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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Thursday, Apr 30
House Finance hears divided testimony on $95M West Susitna road allocation
House Finance heard divided testimony on a 95 million dollar West Susitna road project. • Opponents cited habitat risks while supporters argued for economic growth. • The committee also reviewed funding for homeless programs and the Arctic Winter Games.
by Alaska News6mo ago5 min read
House Finance Hears Sharp Divide Over $95M for West Susitna Road
House Finance heard sharp debate Wednesday on a $95 million appropriation for the West Susitna Access Road, with opponents calling it a mining subsidy and supporters touting economic development.
by Alaska News6mo ago4 min read
Senate Finance advances $2.8B operating budget to Rules Committee
Alaska Senate Finance advanced the $2.8 billion operating budget to the Rules Committee on Thursday, moving it closer to final passage after a contentious House debate marked by close votes.
by Alaska News6mo ago2 min read
Eagle Crest faces $1.68M subsidy request or severe cuts
Eagle Crest is asking Anchorage for $1.68 million to operate next year, warning that the city's historical $930,000 subsidy would force cuts so severe the ski area might not survive.
by Alaska News6mo ago3 min read
House panel advances statewide evacuation alert system
House panel unanimously advanced a bill that would lock in Alaska's three-level color-coded evacuation alert system, green for ready, yellow for nearby danger, red for get out now.
by Alaska News6mo ago2 min read
Anchorage Urban Design Commission to sunset after May meeting
Anchorage Assembly voted to eliminate the Urban Design Commission, which will hold its final meeting in May before design reviews shift to the Planning and Zoning Commission.
by Alaska News6mo ago2 min read
Urban Design Commission votes to recommend its own dissolution
Anchorage Urban Design Commission voted to recommend its own dissolution, merging its duties into the Planning and Zoning Commission to save $28,000 annually and fill board vacancies.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago3 min read
Wasilla Man Arrested on Domestic Violence Assault Charge
Alaska State Troopers arrested a 33-year-old Wasilla man on domestic violence assault charges after a disturbance on April 28, with a child under 16 present in the home.
by Alaska News6mo ago2 min readMore from Politics & Government
House advances bill requiring 30-day state payments after heated debate
Alaska House advanced a bill requiring the state to pay contractors and nonprofits within 30 days, adopting a one-year phase-in after removing language that risked federal Rural Health funds.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago3 min read
Education Fund Amendment Advances With Key Questions Unresolved
A proposed constitutional amendment to create a protected education fund advanced in the House despite missing funding and scope details.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago4 min read
Senate Passes $2.47B Capital Budget Focused on School Repairs
Alaska Senate passed a $2.47 billion capital budget Tuesday that directs $88.7 million to fix deteriorating K-12 schools, including a fire suppression system waiting 20 years for repair.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago3 min read
Fairbanks father's testimony drives push for faster body cam release
The House State Affairs Committee advanced a bill requiring police to release body camera footage within 30 days of serious incidents.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago5 min read
House panel advances income tax on large pass-through businesses
Alaska House panel advanced a bill imposing a 9.4% income tax on pass-through businesses earning over $25 million annually, with the tax taking effect in 2028.
by Alaska News6mo ago2 min read
Senate panel holds Alaska state seal redesign resolution
Alaska Senate panel heard testimony on a proposal to create a commission that would redesign the state seal, unchanged since 1913, to better represent Alaska Native people and modern values.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago3 min read
Senate panel advances 10 health board nominees to full Legislature
Alaska Senate committee advanced 10 health board nominees to the full Legislature for confirmation, including reappointments to nursing, pharmacy, and optometry boards.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago3 min read
Alaska House panel hears bill to overhaul school funding timelines
House Bill 261 would let Alaska school districts budget using enrollment numbers from July instead of October, letting them offer teacher contracts months earlier when more candidates are available.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo 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
Wednesday, Apr 29
Senate Passes Alaska Work and Save Retirement Program 15-4
The Alaska Senate passed a bill creating an automatic retirement savings program for employees at small businesses. It now heads to the House.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago3 min read
House passes bill requiring transparency at psychiatric hospitals for minors
The House passed a bill requiring psychiatric hospitals to conduct surprise inspections and allow minors weekly private calls with parents.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago4 min read
Alaska releases FY25 Single Audit after closed-door review
Alaska's Legislative Budget and Audit Committee unanimously released the state's FY25 Single Audit, a federal requirement that examines how Alaska spends and manages federal funds.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago1 min read
Mat-Su Emergency Services Certifies 25 Responders in Trench Rescue
Twenty-five Mat-Su emergency responders earned trench rescue certification this week, spreading specialized rescue skills across the borough where collapses happen regularly.
by Alaska News6mo ago2 min read
House advances bills on autonomous vehicles, nurse training, interior design
Alaska House advanced bills regulating commercial autonomous vehicles, requiring dementia care training for nurse aides, and adding interior designers to the state's professional licensing board.
by Alaska News6mo ago3 min read
Alaska House Revives Defined Benefit Pensions in Narrow 21-19 Vote
Alaska House voted 21-19 to restore defined benefit pensions for public employees, citing a 30 percent teacher turnover rate and $140 million in annual overtime costs.
by Alaska News6mo ago4 min read
House Finance advances mail theft bill despite competing governor's version
House Finance advanced a bill making mail theft a class C felony, though the governor's competing version treats it as a misdemeanor and may be merged before final passage.
by Alaska News6mo ago3 min read
Tuesday, Apr 28
Borough proposes $580K budget with new staff, building upgrades
Kodiak Island Borough's $580,000 fiscal year 2027 budget adds a construction manager, switches to electric heating, and funds $147,000 in ADA accessibility upgrades.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago3 min read
How to challenge your property assessment in Fairbanks North Star Borough
Fairbanks North Star Borough property owners have 30 days from their January assessment notice to appeal the assessed value, with unresolved disputes decided by a public Board of Equalization hearing.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago2 min read
Commission Approves Explosives Storage Site for Avalanche Control
Anchorage Planning Commission unanimously approved an explosives storage facility near Girdwood for avalanche control, pending Assembly rezone vote May 12.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago3 min read
Willow Woman Charged After 25 Sled Dogs Found Dead on Property
A Willow woman was arrested after 25 sled dogs starved to death on her property, with the borough investigating why animal control ignored months of neighbor complaints.
by Alaska News6mo ago2 min readSenate panel advances two nominees to Alaska Violent Crimes Compensation Board
Alaska Senate Judiciary Committee advanced two nominees to the Violent Crimes Compensation Board, which processes about 1,000 payment requests yearly for crime victims' funerals and medical care.
by Alaska News6mo ago3 min read
Senate panel advances property tax assessment cap bill
Senate panel advanced a bill letting cities cap annual property tax increases on owner-occupied homes, despite assessors warning it creates unfair burdens between longtime and new homeowners.
by Alaska News6mo ago3 min read
Senate advances pension bill without updated actuarial analysis
Alaska Senate advanced a major pension overhaul allowing public employees to choose between retirement plan types, but without an updated actuarial analysis of the final bill version.
by Alaska News6mo ago3 min read
House Finance considers multi-year school funding averaging bill
House Bill 261 would let Alaska school districts know enrollment by July 1 instead of October, using three-year averaging to give them budget certainty and time to hire teachers earlier.
by Alaska News6mo ago4 min read
Alaska moves to standardize wildfire evacuation alerts statewide
Alaska is moving to standardize wildfire evacuation alerts statewide using a three-tier Ready, Set, Go system after confusion during the 2022 Clear Fire left residents uncertain about danger zones.
by Alaska News6mo ago3 min read
House panel questions education fund proposal with no guaranteed revenue
House Finance Committee questioned whether a proposed constitutional education fund guarantees school money, since it requires no dedicated revenue and lets future legislatures spend it down to zero.
by Alaska News6mo ago3 min read
House Finance hears $8.4M in governor's budget amendments
House Finance heard $8.4 million in budget amendments, including salary increases for public safety workers and a reversal of pay raises for newly unionized University of Alaska employees.
by Alaska News6mo ago8 min read
Monday, Apr 27
Valdez Fire Department Contains Late-Night House Fire on Gulkana Street
Valdez firefighters contained a house fire on Gulkana Street late April 27 with no injuries or damage to nearby homes.
by Alaska News6mo ago1 min readSunday, Apr 26
House panel hears bill requiring disclosure of out-of-state campaign funding
A House bill would require political groups funded mostly by out-of-state donors to disclose that fact in campaign ads, closing a transparency gap that lets outside money influence Alaska elections.
by Alaska News6mo ago4 min read
House panel hears bill to strengthen campaign finance disclosure
House panel heard a bill requiring groups that spend money on Alaska elections to disclose if most of their funding comes from outside the state and to maintain an Alaska address or agent.
by Alaska News6mo ago5 min read
House Labor Committee Advances Travel Insurance Bill, Hears Disaster Pet Plan
House Labor Committee advanced HB 302 updating travel insurance rules to take effect January 1, 2027. • Committee heard HB 335 requiring state disaster plans for pets and service animals after October 2026 typhoon response gaps. • Committee heard SB 180 to repeal 2024 language that created confusion over the Regulatory Commission of Alaska's authority over natural gas import facilities.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago5 min read
Task Force Hears Federal Assessment Rules, NAEP Context, and AKSTAR Demo
Task force learned federal law sets testing minimums but states choose how to assess and support schools. • NAEP proficiency scores are aspirational targets, not typical performance, and poverty matters more than school reforms alone. • Alaska's AKSTAR combines interim and spring tests to predict student achievement within 24 to 72 hours.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago8 min read
House Finance advances bill extending professional licensing board
House Finance advanced a bill extending Alaska's professional licensing board and adding registered interior designers, after revising language that prompted a gubernatorial veto last year.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago5 min read
