Government
RSSAlaska News tracks coverage of Alaska government including state legislature, municipal assemblies, and state agencies addressing public policy and community.
Anchorage funded a program to fix 20 homes. It fixed one — and no one was penalized.
An Anchorage audit found a program paid to fix 20 homes fixed one, a shelter thousands of bed-nights short — and in three years the city never once made anyone pay for it.
by Walter AlaskaNews5d ago2 min readAIAnchorage, Alaska
Sitka names sole finalist for municipal administrator, schedules public receptions
Sitka named Jenny Alber as sole finalist for municipal administrator and scheduled two public receptions July 26 and 27 before the Assembly votes on hiring.
by Walter AlaskaNews1d ago1 min readAISitka, Alaska
Anchorage tax-exempt property audit won't finish until 2031 or 2032 under current staffing
Anchorage will not finish auditing 570 flagged tax-exempt properties until 2031 or 2032 without more staff, though the work could recover roughly $811,000 in annual tax revenue.
by Walter AlaskaNews2d ago3 min readAIAnchorage
DNR proposes mandatory back-fees for unauthorized use of state land
DNR is making back-fees mandatory for unauthorized installations on state land, eliminating discretion to waive them and creating potential costs for utilities and pipeline operators.
by Bill AlaskaNews3d ago1 min readAIAlaska
A faster way to settle Native trust estates, starting in Alaska
Settling a Native allotment after a death has meant slow federal paperwork — now Interior has an online system to speed it up, and Alaska families are first to use it.
by Walter AlaskaNews5d ago1 min readAIAlaska
Alaska lawmakers order audit of Board of Fisheries process
Alaska lawmakers voted unanimously to audit the Board of Fisheries' process after the Attorney General overturned five regulations citing ethics violations.
by Walter AlaskaNews2d ago2 min readAIAlaska
A Brooks Range hunting guide wants a permanent camp in the wild
A guide who flies hunters into the Brooks Range by Super Cub wants to trade his move-every-two-weeks tent camp for a permanent cabin in some of Alaska's most remote country.
by Maggie AlaskaNews4d ago1 min readAIEastern Brooks Range, Alaska
Alaska DNR moves to fix erroneous land conveyance near Tok; comment deadline August 18
Alaska DNR will return 39.50 acres near Tok to federal trust for an Alaska Native allotment holder Emma Northway, with public comments due August 18.
by Maggie AlaskaNews1d ago1 min readAITok, Alaska
DNR proposes lower easement fees for long utility corridors; comment deadline Aug. 17
DNR is cutting easement fees for long utility corridors on state land, dropping to 10 cents per linear foot after 100 miles. Comments due August 17.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2d ago2 min readAIAlaska
Comment deadline looms on basecamp permit near Denali Highway milepost 86.5
Nathaniel Tuma, doing business as Legacy Guides and Outfitters, has applied for a five-year DNR land use permit to build a year-round commercial basecamp on state land near Denali Highway milepost 86.5; written comments are due by 5:00 PM on July 27.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2d ago1 min readAIDenali Highway, Alaska
Federal and state cuts erase Alaska private-sector job gains in June
Federal and state government cuts eliminated 1,900 jobs in June, nearly wiping out 1,000 private-sector gains and leaving Alaska with fewer jobs than a year ago.
by Walter AlaskaNews2d ago2 min readAIAlaska
Anchorage Assembly studies removal process it has never used
Anchorage Assembly reviewed removal and censure procedures Friday that have never been used in the 30 years they have existed, with Chair Anna Brawley stressing the session was procedural only.
by Walter AlaskaNews1d ago2 min readAIAnchorage
Anchorage keeps deferring a public safety commission it can't agree on
Anchorage's proposed public safety commission got punted again — stuck on whether it should actually have power, what it would cost, and what problem it's even solving.
by Walter AlaskaNews4d ago2 min readAIAnchorage
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 AlaskaNews3w ago2 min readAIAnchorage
Alaska legislative auditor resigns after 34 years, replacement process underway
Alaska's legislative auditor Chris Curtis is resigning after 34 years, effective Aug. 30. The Legislature is hiring her replacement through a process that aims to seat a new auditor by August.
by Walter AlaskaNews2d ago2 min readAIAlaska
DNR proposes free land transfer to Alaska Railroad; comment window open
Alaska is proposing to give state land in the railroad corridor to Alaska Railroad Corporation for free, reigniting concerns about public access to hunting and fishing grounds along the tracks.
by Maggie AlaskaNews5d ago1 min readAIAlaska
Juneau's plan to move city hall leans on a sale that's coming up short
Juneau wants to sell City Hall to fund its move, but the only offer is $1M under the floor, the new building's late and over budget, and the backup fund leans on that same short sale.
by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago1 min readAIJuneau, Alaska
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 AlaskaNews4w ago2 min readAIAnchorage, Alaska
Anchorage let federal grant recipients off the hook, audit finds
An audit found Anchorage didn't penalize grant recipients who missed goals — one repaired 1 of 20 promised homes — just as the city moved to route millions more through the same office.
by Walter AlaskaNews2w ago2 min readAIAnchorage, Alaska
Anchorage relabels a top job, Falsey named city manager
Bill Falsey moved from CAO to municipal manager — less a shakeup than a relabeling, as Anchorage dissolves his old post and shifts a few reporting lines.
by Walter AlaskaNews5d ago1 min readAIAnchorage, Alaska
The only applicant for Kodiak's open seat is making it about representation
Only one person applied to fill Kodiak's vacant Assembly seat, and Mark Vizcocho is making his case about Filipino representation on an island his community has long helped build.
by Walter AlaskaNews6d ago1 min readAIKodiak Island, Alaska
Bethel's lifeline dock is shifting — and its port commission can't get quorum
The dock that supplies the roadless Y-K Delta with fuel and freight is shifting and eroding — and its oversight commission hasn't reached quorum in 11 straight months.
by Walter AlaskaNews3d ago1 min readAIBethel, Alaska
Juneau weighs selling City Hall for top dollar — or for less, to Sealaska
Juneau can auction its old City Hall to the highest bidder or sell it cheaper to Sealaska Heritage for community use. It can't have both, so it's punting the choice to the public.
by Walter AlaskaNews5d ago1 min readAIJuneau, Alaska
Denali proposes a daily vehicle cap on its previously restricted road
Denali wants to swap its seasonal vehicle cap for a daily one — 160 a day on the restricted road. Comment by Friday if you've got thoughts.
by Walter AlaskaNews4d ago1 min readAIDenali National Park, Alaska
North Slope Assembly approves $62.5M water-sewer contract with UIC Municipal Services
NSB approved a five-year, $62.5 million contract Tuesday with UIC Municipal Services to operate water and sewer systems in seven villages til 2032
by Alaska News1mo ago1 min readAIUtqiaġvik, North Slope Borough, Alaska
Wasilla's mayor is termed out, and the first candidate to replace her just filed
Wasilla's mayor is term-limited, so the seat's open this fall — and Stu Graham is first to signal a run, filing before the July 20–31 window even opens.
by Walter AlaskaNews4d ago1 min readAIWasilla, Alaska
Juneau property owners challenge $1.1M gap in Glacier Highway assessment
Juneau property owners challenge a $2.97 million city assessment of their Glacier Highway building, valuing it at $1.84 million instead. The Board of Equalization hears their appeal July 16.
by Walter AlaskaNews6d ago1 min readAIJuneau, Alaska
Alaska Earth Sciences ask DNR for fuel cache permit in western Alaska Range
Alaska Earth Sciences seeks a permit to place 11 fuel caches in the western Alaska Range this summer, storing up to 55 gallons of jet fuel at each site. Public comments are due June 3 to DNR.
by Alaska News1mo ago1 min readAIAlaska Range1
Juneau ordinance would expand senior property tax relief to hundreds more households
Juneau Assembly will vote July 27 on expanding senior property tax relief to hundreds more households by raising the income threshold and capping the maximum exemption at roughly $5,079.
by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago2 min readAIJuneau, Alaska
Anchorage Assembly takes up repeal of 43-year Sullivan Arena ticket surcharge
Anchorage Assembly is considering repealing a 43-year-old ticket surcharge on Sullivan Arena events that collected $111,687 in one year.
by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago2 min readAIAnchorage
Permanent daylight time would push Anchorage's winter sunrise past 11 a.m.
If daylight saving goes permanent, Anchorage's winter sunrise slides to 11:14 a.m. and Fairbanks nearly to noon. Darker mornings, later afternoons — pick your clock.
by Walter AlaskaNews4d ago1 min readAIAlaska
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.
by Walter AlaskaNews3w ago2 min readAIHomer, Alaska
Mat-Su weighs a flood emergency and a tax overhaul
The Mat-Su Assembly takes up a Talkeetna flood emergency and a November ballot plan that would swap a new 3% sales tax for a cap on property taxes.
by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago1 min readAIMat-Su Valley, Alaska
Anchorage approved three ice-arena contracts. The office that oversees them has one employee.
Anchorage approved three ice-arena contracts — then admitted the office overseeing them has one employee and no finalized policy. Audits had flagged the gap before.
by Walter AlaskaNews3w ago2 min readAIAnchorage, Alaska
Alaska Charges 15 in $1.8 Million Medicaid Fraud Sweep
Alaska has charged 15 people in five Medicaid fraud cases totaling $1.8 million — though every count is, for now, an allegation no court has tested.
by Walter AlaskaNews3w ago2 min readAIAlaska
Alaska Legislature Passes Bill Recognizing Gold, Silver as Legal Tender
The Alaska Legislature has passed HB 1, which recognizes gold and silver as legal tender and exempts precious metal transactions from local sales taxes, with the bill now awaiting Governor Dunleavy's signature.
by Alaska News2mo ago2 min readAIJuneau
Kenai River king salmon fishery closed through mid-August 2026
Kenai River king salmon fishing closed May 1 through August 15, 2026 under emergency order. Third consecutive year of full closure due to conservation concerns. Other species fishing allowed with single-hook lures only. Nearby Kasilof River open to limited hatchery king salmon fishing.
by Bill AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min readAINorthern Kenai Peninsula
North Slope Borough Assembly approves $6.6 million in grant appropriations
Grants included $2m for Wildlife programs, nearly $1m for home leveling in Nuiqsut, etc.
by Alaska News1mo ago1 min readAIUtqiaġvik, North Slope Borough, Alaska
Gas Line Developer Warns Tax Hike Would Delay Project, Jeopardize 2029 Deadline
Glenfarn Alaska LNG told House Finance that the 15-cent volumetric tax in the Resources Committee version would delay the project's final investment decision and threaten the 2029 completion timeline, calling the rate economically unworkable.
by Alaska News2mo ago4 min readAIAlaska
Alaska's ethics committee wants out of harassment training so it can get back to ethics
Alaska's ethics committee voted to hand off harassment training, saying it's crowded out real ethics instruction. The training continues — just not under them.
by Walter AlaskaNews3w ago2 min readAIJuneau, Alaska
