Alaska State Legislature · Photo source · US government work
Kevin McCabe
Representative · Alaska State House · District 8
44 articles · 20 transcripts · 6 clips
Affiliations
Denali Borough fire chiefs to meet every other week on Cantwell winter coverage
Denali Borough fire chiefs will huddle every other week to keep Cantwell's fire and EMS going this winter while the borough chases federal rural health money.
State approves Seward timber sale with a logging road along a recreation trail
The state will sell 55 acres of Seward spruce, hauled out on a road along a year-round trail the Forest Service says wasn't built for log trucks.
Legislature seeks bids for Mat-Su office space as Wasilla lease runs out of renewals
The Legislature is taking bids for a Mat-Su office for nine local lawmakers. The Wasilla lease runs out of renewals in 2027, and there's no set budget.
Wasilla airport commission backs buying at least 11 parcels for longer runway
Wasilla's airport commission backed buying at least 11 parcels for a longer runway. Planes leave heavier than they arrive, thanks partly to local shopping.
Houston approves plastics recycler's permit as state reviews groundwater contamination at site
Houston approved a plastics recycler at a gravel pit where the owner's own consultant found petroleum in the groundwater. The state is still looking into it.
Houston passes two-year pause on data centers as state weighs AIDEA land transfer
“I'm not convinced, like Senator Rauscher is, that it's going to happen. I think there's lots and lots of pressure on DNR.”
State moves to permit an antimony ore crusher near Port MacKenzie
The state tentatively approved an air permit for an antimony ore crusher near Port MacKenzie, without publishing any estimate of what it would put into the air.
Alaska's new ethics law names the wrong person in a complaint
Alaska's new ethics law tells the committee to meet with the wrong person in a complaint. The ethics committee voted to ask for a fix.
Mat-Su cut school walking paths from its short-term road list
Mat-Su dropped walking path projects at two elementary schools from its short-term transportation list, replacing them with road reconstruction and paving.
Mat-Su commission backs the $9 million road route over the $30 million one
Mat-Su's planning commission backed a $9 million southern road route over a northern one pegged at up to $31 million, overruling a staff recommendation. The assembly decides next.
Alaska asks 3,500 voters to confirm citizenship weeks before the primary
Alaska flagged 3,500 voters as possible noncitizens and made them inactive weeks before the primary. A phone call fixes it — if the letter arrived in time.
Alaska's new ethics law puts legal teeth behind gift-travel rules
“I think it would be helpful instead of being adversarial— you know, if we put something out that says it's helpful in determining whether or not this meets our ethics statute, if you could provide the legislative purpose more than just your travel itinerary.”
A refusal to explain a gift-funded trip exposed a hole in Alaska's ethics rules
“I think it would be helpful instead of being adversarial— you know, if we put something out that says it's helpful in determining whether or not this meets our ethics statute, if you could provide the legislative purpose more than just your travel itinerary.”
Alaska's ethics committee wants out of harassment training so it can get back to ethics
Alaska's ethics committee voted to hand off harassment training, saying it's crowded out real ethics instruction. The training continues — just not under them.
An ethics panel found probable cause that Rep. Sarah Vance misused her office to pressure a newspaper
An ethics panel found probable cause Rep. Sarah Vance used state resources to pressure the Homer News, which then pulled the article and dropped the reporter's byline.
Daniel J. Sullivan sued the state today over a denied Senate ballot spot
Denied a Senate ballot spot, Daniel J. Sullivan sued today. Lawmakers held a hearing on the same question the same afternoon.
Trump invokes Defense Production Act; makes way for new Alaska coal plant
Trump invoked the Defense Production Act and is trying to push $89m to help build a coal plant in Alaska
Alaska Passes Age of Consent Bill After Weeks-Long Senate Delay
Alaska raised age of consent from 16 to 18 after Senate delay sparked public outcry. • Omnibus crime bill also criminalizes AI-generated child abuse images and requires sex offender registration. • New rules make sexual assault by healthcare workers a standalone crime and expand parole board. • Lawmakers worried about compressed timeline but voted yes anyway.
Alaska House passes tobacco age increase, vape tax, cigar lounge exemption
“this amendment is brought to you by laundry soap, air freshener, mouthwash, and breath mint industries, as well as wives and girlfriends who would rather their significant others not smoke cigars in the shop, in the garage, on the patio, or in the driveway.”
House committee advances LGBTQ anti-discrimination bill on 4-3 vote
Alaska House committee advanced a bill adding sexual orientation and gender identity protections to state civil rights law in employment, housing, and public accommodations, voting 4-3 Thursday.
Alaska Legislature Passes Bill Recognizing Gold, Silver as Legal Tender
Alaska Legislature passed a bill recognizing gold and silver as legal tender and exempting those transactions from local sales taxes, sending it to Governor Dunleavy for signature.
Alaska House panel advances penny-rounding bill to standardize cash transactions
Alaska House panel advanced a bill requiring retailers to round cash transactions symmetrically to the nearest five cents, standardizing rules as the U.S. stops making pennies.
Alaska House passes education funding reform despite split votes on transparency
House passed education funding reform using three-year enrollment averaging to stabilize school budgets and reduce teacher layoffs, 31-9. • House split 20-20 on requiring public review of mental health curriculum, defeating both transparency amendments.
Alaska House rejects optional school district healthcare pooling plan
“All we are doing is putting optional language in there. Why would we spend our valuable time as a task force to even bother to look at this when we can put it in a bill as optional and let the school districts look at it?”
Senate Judiciary advances ethics bill with complaint disclosure changes
Senate Judiciary advanced an ethics reform bill that lets people accused of misconduct decide whether their complaints stay private or go public.
House panel advances bill to fast-track utility easements in state parks
“Right now, the Nancy Lake State Park and the Ketchumac Bay State Park have some aging infrastructure that was either not permitted under an easement properly or not given a proper easement that need to be replaced.”
Alaska House passes gold, silver legal tender bill unanimously
The Alaska House voted 40-0 to allow gold and silver as legal tender. The bill exempts metal value from sales tax but keeps tax obligations for fees.
House passes ethics reform to clarify complaints and strengthen oversight
“It's now before you in the Senate after passing the House 37-3 on May 1st”
House panel holds wildfire evacuation bill over cost, scope concerns
“I continue to believe that this is a DNR responsibility, not a DOT responsibility.”
House advances expanded disability benefits for all public workers
Alaska House advanced a bill raising occupational disability benefits to 75 percent of salary and adding healthcare coverage for all public employees and teachers.
Alaska House Committee Advances Five Bills in Single Session
House Labor and Commerce Committee advanced a tax bill raising $500,000 annually and passed hemp regulation amendments protecting existing producers. • Committee set May 6 deadline for a resolution supporting visa programs that employ 183 teachers in Alaska schools. • Insurance bill for delivery drivers stalled over coverage gaps and cost concerns, while charitable gaming modernization continued without final action.
Alaska lawmakers explore data center development as economic opportunity
Alaska lawmakers heard Tuesday that the state's cold climate and natural gas could attract data centers, which cost over $1 billion to build but create few permanent jobs once running.
House panel hears bill requiring disclosure of out-of-state campaign funding
A House bill would require political groups funded mostly by out-of-state donors to disclose that fact in campaign ads, closing a transparency gap that lets outside money influence Alaska elections.
House panel hears bill to strengthen campaign finance disclosure
House panel heard a bill requiring groups that spend money on Alaska elections to disclose if most of their funding comes from outside the state and to maintain an Alaska address or agent.
House panel cuts cryptocurrency kiosk limits to protect seniors from scams
House panel cut cryptocurrency kiosk limits to $500 daily and $1,500 monthly to protect seniors from scams, which attorney general reports say account for 93 to 98 percent of kiosk transactions.
House panel hears Fairbanks road service area reform proposal
House panel heard a bill to let second-class boroughs reshape road service areas without two concurrent elections, a process that has failed 60 percent of the time.
State employee per diem frozen since 2010 despite 40% inflation
House Bill 300 would raise state employee per diem rates frozen since 2010 from $60 to $82 per day, with automatic adjustments every three years starting in 2029.
Fairbanks father's testimony drives push for faster body cam release
The House State Affairs Committee advanced a bill requiring police to release body camera footage within 30 days of serious incidents.
Alaska House panel advances ban on heavy fuel oil for cruise ships
“I'm concerned that we are unfairly— I mean, I guess I'm concerned why we are targeting all of a sudden a cruise ship industry that brings millions, if not more, dollars to Southeast Alaska”
House Passes Polystyrene Ban for Restaurants Despite Business Concerns
“$1.8 to $2.6 million possible to cost to the state. This is how we increase our budget without even noticing it.”
House advances bill requiring 30-day state payments after heated debate
“So we put those funds at risk if we actually use those funds in that section that the member from Soldotna was talking about. Um, that, that's a huge problem.”
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.
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.
House Advances Corporate Tax Bill, Rejects AI and Nuclear Amendments
Alaska House advanced a corporate tax bill targeting multi-state and digital businesses, rejecting amendments to tax AI companies and restrict AI from nuclear systems.