Alaska state government's executive branch, headed by the Governor and 15 cabinet departments. Oversees education, public safety, transportation, health, commerce, and natural resource management for the 49th state.
Photo by Bernt Rostad, via Flickr · Photo source · CC BY 2.0
alaska.gov ↗Alaska
Inside State of Alaska
Places and topics in this news
Numbers are stories in the last 30 days.
AI image
Alaska fish board proposes anglers keep skin on rockfish, lingcod and kings until ashore
The Alaska Board of Fisheries on Friday published notice of a proposed statewide sport-fishing rule that would require anglers who keep rockfish, lingcod or king salmon to hold enough skin-on fish for species identification until their boat ties up where the catch will be offloaded, or until a shore angler leaves the spot. For lingcod and king salmon taken in fisheries with length limits, the proposed regulation text goes further: the head, backbone and tail must stay together in one piece so the fish's total length can be measured.
Filleting would still be allowed if skin stays attached to each fillet, and the proposal does not bar eating or preserving fish aboard a vessel. The point, in the notice's words, is to allow "species identification and determination of carcass length" before fish leave the boat or the beach.
The board approved the language at its March 17-21 statewide finfish meeting. According to the March 21 meeting record, a board member asked whether the head could come off and was told the carcass would have to stay whole. Department staff said anglers who might now dump carcasses at sea would have to carry them back to the dock, as already happens in Southeast fisheries where emergency orders bar filleting at sea.
What did you make of this story? (no account needed)
Have a story about State of Alaska? Send a tip
Stories on what’s next
Absentee Ballot Receipt Deadline, Mailed Within the U.S., for November 3 General Election
Alaska's mail ballots will not need barcodes after a Supreme Court denial
Alaskans mailing a ballot in November will not need a barcode on the envelope. The Supreme Court left the rule blocked, and the state never took a side.
Salmon Task Force Agenda Topic Submission Deadline
Southeast seiners and gillnetters have until Nov. 13 to shape December task force agendas
Got thoughts on how Southeast's seine and gillnet fisheries are run? Fish and Game wants task force topics by Nov. 13 for December meetings in Ketchikan.
Last day for Anchorage Assembly to protest Crazy Horse Gentleman's Club license #720
Anchorage Assembly may hold the Crazy Horse's liquor renewal until fire officials sign off
The Assembly may hold up the Crazy Horse's liquor renewal until the fire department signs off on the Gambell Street club, in a building dating to 1955.
Power Cost Equalization Rate Effective for Golovin
Regulators raise Golovin's power credit 17 cents a kilowatt-hour as fuel costs climb
Regulators raised Golovin's state power credit from 28 to 45 cents a kilowatt-hour after fuel costs climbed. Households now pay about 22 cents on covered power.
Seldovia Fish and Game Advisory Committee Meeting
Board of Fisheries to weigh pushing commercial nets back from the Homer Spit
Proposals say commercial nets off the Homer Spit block the way to the harbor, and the Board of Fisheries will weigh pushing them back as far as a mile.
Latest
Today
Anchorage police and state Corrections will hold a joint hiring session Nov. 19
Anchorage police and Alaska Corrections hold a joint hiring session Nov. 19 at Jewel Lake Training Center, free with no registration needed.
by Walter AlaskaNews31m ago1 min read
DNR proposes giving up state claim near Cantwell for Native veteran allotment
DNR proposed giving up state claim to 160 acres near Cantwell so a Vietnam-era Native veteran's estate can get a federal land allotment.
by Maggie AlaskaNews1h ago2 min read
Insurance limits teen construction hiring, though that is changing, Alaska contractors say
Alaska construction employers say insurers have long made them wary of hiring workers under 18, but that is starting to change.
by Bill AlaskaNews1h ago2 min read
Alaska labor department sets online Q&A with mining professionals for Nov. 24
State labor department hosts a virtual mining careers Q&A on Nov. 24 via Microsoft Teams.
by Bill AlaskaNews2h ago1 min read
Subway to recruit for more than 10 Mat-Su jobs at Wasilla job center Wednesday
Subway hosts a hiring event Wednesday, Nov. 18, 1 to 4 pm at the Mat-Su Job Center in Wasilla, for 10 plus openings. Bring a resume, you might land an on-site interview.
by Walter AlaskaNews2h ago2 min read
Fish and Game will open a winter bull moose hunt in Units 17B and 17C on Dec. 1
Fish and Game opens a winter bull moose hunt in Units 17B and 17C Dec. 1 to 31, residents only, permits out Nov. 18.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2h ago2 min read
Fish and Game asks Board of Game to close Ambler Road corridor to hunting, trapping
Fish and Game wants a 2-mile strip along Ambler Road closed to hunting and trapping from 2029 to 2036. Board of Game decides Nov. 20, comments due Nov. 16.
by Maggie AlaskaNews3h ago2 min read
State closes Engineers Cutoff Road in Juneau for the winter, with reopening planned April 1
DOT closed Engineers Cutoff Road in Juneau near Dock Street for winter, with no detour listed. It's set to reopen April 1, 2027.
by Walter AlaskaNews3h ago1 min read
State seeks Zero Lake road easement and flags possible shooting-range contamination
State forestry officials want a permanent public easement over 17 miles of Zero Lake logging roads near Houston, and flag possible contamination from an informal shooting range along the route.
by Maggie AlaskaNews4h ago2 min read
Troopers search for woman and juvenile after vehicle goes into Thorne River
A woman and a juvenile remain missing after their vehicle drove into the Thorne River near Thorne Bay on Thursday. A second juvenile escaped. Troopers resume searching Friday.
by Walter AlaskaNews4h ago1 min read
Auditors say marijuana tax debt grew to $5.5 million as board oversight fell
Alaska marijuana growers owed $5.5 million in back taxes, auditors found. Since 2024 the board has checked only at renewal, and renewals are underway.
by Walter AlaskaNews7h ago3 min readFrom 
Illinois man arrested on DUI and weapons charges after Fairbanks rollover
Alaska State Troopers arrested a 24-year-old Illinois man on DUI and weapons charges after a single-vehicle rollover in Fairbanks Thursday evening. He was booked into Fairbanks Correctional Center.
by Maggie AlaskaNews14h ago1 min read
Yesterday
Elfin Cove's state power credit set at 51.67 cents per kilowatt-hour
Elfin Cove's state power credit is now 51.67 cents per kWh, figured on $6.70-a-gallon fuel. The utility's records show more power sold than made.
by Walter AlaskaNews17h ago1 min read
State crews will pull and toss leftover campaign signs along Fairbanks-area highways
The election was Nov. 3. Some campaign signs are still standing along Fairbanks-area highways. State crews will now pull them and throw them out.
by Walter AlaskaNews18h ago2 min read
Houston's data center moratorium can't reach land the state gave AIDEA, officials say
Houston's data center pause stops at city limits. The 6,800 acres the state is giving AIDEA start about half a mile past them, the deputy mayor says.
by Walter AlaskaNews19h ago2 min read
Kenai kings fell short again as a local panel starts reviewing plan changes
Kenai kings hit their recovery goal in 2025, then missed it again this year. A Soldotna panel starts reviewing fish board proposals, 30-plus on that plan.
by Maggie AlaskaNews20h ago3 min read
Coming up
State Bond Committee Meeting
Telephonic meeting, call-in (907) 202-7104, Conference ID: 633 711 677#
Meeting
Alaska LNG Project Right-of-Way Lease Conversion - In-Person Public Hearing
Hearing
Public Comment Deadline: State Underground Storage Rights Claim
Public notice
Local Government Protest Deadline: Eden Growth Group LLC Marijuana License Renewal
Public notice
Effective: Alaska; Wildlife, Harvest, and Access
Public notice
About State of Alaska
Photo by Bernt Rostad, via Flickr · Photo source · CC BY 2.0
alaska.gov ↗Alaska
The State of Alaska is the executive branch of Alaska state government, headed by the Governor and organized into cabinet departments. Those departments oversee education, public safety, transportation, health, commerce and natural resource management across the state.
State agencies issue permits, leases and land decisions, regulate liquor licenses and utilities, plan highway projects and rank school construction requests. Its stories return to public comment on state proposals, from roundabouts and gravel sites to water rights and the statewide transportation plan, and to the work of the Alaska State Troopers.
Boards and authorities attached to the state, such as the Board of Fisheries, the Regulatory Commission of Alaska and the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority, make many of its decisions. The state also runs statewide elections and works with tribal organizations on village public safety.
More from State of Alaska
Nome power bills face a bigger fuel surcharge as utility board presses for overdue audits
Nome's power bill fuel surcharge is likely to roughly double after the utility's biggest fuel bond yet. Its board, meanwhile, still wants a budget and audits.
by Walter AlaskaNews20h ago3 min read
State plans to replace worn-out docking structures at Auke Bay ferry terminal
The state wants to replace rotting, corroded docking structures at Juneau's Auke Bay ferry terminal. Red king crab habitat already moved its dump site.
by Walter AlaskaNews22h ago2 min read
Cape Blossom Road near Kotzebue is closed while crews install a temporary bridge
Cape Blossom Road near Kotzebue is closed while Brice Construction installs a temporary bridge, with no reopening date given.
by Alaska News22h ago2 min read
Mountain goat hunt south of Tracy Arm closes early after hunters reach limit
Hunters have reached the mountain goat limit south of Tracy Arm, so the state shuts that hunt Friday night, 17 days early. The same thing happened last year.
by Bill AlaskaNews23h ago2 min read
State cuts next spring's Sitka Sound herring limit 17% as its forecast drops
Fish and Game cut the 2027 Sitka Sound herring harvest limit to 28,980 tons, 17% below 2026's. The agency admits its 2026 forecast overshot actual herring numbers by 14%.
by Walter AlaskaNews23h ago2 min read
Aging commission hears Ketchikan seniors Monday on next state senior plan
Alaska Commission on Aging hears from Ketchikan seniors Monday to help shape the state's next four year senior services plan.
by Walter AlaskaNews1d ago2 min read
Fish board opens comment on Cook Inlet drift gillnet rules it adopted in March
The Board of Fisheries wants comments on Cook Inlet drift fleet limits it passed in March, which never took effect. A second vote is likely in January.
by Bill AlaskaNews1d ago2 min read
Alaska marijuana board drafts repeal of required health warnings in pot ads
Alaska's Marijuana Control Board is drafting a repeal of the health warnings required in pot ads. One Anchorage retailer wants them gone now.
by Walter AlaskaNews6h ago2 min readFrom 
Denali Borough certifies election after questions about its voter rolls
Denali Borough certified its election after a former assembly member said the borough has hundreds more registered voters than residents who could vote.
by Walter AlaskaNews1d ago2 min read
Speeding stop in Wasilla leads to felony DUI and gun charges, troopers say
A Knik-Goose Bay Road speeding stop turned into felony DUI and gun charges, troopers say: revoked license, no proof of insurance, two prior DUIs, three guns.
by Walter AlaskaNews1d ago1 min read
Wednesday, Nov 11
Liquor regulators weigh restarting underage stings after Prince of Wales check
Alaska hasn't run regular underage alcohol stings in about a decade. When investigators tried one on Prince of Wales Island, 3 of 4 businesses failed.
by Walter AlaskaNews1d ago2 min read
Alaska proposes letting state agencies stop work on records requests after 15 hours
The state proposed letting its agencies quit a records request after 15 hours or 250 records. Also: no AI-submitted requests, and Alaskans could go first.
by Walter AlaskaNews1d ago3 min read
State wants Tier II rationing ready as Fortymile caribou herd declines
The Fortymile caribou herd fell from 83,000 to under 30,000, and the state wants a Tier II rationing plan ready. Tok-area hunters start weighing in Tuesday.
by Maggie AlaskaNews1d ago2 min read
MEA board lets ENSTAR negotiate its gas supply for after Hilcorp contract ends in 2029
MEA's board will let ENSTAR find and negotiate the gas MEA needs after its Hilcorp deal ends in 2029. No word yet on what ENSTAR gets paid or who's selling.
by Walter AlaskaNews1d ago2 min read
White Spot Cafe's new owners ask the state for the diner's beer and wine license
The White Spot Cafe's new owners want its beer and wine license. The menu's rules still apply: know what you want, and there's no choice on toast.
by Walter AlaskaNews2d ago1 min read
Screeners find suspected cocaine in a coffee container bound for Selawik, troopers say
Anchorage airport screeners opened a coffee container in a Selawik man's checked bag and found suspected cocaine, troopers say. He was arrested at the gate.
by Walter AlaskaNews2d ago1 min read
State cuts Craig and Klawock herring harvest limit 28% as forecast drops
Fish and Game cut the Craig and Klawock herring harvest limit 28% this season, to 5,135 tons, after forecasting fewer spawning herring than last year.
by Walter AlaskaNews1d ago2 min read
AIDEA ends private Port MacKenzie rail deal as railroad weighs building it itself
AIDEA is ending a private deal to finish the Port MacKenzie rail line. The railroad may build it with a $249M federal grant and ask for land two others want.
by Walter AlaskaNews1d ago3 min readFrom 
Troopers jail Fairbanks man on arson charge after device thrown through home window
Troopers jailed a Fairbanks man, 40, after a firebomb was thrown through a home window early Wednesday. He faces first degree arson and other charges as the investigation continues.
by Walter AlaskaNews2d ago1 min read
Alaska liquor board weighs renewing one of three approved alcohol server courses
Alaska's liquor board is set to decide Tuesday whether TIPS stays one of three courses servers can take to pour legally. A state reviewer OK'd it, after fixes.
by Walter AlaskaNews2d ago2 min read
Alaska liquor board weighs cutting $1,250 fee for carriers that deliver alcohol
Alaska's liquor board may cut the $1,250 fee airlines and freight haulers pay to deliver alcohol. A state review floated $250 to help small air freight companies.
by Walter AlaskaNews2d ago2 min read
High oil prices put Port of Alaska, school repairs on track for $26 million in state money
High oil prices are on track to unlock $26 million for the Port of Alaska, school repairs, campuses and court security. Oil would need to crater to stop it.
by Walter AlaskaNews2d ago2 min read
Sitka asks state not to renew Little Tokyo's liquor license at its old address
Little Tokyo moved in with its sister restaurant in 2020, the owner's accountant says. The liquor license didn't. Sitka wants the state to deny its renewal.
by Walter AlaskaNews1d ago2 min readFrom 
AIDEA waives size and age rules for firms bidding to invest $25 million of its money
AIDEA waived its $1 billion size and three-years-in-business rules for firms bidding on $25 million of its cash. Picks come days before a new governor.
by Walter AlaskaNews2d ago2 min read