Politics & Government
RSSAlaska News covers state and local politics and government, including elections, ethics investigations, legislative action, and municipal decisions.
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 AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
Alaska House passes bill repealing inactive state funds
Alaska House passed Senate Bill 163 unanimously Wednesday, repealing three inactive and empty state funds including the Public Access Fund and the 2001 Special Olympics World Winter Games Reserve Fund.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
Alaska House passes bill removing tax-remittance deductions
Alaska House passed a bill removing tax-collection deductions for motor fuel, tobacco, and tire fees, expected to raise nearly $500,000 yearly.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min readAlaska EMS Compact Folded Into Omnibus Bill, Passes Senate 13-7
Alaska Senate passed SB 256 on May 20, joining an interstate compact that lets EMTs and paramedics work across state lines without separate licenses in each state, while Alaska keeps full authority over discipline and scope of practice.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min readHouse moves to close property tax overpayment loophole
Alaska House voted to end a loophole that let taxpayers deliberately overpay property taxes to collect 8 percent interest refunds, passing House Bill 13 by 32-7.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
FBI steps up Alaska security task force, adds agents to state
FBI expands Alaska task force to fight drug trafficking from Canada and crimes on tribal lands. • DEA intercepted 10 kilos of fentanyl and 5 kilos of methamphetamine bound for Alaska in April. • Sen. Murkowski raised crisis of missing and murdered Alaska Native women, 75% of cases. • FBI piloting Starlink communications on tribal lands for investigations.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo 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 AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
House votes to eliminate tax filing discounts worth $500,000 annually
Alaska House voted to eliminate four tax discounts worth $500,000 yearly, including a cigarette stamp break that persisted two decades after the equipment it subsidized was paid off.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
Alaska AG voids contested Area M salmon regulations after ethics challenge
Alaska attorney general voided five salmon regulations after board members failed to disclose conflicts of interest. • Fishing groups won relief through ethics enforcement instead of court. • Regulations would have restricted fishing time and added chinook catch closures. • Board must restart the process to readopt any rules.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago3 min read
Alaska House passes campaign contribution limits that could take effect during 2026 election
Alaska House passed a bill to restore campaign donation limits of 2,000 dollars per donor per candidate. • The bill takes effect 90 days after the governor acts, likely before November 2026 election. • Governor can sign, veto, or do nothing. Inaction lets the bill become law. • Opponents say it restricts speech and will likely face lawsuit.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Alaska Passes Age of Consent Bill After Weeks-Long Senate Delay
Alaska raised age of consent from 16 to 18 after Senate delay sparked public outcry. • Omnibus crime bill also criminalizes AI-generated child abuse images and requires sex offender registration. • New rules make sexual assault by healthcare workers a standalone crime and expand parole board. • Lawmakers worried about compressed timeline but voted yes anyway.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago3 min read
Thorne Bay certifies mayoral election with 47 percent turnout
Thorne Bay certified its May 12 mayoral election on May 18 with 235 ballots cast, a 47 percent turnout of 500 registered voters.
by Alaska News4mo ago1 min read
Alaska Senate Passes Education Bill With 4% Property Tax Cap
Senate passed education bill with 4% cap on required local contribution growth, limiting property value increases that shift school funding from state to local governments. • Bill includes energy grants for schools and teacher loan repayment up to $5,000 yearly for STEM and special education teachers. • Cap could cost state $41.6 million by 2035 but prevents districts from losing millions in revenue.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Murkowski presses federal law enforcement on Alaska trafficking, missing Indigenous people
Murkowski pressed FBI on Alaska's missing and murdered Indigenous women crisis, 229 missing with 75 percent Alaska Native. • FBI launching tribal lands operation with Starlink communications for investigations. • DEA opening two Canada offices, intercepted 10 kilos of fentanyl bound for Alaska. • Murkowski raised Alaska's need for federal detention facility, Marshals director agreed to review.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 4mo ago3 min readAlaska Senate adopts final operating, mental health and capital budgets
Alaska Senate passed fiscal year 2027 operating budget on 17-3 vote, balanced at $75 per barrel oil without drawing from savings. • Mental health budget approved 20-0, adding $3.5 million for behavioral health treatment and $500,000 for crisis call center. • Capital budget concurred 18-2, including $32.5 million for University of Alaska deferred maintenance and school and port projects.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 4mo ago2 min read
Alaska Energy Conference Highlights Gas Pipeline Progress Amid Legislative Tax Debate
Alaska LNG pipeline signed contracts, targets 2029 delivery, but governor and legislature split on tax framework. • Southcentral consumers could pay $22.96 per thousand cubic feet if exports fail, double current rates. • Federal officials highlighted critical minerals and $1 billion in funding, but permitting takes 15 to 18 years. • Rural Alaska pays $6.63 per gallon with no pipeline relief in sight.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago4 min read
Alaska Legislature fails to override veto of pension bill
Alaska Legislature fell seven votes short of overriding the governor's veto of a bill that would have restored pension options for public employees and teachers, voting 33-27 when 40 votes were needed.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago3 min read
Juneau Assembly Finance Committee votes 6-3 to end gondola project, repay Goldbelt
The Juneau Assembly Finance Committee voted 6-3 Tuesday to direct staff to end the Eagle Crest gondola project and draft an ordinance to repay Goldbelt and terminate the revenue sharing agreement, after construction costs ballooned from $7 million to $27 million.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago4 min read
House Passes Civics Education Bill After Decade-Long Push
The Alaska House voted 37-3 to require comprehensive civics education for K-12 students, mandating instruction on founding documents and government structure ahead of America's 250th anniversary.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Public Commenter Blames Management Turmoil for $12M Gondola Cost Surge
A public commenter told the Assembly Tuesday that forced management changes and procurement delays added millions to the Eagle Crest gondola project, with Trump tariffs worsening costs after two construction seasons were lost.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago3 min read
Alaska Senate advances sweeping public safety bill with AI child abuse provisions
The Alaska State Senate unanimously approved an 80-page public safety omnibus bill that raises the age of consent to 18, criminalizes AI-generated child sexual abuse material, and expands the state parole board.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago4 min read
Crews battle South Anchorage vegetation fire near 100th Avenue and C Street
Firefighters responded to a vegetation fire in South Anchorage near 100th Avenue and C Street on Tuesday afternoon, with the fire growing from 2 to 5 acres and threatening one trailer.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
House Finance Committee advances PFD restoration for wrongfully convicted
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min readDunleavy vetoes public pension bill, leaving override as long shot
Governor Dunleavy vetoed legislation that would have reopened a defined benefit pension option for Alaska public employees and teachers, citing fiscal and legal concerns.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago3 min read
Alaska lawmakers review paid parental leave bill funded by payroll taxes
The Alaska Senate Finance Committee heard testimony Tuesday on a bill that would create an 8-12 week paid parental leave program funded by new payroll taxes, with benefits not available until 2030.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago3 min read
House Finance advances tobacco age increase, e-cigarette tax on 7-4 vote
The Alaska House Finance Committee voted 7-4 Sunday to advance a bill raising the minimum age to purchase tobacco and nicotine products to 21 and imposing new retail taxes on e-cigarettes, after rejecting amendments to exempt active-duty military members and to use a wholesale tax structure.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago4 min readHouse panel hears bill to restore PFDs for wrongfully convicted Alaskans
The House Finance Committee heard testimony Sunday on legislation that would allow Alaskans whose convictions are overturned to reclaim Permanent Fund dividends they lost while incarcerated.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago3 min read
Alaska News Roundup: Gas pipeline tax fight, Point Thomson trade-off, and McNeil River access debate
This episode covers the week's major Alaska stories: a gas pipeline tax bill that added oil tax increases, the Point Thomson condensate trade-off for pipeline gas, Mount Edgecumbe enrollment crisis, and McNeil River bear sanctuary access proposals.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago3 min read
Alaska House passes fisheries tax credit expansion unanimously
The Alaska House of Representatives voted 40-0 Sunday to extend and expand a tax credit program that helps seafood processors invest in new equipment and value-added products, with supporters saying it aids both large processors and small direct-marketing fishermen during poor market conditions.
by Bill AlaskaNews4mo ago3 min readSenate Passes Insurance Gap Fix for Gig Economy Drivers
The Alaska Senate voted 13-7 Sunday to amend a bill requiring insurance coverage for delivery app drivers like Instacart and Uber Eats workers, who currently have zero coverage during accidents.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago3 min read
Alaska Legislature approves $1,000 PFD, $200 energy relief payment
The Alaska Legislature conference committee approved a $1,000 Permanent Fund Dividend and increased energy relief payments from $150 to $200 per person, totaling $127.3 million, in a split vote Sunday.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago3 min read
House panel cuts youth tobacco fines, advances Tobacco 21 bill
Alaska's House Finance Committee reduced proposed fines for minors possessing tobacco from $300 to $100 and eliminated mandatory court appearances, advancing legislation to raise the tobacco purchasing age to 21 and tax vaping products.
by Alaska News4mo ago3 min read
Senate Finance advances public safety bill with parole board overhaul
The Senate Finance Committee advanced a comprehensive public safety bill Saturday that restructures the parole board, creates an address confidentiality program for crime victims, and establishes a tribal liaison in corrections.
by Alaska News4mo ago3 min readAlaska House Passes Paid Parental Leave, Exempts Seasonal Workers from Sick Leave
The Alaska House passed a paid parental leave program (8-12 weeks) funded through unemployment insurance contributions while simultaneously exempting seasonal workers and businesses under 10 employees from voter-approved paid sick leave requirements.
by Alaska News4mo ago4 min readSenate panel weighs municipal concerns over Alaska LNG tax structure
The Senate Resources Committee Saturday reviewed Alaska Municipal League concerns about tax abatements and revenue distribution for the Alaska LNG pipeline project, with legal counsel proposing a 10-year sunset provision to address precedent worries.
by Alaska News4mo ago3 min read
House Finance advances civics education bill after rejecting military exemption
The Alaska House Finance Committee moved a civics education bill forward Saturday after voting down an amendment that would have exempted active-duty military children from a new graduation requirement.
by Alaska News4mo ago3 min read
Alaska Senate advances university regents reform bill with 2027 start date
The Alaska Senate moved forward legislation Thursday that would restructure the University of Alaska Board of Regents, pushing the effective date to February 2027 and drawing bipartisan support from at least 10 senators who signed on as cross-sponsors.
by Alaska News4mo ago1 min readHouse committee advances LGBTQ anti-discrimination bill on 4-3 vote
The Alaska House State Affairs Committee voted 4-3 Thursday to advance HB 301, which would add sexual orientation and gender identity protections to state civil rights law covering employment, housing, and public accommodations.
by Alaska News4mo ago4 min readSenate approves mental health education bill after six-year push
The Alaska Senate voted 17-3 Friday to concur with House amendments to a bill requiring age-appropriate mental health education in schools, marking the culmination of a six-year legislative effort.
by Alaska News4mo ago2 min readSenate panel advances full funding for pre-K students statewide
The Senate Education Committee voted Saturday to expand pre-kindergarten funding by counting pre-K students as full-time rather than half-time in the state funding formula, removing previous caps and sunset clauses.
by Alaska News4mo ago2 min read