Politics & Government
RSSAlaska News covers state and local politics and government, including elections, ethics investigations, legislative action, and municipal decisions.
A Plan to Reopen Rural Alaska's Armories — On Paper
Sullivan's bill to reopen rural Alaska's shuttered armories cleared committee — but for now it orders a study, and the price of running bases in roadless villages is the unanswered question.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
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 AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Pebble Mine's challenge to EPA reaches an Anchorage court Thursday.
Pebble vs. EPA hits Anchorage federal court Thursday. The salmon, the State of Alaska, and a major mineral deposit all want a say.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago3 min read
Supreme Court narrows damages path in prison religious-rights cases
SCOTUS just made it harder for prisoners to sue individual guards for money over blocked religious practice. Alaska settled under this law in 2019.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Supreme Court tax-sale ruling puts spotlight on Alaska foreclosure proceeds
The Supreme Court narrowed tax-sale payouts Tuesday. Anchorage's tax-foreclosure auction is Wednesday. No, that's not a lot of time.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
A week of lightning sparked dozens of Alaska fires and forced an entire town to flee
Lightning hit Alaska more than 5,400 times in a week, sparking dozens of fires, and one behind an Anderson school forced the whole town to flee.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
A Record Alaska Defense Bill Clears Its First Hurdle
A Senate panel advanced a bill teeing up $2.6 billion for Alaska's military — though "authorized" is Washington for "don't spend it yet," and the number tends to shrink on the way to law.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Alaska kicked Sullivan off the ballot. In 2024, the state argued it couldn't
Alaska kicked Sullivan off the ballot for filing 'not in good faith.' In 2024, the state literally argued in court that wasn't its call.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Two Assembly members want Martinez out. The removal law may not reach him
Two members want Martinez gone over APOC fines. The removal law they're trying to use might not be a fit, and the math to carry it out would be an uphill battle.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago4 min read
Saxman man arrested for felony DV assault with prior convictions
Alaska State Troopers arrested Floyd Jackson, 59, of Saxman on June 22 for felony domestic violence assault, elevated to a class C felony by prior convictions within the past decade.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
Anchorage Assembly set to award $2.4M in tree-removal contracts Tuesday
Anchorage Assembly votes Tuesday on $2.4 million in tree-removal contracts to address beetle-killed spruce and hazard trees threatening homes and public safety.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
North Slope, Fairbanks, Valdez sue over pipeline tax values
Three Alaska municipalities sued June 22 over how pipeline companies value their assets for local taxes, challenging assessments that affect borough and city revenue.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 3mo ago2 min read
Former Anchorage attorney pleads guilty to federal drug-trafficking charge
Former Anchorage attorney Timothy Benintendi pleaded guilty to federal drug trafficking, using his legal position to distribute oxycodone and buprenorphine between 2021 and 2023.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
All 4 crew rescued after Coast Guard Jayhawk crashes near Sitka
All four crew members were rescued after a Coast Guard Jayhawk helicopter crashed near Sitka.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
Troopers recover paddleboarder's body from Turnagain Arm sandbar
Alaska State Troopers recovered the body of Joshua Novakovich, 25, from a Turnagain Arm sandbar on June 21, two days after he was swept away while paddleboarding near mile 92 of the Seward Highway.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Daniel J. Sullivan sued the state today over a denied Senate ballot spot
Denied a Senate ballot spot, Daniel J. Sullivan sued today. Lawmakers held a hearing on the same question the same afternoon.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
North Pole teen arrested after 100-mph motorcycle chase in Fairbanks
Alaska State Troopers arrested a North Pole teenager after he reached 100 mph on a motorcycle, ran red lights, and refused to stop on the Richardson Highway Sunday.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
Alaska's candidate withdrawal deadline is June 27. After Saturday, the August 18 primary ballot is largely set
Alaska's crowded 2026 governor race faces a June 27 withdrawal deadline. With 18 tickets filed and only four primary slots available, a divided Republican field could cost the right general-election slots even if conservative voters remain numerous.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Alaska Lowers Its Flags for Susan Sullivan
Alaska honors Susan Sullivan — who at 28 became the youngest woman ever elected to its Legislature and helped lay the groundwork for the Permanent Fund that still pays every resident.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
24 bottles of R&R, grounded short of Shungnak
Bargain whiskey, $400 a bottle: Fairbanks airport police seized 24 bottles of R&R bound for a dry village, street value $9,600.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 3mo ago2 min read
Smokejumpers were called to a fire near a Kuskokwim homestead — then couldn't jump
A fire near a Kuskokwim homestead hit 50 acres, so Alaska scrambled its smokejumpers — who found the terrain too dangerous to jump. Back to plan B.
by Maggie AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
A Coast Guard rescue helicopter crashed on Harbor Mountain above Sitka
A Coast Guard rescue helicopter went down on Harbor Mountain above Sitka Monday. The road is closed, and the crew that rescues others needed it
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
Defending Yukon Fish Camps From Fire
Smokejumpers are guarding Yukon River fish camps and Native allotments from a creeping wildfire — right in the middle of the season families count on to fill their freezers.
by Maggie AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
Starry Fire forces Anderson evacuations; 75 personnel battle 688-acre blaze
The Starry Fire forced Anderson evacuations Saturday and burned 688 acres 80 miles south of Fairbanks; 75 personnel are holding lines to push it toward the river.
by Maggie AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Interior's First Big Smoke Event Drifts Toward Fairbanks
The season's first real smoke has arrived in the Interior, and the borough's advice is blunt: if it's hazy and smells like smoke, don't wait for the monitor's permission to head indoors.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
New Medicaid work-reporting rule puts Alaska's paperwork system in the middle of health coverage
Alaska must implement a federal Medicaid work-reporting rule by January 2027, requiring most adults 19 to 64 to prove 80 hours monthly of work or qualifying activity.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Federal SNAP changes could put Alaska food aid and state budget under new pressure
Federal rules will expand work requirements for Alaska SNAP recipients and tie state costs to payment errors, potentially costing Alaska $42 million to $53 million annually starting in late 2027.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
What the Senate Changed in the Gas-Line Deal
The Senate's gas-line rewrite caps your gas price, leashes the state's pipeline agency, and lets the boroughs pocket most of the tax money for decades before the state takes its cut.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago3 min read
Scammers Are Posing as Alaska's Liquor Regulators
Scammers are mailing fake invoices dressed up as Alaska liquor regulators — but the giveaway is easy: the real ones only ever email from @alaska.gov.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 3mo ago1 min read
Lab tests found alcohol in O.P.M.S. kratom drinks, and unlicensed Alaska stores are being told to stop selling them
State lab tests found O.P.M.S. kratom drinks contain enough alcohol to be regulated like beer, and unlicensed retailers across Alaska are being told to stop selling them.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 3mo ago1 min read
Alaska's liquor-license office is buried — and says it's worse than the numbers show
Alaska's liquor-license office has a 59-deep backlog, a 1,200-renewal pile, and a memo basically saying it's worse than that. Cheers.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 3mo ago2 min read
Homer Holds Ocean Drive Loop Tax Steady at 1 Mill
Homer's Ocean Drive Loop district keeps its tax rate exactly where it was — a rare local-government act of leaving well enough alone.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 3mo ago1 min read
APD awards $1.66M opioid settlement contract for deflection program
Anchorage Police Department recommends a $1.66 million four-year contract with True North Recovery to hire a navigator who steers people in substance use crises toward treatment instead of arrest.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Alaska Municipal League wants federal government to withdraw proposed grant overhaul
Alaska gets $11 billion in federal grants. Proposed federal rules would let agencies cancel them at will. AML wants the rule withdrawn.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Beluga Fire reaches 65 acres in Mat-Su, 25% contained
Beluga Fire west of Susitna has grown to 65 acres and is 25 percent contained as of Saturday, with hot, dry conditions and evening lightning expected to keep fire danger high through the weekend.
by Maggie AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
Anderson residents ordered to evacuate as Star Fire hits 100 acres
Anderson residents evacuated Saturday as the Star Fire burned 100 acres south of town, with two smaller fires igniting nearby under a Red Flag Warning through Sunday.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Two separate Wasilla shootings Saturday — one suspect was a felon with three warrants
State Troopers arrested Christian Schaffer, 25, after a shooting in Wasilla early Saturday; he was a convicted felon with three active warrants found with a 9mm handgun and faces felony assault and weapons charges. • In a separate incident, Michael Melland, 46, was arrested after his brother was shot in the head; Melland faces assault charges.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
Kodiak held its tax rate down — and split over what it means for schools
Kodiak's assembly held the line on taxes for squeezed residents. Whether that quietly cost the schools $500K depends on which member you ask.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 3mo ago2 min read
Kodiak Set Its Taxes — Now It Has to Send the Bills
Kodiak Island Borough must send property tax bills by July 1 but its new Tyler Technologies system may not be ready, leaving staff ready to fall back to the old one.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 3mo ago2 min read
Alaska DFFP battles 4 wildfires across Interior, Southcentral, Southwest
Twin Bear Fire near Fairbanks drew 23 firefighters and helitack crews to a lightning-caused blaze in black spruce with cabins nearby. • Joaquin Fire southwest of McGrath and Vanderpool Fire east of McGrath prompted aerial response due to native allotment and private property. • Matanuska Fire on Glenn Highway was contained within two hours at under half an acre. • Red Flag Warning through Sunday evening cited 30 percent humidity and 40 mph wind gusts near thunderstorms across Central Interior.
by Maggie AlaskaNewsadded 3mo ago2 min read