body that makes state law and sets the budget for Alaska. Its Senate and House of Representatives meet in Juneau to decide the state budget, oil and gas policy, school funding and the Permanent Fund Dividend.
Photo by Bernt Rostad, via Flickr · Photo source · CC BY 2.0
akleg.gov ↗120 4th St, Juneau, AK 99801, USA
Inside Alaska State Legislature
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Saturday, Apr 25
Senate panel examines price controls, federal authority on gas pipeline
Alaska Senate panel questioned whether state price caps in Senate Bill 280 would conflict with federal authority over the Alaska LNG pipeline project.
by Matt6mo ago4 min read
House panel fast-tracks insurance coverage for PANDAS treatment
Alaska House committee advanced a bill requiring insurers to cover PANDAS treatment after families testified they paid tens of thousands out of pocket when coverage was denied.
by Alaska News6mo ago2 min read
House committee advances Local Boundary Commission expansion bill
House committee advanced a bill to add one seat to Alaska's Local Boundary Commission and guarantee representation from the unorganized borough.
by Alaska News6mo ago2 min read
Legislative Council approves $70,200 Bethel office lease renewal
Alaska Legislative Council voted unanimously Tuesday to renew the Bethel office lease for one year at $70,200, with four more one-year options available through 2031.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago2 min read
House committee hears bill to reclassify emergency dispatchers as first responders
A House committee heard testimony on a bill to let emergency dispatchers retire after 20 years instead of 30 and classify them as first responders.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago4 min read
House committee hears bill to reclassify emergency dispatchers as first responders
A House bill would let emergency dispatchers retire after 20 years instead of 30 by reclassifying them as first responders with police and firefighter benefits.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago4 min read
Senate advances software licensing bill, food dye ban to third reading
Alaska Senate advanced a bill banning seven synthetic food dyes from school meals starting January 2028, plus legislation on software licensing contracts and worker visa recognition.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago2 min read
Psychologist who lost son to fentanyl urges Alaska lawmakers to support prevention
A psychologist whose son died from fentanyl poisoning urged Alaska lawmakers to fund education and demand reduction, citing 339 overdose deaths statewide in 2024.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago4 min read
Toksook Bay documentary on suicide prevention screened for Alaska lawmakers
Lawmakers watched a documentary on youth suicide in Toksook Bay. The film highlights the need for mental health support in rural Alaska.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago4 min read
Alaska right-to-repair bill draws fire over broad scope and safety concerns
Alaska lawmakers raised safety concerns Thursday about a right-to-repair bill that would let consumers fix everything from iPhones to aircraft, warning it could endanger remote communities.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago3 min read
House panel advances Local Boundary Commission expansion bill
A House committee advanced a bill to add a sixth seat to the Local Boundary Commission. The new seat would represent the unorganized borough in future boundary and incorporation decisions.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago2 min read
Senate panel examines LNG project economics, megaproject risks
Senate Resources Committee heard Alaska LNG faces typical megaproject cost and schedule risks. • A proposed 6-cent volumetric tax would generate roughly $2 billion for the state over 35 years but raise the project's effective tax rate to 33 percent, above competing Canadian projects. • Phased construction reduces upfront costs but introduces financing risk if later phases are delayed.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago6 min read
House Finance sets amendment deadline for police, firefighter disability bill
House Finance set an April 23 amendment deadline for a bill raising disability pay for injured police and firefighters from 40 percent to 75 percent of salary.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago6 min read
Friday, Apr 24
Senate panel hears data center safeguards, tribal education bill
Senate panel heard testimony on a bill requiring data centers to cover their own infrastructure costs and protect Alaska ratepayers from fuel supply risks and rate increases.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago4 min read
Alaska lawmakers hear testimony on four ballot initiatives
Alaska lawmakers heard testimony Thursday on three November ballot initiatives covering citizenship voting requirements, campaign finance limits, and ranked choice voting repeal, with no votes taken.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago5 min read
Brain science experts brief legislators on early childhood development
Brain experts told lawmakers that early childhood programs save $227,000 per child, as the state weighs restoring $5.72 million in cuts to the Infant Learning Program.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago5 min read
About Alaska State Legislature
Photo by Bernt Rostad, via Flickr · Photo source · CC BY 2.0
akleg.gov ↗120 4th St, Juneau, AK 99801, USA
The Alaska State Legislature is the bicameral body that makes state law and sets the budget for Alaska. Its Senate and House of Representatives meet in Juneau, with much of the work done in committees such as House Finance and Senate Finance and in the Legislative Council.
The Legislature decides the operating and capital budgets, school funding, the Permanent Fund Dividend and oil and gas policy. Recurring questions include taxes on oil and gas, the terms of the proposed Alaska LNG gas line, how much the state pays toward school construction debt, and election and voting law. It also meets in special sessions called outside the regular calendar.
The Legislature works with and against the governor, who proposes bills and can veto spending, and with state agencies that ask lawmakers to change the laws they enforce. Its legislative audit office reviews how state agencies and boards spend money and follow the law.
More from Alaska State Legislature
House Resources Committee debates LNG equity stakes, rejects wildlife refuge amendments
Alaska House Resources Committee heard testimony on state equity stakes in the Alaska LNG project and rejected five wildlife refuge bill amendments on 5-4 party-line votes Friday.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago7 min read
Wild ice skating grows from isolated hobby to organized Alaska community
Wild ice skating has grown from solo hobby to organized Alaska community with nearly 12,700 members, drawing international media attention and spawning winter tours and equipment manufacturing.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago4 min read
House Education Committee advances CPR training bill with rural flexibility
House Education Committee approved CPR training for Alaska schools with rural flexibility, delaying the requirement to July 2027 to pursue a state grant.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago3 min read
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
Senate Finance hears bill to add faculty regent to University board
House Bill 10 would add a tenured faculty member to the University of Alaska Board of Regents, expanding it from 11 to 12 members with full voting powers.
by Alaska News6mo ago4 min read
Alaska Advances Mental Health Education Guidelines Without Mandates
The House Finance Committee advanced a bill to create voluntary mental health guidelines for schools to address Alaska high youth suicide rates.
by Alaska News6mo ago4 min readSenate Finance adopts $13.8B budget with $150 energy payments, school grants
Alaska Senate Finance approved a $13.83 billion budget Thursday with $150 energy payments for every resident and up to $100 million in school grants, leaving a $51.3 million surplus.
by Alaska News6mo ago4 min read
Senate Finance hears tax modernization bill, sets aside for further review
Senate Finance heard testimony on House Bill 280, which would shift corporate income tax to market-based sourcing and generate roughly $15 million annually, but deferred a vote.
by Alaska News6mo ago3 min readFrom 
Senate panel advances U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade resolution with border changes
Alaska Senate panel approved a resolution backing the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade deal and calling for easier border crossings for travelers and pets.
by Alaska News6mo ago3 min readHouse Finance Advances Mental Health Education Guidelines for Schools
House Finance advanced a bill requiring schools to develop mental health education guidelines, as Alaska faces the nation's highest youth suicide rate.
by Alaska News6mo ago3 min readHouse Judiciary Advances Bill Restoring PFDs for Wrongfully Convicted
House Judiciary advanced a bill Wednesday allowing Alaskans whose convictions were overturned to claim missed Permanent Fund Dividends, including the Fairbanks Four.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago4 min read
House committee advances bill adding unorganized borough seat to boundary panel
House committee advanced a bill to add an unorganized borough seat to Alaska's Local Boundary Commission, giving 74,448 residents a voice in decisions about city and borough incorporation.
by Alaska News6mo ago3 min read
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.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago2 min readSenate panel approves $139.2 million budget for Department of Law
Alaska Senate panel approved a $139.2 million operating budget for the Department of Law for fiscal year 2027, a modest increase from the prior year's $136.8 million.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago2 min readSenate cuts House domestic violence funding additions in half
Alaska Senate cut domestic violence funding additions in half Tuesday, reducing House support for survivors by $1.45 million total and setting up a budget fight before final passage.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago2 min read
Senate 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