Politics & Government
RSSPolitics & Government in Alaska is the activity of state and local elections, lawmaking and public administration. It covers campaigns, ballot measures, ethics and campaign finance, legislative and executive action, and municipal and borough council decisions across Alaska communities.
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Wednesday, Jun 10
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 AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
Tuesday, Jun 9
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 AlaskaNews5mo 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 News5mo 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 AlaskaNews5mo ago2 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 AlaskaNews5mo ago3 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 AlaskaNews5mo 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 AlaskaNews5mo 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 AlaskaNews5mo ago3 min read
More from Politics & Government
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 News5mo 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 AlaskaNews5mo 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 AlaskaNews5mo 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 AlaskaNews5mo 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 AlaskaNews5mo 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 AlaskaNews5mo ago3 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 News5mo ago2 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 AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
About Politics & Government
Politics and government in Alaska takes in state and local elections, lawmaking and public administration. It covers campaigns, ballot measures, campaign finance, legislative and executive action, and decisions by municipal assemblies and borough and city councils.
Recurring questions include how campaigns are funded and who pays for outside spending and political messages, which candidates qualify for the ballot, and how state agencies write and repeal regulations. Local governments such as the Anchorage Assembly and the Ketchikan assembly weigh spending on roads, water systems and police programs.
The subject reaches across the Legislature, state agencies and municipal governments. Advisory boards and councils that take public comment on matters such as state parks and disability policy are part of it as well.
More from Politics & Government
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 AlaskaNews5mo ago3 min readFrom 
Monday, Jun 8
Human ignitions cause 95 percent of Alaska's early fires
Human carelessness sparked 118 of Alaska's 124 early-season wildfires so far, a 95 percent rate that's stretching fire season into months when lightning fires rarely occur.
by Alaska News5mo ago2 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 5mo 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 AlaskaNews5mo 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 AlaskaNews5mo 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 News5mo 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 AlaskaNews5mo 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 News5mo 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 News5mo 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 AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
Department of Revenue presents Senate Finance with 25-scenario sensitivity analysis on Alaska LNG fiscal impact
Department of Revenue modeled Alaska LNG's fiscal impact under SB 2001 across 25 scenarios through 2062. • Baseline scenario projects $29 billion in net state revenue gains. • Worst-case scenario with $100 per barrel oil and major production losses would cost the state $16.2 billion.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
Alaska House passes home care advisory board for Medicaid workers
Alaska House passed a bill 35-5 to create an advisory board that will recommend Medicaid payment rates for home care workers, aiming to keep elders in their homes instead of nursing facilities and reduce state costs.
by Lucas Brownadded 5mo ago2 min read
Ambler wildfire reaches 1,500 acres as fire activity slows
The Kopshesut Fire near Ambler has burned nearly 1,500 acres and slowed to creeping and smoldering as 68 firefighters and aircraft apply water and hold the line within a mile of the village.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 5mo ago1 min read
Sunday, Jun 7
Alaska Supreme Court rules on retaining-wall boundary dispute
Alaska Supreme Court ruled courts may weigh competing surveys to locate true property lines, not treat one marker as conclusive, affecting homeowners who build retaining walls near lot lines.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 5mo ago2 min read
Firefighters hold flare-up on Kopshesut Fire near Ambler
Firefighters held back a flare-up on the Kopshesut Fire near Ambler on Saturday, keeping it to about 1,500 acres and 20% contained as 68 personnel work to stop the spread toward the village.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
Anchorage Assembly weighs veteran contracting preferences
Anchorage Assembly is deciding between two veteran contracting preference proposals that differ on preference size, eligibility windows, and whether preferences apply to qualifications-based bids or price-based bids only.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago3 min readFrom 
Murkowski and Sullivan split on DACA votes in Senate budget debate
Alaska senators Murkowski and Sullivan voted opposite ways on two DACA amendments during Senate budget debate Friday, with Murkowski supporting protections and application funding while Sullivan opposed both measures.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 5mo ago1 min read
Red Flag Warnings hit Southwest Alaska three days running
Red Flag Warnings covered Southwest Alaska on June 3 and 4 as hot, dry conditions and 20 mph winds created rapid fire spread risk in remote communities from the Kuskokwim Valley to Bristol Bay.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago1 min read
Saturday, Jun 6
Dunleavy vetoes rural transit planning bill
Governor Dunleavy vetoed a bill requiring rural transit programs be included in statewide transportation planning, saying the state already does this work.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago1 min readFrom 
Sullivan and Murkowski split on DACA funding votes
Sen. Dan Sullivan and Sen. Lisa Murkowski split on two DACA funding amendments in Senate votes June 4 and 5, with Murkowski voting yes and Sullivan voting no on both measures, which both failed.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 5mo ago1 min read
Fire burns within mile of Ambler as crews race to protect village
The Kopshesut Fire burned within a mile of Ambler on Friday, with 24 smokejumpers and incoming crews working to protect the village of 274 residents before winds push the 500-acre blaze closer.
by Maggie AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
Alaska suspends burn permits statewide as heat drives fire risk
Alaska suspended burn permits statewide June 1-5 across Mat-Su, Kenai-Kodiak, Tok, Delta, Fairbanks, Salcha, and Railbelt due to early heat and dry conditions, after recent escaped debris fires and burn barrels sparked multiple wildfires.
by Alaska News5mo ago2 min readFrom 
Talkeetna wildfire contained after overnight crew work
An 18-acre wildfire southeast of Talkeetna was fully contained Friday after crews worked overnight with helicopters and retardant tankers. No structures were threatened.
by Alaska News5mo ago1 min read
Trump proposes federal AI equity stakes with public dividends
Trump proposed federal equity stakes in AI companies with public dividends, mirroring Alaska's Permanent Fund model since 1982. • Alaska's dividend fluctuates with oil markets and faces constant political pressure to redirect earnings. • Federal AI dividends would differ legally from Alaska's model, which rests on state-owned resource royalties, not private equity.
by Alaska News5mo ago2 min read
