Business
RSSAlaska News covers Alaska business topics including federal wage updates, healthcare ventures, cannabis industry regulation, employment changes.
A Spenard Pot Shop Changes Hands as Anchorage's Market Cools
A Spenard dispensary is rebranding under new owners — a small sign of a bigger shift, as Anchorage's pot tax take slips and the early gold-rush crowd thins out.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Anchorage Assembly unanimously passes veteran-owned business preference ordinance
Anchorage Assembly unanimously passed a veteran-owned business preference for city contracts, letting qualifying vets match the lowest bid rather than automatically winning at higher cost.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
iHeart local cuts reach KGOT and KENI in Anchorage radio shakeup
iHeartMedia cut longtime Anchorage radio hosts Casey Bieber and Amy Demboski as the company shifts from local programming to national content, narrowing Alaska's local media landscape.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago3 min read
Two Things Worth Watching at the Marijuana Board
Alaska's marijuana board meets in Fairbanks, where a license sale comes with baggage and growers renew their gripe that untaxed hemp THC is eating their lunch.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
Alaska's legal cannabis growers say tax-free synthetic THC is sinking them
Alaska's legal weed growers pay the nation's highest pot tax, then get undercut by tax-free THC from the mailbox. They'd like a word.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
UIC just crossed $1 billion in revenue — a milestone almost no village corp reaches
UIC just crossed $1 billion in revenue. Almost no Alaska Native village corporation gets there.
by Maggie AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Anchorage Press plans return, with Northern Journal folding into revived paper
Nathaniel Herz and Veri di Suvero are reviving the Anchorage Press, an alternative weekly that closed years ago, by folding Northern Journal into it and launching a print edition this fall with arts, culture and Alaska politics coverage.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago4 min read
Peltola proposes corporate tax tied to worker pay in Senate race
New Peltola plan: companies with rich CEOs and broke workers pay more. Odds of passing: low. Odds of becoming a debate line: certain.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Anchorage advances 5% bid preference for veteran-owned firms
Anchorage Assembly advanced an ordinance giving veteran-owned businesses a five percent preference on city contracts capped at $50,000, affecting a city where veterans make up 13 percent of the adult population.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Anchorage Assembly weighs veteran contracting preferences
Anchorage Assembly is deciding between two veteran contracting preference proposals that differ on preference size, eligibility windows, and whether preferences apply to qualifications-based bids or price-based bids only.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago3 min read
SBA freeze threatens Alaska Native corporations' $9B federal footprint
An SBA freeze on new subsidiary applications threatens Alaska Native corporations' $9 billion annual federal contracting footprint, which supports 50,000 jobs worldwide and returns $300 to $350 million yearly to Alaska Native shareholders.
by Alaska Newsadded 3mo ago2 min read
Trump administration stalls 8(a) applications for Alaska Native corporations
Trump administration stalls new 8(a) applications for Alaska Native corporations amid fraud review. • 2024 lawsuit challenges whether special contracting treatment for Alaska Native firms is constitutional. • Program generated 13.5 billion dollars in revenue in 2022 and employs roughly 50,000 people worldwide.
by Alaska Newsadded 3mo ago2 min read
Bartlett Regional Hospital posts 39 job openings in one week
Bartlett Regional Hospital posted 40 job openings in one week, about half of all Juneau-area listings, spanning nurses, doctors, support staff, and administrative roles as the hospital works to fill vacancies and expand housing for employees.
by Alaska News3mo ago1 min read
Alaskans' debt falls to lowest level in a decade
Alaska adults carried an average of $68,900 in household debt in 2024, down roughly $1,900 from 2023 and the lowest level in a decade, though Alaskans still owe about $7,300 more per person than the national average.
by Alaska News3mo ago2 min read
Alaska minimum wage rises to $14 in July, $15 in 2027
Alaska minimum wage rises to $14 per hour on July 1, then to $15 in 2027, with annual inflation adjustments after that under a voter-approved schedule.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
A year-round storefront for Alaska's seasonal makers
Voyij is launching a year-round e-commerce platform for Made in Alaska program permit holders on June 1. Listings are free; Voyij takes a per-sale commission whose rate has not been publicly disclosed.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
Alaska Marijuana Control Board denies Anchorage cultivation license renewal over $633,000 tax debt
Alaska Marijuana Control Board revoked Anchorage cultivator Alaskasense's license Wednesday over $633,000 in unpaid excise taxes.
by Grant Robinsonadded 4mo ago1 min read
Alaska residents applying for a green card will, in most cases, now have to leave the country to complete the process.
Most Alaska green card applicants must now complete the process at a U.S. consulate abroad instead of in-country, a federal policy shift announced May 22 that will require travel, longer separations, and higher costs for families and employers.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Juneau mining industry warns sales tax cap removal could cost $5M yearly
Juneau is considering removing a $15,000 cap on sales tax per purchase. The Kensington Mine says eliminating it would cost the company $5 million yearly, nearly tripling its tax bill, and the city hasn't yet said how much revenue it would actually gain.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Alaska Marijuana Control Board approves THC oral pouch product
Alaska Marijuana Control Board approved the state's first THC oral pouch product from Lolo Creations, LLC on a 4-1 vote, with the law enforcement member dissenting over child ingestion risks.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 4mo ago2 min read
Alaska warns residents about BG Wealth cryptocurrency scheme flagged by eight other jurisdictions
Don't send your money to scammers...They're out to get you, and they're getting better at it.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Energy consultant tells House Finance that property tax makes Alaska LNG unfinanceable
Energy consultant says property tax costs $600 million yearly, making Alaska LNG unfinanceable.
by Bill AlaskaNews4mo ago3 min read
Ketchikan seeks bids for City Hall heating, civic center floors, fuel supply
Ketchikan is seeking bids for a new City Hall heating system, Ted Ferry Civic Center flooring replacement, and fuel supply for city vehicles, with two bid deadlines already passed and fuel bids still open.
by Alaska Newsadded 4mo ago1 min read
Federal job cuts from 2025 continue to drag on Alaska employment
Alaska added only 100 jobs in April 2025 as federal cuts eliminated 1,900 positions. • Government losses across federal, state, and local levels totaled 2,700 jobs. • Private sector gains of 2,800 jobs barely offset government declines. • Alaska's unemployment rate held at 4.7 percent, above the national 4.3 percent.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
Alaska House passes corporate income tax bill for digital-era businesses
Alaska House approved a bill updating corporate income tax rules for digital businesses, passing 28-11. The measure lets Alaska collect revenue from out-of-state companies that operate without physical locations in the state.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
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.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
Alaska House passes commercial-code update for digital assets
Alaska House passed SB 252 unanimously Wednesday, updating state commercial law to cover digital assets like cryptocurrencies and NFTs with clearer rules on ownership and collateral.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 4mo ago1 min readAlaska Officials Hail 'Night and Day' Shift Under Trump Energy Policies
Governor Dunleavy and Senator Sullivan said Trump reversed Biden restrictions on Alaska resource projects. • Willow and Pitcairn oil fields are now producing, generating 80,000 barrels per day. • State legislature must act on a payment-in-lieu-of-taxes proposal for the natural gas pipeline. • Federal government created a Western Alaska energy task force for rural diesel supply issues.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago5 min read
Lake Hood tenant secures 55-year lease at 12 cents per square foot
Alaska DOT&PF proposes a 55-year lease to Lake Hood Air Harbor, Inc. for 60,037 square feet at 12 cents per square foot annually, with public comments accepted through June 18, 2026.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min readSenate panel advances bill requiring humans in autonomous commercial vehicles
The Alaska Senate State Affairs Committee voted Saturday to advance a bill requiring human safety operators in autonomous commercial vehicles, despite warnings from industry representatives that the measure would effectively ban driverless technology in the state.
by Alaska News4mo ago4 min read
State partners with Skagway startup to sell Alaska-made goods online
Alaska's Made in Alaska program has partnered with Skagway-based e-commerce platform Voyij to launch a free online marketplace for state permit holders starting June 1, 2026, connecting rural artisans with global customers through existing cruise line and airline partnerships.
by Alaska News4mo ago2 min readAlaska Gear Company wins 2024 Manufacturer of Year; 2025 nominations open
The Made in Alaska Program has opened nominations for its 2025 Manufacturer of the Year award through May 29, following Alaska Gear Company's 2024 win.
by Alaska Newsadded 4mo ago2 min readAlaska's Right-to-Repair Bill Navigates National Debate on Consumer Access
The House Community & Regional Affairs Committee advanced HB 162, a digital product repair bill, placing Alaska among states wrestling with how broadly to extend repair rights while protecting business models and intellectual property.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago5 min read
Alaska House panel hears retirement savings bill for small business workers
The House Labor and Commerce Committee heard testimony on HB 338, which would create an automatic IRA program for employees at Alaska businesses without retirement plans.
by Alaska News5mo ago4 min read
Senate Finance hears corporate tax shift targeting online sales to Alaskans
The Senate Finance Committee heard testimony on House Bill 280, which would shift Alaska's corporate income tax to market-based sourcing, a change expected to generate $15 million annually by taxing out-of-state companies based on where Alaska customers receive services.
by Alaska News5mo ago2 min readHouse committee hears bill to eliminate tax discounts
The House Labor and Commerce Committee heard Senate Bill 164, which would eliminate several tax discounts and deductions to raise nearly $500,000 annually for the state.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago3 min read
House Panel Considers Bills to Ease Alaska's Liquor Liability Insurance Crisis
The House Labor & Commerce Committee heard testimony on legislation aimed at addressing Alaska's severe shortage of affordable liquor liability insurance for restaurants and bars.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago2 min read
