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
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Week of Apr 20
Senate panel advances $349 million administration budget
Senate panel approved a $349.4 million budget for the Department of Administration but blocked the governor's plan to decentralize payroll services, citing risks to employee pay.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago2 min read
Senate panel cuts jail funding in half, seeks out-of-state inmate housing
Alaska Senate panel cut jail funding in half to $2.8 million and ordered the state to explore housing inmates out of state, signaling a major shift in corrections policy.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago2 min readSenate panel advances $535 million corrections budget with jail funding cut
Alaska Senate panel approved a $535 million corrections budget Wednesday but cut jail funding in half and ordered a study on housing inmates out of state.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago2 min read
Senate panel approves $441 million education budget with teacher incentives
Senate panel approved a $441 million education budget for fiscal 2027, adding $450,000 for teacher incentives and $2 million for Head Start matching funds.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago2 min readSenate 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
Alaska Senate adjourns technical session after committee report
Alaska Senate advanced its FY27 capital budget bill to the Rules Committee after a Finance Committee substitute, reconvening April 20.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago2 min read
Senate minority outlines pension reform, gas line concerns at press conference
Alaska Senate minority members outlined concerns about pension reform, the Alaska LNG project's economic viability, and several judiciary bills at a Thursday press conference.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago5 min read
Senate panel advances Salazar to Human Rights Commission
Senate Judiciary Committee advanced Grace Salazar's nomination to the Alaska State Commission on Human Rights to a joint session for confirmation.
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
Senate panel approves $4.2 billion health budget with Medicaid rate hikes
Alaska Senate panel approved a $4.2 billion health budget with $377 million in new Medicaid provider rate increases, but rejected $8 million for a virtual call center.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago2 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
Senate panel approves $515 million budget for family services agency
Senate panel added $1.5 million to a $515.3 million family services budget to stabilize child advocacy centers across Alaska.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago2 min read
House Resources Committee Rejects Wildlife Refuge Amendments
Alaska House Resources Committee advanced a wildlife refuge reorganization bill 5-3 Friday, rejecting amendments that would have loosened habitat protections or expanded hunting and fishing access.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago4 min read
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
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 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
Senate panel advances fishing cooperative bill with electronic monitoring
Alaska Senate panel unanimously advanced a bill legalizing fishing cooperatives for set gillnet permit holders, with a five-permit cap and electronic monitoring for 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 Senate panel hears bill requiring human operators in commercial autonomous vehicles
Alaska Senate panel heard a bill requiring human operators in commercial trucks and buses with self-driving technology, citing harsh winter conditions as reason for caution.
by Alaska News6mo ago3 min read
Senate Finance adopts operating budget with $150 energy payment, school grants
Alaska Senate Finance adopted a $13.83 billion operating budget with a $150 energy payment per person and up to $100 million in school grants, depending on oil prices.
by Alaska News6mo ago4 min read
Senate Finance hears corporate tax shift targeting online sales to Alaskans
Senate Finance heard testimony on House Bill 280, which would shift corporate taxes to capture roughly $15 million annually from online sales to Alaska customers starting in 2027.
by Alaska News6mo ago2 min readAlaska 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 hears autonomous vehicle bill requiring human operators
Senate panel heard testimony Tuesday on a bill requiring human operators in commercial autonomous vehicles on Alaska roads, citing snow and ice as untested variables for self-driving systems.
by Alaska News6mo ago2 min read
Senate panel advances property tax cap bill despite state warnings
Senate panel advanced a bill allowing cities to cap property tax increases at 3 to 10 percent yearly, despite state warnings of lost revenue and administrative chaos.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago3 min readSenate committee holds Senate Bill 259 on property tax caps
Senate committee delayed a bill allowing Alaska cities to cap property tax assessment increases, citing concerns about lost revenue and state calculation problems.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago3 min read
Senate 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
House 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
House Military Committee Advances Joint Armed Services Overhaul
Alaska House panel voted to modernize a 27-year-old military-civilian committee by adding two new seats, requiring clearer appointment rules, and boosting minority representation.
by Alaska News6mo ago2 min read
Week of Apr 13
Alaska Lawmakers Propose Legislative Oversight of $80B Permanent Fund Board
Alaska lawmakers proposed legislative confirmation of Permanent Fund Corporation board members for the first time since 1982, as the $80 billion fund now covers over 60 percent of state spending.
by Alaska News7mo ago3 min readAlaska considers ban on driverless commercial trucks amid safety debate
Alaska House committee heard testimony on HB 217, which would ban driverless commercial trucks and make Alaska the only state requiring human operators in all autonomous vehicles.
by Alaska Newsadded 7mo ago3 min readAlaska School Funding System Favors Wealthy Districts, Senators Say
Alaska senators say the state's school construction funding system favors wealthy districts that can afford architects and engineers, leaving poorer communities waiting years for basic repairs.
by Alaska Newsadded 7mo ago4 min readAlaska Tribes Removed 1.5M Pounds Marine Debris Despite Funding Barriers
Alaska tribes removed 1.5 million pounds of marine debris last summer but face barriers like grant complexity and equipment costs that threaten their ability to protect subsistence resources.
by Alaska Newsadded 7mo ago3 min readSenate panel advances retirement bill despite $400M cost shift concern
Senate Finance Committee advanced a retirement bill that would shift nearly $400 million in unfunded costs from municipalities to the state, rejecting an amendment that would have prevented the shift.
by Alaska Newsadded 7mo ago3 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 Senate Panel Weighs Tougher Hit-and-Run Penalties
The Alaska Senate Judiciary Committee is considering House Bill 239 to set four to seven year prison terms for fatal hit and run crashes.
by Alaska Newsadded 7mo ago3 min readAlaska Senate Shelves Homemade Food Safety Bill After Complex Debate
Alaska Senate shelved a bill banning homemade foods in vacuum-sealed jars after lawmakers found the botulism-safety rules too complex to define clearly.
by Alaska Newsadded 7mo ago3 min readAlaska House Rejects 30% Cut to Regional Jail Funding Despite Low Use
Alaska House rejected a proposal to cut a 30% regional jail funding increase, voting 16-24 against the amendment despite data showing many facilities operate at near-zero capacity.
by Alaska Newsadded 7mo ago3 min read