Alaska State Legislature · Photo source · US government work
Forrest Dunbar
Senator · Alaska State Senate · District J
50 articles · 20 transcripts · 6 clips
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Late food aid applications drive Alaska's costly SNAP error rate, official says
“it makes financial sense for the state of Alaska to hire $10 or $20 million worth of additional staff if it can save us $30 million”
About 775 noncitizens lose full Alaska Medicaid, and just over half are children
About 775 refugees, asylees and other noncitizens lost full Alaska Medicaid coverage as of Oct. 1 under a new federal law. Just over 400 are children.
State disability council committee to discuss Dunbar bill as it narrows priorities
Alaska's disability council is picking fewer causes for the next session to push harder on each. Its committee takes up Sen. Forrest Dunbar's bill Nov. 12.
Housing agency has no set plans for proposed state land transfers, CEO tells senators
AHFC has no firm plans yet for over 400 acres of free state land DNR proposes giving it for housing. Legislature's lawyers say such giveaways are likely unconstitutional.
Alaska proposes to pay for crisis mental health beds for the first time
“That leaves people feeling crushed, unheard, and quite often will slip into further crisis.”
Rural health transformation program set as keynote topic at Anchorage disability employment conference
“the second highest total and highest per capita in the United States”
Alaska plans nearly $126 million for rural health projects, its biggest round yet
“the second highest total and highest per capita in the United States, underscoring Alaska's critical needs”
Alaska Senate passes S-corp LNG tax with 2028 effective date
Alaska Senate passed a tax on oil and gas pass-through entities, effective 2028, after rejecting an immediate start date. The state estimates the tax will recover more than $400 million annually once the LNG project reaches full production.
Legal memo says Daniel J. Sullivan appears eligible for U.S. Senate ballot
A Legislative Legal Services memo says Daniel J. Sullivan meets U.S. Constitution requirements for Senate and that the lieutenant governor likely lacked authority to reject his candidacy filing, though elections officials still list him as denied.
The $15,000 PFD buy-out that never got a vote
“is to drive the PFD to zero, and I oppose it. And unfortunately, this amendment accelerates that fall towards a zero PFD.”
Alaska Medical Board adopts telemedicine buprenorphine regulations
“a vital need for our rural areas”
House Resources gas line bill would cost municipalities $13B under governor's plan
Governor's plan cuts municipal revenue by $13 billion, House Resources version cuts only $2 billion • Governor replaces property tax with volumetric tax statewide, House Resources keeps property tax on facilities • Both versions reduce state revenue, project remains economically challenged at current market prices
Alaska Senate urges apprentice hiring goals for veterans on defense projects
Alaska Senate unanimously passed a resolution urging Congress to set hiring goals for apprentices and veteran apprentices on U.S. Defense Department construction projects.
Alaska House Passes Baby Box Bill 35-5
Alaska House passed SB 9 on May 19 with a 35-to-5 vote, authorizing baby boxes at hospitals and fire stations where parents can anonymously surrender infants 21 days or younger without legal penalty.
Alaska lowers bar for toddlers to get early intervention services
Alaska lowered the eligibility threshold for toddler early intervention services from 50 percent to 25 percent developmental delay, allowing thousands more children to access help earlier.
House Finance adds feral cat spay-neuter provisions to invasive species bill
“SB 174 creates an invasive species management council. It creates a response fund but does not charge the fund. It also directs the council to create a 5-year strategic plan to deal with invasives in Alaska.”
Senate panel advances gas pipeline tax bill after 36 hearings
“They haven't issued— they haven't done anything to deal with the issue of lease expenditures, which we know are going to actually reduce oil revenue in the short and medium term because of the decoupling issue”
Alaska News Roundup: Gas pipeline tax fight, Point Thomson trade-off, and McNeil River access debate
Senate passed gas pipeline tax bill raising oil production tax floor to six percent, drawing industry criticism. • Point Thomson regulators warn blowdown for pipeline risks sixty-five million barrels of condensate. • Mount Edgecumbe enrollment dropped a quarter to three hundred eleven students amid facility and health concerns. • Fish and Game reviews wheeled plane landings at McNeil River bear sanctuary despite conservation objections.
Gas line tax break delivers 20% savings, far less than competing states
Alaska's gas line tax break gives developers a 20% savings, far less than the 65% savings they'd get under a 10-year tax holiday like Texas and Louisiana offer, a consultant told lawmakers Saturday.
Alaska Senate tightens hunting residency rules to match PFD standards
Alaska Senate voted to require hunters and anglers to spend at least 180 days in state per year to qualify for cheaper resident licenses, using the same residency test as the Permanent Fund Dividend.
Alaska Senate advances university regents reform bill with 2027 start date
Alaska Senate advanced a bill to restructure the University of Alaska Board of Regents, setting it to take effect Feb. 1, 2027, with a sunset review date six years later.
Senate cuts community impact fees for gas pipeline by half
Alaska Senate cut community impact fees for the Alaska LNG pipeline to $500,000 per mile, halving projected municipal payments from $740 million to $370 million during construction.
Oil industry opposes gas pipeline tax bill over bundled oil tax increases
“there was a provision in the bill having to do with lease expenditures, and we tried to decouple gas and oil lease expenditures. We know that this gas line will lead to significant new gas lease expenditures that will cause a reduction in existing oil taxes”
Point Thomson Gas Blowdown Could Cost Alaska 65M Barrels of Condensate
Switching Point Thomson from gas cycling to blowdown for the proposed gas pipeline would sacrifice roughly 65 million barrels of condensate, state regulators told lawmakers Wednesday.
Senate panel advances bill cutting sick leave for seafood workers
Alaska Senate panel advanced a bill cutting paid sick leave for seasonal seafood workers from 56 to 48 hours annually, citing end-of-season workforce shortages at processing plants.
Alaska Senate passes bill to expand early intervention for delayed children
Alaska Senate unanimously passed a bill lowering early intervention eligibility for young children from 50 percent to 25 percent developmental delay, potentially saving $38.9 million annually.
Alaska Senate Passes Right to Repair Bill for Consumer Electronics
Alaska Senate passed a right to repair bill May 11 requiring manufacturers to provide parts and tools so consumers can fix electronics instead of replacing them.
Senate Panel Advances Bill Tying Hunting Rights to 180-Day Residency
Alaska Senate panel advanced a bill tying resident hunting licenses to a 180-day residency standard, matching Permanent Fund Dividend rules to stop non-residents from claiming cheaper resident tags.
Senate panel advances Whittier land transfer bill without objection
“We have one item on the agenda this afternoon, a second hearing on House Bill 216, transfer of railroad land to Whittier.”
Gas tax hike could net Alaska $590M over pipeline life, analysis shows
Raising Alaska's gas production tax by 1 percentage point could generate $590 million over 30 years once the Alaska LNG project exports begin in 2033, without raising in-state gas prices.
Senate panel advances Native corporation reporting exemption despite concerns
Senate panel advanced a bill exempting 37 Alaska Native village corporations from state reporting, rejecting an amendment that would have kept the requirement for the largest ones.
Senate panel debates gas pipeline tax structure in 26th hearing
“in the 2040s and 2050s, we're looking at the hundreds of millions of dollars.”
Alaska Senate Passes Right-to-Repair Bill for Consumer Electronics
“when you buy something, you should own it and have the right to repair it. This bill is unfortunately necessary because this idea, this principle, which was once accepted as common sense, has been increasingly violated by certain out-of-state state consumer technology and manufacturing companies.”
Navy eyes return to Adak amid Arctic security concerns
The Navy is assessing whether to reestablish operations on Adak Island as China and Russia increase military activity near Alaska, with no formal decision yet made.
Alaska Senate Advances Right-to-Repair Bill for Consumer Electronics
Alaska Senate advanced a right-to-repair bill Friday requiring electronics makers to provide repair tools and manuals to independent shops, effective Jan. 1, 2027.
Alaska Senate committee advances sports betting bill with tax revenue promise
“Why cap the number of licenses at 10? Why create something that might result in a secondary market?”
Alaska Senate Passes Operating Budget With Energy Relief
Alaska Senate passed a $70 per barrel operating budget with $150 energy relief payments, avoiding a major Constitutional Budget Reserve draw that the House budget requires.
Alaska LNG Tax Bill Stalls as Lawmakers Demand Project Cost Data
“Even if we pass a 90% tax cut, the state of Alaska has less ability to impact this project than the gas producers, the major oil and gas producers on the North Slope.”
Senate panel advances compromise on fish processor sick leave
“the fish processors, um, did offer, um, some compelling arguments as to why their end-of-season accumulated leave causes unique problems at these remote processing facilities”
Senate Committee Advances Healthcare Licensing Compact Bill
Alaska Senate committee advanced a bill letting doctors, physician assistants, psychologists, social workers, and paramedics licensed in other states practice in Alaska without separate licenses.
19-year-old homeschool graduate appointed to State Medical Board
“Yes, that is accurate, and I was homeschooled.”
Senate panel debates $1B tax break for Alaska LNG amid cost secrecy
Alaska Senate panel split on tax breaks for $46 billion LNG project, with one lawmaker refusing to vote without cost details and warning the state could lose $1 billion annually in taxes.
Senate panel doubles oil surcharge for Dalton Highway maintenance in gas pipeline bill
Alaska Senate panel doubled the oil surcharge for Dalton Highway maintenance to 30 cents per barrel, generating roughly $50 million yearly, while cutting local government tax revenue by 90 percent.
Alaska Senate Panel Advances Youth Suicide Prevention Bill
Alaska Senate panel advanced a bill to fund voluntary firearm safe storage devices for families and create school guidelines for notifying parents of suicidal thoughts or bullying.
Alaska LNG project could tap Defense Production Act for federal support
“If the federal government did come in and somehow infused a tremendous amount of capital, would you see that— and it wasn't challenged— would you see that as an expansion of the DPA's current understanding? And would— I think you have an article, something about Pandora's box, So I don't want to make this too leading question, but the next president and the president after that, would they have a new tool on their hand to say, I don't know, build a mega gigantic wind farm or, you know, anything else?”
Senate panel advances health care compacts bill despite sovereignty concerns
“we have our 4th hearing on SB 281, Health Care Compacts Rural Health Programs”
Alaska LNG Consultant Flags Potential 50% Return for Developers vs. $1B State Revenue
A consultant warned lawmakers that Alaska LNG developers could net $8 billion annually by 2050. He cautioned his preliminary model may contain errors that require further review.
Senate panel advances property tax assessment cap bill
Senate panel advanced a bill letting cities cap annual property tax increases on owner-occupied homes, despite assessors warning it creates unfair burdens between longtime and new homeowners.
Alaska expands background checks to all medical professionals
Alaska Senate Health Committee voted to require criminal background checks for all medical professionals licensed by the state, expanding a requirement that previously applied only to doctors.
Senate panel adopts changes to health care compact bill
Alaska Senate panel approved changes to join four interstate medical licensing compacts aimed at recruiting rural health providers, adding background check requirements for medical professionals.
