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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Week of Apr 20
Senate minority outlines pension reform, gas line concerns at press conference
Alaska Senate minority members outlined concerns about pension reform, the Alaska LNG project's economic viability, and several judiciary bills at a Thursday press conference.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago5 min read
Senate panel advances Salazar to Human Rights Commission
Senate Judiciary Committee advanced Grace Salazar's nomination to the Alaska State Commission on Human Rights to a joint session for confirmation.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago2 min read
Senate panel approves $4.2 billion health budget with Medicaid rate hikes
Alaska Senate panel approved a $4.2 billion health budget with $377 million in new Medicaid provider rate increases, but rejected $8 million for a virtual call center.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago2 min read
Senate panel approves $515 million budget for family services agency
Senate panel added $1.5 million to a $515.3 million family services budget to stabilize child advocacy centers across Alaska.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago2 min read
House Resources Committee Rejects Wildlife Refuge Amendments
Alaska House Resources Committee advanced a wildlife refuge reorganization bill 5-3 Friday, rejecting amendments that would have loosened habitat protections or expanded hunting and fishing access.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago4 min read
House Judiciary adopts committee substitute for infant safety device bill
House Judiciary advanced a bill to let hospitals and fire stations install anonymous infant safety boxes, after two infants died abandoned in Anchorage since 2013.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago5 min read
House Resources advances Vogler nomination to Regulatory Commission
House Resources Committee advanced Julie Vogler's nomination to the Regulatory Commission of Alaska to the full legislature for confirmation.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago3 min read
Governor's appointee questioned on Holocaust views, residency qualifications
Senate panel advanced Veronica Lambertson to the Alaska Police Standards Council despite questions about her residency and social media posts on the Holocaust and January 6.
by Alaska News6mo ago3 min read
More from Politics & Government
Senate Finance adopts operating budget with $150 energy payment, school grants
Alaska Senate Finance adopted a $13.83 billion operating budget with a $150 energy payment per person and up to $100 million in school grants, depending on oil prices.
by Alaska News6mo ago4 min read
Alaska lawmakers urge federal reclassification of 911 dispatchers
Alaska lawmakers are urging Congress to reclassify 911 dispatchers as first responders to give them access to federal training, grants, and mental health resources.
by Alaska News6mo ago3 min readSenate panel advances property tax cap bill despite state warnings
Senate panel advanced a bill allowing cities to cap property tax increases at 3 to 10 percent yearly, despite state warnings of lost revenue and administrative chaos.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago3 min readSenate committee holds Senate Bill 259 on property tax caps
Senate committee delayed a bill allowing Alaska cities to cap property tax assessment increases, citing concerns about lost revenue and state calculation problems.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago3 min read
Senate panel advances Lambertson to Police Standards Council despite questions
The Senate Judiciary Committee advanced Veronica Lambertson to the Police Standards Council despite concerns over her residency.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago4 min read
House panel advances seafood industry data-sharing bill
House committee advanced a bill allowing the University of Alaska and state labor department to share seafood industry data for research.
by Alaska News6mo ago2 min read
House Military Committee Advances Joint Armed Services Overhaul
Alaska House panel voted to modernize a 27-year-old military-civilian committee by adding two new seats, requiring clearer appointment rules, and boosting minority representation.
by Alaska News6mo ago2 min read
Week of Apr 13
Bristol Bay tribes fight to defend EPA veto of Pebble Mine in court
Bristol Bay tribes asked a federal court to defend the EPA's veto of the Pebble Mine, which would threaten the world's largest sockeye salmon fishery worth $2 billion annually.
by Alaska News6mo ago2 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
Two Skiers Rescued After Avalanche Near Turnagain Pass
Two skiers were rescued by helicopter Thursday after an avalanche at Falls Creek Trail near Turnagain Pass, with both sustaining injuries requiring hospital transport.
by Alaska News6mo ago2 min readAssembly Approves Study of Wildfire Service Area for High-Risk Zones
Anchorage Assembly voted to study creating a wildfire service area funded by property taxes on high-risk zones to pay for dedicated fire protection where development meets wildland.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago2 min read
Alaska Lawmakers Propose Legislative Oversight of $80B Permanent Fund Board
Alaska lawmakers proposed legislative confirmation of Permanent Fund Corporation board members for the first time since 1982, as the $80 billion fund now covers over 60 percent of state spending.
by Alaska News7mo ago3 min readSenate panel advances retirement bill despite $400M cost shift concern
Senate Finance Committee advanced a retirement bill that would shift nearly $400 million in unfunded costs from municipalities to the state, rejecting an amendment that would have prevented the shift.
by Alaska Newsadded 7mo ago3 min readAlaska Senate Panel Weighs Tougher Hit-and-Run Penalties
The Alaska Senate Judiciary Committee is considering House Bill 239 to set four to seven year prison terms for fatal hit and run crashes.
by Alaska Newsadded 7mo ago3 min readAlaska House Rejects 30% Cut to Regional Jail Funding Despite Low Use
Alaska House rejected a proposal to cut a 30% regional jail funding increase, voting 16-24 against the amendment despite data showing many facilities operate at near-zero capacity.
by Alaska Newsadded 7mo ago3 min readAlaska House Approves $2M for Talkeetna Trooper Post Using ANWR Funds
Alaska House approved $2 million from Arctic refuge revenues to restore a trooper post in Talkeetna, citing a 113-mile law enforcement gap and fentanyl trafficking on the Parks Highway.
by Alaska Newsadded 7mo ago3 min readAlaska OT Law Limits Patient Recovery, Licensing Board Says
Alaska's occupational therapy law limits therapists to helping patients cope with disabilities rather than recover function, a gap House Bill 110 would close to match federal standards.
by Alaska Newsadded 7mo ago2 min readWeek of Apr 6
Alaska House Panel Advances Bill to Speed Up State Contract Payments
Alaska House panel voted to require state agencies to pay contractors as fast as private companies do, adding seven state jobs at over $1 million in costs but delaying implementation until 2027.
by Alaska News7mo ago2 min readHouse Finance passes Mount Edgecombe funding bill, advances mail theft measure
House Finance passed a revised bill to fund Mount Edgecombe High School through rural education funds, and advanced a measure making mail theft a Class C felony with up to five years in prison.
by Alaska Newsadded 7mo ago2 min readSenate panel considers tougher penalties for fatal hit-and-run crashes
Alaska Senate panel heard testimony on a bill that would increase prison time for fatal hit-and-run crashes, citing 15 fatal hit-and-runs in Anchorage in 2024.
by Alaska News7mo ago2 min readAlaska House committee reviews $759K in agency requests to fix payment delays
Alaska House committee heard requests for $759,200 to fix chronic late payments, as contractors report business closures from state agencies paying 30 to 65 days behind schedule.
by Alaska Newsadded 7mo ago2 min readHouse committee advances bill recognizing dispatchers as first responders
House committee advanced a bill to classify emergency dispatchers as first responders, unlocking federal grants for rural Alaska centers.
by Alaska Newsadded 7mo ago2 min read163 Alaskans Wait for Life-Saving Organ Transplants
163 Alaskans await organ transplants, mostly kidneys, while the state lacks transplant programs and forces patients to travel to Washington for surgery.
by Alaska News7mo ago2 min readAlaska House committee advances bill to expand early intervention eligibility
A House bill would lower Alaska's early intervention eligibility threshold to match federal standards, potentially saving $34.9 million annually in special education costs.
by Alaska Newsadded 7mo ago2 min readAlaska House committee advances plan for state immigrant welcoming office
Alaska House committee heard testimony on a bill to create a state immigrant welcoming office by 2027, when the state must take over refugee services from a nonprofit.
by Alaska Newsadded 7mo ago2 min readHouse Finance committee debates pharmacist prescribing bill amid abortion concerns
House Finance Committee debated a bill Tuesday that would let pharmacists prescribe for minor ailments, but lawmakers split over whether it could permit abortion medication prescribing.
by Alaska News7mo ago2 min readAlaska Senate considers tougher penalties for hit-and-run deaths
Alaska Senate committee heard testimony on a bill making fleeing a fatal accident a Class A felony with 7 to 11 years prison time, instead of treating it the same as injury hit-and-runs.
by Alaska News7mo ago2 min readAlaska parole board grants 85% of recent applications, reversing trend
Alaska's parole board approved 85% of recent discretionary parole applications, reversing years of declining approval rates as prisoner programming improved after COVID disruptions.
by Alaska News7mo ago2 min readWeek of Mar 30
Senate Committee Hears Testimony on Nurse Licensure Compact Bill
State officials want to join a nursing compact to fill 1,100 vacancies and save $272 million in federal funding. The nurses union opposes the bill over concerns about workplace conditions.
by Alaska Newsadded 7mo ago2 min readConference Committee Approves Supplemental Budget with CBR Safeguards
Alaska lawmakers approved a supplemental budget Monday with new limits on drawing from the constitutional budget reserve and cut contingency funding from $30 million to $20 million.
by Alaska Newsadded 7mo ago2 min readHouse Passes Barbers Board Reform, Honors NICU Lifesaving Work
Alaska House unanimously passed a bill streamlining barber and aesthetics licensing by letting the state handle paperwork while the board keeps oversight.
by Alaska Newsadded 7mo ago1 min readHouse Finance weighs bill to standardize state payment timelines
House Finance examined a bill requiring Alaska to pay nonprofits and tribal groups within 30 days, matching private contractor timelines, with interest penalties for delays.
by Alaska Newsadded 7mo ago2 min readSenate Committee Advances Bill to Raise Alaska's Age of Consent Amid Sexual Violence Crisis
Alaska Senate advances bill to raise age of consent from 16 to 18, addressing the state's crisis of sexual violence against young people.
by Alaska Newsadded 7mo ago2 min read
