Sara Hannan

The Legislature will spend $50,000 defending the seizure of a pilot's plane

“10 Yeas, 0 nays. With 10 yeas and 0 nays, the motion has been approved.”

The Legislature will spend $675,000 to renovate its own Capitol parking garage

The Alaska Legislature weighs new rules on animals in the Capitol

Alaska Legislative Council approves $851,400 for KTOO's Gavel Alaska coverage

“Hearing and seeing no questions, I'm going to remove my objection.”

Alaskans can call 988, but in many places no team can respond

“the downside of our 988 care line is we don't have resources to respond in many locations in Alaska. When the Care Line gets someone, there are a few communities that have crisis services able to, you know, be drawn in and meet that. But for many of our callers, there isn't a service available.”

Dunleavy vetoes six bills, including invasive species and polystyrene measures

“What the council provides is the opportunity for the disparate agencies at the state, the federal, the groups that are working on it to coordinate and say, "Legislature, we need authority for some invasive plant policies statewide, and we think it's got a budget ticket item of X."”

Juneau donors are giving the Legislature 16 more apartments for lawmakers

Same committee, same day, two close votes on Alaska LNG ratepayer protection — and they didn't go the same way

House Finance writes a $16 gas-price cap into Alaska LNG bill — even if Enstar's contract isn't signed

House Finance amendment lets pipeline-route municipalities bill Alaska LNG directly — skipping the state appropriation step

North Slope, Kenai mayors negotiate gas line property tax as House Finance delays bill deadline

Alaska House examines $4 billion LNG equity option, Fairbanks spur-line tax break

AGDC tells House Finance that Alaska property tax is 10 times higher than competing LNG projects

Energy consultant tells House Finance that property tax makes Alaska LNG unfinanceable

Alaska gas line faces economic challenge even with tax breaks

House Resources gas line bill would cost municipalities $13B under governor's plan

Alaska House raises unemployment benefits, expands telehealth coverage

House votes to eliminate tax filing discounts worth $500,000 annually

“from a report that's called the Indirect Expenditure Report, Legislative Finance reviewed 136 programs and recommended 45 of them for cleanup. This bill includes 4 of them.”

Alaska Passes Age of Consent Bill After Weeks-Long Senate Delay

Alaska House passes tobacco age increase, vape tax, cigar lounge exemption

“Nicotine and tobacco is a leading cause for preventable health diseases, for issues like cancer, heart disease, and stroke. Senate Bill 24 has two central policies. First, it raises the minimum age to purchase tobacco products and electronic smoking products from 19 to 21 to bring Alaska into alignment with the federal law that passed in December of 2019.”

House Finance Committee advances PFD restoration for wrongfully convicted

House panel hears bill to restore PFDs for wrongfully convicted Alaskans

“The Tanana Chiefs Conference letter actually says that we are one of only 12 states that do not have compensation statutes for people that have been wrongly convicted.”

House Finance Committee advances auto-IRA bill for Alaska workers

House panel cuts youth tobacco fines, advances Tobacco 21 bill

“I just urge your support. It still keeps it an offense that requires some accountability, that being a $100 fine, up to a $100 fine, but isn't so substantial.”

Alaska House panel hears testimony on statewide spay-neuter program, no vote taken

House Finance approves pharmacist prescription bill after rejecting nurse compact

“My concern primarily about this amendment is killing the underlying bill.”

House panel hears gas line tax bill with 15-cent volumetric fee

“It is my understanding that at one point in the Resources Committee that Glen Farn discussed as 12 cents being where they were comfortable”

House panel advances retirement savings program for private workers

House Finance advances fire station grant program after rejecting rural aid amendments

“I think there's sort of two or three streams of ways we should be addressing fire safety. And a grant program, I think, by its design and nature of this grant program, is for communities where you say you got to have a local buy-in to both the funding and then the ongoing maintenance.”

House panel sets amendment deadline for civics education bill

“I'm trying to figure out if every registrar at every school district is going to now have an additional task to say this student has mastered this and they get the Civic Seal.”

House Finance Advances Paid Parental Leave Bill

“I want to go to the legal memo that came back with the draft and to the potential of creating two separate classes of employees with our creation of the exemption for employers with fewer than 25 employees and seasonal employees as an exemption.”

Alaska House passes education funding reform despite split votes on transparency

Legislature advances $347M fire station grant program

Alaska House Panel Hears Push to Raise Tobacco Age to 21

House Finance Advances Education Funding Bill Despite Fiscal Concerns

House advances expanded disability benefits for all public workers

Alaska House panel considers doubling bulk fuel loan cap amid price crisis

House Finance advances education fund amendment, rejects gas pipeline revenue tie

“I want to make sure that when voters are talking and thinking about voting on a constitutional amendment, that it's not tied to another thing being the critical feature.”

House Finance cuts West Susitna road funding from capital budget

Housing agency buys 600+ acres statewide to spur development

Senate Finance advances $2.8B operating budget to Rules Committee

Alaska lawmakers explore data center development as economic opportunity

Alaska House passes home care advisory board for Medicaid workers

House Finance hears $8.4M in governor's budget amendments

House panel debates $113M education funding formula shift

House panel hears Fairbanks road service area reform proposal

State employee per diem frozen since 2010 despite 40% inflation

Senate adds $156M to capital budget, prioritizes deferred maintenance

House passes bill requiring transparency at psychiatric hospitals for minors

Alaska House panel advances ban on heavy fuel oil for cruise ships

“The Committee Substitute for House Bill 366 proposes to restrict the use of heavy petroleum fuel oil by large commercial passenger vessels sailing in Alaskan waters.”