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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Tuesday, May 12
Senate panel advances bill barring felons from school boards
Alaska Senate panel unanimously advanced a bill Tuesday that would ban convicted felons from school boards statewide, prompted by a 2022 Tok election that left students concerned about safety.
by Alaska News6mo ago3 min read
Alaska House passes education funding reform despite split votes on transparency
House passed education funding reform using three-year enrollment averaging to stabilize school budgets and reduce teacher layoffs, 31-9. • House split 20-20 on requiring public review of mental health curriculum, defeating both transparency amendments.
by Alaska News6mo ago4 min read
Alaska Legislature Passes Bill Recognizing Gold, Silver as Legal Tender
Alaska Legislature passed a bill recognizing gold and silver as legal tender and exempting those transactions from local sales taxes, sending it to Governor Dunleavy for signature.
by Alaska News6mo ago2 min readAlaska Senate panel advances autonomous vehicle restrictions despite industry opposition
Alaska Senate panel advanced a bill requiring human operators in commercial autonomous vehicles, making Alaska the first state with such a restriction despite industry warnings.
by Alaska News6mo ago4 min read
Senate Finance exempts emergency management from contract payment rules
Senate Finance approved a bill exempting Alaska's emergency management division from new contract payment rules to speed disaster response.
by Alaska News6mo ago2 min read
Alaska Senate Passes Right to Repair Bill for Consumer Electronics
Alaska Senate passed a right to repair bill May 11 requiring manufacturers to provide parts and tools so consumers can fix electronics instead of replacing them.
by Alaska News6mo ago2 min readHome care worker pay mandate divides Alaska lawmakers over rural access
House Bill 96 would require home care agencies to spend 80 percent of Medicaid rates on worker pay over four years. • Rural providers warn the mandate could cut service access; worker advocates say it protects caregivers bearing travel costs. • Lawmakers divided as Alaska's elderly population is projected to surge 500 percent in 25 to 30 years.
by Alaska News6mo ago4 min read
Monday, May 11
Senate Finance hears omnibus crime bill targeting AI child porn, raising age of consent
Alaska Senate Finance heard an omnibus crime bill that would criminalize AI-generated child sexual abuse material and raise the age of consent for sex crimes to 18.
by Alaska News6mo ago6 min read
More from Politics & Government
House panel hears electronic pull-tab bill with 35% manufacturer cap
House panel heard testimony on a bill capping electronic pull-tab manufacturer fees at 35 percent, which operators say is too high compared to Minnesota's 20 percent.
by Alaska News6mo ago4 min read
Alaska House Passes Required Local Contribution Cap for Schools
Alaska House voted 24-16 to cap annual growth in required local school funding at 2%, shifting roughly $29 million in education costs from municipalities to the state.
by Alaska News6mo ago5 min read
Alaska House panel hears push to raise tobacco age to 21, tax vapes at 25%
The House Finance Committee is considering a bill to raise the tobacco age to 21 and add a 25 percent tax on vaping products.
by Alaska News6mo ago4 min readAlaska Legislature Forms Conference Committee on $14B Operating Budget
Alaska lawmakers formed a conference committee Monday to resolve differences between House and Senate versions of the $14 billion fiscal year 2027 operating budget and mental health funding bill.
by Alaska News6mo ago2 min read
Senate Finance considers $1M teacher loan repayment pilot program
Senate Finance is weighing a $1 million pilot program to pay off student loans for teachers in high-need fields.
by Alaska News6mo ago3 min read
House Finance advances pharmacist prescribing bill with drug restrictions
Alaska House Finance advanced a bill expanding pharmacist prescribing authority Monday, but blocked them from prescribing opioids and other high-risk drugs requiring federal safety oversight.
by Alaska News6mo ago3 min read
Wrangell Assembly adds mystery item to May 12 agenda at last minute
Wrangell Assembly added an unexplained agenda item with less than 24 hours notice before its May 12 meeting, giving residents little time to prepare comment.
by Alaska News6mo ago1 min readAlaska Senate Passes Right-to-Repair Bill for Consumer Electronics
Alaska Senate passed a right-to-repair bill requiring manufacturers to provide parts and repair information for consumer electronics, advancing to the House with support from repair shops and Google.
by Alaska News6mo ago4 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
House committee hears bill to update Alaska commercial law for cryptocurrency
Alaska House committee heard testimony on a bill to update state commercial law for cryptocurrency, aligning with 34 states that have already adopted the changes.
by Alaska News6mo ago2 min read
Alaska House rejects optional school district healthcare pooling plan
Alaska House rejected a plan that would have let school districts join the state healthcare program, turning down potential savings of $31 million to $42 million annually for major districts.
by Alaska News6mo ago3 min read
Sunday, May 10
Navy eyes return to Adak amid Arctic security concerns
The Navy is assessing whether to reestablish operations on Adak Island as China and Russia increase military activity near Alaska, with no formal decision yet made.
by Alaska News6mo ago4 min read
House rejects Senate's $1,000 PFD budget, sets up conference talks
House rejected Senate's $1,000 PFD, sending budget to conference committee before May 20 deadline to resolve $477 million gap.
by Alaska News6mo ago4 min read
Alaska Senate Advances Right-to-Repair Bill for Consumer Electronics
Alaska Senate advanced a right-to-repair bill Friday requiring electronics makers to provide repair tools and manuals to independent shops, effective Jan. 1, 2027.
by Alaska News6mo ago2 min read
Senate panel advances bill adding faculty member to university board
Alaska Senate Finance Committee unanimously advanced a bill to add a faculty member to the University of Alaska Board of Regents, with implementation delayed to February 2027.
by Alaska News6mo ago2 min read
Alaska House Finance Rejects Cemetery, School, Energy Amendments
Alaska House Finance rejected five capital budget amendments Friday, citing limited revenue. • Denied $850,000 for Eagle River cemetery and full funding for Galena school renovations. • Also rejected Arctic Winter Games support, West Susitna road authority, and $5 million hydroelectric study.
by Alaska News6mo ago4 min read
Friday, May 8
House Judiciary advances consumer data privacy bill with 'duty of loyalty'
Alaska House Judiciary advanced a consumer data privacy bill giving Alaskans control over personal data collection and a new duty of loyalty requirement borrowed from Utah law.
by Alaska News6mo ago2 min read
Senate Judiciary advances ethics bill with complaint disclosure changes
Senate Judiciary advanced an ethics reform bill that lets people accused of misconduct decide whether their complaints stay private or go public.
by Alaska News6mo ago2 min read
Bank of America Files Four Debt Suits Against Kenai Residents in One Day
Bank of America filed four debt collection lawsuits against Kenai-area residents in early May 2026, according to Alaska Court System records.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago1 min readIndustry groups oppose Dalton Highway toll targeting oil and gas traffic
Industry groups warned that a toll on the Dalton Highway near Deadhorse could cost Alaska millions in federal funding and unfairly target oil and gas companies.
by Alaska News6mo ago4 min read
True North Recovery proposes Fairview behavioral health center
True North Recovery wants $750,000 in city funds for a Fairview health center. Neighbors oppose the site due to service density.
by Alaska News6mo ago5 min read
Senate Finance advances early intervention services expansion
Alaska Senate Finance Committee approved legislation to expand early intervention services for children with developmental delays, giving the state more time to update its Medicaid plan.
by Alaska News6mo ago1 min read
State Defends Transboundary Mining Oversight as Stakeholders Demand Stronger Protections
Alaska says water monitoring shows no mining damage from B.C. projects upstream of Southeast Alaska salmon rivers. • Fisheries groups and tribes say the state isn't doing enough to stop pollution threats or comment on new mine permits.
by Alaska News6mo ago5 min read
House Finance cuts paid parental leave to 12 weeks, reduces benefits to $524
Alaska House Finance Committee cut paid parental leave from 26 weeks to 12 weeks and reduced weekly benefits from $817 to $524, citing fund solvency concerns and employer feedback.
by Alaska News6mo ago4 min read
Alaska Senate Passes Operating Budget With Energy Relief
Alaska Senate passed a $70 per barrel operating budget with $150 energy relief payments, avoiding a major Constitutional Budget Reserve draw that the House budget requires.
by Alaska News6mo ago3 min read
Legislature advances $347M fire station grant program
Alaska House Finance Committee advanced a bill creating a $347 million matching grant program to help communities rebuild aging fire stations that no longer meet modern safety standards.
by Alaska News6mo ago3 min readSenate Passes Budget Balanced at $73 Oil, Rejects House's $320M Deficit Plan
Senate passed a $73-per-barrel budget with a $47.5 million surplus, rejecting the House plan that would need a $320 million draw from reserves.
by Alaska News6mo ago4 min read
Alaska House passes disability pay increase for injured public workers
Alaska House unanimously passed a bill raising disability pay for injured public workers from 40% to 75% of salary and restoring their health insurance, effective immediately if the Senate approves.
by Alaska News6mo ago3 min read
Thursday, May 7
Senate panel advances travel insurance modernization bill
Alaska Senate panel advanced a bill to replace 13-year-old travel insurance rules with updated standards matching 42 other states, adding consumer protections and clearer regulatory authority.
by Alaska News6mo ago2 min read
Alaska House passes gold, silver legal tender bill unanimously
The Alaska House voted 40-0 to allow gold and silver as legal tender. The bill exempts metal value from sales tax but keeps tax obligations for fees.
by Alaska News6mo ago3 min read
Senate Committee Advances Healthcare Licensing Compact Bill
Alaska Senate committee advanced a bill letting doctors, physician assistants, psychologists, social workers, and paramedics licensed in other states practice in Alaska without separate licenses.
by Alaska News6mo ago2 min read
Alaska House Panel Hears Push to Raise Tobacco Age to 21
A House panel is considering raising the tobacco age to 21. The change would align state law with federal standards and unlock millions in prevention funding.
by Alaska News6mo ago3 min read
Fatal trailer fire in rural Big Lake outside fire-district boundaries
A person died in a travel trailer fire in rural Big Lake on May 6, 2026, in an area outside fire district boundaries. Investigators found the fire started near a propane heater.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago1 min read
