Alaska News

House Finance advances civics education bill after rejecting military exemption

The Alaska House Finance Committee moved a civics education bill forward Saturday after voting down an amendment that would have exempted active-duty military children from a new graduation requirement.

Alaska Senate tightens hunting residency rules to match PFD standards

The Alaska Senate passed legislation Saturday requiring hunters to be physically present in Alaska for 180 days annually to qualify for resident licenses, mirroring Permanent Fund Dividend requirements.

8-Year Boundary Error in Jonesville PUA Finally Corrected

An eight-year-old boundary error in legislation creating the Jonesville Public Use Area is being corrected after unanimous legislative approval, allowing DNR to finally complete regulations for the area.

Fairbanks council blocks mayor's cabin deal, demands open bidding

Fairbanks City Council rejected Mayor O'Neall's negotiated lease for a downtown riverfront cabin and ordered a competitive bidding process instead.

Urban Design Commission splits on apartment buffer variance

The Anchorage Urban Design Commission approved a landscaping variance for the west boundary of a 36-unit apartment expansion but denied the same relief for the south boundary, where neighbors have spent over $20,000 fighting water damage from the property.

Alaska Senate advances university regents reform bill with 2027 start date

The Alaska Senate moved forward legislation Thursday that would restructure the University of Alaska Board of Regents, pushing the effective date to February 2027 and drawing bipartisan support from at least 10 senators who signed on as cross-sponsors.

House committee advances LGBTQ anti-discrimination bill on 4-3 vote

The Alaska House State Affairs Committee voted 4-3 Thursday to advance HB 301, which would add sexual orientation and gender identity protections to state civil rights law covering employment, housing, and public accommodations.

Senate panel advances bill to stabilize Alaska school funding with enrollment averaging

The Alaska Senate Education Committee advanced House Bill 261, which would allow school districts to use multi-year enrollment averages instead of annual counts for more stable funding, addressing chronic budget uncertainty that forces teacher layoffs and school closures.

Senate approves mental health education bill after six-year push

The Alaska Senate voted 17-3 Friday to concur with House amendments to a bill requiring age-appropriate mental health education in schools, marking the culmination of a six-year legislative effort.

Senate cuts community impact fees for gas pipeline by half

The Alaska Senate Resources Committee voted to reduce community impact fees for the Alaska LNG pipeline from $1 million to $500,000 per mile, cutting projected payments to municipalities from approximately $740 million to $370 million.

Railbelt grid operator holds five subcommittee meetings in eight days

DNR receives 24 placer mining applications for Interior Alaska gold districts

Senate panel advances civil rights commission bill with new settlement tool

The Alaska Senate Finance Committee unanimously approved a bill Friday that adds a predetermination agreement procedure to the State Commission for Civil Rights, sending the measure to Senate Rules.

Alaska Senate committee hears nurse staffing bill amid safety concerns

The Senate Labor and Commerce Committee heard testimony Friday on legislation that would establish minimum nurse-to-patient ratios in Alaska hospitals, with nurses describing unsafe workloads and advocates citing Oregon's successful implementation.

House panel withdraws AI personhood amendment after legal questions arise

The Alaska House Judiciary Committee withdrew an amendment that would have declared AI systems cannot be recognized as persons under commercial law after members raised concerns about unintended legal consequences.

Alaska House panel hears testimony on statewide spay-neuter program, no vote taken

The Alaska House Finance Committee heard testimony Wednesday on legislation to create the state's first statewide spay and neuter assistance program, designed to address animal overpopulation in rural communities where veterinary services are scarce or nonexistent.

House panel advances telehealth pay parity bill with wage protections

The Alaska House Labor and Commerce Committee passed legislation Friday requiring equal reimbursement for telehealth and in-person care while adding language to prevent healthcare companies from shifting jobs to lower-wage states.

Alaska House expands pharmacist prescribing powers in 32-8 vote

The Alaska House of Representatives passed legislation Friday allowing pharmacists to prescribe and administer medications for minor ailments and chronic conditions, a policy tied to $272 million in federal rural health funding that must be enacted by December 2027.

Senate panel advances judicial nominee who sued judges over abortion questions

The Senate Judiciary Committee forwarded Mike Miller's nomination to the Alaska Judicial Council to a joint session despite his 2004 lawsuit against judges over abortion questionnaires, after Miller said he changed his position 25 years ago.

Alaska House Committee Advances Cryptocurrency Kiosk Regulations After Scam Victims Lose Millions

The Alaska House Labor and Commerce Committee voted Wednesday to advance consumer protection legislation requiring licensing, transaction limits, and fraud warnings on cryptocurrency kiosks after scammers stole $26 million from Alaskans in 2024.