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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Friday, Jun 5
Troopers arrest Nanwalek man on domestic violence charges
Alaska State Troopers arrested Terence P. Swenning, 27, of Nanwalek on Monday on domestic violence charges including assault in the presence of three children.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 5mo ago1 min read
North Slope has two fields cleared for gas sales, AOGCC tells Senate
Alaska's oil regulator told lawmakers that only Prudhoe Bay and Point Thomson fields have approval to supply gas to the Alaska LNG project, which aims to start deliveries in 2029.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
Alaska LNG seeks 90% property tax cut; Kenai Peninsula pushes back
Alaska LNG is seeking a 90 percent property tax cut to proceed, but Kenai Peninsula Borough says the cut would cost local governments about $30 million annually needed to cover project impacts.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago3 min read
ASD projects $40M FY28 deficit — two months after voters rejected school bond and tax levy
Anchorage School District projects a $40 million deficit for fiscal year 2028 on top of $90 million in earlier cuts, after voters rejected a $12 million tax levy and $79 million bond in April.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
Red Flag Warning covers inland Bristol Bay through Thursday
The National Weather Service issued a Red Flag Warning for inland Bristol Bay through Thursday evening as warm temperatures, low humidity, strong winds, and dry grass created conditions for fast-moving wildfires.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago1 min read
Ketchikan awards $2.74M city hall HVAC contract, taps reserves
Ketchikan City Council voted 4-3 to spend $2.74 million replacing city hall's HVAC system using reserves and deferred street projects. • One council member opposed the spending, citing residents losing power and leaving town due to rising costs. • The HVAC units are over 20 years old and no longer meet code.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
Miller's Reach fire lessons shape Alaska wildfire response 30 years on
Alaska's 1996 Miller's Reach Fire destroyed 344 homes in Big Lake and killed 37,000 acres, forcing the state to overhaul wildfire response, evacuation coordination, and community preparedness — lessons that still guide how Alaska fights fire today.
by Alaska News5mo ago2 min read
Murkowski votes no on reconciliation bill; Sullivan votes yes
Sen. Lisa Murkowski voted no on a major Senate reconciliation bill Friday while Sen. Dan Sullivan voted yes, splitting Alaska's Republican delegation on the measure that passed 52-47.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 5mo ago1 min read
More from Politics & Government
Denali ranger dies in crevasse fall near 14,000 Foot Camp
Robin Pendery, a National Park Service mountaineering ranger, died Thursday after falling into a crevasse near 14,000 Foot Camp on Denali.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago1 min read
Sitka Assembly awards Fisheries Enhancement Fund grants June 9
Sitka Assembly awards Fisheries Enhancement Fund grants June 9 to support salmon hatcheries as Southeast Alaska fish prices drop sharply.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
Air Force seeks contractor for Red Flag-Alaska exercise at JPARC
Air Force is seeking a service-disabled veteran-owned contractor to run threat simulation for Red Flag-Alaska 26-3 exercise at Eielson Air Force Base, with proposals due June 9.
by Alaska News5mo ago2 min read
Ketchikan postpones cruise-dock expansion for one year
Ketchikan City Council voted unanimously Wednesday to delay a $290,000 design contract for expanding Berth 1 at the cruise dock, citing community concerns about ship volume and the need to repair existing docks first.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
Senate passes immigration enforcement bill 52-47, splitting Alaska delegation
Three years of ICE funding, a fight over the 'weaponization' fund, and Alaska's senators split
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
Thursday, Jun 4
Mat-Su officers arrest two inmates on contraband warrants
Court Services Officers arrested two Mat-Su men on contraband warrants at separate correctional facilities within 24 hours, both already in custody on unrelated charges.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago1 min read
State wins option to buy 25% of Alaska LNG after investors commit
Alaska secured the right to buy up to 25% of the Alaska LNG project after private investors commit, with six months to decide whether to invest between $230 million and $1.16 billion.
by Alaska News5mo ago2 min read
Alaska fire agencies open 11 wildfire investigations statewide
Alaska fire agencies opened 11 wildfire investigations across the state between June 2 and 4 as the National Weather Service issued Red Flag Warnings for critical fire conditions.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago1 min readAbout 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
Troopers arrest Nanwalek man on domestic violence charges
Alaska State Troopers arrested Terence P. Swenning, 27, of Nanwalek on charges of assaulting his partner in front of three children.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 5mo ago1 min read
Alaska fire agencies open nine wildfire investigations in four days
Alaska fire agencies opened nine wildfire investigations across four regions in three days as Red Flag Warnings and dry conditions raised fire danger statewide.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago1 min read
Glenfarne's own cost estimate for Alaska LNG is now significantly higher than AGDC's — and the state's equity option sits in the middle of the new math
Glenfarne raised Alaska LNG cost estimate to 44.5 to 54.5 billion dollars, up from state agency's 38.7 billion. • Legislature can buy 5 to 25 percent equity stake within 180 days after final investment decision. • Property tax reform is central to project financing, with current rates costing roughly 380 million dollars yearly during construction.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago3 min read
Anchorage Assembly to vote on natural burial cemetery on HLB land
Anchorage Assembly votes Tuesday on giving 9.6 acres of city land to a nonprofit to build Alaska's first natural burial cemetery, avoiding $500,000 in fair market value but freeing the municipality from expanding the nearly full downtown cemetery.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 5mo ago2 min read
Alaska Corrections holds weekly recruiting sessions in Wasilla
Alaska Corrections is hiring correctional officers for Goose Creek prison and holds recruiting sessions every Friday at 3 p.m. at the Mat-Su Job Center in Wasilla.
by Alaska News5mo ago1 min read
Alaska proposes timber sales in Haines State Forest habitat areas
Alaska's Division of Forestry and Fire Protection is proposing to allow timber sales in wildlife habitat and recreation areas of the 260,000-acre Haines State Forest, reversing a 2002 policy ban, with public comment due June 5.
by Alaska News5mo ago2 min read
Alaska House schedules June 10 technical session
Alaska House scheduled a technical session for June 10 at 11 a.m. to handle procedural matters after the regular legislative session ended May 20.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago1 min read
Alaska proposes timber harvest in all Haines State Forest areas
Alaska's Division of Forestry proposes opening all 286,000 acres of Haines State Forest to timber sales to enable carbon-offset projects, despite 78 percent opposition from a local survey.
by Alaska News5mo ago2 min read
Haines State Forest draft opens timber harvest in habitat areas
Alaska's Division of Forestry released a draft plan allowing timber harvest in Haines State Forest wildlife habitat and recreation areas for the first time since 2002, with public comments due by June 5.
by Alaska News5mo ago2 min read
Alaska fire agencies open 10 wildfire investigations as Red Flag Warnings signal critical conditions
Alaska fire agencies opened investigations into at least 10 wildfires across the state between June 2 and June 5 as the National Weather Service issued Red Flag Warnings for critical fire conditions in multiple regions.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago1 min read
Peltola cites fuel costs as barrier to rural Alaska campaign stops
Democrat Mary Peltola wrapped a rural Alaska campaign tour by small plane and boat to reach villages where fuel costs exceed $6 a gallon, pressing affordability as her main message against Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan in the August primary.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago2 min read
Sullivan: Russia flooding markets to drive down Alaska fish prices
Senator Dan Sullivan says a U.S. ban on Russian seafood protects Alaska fishermen from market flooding. • Reports show Russian fish still enters the U.S. through China, bypassing the ban. • Experts say global market factors also drive down Alaska fish prices.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago2 min read
Alaska suspends burn permits in Mat-Su, Kenai, Tok, Delta
Alaska suspended burn permits in Mat-Su, Kenai, Tok, and Delta from June 1-4 due to hot, dry, windy conditions that sparked multiple fires from escaped debris burns and unattended campfires.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago1 min read
Federal job applications now require two-page resumes
Federal job applicants must now submit resumes of two pages or fewer through USAJOBS starting September 27, 2025, or face ineligibility for consideration.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 5mo ago2 min read
Alaska training academy graduates 24 officers after 17-week program
Alaska Law Enforcement Training Academy graduated 24 officers Wednesday after completing 17 weeks of training in Sitka, with recruits joining the State Troopers, Wildlife Troopers, State Parks, and municipal police departments across the state.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 5mo ago2 min read
Bronson files to run for Alaska governor
Dave Bronson, Anchorage mayor from 2021 to 2024, filed to run for Alaska governor as a Republican, pledging to cut bureaucracy and boost resource development. The primary is August 18, 2026.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 5mo ago1 min readNorth Slope Borough Assembly approves $6.6 million in grant appropriations
Grants included $2m for Wildlife programs, nearly $1m for home leveling in Nuiqsut, etc.
by Alaska News5mo ago1 min read
North Slope Assembly approves $62.5M water-sewer contract with UIC Municipal Services
NSB approved a five-year, $62.5 million contract Tuesday with UIC Municipal Services to operate water and sewer systems in seven villages til 2032
by Alaska News5mo ago1 min read
Former state senator Lesil McGuire files for Alaska governor
Former state senator Lesil McGuire filed an APOC Letter of Intent for governor on May 29 and rounded out a Lesil McGuire and Elizabeth Rexford ticket by the June 1 deadline. The Alaska Division of Elections listed 17 governor and lieutenant governor tickets as of Monday evening, spanning Republicans, Democrats, and nonpartisan pairings. The August 18 primary advances the top four tickets to a ranked-choice general election November 3.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 5mo ago2 min readFive candidates file for Alaska governor in 2026
Five candidates had filed APOC Letters of Intent for Alaska governor through May 29: Tom Begich, Edna DeVries, Dave Bronson, Henry Kroll, and Lesil McGuire. By Monday evening, the field had grown to 17 governor and lieutenant governor tickets on the Alaska Division of Elections list. The August 18 primary advances the top four tickets to a ranked-choice general election November 3.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 5mo ago2 min readWednesday, Jun 3
Five candidates file for Alaska governor in 2026 race
Five candidates filed to run for Alaska governor in 2026, including former senators Lesil McGuire and Tom Begich, former Anchorage mayor Dave Bronson, Mat-Su Borough mayor Edna DeVries, and author Henry Kroll. • Incumbent Mike Dunleavy is term-limited and cannot seek a third consecutive term. • The nonpartisan primary is August 18, 2026, with the general election November 3, 2026.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 5mo ago2 min readJuneau gets clean audit despite control gaps, three-month delay
Juneau's audit passed but arrived three months late due to hospital delays and staff turnover, with auditors flagging two control gaps in debt review and harbor leases that finance staff have begun fixing.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
Kenai adopts $42.1M budget with swim team grant, airport upgrade
Kenai City Council adopted a $42.1 million budget for fiscal year 2027, approving $296,402 in amendments for a swim team grant, airport billing automation expected to recover $130,000 in missed revenue, and council chambers technology upgrades.
by Lucas Brown5mo ago1 min read
Kenai limits tent camping to 2 tents per property, defines 3+ as campground
Kenai allows up to two tents on private property indefinitely, but three or more tents now require conditional-use approval and are classified as a campground.
by Lucas Brown5mo ago2 min read
