Government
RSSAlaska News tracks coverage of Alaska government including state legislature, municipal assemblies, and state agencies addressing public policy and community.
Anchorage's transit agency answered a records request by filming a computer screen
Anchorage's transit agency fulfilled a public records request for bus video by filming a computer screen with a phone, producing unwatchable footage with no audio, the Municipal Ombudsman found.
by Walter AlaskaNews9h ago2 min readAI
Anchorage's assessment appeal surge reaches hearings next week
Anchorage property owners can appeal their 2026 tax assessments at six Board of Equalization hearings Aug. 18 through 21 at City Hall.
by Walter AlaskaNews10h ago1 min readAI
A former legislator asks the Assembly to judge a Muldoon marijuana permit by the usual rules
Les Gara urged the Anchorage Assembly to approve a marijuana retail license for Baltazar Arias under the same rules applied to other dispensaries.
by Walter AlaskaNews19h ago2 min readAI
Kodiak Assembly keeps $12,600-a-year lease for road material storage
Kodiak Assembly voted to keep paying $12,600 a year to store road materials on private land through 2029, reversing what some members said was a fall consensus to end the lease.
by Bill AlaskaNews13h ago4 min readAI
A missing health certification is holding up the Homestead Lounge's liquor license transfer
Anchorage Assembly votes Tuesday on a conditional protest of a liquor license transfer at The Homestead Lounge in Eagle River, held up by a missing health certification.
by Walter AlaskaNews23h ago1 min readAI
A matter the Anchorage Assembly declared closed still draws a request for five minutes
Pastor Leon D. May asked the Anchorage Assembly for five minutes to testify about Assembly Member George Martinez at the Aug. 18 meeting, citing public comment limits at prior sessions.
by Walter AlaskaNews10h ago2 min readAI
National Park Service e-scooter rule takes effect Sept. 11, with an Alaska layer
National Park Service e-scooter rule takes effect Sept. 11, letting each park superintendent decide where riders can use the devices.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2d ago2 min readAI
A Valdez draft would exempt 77% of a primary home's remaining taxable value
Valdez City Council meets Aug. 19 to discuss possible changes to property tax exemptions for homeowners, with no vote scheduled.
by Walter AlaskaNews22h ago1 min readAI
Browsing AlaskaJobs as a guest can cost unemployment benefits, and the state's pages differ on who must register
Alaska unemployment claimants who use AlaskaJobs as guests instead of registering risk losing benefits, the state says.
by Walter AlaskaNews1d ago2 min readAI
The Legislature let local voters decide school board term lengths — and Mat-Su is first in line
Mat-Su asked the Legislature to let it extend school board terms, and got it: SB 143 becomes law by Aug. 12 unless vetoed, just before a borough vote to use it.
by Walter AlaskaNews5d ago3 min readAI
The state may give 20,000 acres near Houston to a development authority
The state may give a development authority nearly 20,000 acres north of Houston for data centers and industry. DNR sees jobs — but also reduced trail access.
by Walter AlaskaNews2w ago1 min readAI
Alaska seeks outside attorneys for ethics complaints against top officials
Alaska is hiring private attorneys to investigate ethics complaints against the governor, lieutenant governor, or attorney general, with bids due Aug. 24.
by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago2 min readAI
779 downtown owners face a $1.15 million assessment, and can still object in September
Anchorage Assembly votes Tuesday on a $1.15 million assessment on 779 downtown properties for snow removal, security, and beautification, with individual bills ranging from under $300 to over $23,000.
by Walter AlaskaNews23h ago2 min readAI
Alaska says some permits now clear in under a week — as the reforms behind that speed draw both praise and alarm
Alaska officials say some permits now clear in under a week — crediting reforms critics warn could auto-approve projects and weaken environmental review.
by Walter AlaskaNews4d ago3 min readAI
Bethel port panel takes up two resignations, tariffs on Aug. 17
Bethel Port Commission lost two members to resignation, leaving it without a quorum for a year, but meets Monday, Aug. 17 to address dock erosion and fee increases.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2d ago2 min readAI
Eielson security design bid requires Honeywell training, no small-business set-aside
Alaska firms bidding on a $25 million security-system design job at Eielson Air Force Base must have Honeywell training credentials and active security clearances, with proposals due Aug. 25.
by Alaska News3d ago3 min readAI
Kodiak votes Thursday on barring officials from stacking offices, and staff say it's broken
Kodiak votes Thursday on barring officials from holding more than one local office, but staff say it's broken and would make the borough code contradict itself.
by Walter AlaskaNews3d ago2 min readAI
Dunleavy vetoes hunting residency bill and university fee bill
Gov. Dunleavy vetoed a bill tightening hunting residency rules and another requiring the University of Alaska to disclose student fees, leaving both current practices in place.
by Walter AlaskaNews3d ago2 min readAI
Alaska Senate opens fourth special session with technical session, adjourns to Friday
Alaska Senate opened its fourth special session Monday to tackle natural gas taxation but took no action, adjourning until Friday - signaling the bill may be unable to advance.
by Walter AlaskaNews2w ago1 min readAI
Bethel weighs fixes or demolition for three problem properties
Bethel holds a hearing Sept. 1 on three problem properties it's chased for months — one nearly two years — to decide on fixes or demolition.
by Alaska News6d ago2 min readAI
Anchorage wants a public board to steer its Chugach access money — and set qualifications for who runs it
Anchorage wants to turn the informal group steering its Chugach access tax money into a formal board with defined expertise — one that vets trailhead and road projects in public rather than privately.
by Walter AlaskaNews2w ago2 min readAI
Ribbon cutting opens Johnny Ellis Rainbow Bridge Park in Anchorage's Fairview
Anchorage opened Johnny Ellis Rainbow Bridge Park in Fairview on Tuesday, honoring the former state senator who served from 1987 to 2017 and championed LGBTQ+ and underrepresented communities.
by Walter AlaskaNews3d ago2 min readAI
The state wants to repeal the process for claiming a religious exemption from a union
The state wants to repeal the process public employees use to claim a religious exemption from a union, though it doesn't say what repeal means for the right.
by Walter AlaskaNews4d ago2 min readAI
Alaska would give up a land claim so three Native Vietnam veterans can finally get their allotments
Alaska would give up its claim to 480 acres on the Yukon so three Alaska Native Vietnam-era veterans can finally get land allotments cut off when Congress ended the program in 1971.
by Maggie AlaskaNews1w ago2 min readAI
A stopgap pauses a rule that would let appointees veto grants, protecting billions bound for Alaska
A Senate stopgap pauses a rule letting political appointees veto federal grants, keeping billions bound for Alaska under existing rules through Dec. 11.
by Walter AlaskaNews6d ago1 min readAI
Who controls Chugach access spending: trail advocates or the neighborhoods next door?
Anchorage delayed creating a board to steer Chugach park-access spending, as neighborhoods and trail advocates split over who should control it. The Assembly decides Oct. 6.
by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago2 min readAI
CourtView goes dark overnight Sunday for maintenance
Alaska's CourtView case lookup goes offline overnight Sunday, 7:30 p.m. to 8 a.m. Monday, for maintenance. It's back Monday morning.
by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago1 min readAI
Alaska's $14 billion federal paycheck keeps growing by the week
Alaska has drawn $14 billion in federal awards this fiscal year — about $19,000 per resident — and added roughly $270 million of it in the past week.
by Walter AlaskaNews2w ago1 min readAI
Sitka Assembly takes first reading Aug. 11 on ordinance replacing taxicab code
Sitka is rewriting its taxi rules for the first time since the '90s — pulling tours, shuttles, limos and pedicabs into one framework with flat zone fares.
by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago2 min readAI
Murkowski cosponsors bill to let Coast Guard commandant sign local support deals
Sen. Murkowski cosponsored a bill to let the Coast Guard commandant sign local support agreements faster, potentially speeding up infrastructure deals at Alaska installations like Kodiak and Seward.
by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago1 min readAI
Anchorage Assembly rejects investigation into member Martinez's travel, 5-6
Anchorage Assembly rejected an investigation into Assembly Member George Martinez's travel Tuesday, 5-6, after Vice Chair Daniel Volland switched his vote citing flaws in the accusation.
by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago2 min readAI
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 AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min readAI
A 20-acre parcel near Homer is headed to public hands — but for what?
Twenty acres near Homer could be sold to a public or charitable group with no auction — though the state's notice doesn't say who wants it or why. Comment by Aug. 31.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2w ago1 min readAI
Kodiak moves to boot Assembly members who don't show up
Kodiak's Assembly may start booting members who miss a quarter of meetings, down from half, tightening the rule on no-shows. One member wants more virtual attendance instead.
by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago2 min readAI
Von Imhof Launches Anchorage Mayoral Bid With 'Fix and Grow' Platform
Former state senator Natasha Von Imhof launched a campaign for Anchorage mayor against incumbent Suzanne LaFrance. The election is scheduled for April 6, 2027.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min readAI
The gas tax special session has stalled, with the bill already dead
Lawmakers were called back for a special session on taxing natural gas. The House already killed the bill, so both chambers are now meeting just to meet.
by Walter AlaskaNews2w ago1 min readAI
Bethel weighs buying road salt before the river freezes
Bethel is weighing $55,000 in road salt before freeze-up — in a town with no highway in or out, once the Kuskokwim freezes, the barges bringing it stop.
by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago1 min readAI
Juneau sets hearing on $1.5M City Hall sale to Sealaska Heritage Institute
Juneau hears testimony Aug. 17 on selling the old City Hall site to Sealaska Heritage Institute for $1.5M for an arts center, or opening it to higher bids.
by Maggie AlaskaNews1w ago2 min readAI
Alaska stands up a new office to coordinate military affairs
Alaska has a new office to coordinate military affairs and chase federal defense money. Its cost and staffing weren't disclosed Thursday.
by Walter AlaskaNews2w ago2 min readAI
Alaska takes over hazardous waste rules, with enforcement in question
Alaska just took over hazardous waste regulation from the feds — the first state in 25 years. The open question: can it enforce the rules in remote Alaska?
by Lucas Brown2w ago1 min readAI
