Politics & Government
RSSAlaska News covers state and local politics and government, including elections, ethics investigations, legislative action, and municipal decisions.
Senate passes national college NIL bill 77-22, with Murkowski voting yes and Sullivan not voting
The Senate passed a national college NIL bill 77-22 Monday. Murkowski voted yes; Sullivan didn't vote on any of the day's six roll calls, all on the bill.
by Walter AlaskaNews3h ago2 min read
Napaskiak man arrested after troopers say he pulled a handgun on VPSO
Troopers say a Napaskiak man pulled a handgun on a village public safety officer answering an assault call Friday. He was arrested at a nearby fish camp.
by Walter AlaskaNews3h ago1 min read
Nome council tables pull-tab tax change pending legal opinion on mayor's possible conflict
Nome's council put its pull-tab tax change on ice until a lawyer says whether the mayor, who leads the Chamber of Commerce, has a conflict of interest.
by Walter AlaskaNews7h ago2 min read
Kodiak borough weighs $70,919 off-road rescue vehicle for Womens Bay firefighters
Womens Bay's volunteer firefighters have been riding their own ATVs to off-road calls. The borough may buy them a $70,919 side-by-side with a pump and a plow.
by Walter AlaskaNews9h ago1 min read
Alaska backs challenge to Maine's 72-hour gun purchase wait
Alaska joined 23 other states backing a challenge to Maine's three-day wait for gun buyers. The law stands for now; the Supreme Court may weigh in.
by Walter AlaskaNews10h ago2 min read
Alaska Permanent Fund hits $91.9 billion with a 12.4% return
The Alaska Permanent Fund turns 50 worth $91.9 billion after a 12.4% return. Its trustees want the annual draw locked into the state constitution.
by Walter AlaskaNews12h ago2 min read
MatCom adds two fire and EMS dispatch positions paid for by the Mat-Su Borough
MatCom gets two more fire and medical dispatch positions so a second dispatcher and call taker can be on duty around the clock. The borough pays.
by Walter AlaskaNews13h ago2 min read
Fairbanks woman charged with felony assault after Parks Highway injury crash
Fairbanks woman charged with felony assault, DUI, and leaving the scene after hitting another driver on Parks Highway near Mile 318 on Sunday night.
by Maggie AlaskaNews14h ago1 min read
Bernadette Wilson amends disclosure to list Denali Disposal after APOC staff finds violation
Governor candidate Bernadette Wilson added her Denali Disposal ownership to her state disclosure, a week after APOC staff said leaving it off broke the law.
by Walter AlaskaNews14h ago2 min read
Coast Guard orders $315 million fuel pier and cutter berths at Base Kodiak
The Coast Guard has now ordered about $458 million in new work at Base Kodiak this year, led by a $315 million fuel pier and berths for its biggest cutters.
by Walter AlaskaNews15h ago2 min read
North Slope crude runs $15 above Alaska's spring forecast, budget group says
Alaska North Slope crude is averaging $90 a barrel, $15 above the spring forecast, potentially adding nearly $1 billion to state revenue this year if prices hold.
by Walter AlaskaNews15h ago2 min read
Alaska prisons seek contractor for mental health care, with video visits allowed in Nome, Bethel and Ketchikan
Alaska's prisons want a contractor for mental health care at four facilities. In Nome, Bethel and Ketchikan, clinicians might visit in person only monthly.
by Walter AlaskaNews17h ago2 min read
Two council members and a former state senator run to replace term-limited Wasilla Mayor Glenda Ledford
Wasilla gets a new mayor this fall. Two council members and a former state senator are running, and if nobody tops 40%, it's back to the polls in November.
by Walter AlaskaNews22h ago2 min read
Markey blocks Sullivan's attempt to fast-track bycatch bill through the Senate
Sullivan tried to pass his bycatch bill without a vote. One Democrat, Massachusetts Sen. Ed Markey, said not so fast. Peltola called it performative.
by Alaska News1d ago2 min read
Virginia-based GOPAC gives $150,000 to Anchorage group backing House conservatives
A Virginia-based Republican group gave $150,000 to an Anchorage independent expenditure committee backing Alaska House conservatives in the Nov. 3 election.
by Walter AlaskaNews1d ago1 min read
Sedan passenger seriously hurt in Knik Goose Bay Road crash in Wasilla
A sedan passenger was seriously injured in a two-vehicle crash Saturday night on Knik Goose Bay Road in Wasilla, a corridor with a fatal crash rate nearly four times the national average.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 4h ago1 min read
ICE places $7 million, one-month El Paso detention order with Anchorage-based Paragon
ICE placed a $7 million, one-month order with Paragon, a Bering Straits Native Corporation subsidiary, to keep providing detention services in El Paso.
by Melinda Communities.News1d ago1 min read
Anchorage police say missing 65-year-old Vona Skinner has been located
Anchorage police located 65-year-old Vona Skinner, who was missing since Sept. 24 near East 8th Avenue.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 14h ago1 min read
Troopers say 16-year-old shot and killed a family member near Slipper Lake in Sutton
Troopers say a 16-year-old shot and killed a family member near Slipper Lake in Sutton on Saturday, then drove to Seward and called 911. The teen is in custody.
by Walter AlaskaNews16h ago1 min read
Ketchikan man, 78, dies after his vehicle leaves North Tongass Highway near Mile 13
John Olson, 78, of Ketchikan died Saturday after his vehicle left North Tongass Highway near Mile 13. Troopers haven't said what caused the crash.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 15h ago1 min read
Alaska seeks new public defender after Terrence Haas resigns from top post
Alaska is looking for a new public defender to lead the agency that represents people who can't afford a lawyer, a month after its last leader resigned.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 16h ago1 min read
Troopers arrest driver for DUI after car strikes moose near Soldotna
A Camry met a moose near Soldotna around 2:20 am. Troopers arrested the driver for DUI, and the badly hurt moose was gone before they could find it.
by Maggie AlaskaNews1d ago1 min read
Judge upholds permit for Contango's Johnson Tract road after company finished building it
A judge upheld the permit for Contango's road and bridges at the Johnson Tract in Lake Clark. By then, the company had already finished building them.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 19h ago2 min read
Troopers investigating death of Elim woman after reported injury
A 40-year-old Elim woman died early Saturday after an injury at a house in the village. Alaska State Troopers and the medical examiner are investigating.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 1d ago1 min read
Alaska courts now send free text reminders before hearings to anyone with a case number
Forgetting court just got harder. Text a case number to the Alaska Court System and it'll remind you at 4 pm the day before your hearing, for free.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 1d ago2 min read
Palmer junk hauler cited for dumping over 500 pounds of trash on Mat-Su land
A junk removal business is supposed to take the junk to the dump. Troopers say a Palmer man's took 500-plus pounds of it to a Point MacKenzie railbed instead.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2d ago1 min read
Refugee arrivals to Alaska have nearly stopped, with four this year, all from South Africa
Only four refugees have come to Alaska this year, all from South Africa in December. Two years ago, the state took in 155. None has arrived since January.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 1d ago2 min read
Anchorage Assembly member and budget commission chair to hold spending forum Oct. 27
An Assembly member and the city's budget commission chair take questions on Anchorage spending at a D Street bar. The topic: is there really a fiscal cliff?
by Walter AlaskaNews2d ago1 min read
Anchorage police arrest woman on evidence tampering charge in Kaitlyn Kaganak death investigation
Anchorage police arrested a woman on evidence tampering and corpse misconduct charges in the case of Kaitlyn Kaganak, found dead at Basher Trailhead.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 1d ago2 min read
Troopers say semi driver fell asleep before hitting car stopped on Parks Highway near Healy
A Massachusetts driver stopped partly in the lane for a photo on the Parks Highway near Healy. A semi driver troopers say fell asleep hit him. Both got cited.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 1d ago1 min read
Alaska Supreme Court: spouse's word alone cannot shield inheritance in divorce
Put an inheritance into the family home? In an Alaska divorce, your word alone won't get it back out, the Supreme Court says. Paperwork, it turns out, matters.
by Walter AlaskaNews2d ago3 min read
Former Permanent Fund CEO Angela Rodell joins new group active in Juneau and Sitka elections
Former Permanent Fund CEO Angela Rodell is now co-chair of a new independent expenditure group focused on Juneau and Sitka's Oct. 6 municipal elections.
by Walter AlaskaNews2d ago2 min read
Bethel police warn residents not to shoot suspected rabid animals in the head
Bethel police warn residents to avoid shooting suspected rabid animals in the head, since brain tissue is needed to confirm the disease. Two foxes in Bethel tested positive for rabies in February.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2d ago1 min read
Four taken to hospitals after Spenard Road shooting, Anchorage police say
Four people were taken to hospitals after a shooting on Spenard Road in Anchorage on Saturday, police said. Their injuries were not life-threatening.
by Walter AlaskaNews2d ago1 min read
Troopers arrest Healy woman accused of squatting in seasonal cabins near Denali
Troopers say a Healy woman squatted in seasonal cabins near Denali, rode off on a motorcycle, then turned up inside a man's house. She's held without bail.
by Maggie AlaskaNews3d ago1 min read
Wisconsin-based organizing group recruits paid Alaskans to talk with friends before the Nov. 3 election
A Wisconsin group is offering Alaskans "up to $250+" to talk with friends about the PFD and cost of living. It's part of a national program.
by Maggie AlaskaNews3d ago2 min read
Togiak man, 19, dies after ATV hits shipping container
Tyler Lee Maines, 19, of Togiak died early Friday when the ATV he was driving hit a shipping container, troopers said. The investigation is continuing.
by Walter AlaskaNews3d ago1 min read
Board of Fisheries committee weighs how to let the public weigh in on last-minute rewrites
ishermen say the fish board rewrites proposals after they've testified. A committee chewed on it Friday and changed nothing yet. Round two comes in October.
by Bill AlaskaNews3d ago2 min read
Alaska Municipal League sets Oct. 23 deadline for 2027 resolutions
Got a gripe with Juneau or Washington? If you're a city council or borough assembly, the Alaska Municipal League wants it in writing by Oct. 23.
by Walter AlaskaNews3d ago2 min read
Kodiak school board meets in closed session Monday on a personnel matter for the fifth time since August
Kodiak's school board meets behind closed doors again Monday on a personnel matter. Its online minutes page hasn't caught up with anything since July.
by Walter AlaskaNews3d ago2 min read