People & Culture
RSSPeople & Culture in Alaska is a topic covering the institutions and programs that shape health, education and community life. It takes in schools, public health, Medicaid and EMS policy, rural hospitals, and tribal organizations serving Alaska Native communities.
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Week of May 18
Alaska Senate passes special education funding and Palmer judge bills
Alaska Senate unanimously passed bill increasing special education funding by 16 percent per student. • Senate also approved adding a fifth Superior Court judge in Palmer to reduce case backlog from 680 to 540 cases per judge.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago1 min read
Alaska Senate rejects health care licensing compact bill
Alaska Senate rejected a health care licensing bill that would have let out-of-state providers practice in Alaska, voting 9-11 on concerns they lack Alaska-specific training and knowledge of Indigenous communities.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago1 min read
Alaska Senate passes bill for deaf and hard of hearing students
Alaska Senate unanimously passed a bill Wednesday requiring schools to better identify and support deaf and hard of hearing students, with no new state funding attached.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago1 min read
Alaska Legislature passes physician associate, pharmacist bill
Alaska Legislature passed a bill renaming physician assistants to physician associates and expanding pharmacist services like opioid overdose drug prescriptions without doctor referrals.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago1 min read
Alaska Senate adds telehealth parity and disability coverage to benefits bill
Alaska Senate added telehealth pay parity to a welfare bill, requiring insurers to pay the same rate for remote care as in-person visits. • Disability benefits for injured troopers and firefighters increased from 40 percent to 75 percent of salary, with health insurance restored. • The amendments passed 19-1 and now return to the House for final approval.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
Alaska Senate passes bill letting pharmacists treat minor illnesses without a doctor's call
Alaska Senate passed bill letting pharmacists treat strep throat, bladder infections, and manage diabetes without doctor approval first. • Pharmacists cannot prescribe opioids or high-risk drugs but can give naloxone. • Rural areas and emergencies benefit most, with pharmacist visits costing $277 less than clinic visits.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
Alaska House raises unemployment benefits, expands telehealth coverage
Alaska House raised maximum weekly unemployment benefits from $370 to $470, first increase since 2009. • Expanded telehealth coverage and raised disability pay for firefighters and police from 40 percent to 75 percent. • Updated insurance laws to clarify rebates and ban misleading advertising.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
Alaska House passes five healthcare licensure compacts in single bill
Alaska House unanimously approved five healthcare licensure compacts for physicians, physician assistants, EMS personnel, psychologists, and social workers to help the state compete for federal rural health funding.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
More from People & Culture
House advances complex care homes for behavioral health patients
Alaska House unanimously approved HB 73 to create new residential homes for people with behavioral health conditions like schizophrenia. • New license category takes effect July 1, 2027, giving the Department of Health time to set service standards and payment rates. • Bill addresses people who cannot access existing group homes or assisted living facilities.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
Alaska Senate passes special education funding and Palmer judge bills
Alaska Senate unanimously passed bill raising special education funding by 16 percent per student. • Senate also unanimously approved adding a fifth Superior Court judge in Palmer to cut case backlogs from 680 to 540 cases per judge.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago1 min read
Alaska House passes education package with teacher loan repayment, energy relief
Alaska House passed education bill with teacher loan repayment up to $5,000 yearly for hard-to-fill roles like special education and STEM. • School districts get energy cost reimbursement based on three-year heating and fuel averages. • Local school contribution growth capped at 4% annually to ease property tax pressure. • Bill heads to governor after final Senate approval on last day of session.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago1 min read
Alaska's Off-Grid Communities Face Rising Diesel Costs as Governor Promotes Solar Alternative
Alaska Governor Dunleavy urged the state's 220-plus off-grid communities to adopt solar power paired with batteries and diesel backup to cut fuel costs as diesel prices rise for winter orders.
by Maggie AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
Alaska targets 18-25 age group as substance use escalates after 25
Alaska launched the Next Move campaign May 20 targeting ages 18 to 25, when state data shows substance use escalates, offering mental health resources and coping strategies at NextMove.alaska.gov.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
Alaska Launches Mobile Benefits App in State With Spotty Rural Internet
Alaska launched a mobile app May 20 for residents to apply for eight public assistance programs including Medicaid and SNAP, though paper and phone options remain available for those without reliable internet access.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
Alaska EMS agencies can now check pediatric readiness with new online tool
Alaska EMS and fire-rescue agencies can now use a free online tool at EMSpedsReady.org to assess how ready they are to handle pediatric emergencies and identify gaps in their preparedness.
by Alaska News5mo ago2 min read
Alaska districts face June 30 deadline for federal education funds
Alaska school districts must submit federal education grant applications in substantially approvable form by June 30, 2026, to receive funding starting July 1, or face delays.
by Alaska News5mo ago2 min read
About People & Culture
People and Culture in Alaska takes in schools, health care, social services and community life across the state. It covers the public institutions people rely on day to day, from school boards and clinics to water systems and food assistance.
Schools are a large part of it: school boards decide budgets, charter schools and building closures, and building schools in rural villages carries high construction costs. Public health agencies deal with drinking water safety, tuberculosis and overdose response, while the state manages Medicaid billing and SNAP administration.
Tribal health and service organizations, such as Maniilaq Association and Tanana Chiefs Conference, deliver care and aid in rural regions. Alaska Native language programs, from reading screeners to college certificates, and arts and cultural projects round out the subject.
More from People & Culture
Alaska House passes tobacco age increase, vape tax, cigar lounge exemption
Alaska House passed bill raising tobacco and vape purchase age from 19 to 21, matching federal law. • New statewide tax on vaping products will fund smoking education programs. • Bill includes exemption for premium cigar lounges meeting strict requirements. • Penalties for underage possession lowered to $100 with no court appearance required.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago4 min read
Alaska Legislature Passes Bill Requiring Home Care Agencies to Fund Workers
Alaska Legislature passed House Bill 96 on May 18, requiring home care agencies to allocate funding to Personal Care Assistants, with the Senate voting 19 to 1. The bill now goes to Governor Dunleavy.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
Federal program offers Alaska SUD workers up to $250,000 in loan repayment
Federal program offers Alaska substance use disorder workers up to $250,000 in student loan repayment for a six-year service commitment, with applications due June 23.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago1 min readAlaska House Passes Baby Box Bill 35-5
Alaska House passed SB 9 on May 19 with a 35-to-5 vote, authorizing baby boxes at hospitals and fire stations where parents can anonymously surrender infants 21 days or younger without legal penalty.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min readJoint committee forwards $16M school bond with flood mitigation funds
Juneau's Joint Assembly-School District committee approved a $16 million school bond that includes $300,000 for flood mitigation at school properties, following the 2023 Mendenhall River flooding.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
Seven Anchorage patients develop rare heart infection from gonorrhea
Seven Anchorage patients developed a rare, life-threatening heart infection from gonorrhea between December 2024 and March 2026, and one died.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
Alaska House debates youth vaping penalties amid justice concerns
Alaska House debated whether to remove a $100 civil fine for minors caught with vaping products, with opponents citing research that justice system involvement harms youth outcomes.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
Senate panel advances education bill with energy relief, loan program
Alaska Senate Finance Committee advanced a bill providing energy cost relief to school districts and expanding teacher loan repayment programs.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago3 min read
Alaska deploys $272M rural health program through regional meetings
Alaska is holding regional planning meetings to decide how to spend a $272 million federal rural health program, with sessions scheduled in Mat-Su Valley on June 4 and Anchorage on Sept. 22.
by Maggie AlaskaNews5mo ago3 min readAlaska lowers bar for toddlers to get early intervention services
Alaska lowered the eligibility threshold for toddler early intervention services from 50 percent to 25 percent developmental delay, allowing thousands more children to access help earlier.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago3 min readKing Salmon Fishing Banned Across Tanana Drainage Due to Yukon Forecast
Alaska banned all king salmon sport fishing in the Tanana River drainage, including catch-and-release, due to a forecast for below-average Yukon River king salmon returns this year.
by Bill AlaskaNews5mo ago4 min readWeek of May 11
Alaska News Roundup: Gas pipeline tax fight, Point Thomson trade-off, and McNeil River access debate
Senate passed gas pipeline tax bill raising oil production tax floor to six percent, drawing industry criticism. • Point Thomson regulators warn blowdown for pipeline risks sixty-five million barrels of condensate. • Mount Edgecumbe enrollment dropped a quarter to three hundred eleven students amid facility and health concerns. • Fish and Game reviews wheeled plane landings at McNeil River bear sanctuary despite conservation objections.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago3 min read
Senate panel advances bill to stabilize Alaska school funding with enrollment averaging
Senate panel advanced a bill letting school districts use three-year enrollment averages for budgets, aiming to let them make staffing decisions earlier and reduce teacher turnover.
by Alaska News6mo ago4 min read
Alaska Senate committee hears nurse staffing bill amid safety concerns
Alaska Senate committee heard testimony on a bill requiring hospitals to set minimum nurse-to-patient ratios, with nurses reporting unsafe conditions and citing Oregon's successful 2023 law.
by Alaska News6mo ago4 min read
Alaska budget fight leaves $40M in senior, disability care hanging
A six-member legislative committee decides by May 20 whether to fund $40 million in senior and disability care that the House backs but the Senate opposes.
by Alaska News6mo ago4 min readAlaska pauses behavioral health grant overhaul after provider pushback
Alaska paused a behavioral health grant overhaul for two years after providers said they weren't ready, keeping current addiction and mental health funding in place through 2028.
by Alaska News6mo ago2 min readAlaska launches new online system to report elder abuse, harm
Alaska launched a new online system to report elder abuse and harm to vulnerable adults, consolidating multiple forms into one portal. The old system stops working May 22, 2026.
by Alaska News6mo ago2 min readBering Strait School District holds second budget meeting in nine days
Bering Strait School District holds its second budget meeting in nine days on May 13, with no public agenda posted and decisions that could affect 1,800 students across 15 rural schools.
by Alaska News6mo ago1 min readUnalaska Council meets as city manages $50M fund, air travel crisis
Unalaska City Council meets Tuesday to manage a $50 million sustainability fund and address infrastructure needs in the remote Aleutian Islands fishing hub.
by Alaska News6mo ago1 min readHouse panel sets amendment deadline for civics education bill
House Finance Committee set Friday's amendment deadline for a bill requiring Alaska high school civics education and a diploma seal, with $58,000 in first-year costs.
by Alaska News6mo ago3 min read
House panel adopts fiscal note for Alaska Native languages task force bill
Alaska House Education Committee approved funding details for a bill creating a task force to assess how the state supports its 23 Alaska Native languages.
by Alaska News6mo ago2 min read
Alaska schools face May 15 deadline for improvement plans, funding
Alaska school districts must submit three-year improvement plans and budgets to the state by May 15, a deadline that comes as districts budget without knowing their actual state funding.
by Alaska News6mo ago3 min readAlaska opens second round of rural health webinars for $272M program
Alaska is hosting webinars May 13 through 15 to plan how to spend $272 million in federal rural health funding, the second-highest amount awarded to any state.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago3 min readAlaska House Passes Required Local Contribution Cap for Schools
Alaska House voted 24-16 to cap annual growth in required local school funding at 2%, shifting roughly $29 million in education costs from municipalities to the state.
by Alaska News6mo ago5 min read
