Politics & Government
RSSAlaska News covers state and local politics and government, including elections, ethics investigations, legislative action, and municipal decisions.
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
Yenlo Fire crews defend cabin, equipment as 53-acre blaze nears Skwentna
Firefighters defended a cabin and equipment as the 53-acre Yenlo Fire near Skwentna reached 90 percent containment Wednesday, with crews demobilizing by Friday.
by Alaska Newsadded 3mo ago2 min read
Alaska elections director moves to disqualify Senate challenger
Alaska's elections director ruled Thursday that Republican Senate challenger Dan J. Sullivan is ineligible to run in the August primary, citing unspecified complaints about his eligibility.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 3mo ago1 min read
Federal judge blocks removal of petitioner from Alaska in Alebw case
Federal judge to ICE: you can keep him detained, but he stays in Alaska — and yes, we noticed you tried to put him on a plane.
by Alaska News3mo ago2 min read
Peltola proposes corporate tax tied to worker pay in Senate race
New Peltola plan: companies with rich CEOs and broke workers pay more. Odds of passing: low. Odds of becoming a debate line: certain.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo 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
Cordova Harbor Commission sends harbor-mouth tideland sale back for engineering review
Cordova Harbor Commission blocked a proposal to sell tidelands for a dock near the small boat harbor entrance, citing navigation hazards from constriction at the mouth where 727 vessels operate in strong currents.
by Alaska News3mo ago2 min read
Smokejumpers, hotshots battle 52-acre Yenlo Fire near Talkeetna
A 52-acre wildfire north of Skwentna grew overnight from 10 acres, drawing smokejumpers and hotshot crews to protect remote cabins in the upper Susitna Valley while aerial tankers slow the human-caused fire.
by Alaska News3mo ago2 min read
Senate Finance weighs Alaska LNG tax worth $124M a year — and whether it's enough for host communities
Governments are making compromises on the amount of property tax they'll receive - not all are happy about it
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago3 min read
House Finance advances Alaska LNG tax bill, curtailing North Slope's power to negotiate
House Finance advanced Alaska LNG tax bill Wednesday: 13 cents, no side deals, double the impact fund to $80m
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago3 min read
The other Dan Sullivan case tests Alaska's election-law limits
Alaska's elections office is investigating whether a Petersburg man filed genuinely as a Republican Senate candidate or used a name similar to incumbent Dan Sullivan to confuse voters.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago3 min read
Trump's announced $64 billion DHS funding would touch Alaska Coast Guard, Arctic security, and fentanyl interdiction — but the underlying bill isn't in primary federal records
Trump announced $64 billion in DHS funding that would affect Alaska's Coast Guard, Arctic security, and fentanyl interdiction, but the bill he cited does not yet appear in public federal records.
by Alaska News3mo ago2 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
Anchorage's mayor told Senate Finance LNG could cost "tens of millions of dollars"
Anchorage's mayor told Senate Finance LNG would cost "tens of millions" — a number that lands somewhere between $23M and $173M. Her plan targets $23M.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Fairbanks spur line language added to Alaska LNG tax bill
Fairbanks North Star Borough secured a requirement for a gas spur line in the state LNG tax bill. Developers must build the spur to access tax breaks. Costs will spread across Railbelt users to keep rates affordable for 3500 local customers.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
A wildfire that started in a village landfill has burned to within a mile of Ambler — and warmer weather is coming
Crews have reached 40 percent containment on the 1,447 acre Kopshesut Fire near Ambler. • Warming weather this week could push toxic landfill smoke into the village. • Residents should monitor air quality for health risks. • Check the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation website for updates.
by Alaska News3mo ago2 min read
Anchorage Assembly to consider letting licensed wildlife operators use air guns in city limits
Anchorage may let licensed wildlife operators use air guns in city limits — sorry, attic squirrels.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Anchorage's alcohol tax can't fund everything it was promised to fund — and a board meeting Tuesday made the tradeoff explicit
Anchorage alcohol tax revenue is dropping to 5.2 million dollars for 2027. • The city must now choose between funding school preschools or emergency homelessness services. • School district preschools face potential cuts while the district manages a 90 million dollar budget gap. • Childcare providers are also asking for a share of the limited funds.
by Alaska News3mo ago2 min read
Enstar faces 2033 supply gap as Hilcorp contract expires, no Cook Inlet producer can match drilling scale
Enstar Natural Gas loses its main Cook Inlet gas supplier in 2033 when Hilcorp's contract expires, and no other producer can match Hilcorp's drilling scale, leaving Southcentral facing a supply gap unless a North Slope pipeline delivers gas by then.
by Bill AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Mat-Su correctional-officer recruiting sessions run weekly
Alaska Department of Corrections holds weekly recruiting sessions for correctional officers every Friday from 3 to 4 p.m. at the Mat-Su Job Center in Wasilla.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
Same committee, same day, two close votes on Alaska LNG ratepayer protection — and they didn't go the same way
House Finance can't quite decide how much to protect Alaska ratepayers from LNG cost overruns — Tuesday's two votes split, with the same person providing the swing both times.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
ENSTAR Caps the Price. Stedman Eyes the Debt.
ENSTAR is locking in a $16 price ceiling, but Sen. Bert Stedman argued the costs may have just moved upstream, to the tune of $3.3 billion over 30 years.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago3 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
Alaska investigates U.S. Senate candidate over name confusion claim
Alaska Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom opened an investigation June 8 into whether U.S. Senate candidate Daniel James Sullivan Jr. of Petersburg filed his declaration of candidacy to confuse voters
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo 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
The Air Force wants $7 billion for fighter recapitalization at Elmendorf — but Alaska's military investments are riding on a partisan bill senators don't think will pass
The Air Force requested $7 billion for fighter jets at Elmendorf-Richardson in its 2027 budget, but half the F-35 funding and other Alaska-critical spending is routed through a partisan bill that Republican and Democratic senators say will not pass.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
The Air Force wants a $338.8 billion budget — a 34% jump that includes a 130% Space Force boost that flows to Clear
Air Force seeks $338.8 billion for fiscal 2027, a 34 percent increase with Space Force funding up 130 percent. • Clear Space Force Station in interior Alaska could receive part of the $71.1 billion Space Force request. • Funding also targets facility upgrades at JBER and Eielson Air Force Base, addressing a $50 billion maintenance backlog.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
The federal autonomous vehicle framework Congress is debating would apply to Alaska's roads — but Alaska wasn't part of the conversation
Congress is debating a federal framework for autonomous trucks that will apply to Alaska's roads, but Alaska's operating conditions like Arctic weather, wildlife, and cellular dead zones were not part of the Senate hearing.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago3 min read
The promotions Warren says Hegseth is blocking would fill leadership at Alaska's strategically critical installations
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth blocked military promotions that fill command roles at Alaska installations. Senator Elizabeth Warren accused Hegseth of removing minority and female officers from the list. The delays affect leadership at JBER and Eielson. The Pentagon is reviewing officer ties to diversity policies.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
The Air Force wants to put AI data centers on Alaska military land — and the three sites tell three very different stories
Three Alaska military bases are auditioning to host the AI boom — JBER can't power it, Eielson is leaking PFAS at it, and Clear has 4,769 acres, a DDT drum dump, and all the groundwater you can drink.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago3 min read
Mastadon Fire reaches full containment after drone-guided mop-up
The Mastadon Fire southeast of Talkeetna reached full containment Friday after a drone spotted the last patch of heat, letting ground crews finish the job same-day instead of waiting for the next morning's aircraft pass.
by Alaska Newsadded 3mo ago2 min read
House Finance writes a $16 gas-price cap into Alaska LNG bill — even if Enstar's contract isn't signed
Alaska House Finance voted 6-5 Monday to write a $16-per-MMBtu price cap for natural gas into the state's Alaska LNG tax bill, protecting consumers even if Enstar's contract with the developer remains unsigned.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
House Finance amendment lets pipeline-route municipalities bill Alaska LNG directly — skipping the state appropriation step
House Finance approved an amendment allowing pipeline-route municipalities to bill the Alaska LNG operator directly for their tax share instead of waiting for state appropriation.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
All three major North Slope producers have signed Alaska LNG Phase 1 sale agreements — and they want their ownership to stop at the lease line
All three major North Slope producers have signed Alaska LNG Phase 1 sale agreements — and they want their ownership to stop at the lease line
by Alaska News3mo ago3 min read
Judge voids H-1B fee Alaska schools said threatened rural hiring
Alaska has to hire a lot of teachers from out of the country, so an additional $100k per teacher would have been...unsustainable to say the least.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago3 min read
Sitka seeks crosswalk design ideas for Lincoln Street
Sitka is asking residents of all ages to submit designs for painted crosswalk patterns on downtown Lincoln Street by June 24, with selected designs to be painted this summer as part of a pedestrian safety project.
by Alaska News3mo ago2 min read
The $15,000 PFD buy-out that never got a vote
A 2024 House bill that would have let Alaskans trade future Permanent Fund dividends for a guaranteed $15,000 payout never left committee and died when the Legislature adjourned.
by Alaska News3mo ago2 min read
Department of Revenue presents Senate Finance with Alaska LNG breakeven modeling across cost and tax scenarios
Alaska LNG needs $9.07 per thousand cubic feet to break even under current law, or $10.69 if capital costs reach $60 billion. • Senate Bill 2001 would lower those breakeven prices to $8.54 and $9.97 respectively, but reduce state revenue from North Slope gas. • Department of Revenue presented the modeling to help Senate Finance evaluate the tax restructuring tradeoff.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read