Government
RSSAlaska News tracks coverage of Alaska government including state legislature, municipal assemblies, and state agencies addressing public policy and community.
Dunleavy was at Trump's signing reopening 500,000 square miles of Western Pacific to commercial fishing
The Alaska angle is about Antiquities Act precedent, not fishing grounds
by Cale Green3mo ago2 min read
Alaska judicial watchdog names new director after 37 years
Michael Schwaiger becomes executive director of Alaska's judicial ethics watchdog on June 15, ending Marla Greenstein's 37-year tenure leading the agency that investigates complaints about judges.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago1 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 postpones public safety commission to July
Assembly kicks can down the road on Public Safety Commission vote
by Cale Green3mo ago2 min read
Anchorage transfers Heritage Land Bank parcel for natural burial cemetery
After land transfer from HLB, people are dying to get in there.
by Cale Green3mo ago2 min read
The navigability question that's been simmering since Alaska statehood just got four more answers
The federal government has formally cleared its claim to submerged lands beneath four Alaska rivers and lakes, affirming state ownership in a dispute that has simmered since statehood and will likely take decades more to fully resolve.
by Alaska News3mo ago2 min read
Juneau Assembly raises vehicle sales tax cap to $50,000
Juneau Assembly voted 6-3 to raise the vehicle sales tax cap to $50,000, allowing the city to collect more tax on car purchases as it works to close a $10 million to $12 million budget gap.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Alaska House passes home care advisory board for Medicaid workers
Alaska House passed a bill 35-5 to create an advisory board that will recommend Medicaid payment rates for home care workers, aiming to keep elders in their homes instead of nursing facilities and reduce state costs.
by Lucas Brownadded 3mo 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
Murkowski votes no on reconciliation bill; Sullivan votes yes
Sen. Lisa Murkowski voted no on a major Senate reconciliation bill Friday while Sen. Dan Sullivan voted yes, splitting Alaska's Republican delegation on the measure that passed 52-47.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 3mo ago1 min read
Sitka Assembly awards Fisheries Enhancement Fund grants June 9
Sitka Assembly awards Fisheries Enhancement Fund grants June 9 to support salmon hatcheries as Southeast Alaska fish prices drop sharply.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Anchorage Assembly to vote on natural burial cemetery on HLB land
Anchorage Assembly votes Tuesday on giving 9.6 acres of city land to a nonprofit to build Alaska's first natural burial cemetery, avoiding $500,000 in fair market value but freeing the municipality from expanding the nearly full downtown cemetery.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 3mo ago2 min read
Alaska Corrections holds weekly recruiting sessions in Wasilla
Alaska Corrections is hiring correctional officers for Goose Creek prison and holds recruiting sessions every Friday at 3 p.m. at the Mat-Su Job Center in Wasilla.
by Alaska News3mo ago1 min read
Alaska House schedules June 10 technical session
Alaska House scheduled a technical session for June 10 at 11 a.m. to handle procedural matters after the regular legislative session ended May 20.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
Haines State Forest draft opens timber harvest in habitat areas
Alaska's Division of Forestry released a draft plan allowing timber harvest in Haines State Forest wildlife habitat and recreation areas for the first time since 2002, with public comments due by June 5.
by Alaska News3mo ago2 min read
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 News3mo ago1 min read
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 News3mo ago1 min read
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 News3mo ago1 min read
Anchorage veteran preference splits on eligibility, contract scope
Anchorage Assembly weighs two veteran business preference plans with different eligibility and scope. • S-1: 5 percent preference up to $50,000 for any honorably discharged veteran, applies to all contracts. • S-2: limits to Alaska residents separated within five years, sliding scale, bids only, $500,000 lifetime cap. • Effective July 1, 2026 if passed.
by Alaska Newsadded 3mo ago3 min read
Alaska Energy Authority lifts ban on consecutive chair terms
Alaska Energy Authority board voted January 31 to allow its chair and vice chair to serve consecutive terms, removing a two-year rotation rule to maintain leadership continuity during a $206.5 million Cook Inlet submarine cable project.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 3mo ago2 min read
Alaska water systems face July deadlines to claim PFAS settlement funds or lose right to sue
Alaska water systems must complete PFAS testing by July 1 and submit settlement claims by July 31, 2026, or lose access to approximately $14 billion in nationwide funds and forfeit the right to sue 3M and DuPont.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 4mo ago2 min read
Mat-Su Assembly creates musher-led kennel board after 25 dogs died
Mat-Su Assembly created a musher-led advisory board Tuesday to review kennel standards after 25 sled dogs died at a Willow property this spring, with recommendations due by mid-December.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 4mo ago1 min read
AIDEA board approves $11 million dividend to state general fund
AIDEA board approved an $11 million dividend to the state general fund for fiscal year 2025, down $6 million from the prior year as the authority declared 42 percent of statutory net income instead of the maximum 50 percent.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
Anchorage veteran preference could exclude recent Afghanistan, Iraq vets
Anchorage Assembly is split on a veteran business preference for city contracts, with disagreement over whether to limit it to veterans discharged in the past five years and whether to require honorable discharge status.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
Kodiak Borough advances FY27 budget with 8.91 mill rate to hearing
Kodiak Borough Assembly voted unanimously Wednesday to hold the property tax rate at 8.91 mills, a decision that keeps the rate flat but will result in higher tax bills for most homeowners as assessed property values increase.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Anchorage Assembly continues public safety commission hearing to June 9 after criticism of advisory-only powers
Anchorage Assembly postponed a vote on a proposed Public Safety Commission to June 9 after community members criticized it for lacking investigative power, subpoena authority, and ability to discipline officers.
by Cale Greenadded 4mo ago1 min read
Anchorage Assembly recognizes Gun Violence Awareness Day after contentious debate over statistics
Anchorage Assembly voted 9-3 to recognize June 5-7 as Gun Violence Awareness Weekend, rejecting an attempt to remove language about gun deaths and economic costs from the resolution.
by Cale Greenadded 4mo ago1 min read
DNR lifts moratorium on Nushagak Bay shore fishery lease applications
Alaska lifted a three year moratorium on commercial salmon fishing leases along Nushagak Bay's east shore, reopening applications from June 1 to October 15 each year.
by Alaska News4mo ago1 min read
Mat-Su Assembly passes resolution affirming residents' right to use leaf blowers
Mat-Su Assembly says 'blow away' in direct contrast to the Anchorage Municipalities position on leaf blowers
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Ketchikan Gateway Borough opens candidate filing for October election
Ketchikan Gateway Borough opens filing for Assembly, Mayor, and School Board. • Candidates need 10 voter signatures and a financial disclosure form.
by Alaska News4mo ago1 min read
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 AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Anchorage proposes second round of child care licensing code changes
Anchorage Assembly votes May 26 on second round of child care licensing cuts to remove rules that duplicate state standards. Changes include dropping annual physicals for children, eliminating nutrition rules already covered by state and USDA, and allowing more online training. City oversees 92 licensed homes and 98 centers with no new revenue impact expected.
by Cale Green4mo ago2 min read
Petersburg voters to decide on sales tax cap increase in October
Petersburg Assembly voted 6-1 Monday to put a sales tax cap increase on the October 6 ballot, raising the single-purchase limit from $1,200 to $5,000 and the maximum tax owed from $72 to $300.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 4mo ago2 min read
Ketchikan fails to reach agreement with city manager candidate
Ketchikan City Council and selected city manager candidate Glen Adams failed to reach agreement on employment terms Friday, ending negotiations for the combined city manager and utilities general manager role.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 4mo ago1 min read
Mat-Su Assembly blocks sales tax proposal before public hearing
Mat-Su Assembly blocked a 1.5% sales tax proposal before public hearing, voting 6-3 to remove it from the agenda. • Assemblymember Nowers wanted to pair the tax with a $75,000 property tax exemption for homeowners. • Opponents said it added taxes rather than replacing them. A different 6.5% sales tax proposal remains scheduled for June 16 hearing.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 4mo ago2 min read
Anchorage Assembly considers new Public Safety Commission with community focus
Anchorage Assembly considers reviving a Public Safety Commission with nine voting community members and five non-voting agency reps. Commission would advise on police and fire policies, hold public hearings, and request records, but cannot investigate or discipline. Public hearing set for May 26.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 4mo ago2 min read
Ketchikan Council selects Glenn Adams as new city manager
Ketchikan City Council voted 6–1 to hire Glenn Adams as city manager and utilities director. Adams has 26 years of military experience managing large facilities and previously led cities in Virginia and Texas.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 4mo ago1 min read
Juneau Assembly votes 8-1 to end gondola deal, repay Goldbelt $12.2M
Juneau Assembly votes 8-1 to end gondola deal with Goldbelt. • City must repay $12.2 million, including $10 million principal plus interest. • Rising costs made the project financially infeasible with public funds. • City can still explore future partnerships with Goldbelt or others.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 4mo ago2 min read
Cordova council weighs hazard plan tied to federal disaster funds
Cordova City Council voted on its Local Hazard Mitigation Plan, required by FEMA to keep federal disaster and resilience funding. Without approval, the coastal city risks losing money for seawalls and flood protection.
by Alaska News4mo ago1 min read
Sitka Deputy Mayor Pike to resign; Assembly to fill vacant seat
Sitka Deputy Mayor Timothy Pike resigns effective June 23, 2026. Assembly votes May 26 on how to fill the seat and adopts three budget ordinances for fiscal year 2027. Meeting starts 6 p.m. at Assembly Chambers, 330 Harbor Drive.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
