Government
RSSAlaska News tracks coverage of Alaska government including state legislature, municipal assemblies, and state agencies addressing public policy and community.
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 AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
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 AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Four Kodiak residents vie for an open Assembly seat
Four Kodiak residents are up for an open Assembly seat, and the Assembly picks one Thursday night — winner sworn in on the spot, serving until October's election.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
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 AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
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 AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
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 AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
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 AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
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 AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Cordova turns to posted notices after local newspaper closes
Cordova says its newspaper is "no longer in circulation," so it's tacking foreclosure notices on four walls. The Cordova Times is still publishing — just online.
by Alaska News2mo ago2 min read
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 AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
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 AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
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 AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
A company wants to test amphibious rigs on the North Slope tundra
An Anchorage dealer wants a five-year permit to test-drive amphibious Swamp Rider vehicles across the North Slope — on tundra that's both their ideal terrain and state-protected ground.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Fred Meyer owes Anchorage taxes, so its liquor licenses are on hold
The Anchorage Assembly froze liquor-license renewals at four Fred Meyer stores until the company pays outstanding city taxes, using the same tax lever it applies to any business behind on its bills.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Dunleavy vetoes six bills, including invasive species and polystyrene measures
Gov. Dunleavy vetoed six bills June 24, including a statewide polystyrene ban and an invasive species management plan, citing implementation costs and concerns about state agency authority.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
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 AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
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 AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Juneau weighs a tighter senior property tax break
Juneau may tighten its senior property tax break, cutting the income cutoff from $115K to $49K and capping the biggest awards — though the cap hits only a couple dozen people.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
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 AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Anchorage Assembly approves $750K True North grant after amendments fail and crisis-care dispute divides members
Anchorage Assembly approved a $750,000 grant to True North Recovery for a Fairview behavioral health facility after rejecting two amendments that would have required written limits on crisis care.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago3 min read
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 AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
Anchorage Assembly to consider first-ever removal proceeding against Martinez
Anchorage Assembly votes Tuesday on whether to remove East Anchorage member George Martinez over perjury, fraud, and disclosure violations, the first removal proceeding in municipal history.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
Perjury counts detail Martinez's 63-minute Fort Lauderdale trip and evasive oath testimony
Anchorage Assembly Members filed criminal perjury charges against George Martinez over a 63-minute Fort Lauderdale trip funded by campaign money and testimony he gave under oath to state regulators.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
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 AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
Fairbanks resident flags Alaska guardian shortage; commission meets July 9
A Fairbanks resident told the Senior Citizens Advisory Commission that Alaska lacks enough legal guardians for seniors, and the commission meets July 9 to discuss other senior issues.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
Anchorage Assembly to weigh $3,000 grant for hard-to-adopt shelter animals
Anchorage Assembly votes Tuesday on a $3,000 grant to train hard-to-adopt shelter animals and reduce euthanasia risk.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Anchorage Assembly weighs retiring 43-year Sullivan Arena ticket surcharge
Anchorage Assembly votes Tuesday on retiring a 43-year-old ticket surcharge at Sullivan Arena, replacing it with a higher revenue deposit from the new operator.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
Stalk Steakhouse in Eagle River must pay back taxes to keep its liquor license
An Eagle River steakhouse can't renew its liquor license until it pays the city back taxes — and four Fred Meyer stores are in the same spot. It's how Anchorage collects.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Bethel wants to charge owners who let buildings sit empty and rot
Bethel would charge owners to leave buildings empty, and help demolish burnt-out ones — waiving the cost if the owner rebuilds, or filing a lien if not.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
Anchorage Assembly introduces resolution to initiate first-ever removal proceeding against member Martinez
The Anchorage Assembly moved to remove member George Martinez. This first-ever proceeding follows findings of perjury and ethics violations.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago3 min read
Fairbanks homeowners can cut their property taxes — and many who qualify don't
Fairbanks homeowners can knock up to $50,000 off their taxable home value, and seniors and disabled vets much more — but many who qualify never file. Deadline Feb 14.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
Alaska's abuse-reporting system is down July 10–11; use the paper form
Alaska's system for reporting abuse or neglect of seniors and people with disabilities is down July 10–11. You can still report on paper — download the form first.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
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 AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
Anchorage cuts a top City Hall job it just created
Anchorage is scrapping a senior City Hall post it created two years ago — the administration says it fixed the broken operations the job was invented to fix, so the job can go.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
Fred Meyer owes Anchorage back taxes — so the city grabbed its liquor licenses
Fred Meyer owes Anchorage back taxes, so the city held its liquor-license renewals hostage until it pays — an unusual squeeze on a national chain, not a struggling small business.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
After a lawmaker's mom lost $8,000, Alaska cracks down on crypto scam kiosks
Alaska's new law cracks down on the crypto machines scammers use to drain seniors — inspired by the sponsor's own mother, who lost $8,000 in minutes. Victims can now seek refunds.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
Why Anchorage's longest-held shelter animals are the ones most at risk
A $3,000 grant is small, but the problem behind it isn't: Anchorage's shelter keeps overfilling, and its longest-held, hardest-to-adopt animals are the ones most at risk.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Dunleavy declares a paid July 6 state holiday, with public dollars
Governor Dunleavy declared July 6 a paid holiday for state executive-branch workers, extending the Independence Day weekend at public expense.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
How Cordova's Fourth of July shuffles the week
Cordova's shifting its schedule for the Fourth: City Hall and the transfer station close Friday, trash moves to Monday, and the library and museum keep their own holiday hours.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
Alaska is quietly making it harder to keep water in its rivers for salmon
Alaska is changing the rules for water reservations — the main tool for keeping water in rivers for salmon. Critics say it favors industry; DNR says it's about efficiency.
by Bill AlaskaNewsadded 3mo ago2 min read
