Scott Kawasaki

Alaska lawmakers order audit of Board of Fisheries process

“I feel like given the breadth of stakeholders' concerns and with current litigation, the AG overturning several proposals, and the amount of concern as Fisheries Chair that Representative Stutes has heard, it felt like it was appropriate to have an objective and independent look at the board's processes and procedures.”

Alaska legislative auditor resigns after 34 years, replacement process underway

Alaska Senate advances sweeping public safety bill with AI child abuse provisions

House Finance Committee advances PFD restoration for wrongfully convicted

“this bill would reinstate the permanent fund dividend for the folks who may have been wrongfully convicted. And so we call this the Wrongful Conviction Compensation Bill. One of the things that a person is deprived of if they are wrongfully convicted and then incarcerated is a permanent fund dividend.”

Alaska Senate Passes Statewide Styrofoam Ban for Restaurants

“Polystyrene further will leach into food that is in food containers, and these containers will end up becoming friable. They end up floating in water, and then they end up disintegrating into the water table and eaten by other animals. Diseases associated with polystyrene include many cancers like leukemia, lymphoma.”

House panel hears bill to restore PFDs for wrongfully convicted Alaskans

“the state has a fundamental responsibility to ensure that every prosecution is fair and every conviction is just. And if the system were to fail, and sometimes it does, such as when an Alaskan has been wrongfully convicted and then later has had their judgment vacated, reversed, then the state must go beyond merely unlocking the cell. We have a duty to make amends.”

Senate panel reviews oil tax floor increase projecting $132M annual gain

Senate Passes Insurance Gap Fix for Gig Economy Drivers

Gas line tax break delivers 20% savings, far less than competing states

Alaska Senate advances university regents reform bill with 2027 start date

Senate cuts community impact fees for gas pipeline by half

Autonomous vehicle bill advances despite state warnings on outdated standards

“Around 20 years ago, the FAA put in a rule that said that any drones had to stay within line of sight of their operator. And after 15 or so years of, of, of testing and a lot of regulatory review, about 2022, and a lot of that testing happening here in Alaska, about 2022, the FAA modified— started modifying their rules and giving permission for drones to start flying out of the line of sight of the, of the operator”

Oil industry opposes gas pipeline tax bill over bundled oil tax increases

Point Thomson Gas Blowdown Could Cost Alaska 65M Barrels of Condensate

Senate passes cryptocurrency kiosk consumer protection bill unanimously

Alaska Senate passes bill to expand early intervention for delayed children

Senate Panel Advances Bill Tying Hunting Rights to 180-Day Residency

Senate panel advances bill barring felons from school boards

Navy eyes return to Adak amid Arctic security concerns

Alaska Senate Advances Right-to-Repair Bill for Consumer Electronics

Industry groups oppose Dalton Highway toll targeting oil and gas traffic

“The Department of Transportation does invest approximately $17 million— these are a little bit outdated numbers, I think this is 2020— $17 million— I'm sorry, $17 million in maintenance and operations on the Dalton Highway each year, $10.5 million of which comes from state funding, the other $6 million is federal.”

Alaska LNG Tax Bill Stalls as Lawmakers Demand Project Cost Data

“I mean, we just saw the press conference yesterday. We are in day 108, 109 of a 120-day session. So we as resources are sort of— I mean, I will speak for myself, a little stressed that I don't have this information yet, but I am supposed to make these multibillion-dollar decisions with a 30-year horizon, time horizon, within the next week”

Alaska House bill to ban polystyrene food containers moves to Senate

House committee advances resolution backing military infrastructure push

Senate panel debates $1B tax break for Alaska LNG amid cost secrecy

Alaska Senate panel hears proposal for immigrant integration office

Alaska Senate passes bill to ease classic car import registration

Alaska LNG Consultant Flags Potential 50% Return for Developers vs. $1B State Revenue

Senate panel advances U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade resolution with border changes

Alaska Senate passes wildfire evacuation color-code system

Senate panel advances fishing co-op bill with electronic monitoring

Senate panel advances fishing cooperative bill with electronic monitoring

House Judiciary Advances Bill Restoring PFDs for Wrongfully Convicted

Senate panel holds Alaska state seal redesign resolution

Senate panel hears setnet cooperative bill, sets aside land transfer

Senate Resources advances three bills on agriculture, evacuations, invasive species

Senate panel approves $485 million Department of Revenue budget

Senate panel cuts jail funding in half, seeks out-of-state inmate housing

Senate panel advances $535 million corrections budget with jail funding cut

Alaska lawmakers hear testimony on four ballot initiatives

Senate panel examines LNG project economics, megaproject risks

Senate cuts House domestic violence funding additions in half

Senate panel approves $163.8 million judiciary budget with lease, staff additions

Senate Resources hears LNG tax framework comparison, transparency concerns

Senate panel approves $139.2 million budget for Department of Law

Senate Panel Questions DNR Commissioner Nominee on Gas Development