Alaska State Legislature · Photo source · US government work
Sarah Vance
Representative · Alaska State House · District 31
42 articles · 18 transcripts · 2 clips
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Independent groups report spending more than the candidates raised in Kodiak's House race
A retired teacher and a young fisherman want Kodiak's open House seat. Groups backed by unions and national party money have spent more than the two raised.
Alaska's 2026 races have drawn at least $210 million, mostly in the Senate race
Alaska's 2026 races have drawn at least $210 million. If turnout matches 2022, that's about $790 per voter. Three-quarters is in the Senate race.
DLCC-funded group reports $172,748 against five Republican Alaska House candidates
A DLCC-funded group in D.C. has spent or owes $172,748.70 against five Alaska House Republicans. None of its listed true sources has an Alaska address.
White House restates $150 million for Beluga-Healy line; source of $268 million share unclear
The White House says DOE "will invest $150 million" in the Beluga-Healy line; DOE said "up to." Who covers the other $268 million is still unclear.
Virginia-based GOPAC gives $150,000 to Anchorage group backing House conservatives
A Virginia-based Republican group gave $150,000 to an Anchorage independent expenditure committee backing Alaska House conservatives in the Nov. 3 election.
Kenai Peninsula voters decide on school board term limits
Kenai Peninsula voters decide on school board term limits that would not keep anyone off a ballot until 2032. The assembly sent it to them 9-0.
Labor-funded committee backs Republican Ruby Jones and opposes both her rivals in Eagle River House race
A labor-funded group picked a Republican in Eagle River's House race and is buying ads against the other two candidates, one Republican and one Democrat.
Wasilla group reports $93,850 in September spending for six Republican legislative candidates
A group funded entirely by a national Republican committee has spent $93,850 on six Alaska House races, including $50,800 to a Wyoming canvassing firm.
A new Wasilla group spent $43,000 on six House candidates with D.C. money
A Wasilla group registered Sept. 1, took $250,000 from a national Republican committee Sept. 9, and spent $43,000 on six House candidates Sept. 10.
Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly to revisit Nikolaevsk school transfer Tuesday
“But I have an example in my district in Village of Nikolaevsk for, for years that was an excellent school in a small village. It was the center of the community. They respected the Russian Old Believers. They had implemented their calendar. They had Russian language a part of the school and highly respected that community, and it was really integrated.”
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.
Alaska's filing deadline turned the 2026 election from rumor into a real race
So many candidates, so little time left
Open South Midtown seat draws three candidates after Josephson opts not to seek reelection.
House District 13 in South Midtown Anchorage has three candidates after Rep. Andy Josephson declined reelection: Democrat Lisa Keller, Democrat Felix Rivera, and Republican Sarah Short, in a district where the last race was decided by 477 votes.
Vance-Johnson rematch gives southern Kenai Peninsula a cleaner House race
Rep. Sarah Vance faces a rematch against nonpartisan Brent Johnson in House District 6 on the southern Kenai Peninsula after a third Republican candidate split the vote in 2024.
Alaska House raises unemployment benefits, expands telehealth coverage
Alaska House raised maximum weekly unemployment benefits from $370 to $470, first increase since 2009. • Expanded telehealth coverage and raised disability pay for firefighters and police from 40 percent to 75 percent. • Updated insurance laws to clarify rebates and ban misleading advertising.
House advances complex care homes for behavioral health patients
Alaska House unanimously approved HB 73 to create new residential homes for people with behavioral health conditions like schizophrenia. • New license category takes effect July 1, 2027, giving the Department of Health time to set service standards and payment rates. • Bill addresses people who cannot access existing group homes or assisted living facilities.
Alaska House passes Native corporation reinstatement bill after Senate changes
Alaska House voted 36-3 to accept Senate changes to HB 126, allowing involuntarily dissolved Native corporations to reinstate as the same legal entity rather than transfer assets to a new corporation.
Alaska Passes Age of Consent Bill After Weeks-Long Senate Delay
“if you create AI-generated images of children doing obscene things, we will prosecute you and you will have to register as a felon under the sex registry.”
Alaska House passes tobacco age increase, vape tax, cigar lounge exemption
Alaska House passed bill raising tobacco and vape purchase age from 19 to 21, matching federal law. • New statewide tax on vaping products will fund smoking education programs. • Bill includes exemption for premium cigar lounges meeting strict requirements. • Penalties for underage possession lowered to $100 with no court appearance required.
Alaska House passes fisheries tax credit expansion unanimously
Alaska House unanimously approved a bill extending a tax credit for seafood processors through 2037 and expanding it to all fish species, aiming to help the industry during poor market conditions.
Alaska House Passes Paid Parental Leave, Exempts Seasonal Workers from Sick Leave
Alaska House passed the state's first paid parental leave program but exempted seasonal workers from a voter-approved paid sick leave mandate.
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.
House panel withdraws AI personhood amendment after legal questions arise
“it is the intent of the legislature that nothing in this act may be construed as recognizing an artificial intelligence system, automated agent, or machine learning system as a person”
Alaska House expands pharmacist prescribing powers in 32-8 vote
Alaska House voted 32-8 to let pharmacists prescribe for minor ailments and chronic conditions, unlocking $272 million in federal rural health funding that requires the law by December 2027.
Alaska House passes mental health education bill after emotional debate
Alaska House passed a bill requiring the state to develop mental health curriculum guidelines for schools, responding to the nation's highest youth suicide rate among teenagers.
House panel advances domestic violence protective order extensions
House panel advanced a bill letting judges extend domestic violence protective orders to five years instead of one, sparing victims from annual court renewals.
Alaska House passes education funding reform despite split votes on transparency
“Mental health is something, this is brand new educational material going to be introduced in our schools. And as, uh, the representative Keeney mentioned, we want people to be a part of the introduction of this process so that they can be on board as it's being introduced and considered a part of a curriculum.”
House committee hears bill to update Alaska commercial law for cryptocurrency
Alaska House committee heard testimony on a bill to update state commercial law for cryptocurrency, aligning with 34 states that have already adopted the changes.
Alaska House rejects optional school district healthcare pooling plan
Alaska House rejected a plan that would have let school districts join the state healthcare program, turning down potential savings of $31 million to $42 million annually for major districts.
House panel advances daylight saving time bill with Western Alaska carve-out
“I'm struggling with, uh, dividing the time in Alaska. And across the state having one time for government services, for school travel, all of those things is why I would want to be unified.”
Board of Fish Nominees Face Questions on Public Process Erosion
Three Board of Fisheries nominees pledged Tuesday to restore public trust after the board made an out-of-cycle Cook Inlet salmon gear decision despite 280 opposing comments.
Alaska Legislature Falls Two Votes Short of Overriding Elections Bill Veto
“right now, our system is broken where not every vote is being counted. Our rolls have not been tightened up to the level that builds confidence, that ensures people that they have a legal vote. My constituents tell me that every illegal vote cancels out their legal one, thus nullifying their voice.”
Veterans sentencing bill advances despite concerns over court authority
House Bill 299 would let judges override prosecutors to place veterans in misdemeanor treatment courts, but prosecutors and court officials warned of separation of powers litigation.
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 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 Judiciary rejects consumer data privacy bill after 3-3 vote
The House Judiciary Committee deadlocked 3-3 on the Alaska Data Privacy Act. The bill would have let Alaskans control how companies collect and sell their personal data.
House panel hears bill to let small Alaska fishermen process, sell catch directly
House Bill 356 would let small Alaska fishermen process and sell catch directly without industrial processor rules, if they harvest under 10,000 pounds annually.
House passes bill requiring transparency at psychiatric hospitals for minors
“In the documents along with this bill were some news articles about some separate cases of two young boys who were sexually abused while in the facilities. And I tell you what, that hit me right in the heart, Mr. Speaker, because they were the same ages as my boys.”
Fairbanks father's testimony drives push for faster body cam release
“I want to make sure that we have this timeline correct around the exemption regarding an active criminal investigation and how much the courts can extend that because because, um, like Representative St. Clair said, investigation timelines vary, and, and that is the ultimate justice.”
Alaska 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.
House Committee Extends Deadline for AI Personhood Amendment
Alaska House committee delayed a vote on whether to add language to the state constitution denying personhood rights to AI systems, pushing the deadline to April 7 to allow more legal review.
Senate Committee Advances Bill to Raise Alaska's Age of Consent Amid Sexual Violence Crisis
Alaska Senate advances bill to raise age of consent from 16 to 18, addressing the state's crisis of sexual violence against young people.