Government & Politics
Alaska Legislature votes to preserve savings accounts for education, ferry system
Hours before the end of the Alaska Legislature’s regular session, the state Senate voted 14-4 to approve a bill that will keep the state’s Higher Education Investment Fund and two ferry-system-related savings accounts from being automatically drained at the end of the fiscal year. The bill had already passed the state House. The investment fund […]
Alaska Legislature votes to limit child marriage
The Alaska Legislature on Wednesday voted to ban marriages for Alaskans younger than 16 and approved new restrictions on marriages involving 16-year-olds and 17-year-olds. House Bill 62 advances to Gov. Mike Dunleavy for consideration. “This bill will help reduce situations where minors end up in marriage with an abusive older spouse,” said Senate Majority Leader […]
Legislature approves budget with $3,200 payout per Alaskan after House balks at bigger figure
Three minutes before 11 p.m. on the last day of its regular session, the Alaska Legislature finalized a state budget that will pay each eligible Alaskan about $3,200 later this year. As late as Saturday, it appeared possible that the House and Senate would agree on a $5,500 payment, but lawmakers settled on a lower […]
Bill heading to governor creates roadmap for establishing tribally operated public schools
A bill that creates a roadmap for establishing tribally operated public schools has passed the Alaska Senate and House, and is headed to the governor’s desk. Senate Bill 34 directs the Board of Education and Early Development to work with Alaska Native tribal entities on an agreement that would formally recognize the tribes’ authority to […]
President Biden to visit Anchorage briefly on Thursday
President Joe Biden will stop briefly in Anchorage on Thursday during a flight from Washington, D.C., to Asia. The president’s stopover was revealed in a notice published this week by the Federal Aviation Administration. According to the notice, Air Force One and supporting aircraft will stop in Anchorage sometime between 1:45 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. […]
Feds sue Alaska over management of Kuskokwim fisheries
The federal government sued Alaska’s state government and the state Department of Fish and Game on Tuesday, saying in a filing at the U.S. District Court in Anchorage that the state illegally opened the Kuskokwim River for salmon fishing. The lawsuit seeks an injunction to block similar future actions by the state. Low salmon returns […]
After larger deal fails, state lawmakers propose payout of up to $3,850 per Alaskan
A compromise state budget containing as much as $3,850 in Permanent Fund dividends and energy payments for each eligible Alaskan is heading to final votes on the last regular day of the Alaska Legislature. A six-member committee completed work on the compromise budget late Tuesday, three days after the Alaska House failed to agree with […]
Senate tables transgender sports bill again, likely ending its chances for now
A controversial Senate bill that would prohibit transgender girls from competing in girls sports got tabled Tuesday on the Senate floor – and, this time, it’s likely to stay that way. After placing a call on the house, Anchorage Republican Sen. Natasha von Imhof made a motion to table Senate Bill 140. Bill sponsor Shelley […]
Biden condemns racist theory of white supremacy in visit to Buffalo after mass shooting
President Joe Biden on Tuesday commemorated the victims of last weekend’s mass shooting in Buffalo, New York, and condemned the ideology that drove the killer to “carry out a murderous, racist rampage” at a grocery store in a predominantly Black neighborhood. In a visit to the Upstate New York city, Biden and other Democrats, including […]
Alaska’s redistricting board again gerrymandered map to benefit Republicans, judge rules
The three Republican-appointed members of Alaska’s state redistricting board unconstitutionally gerrymandered a map of Anchorage state senate seats to favor Republican candidates, an Anchorage Superior Court judge ruled late Monday night. “In summary, the totality of the circumstances leads this court to conclude that the majority of the board acted in concert with at least […]
University moves forward with faculty salary increases; union says negotiations aren’t done
The University of Alaska Board of Regents voted on Monday to implement faculty pay increases over the next three years, despite the university and its faculty union still not coming to an agreement. The university and union have been negotiating the terms of its collective bargaining agreement for several months. University staff claimed an impasse […]
Alaska Legislature OKs increase to rural power subsidy
Residents of 194 rural Alaska towns and villages will get more of their monthly power bill subsidized by the state if Gov. Mike Dunleavy signs legislation approved Monday by the Alaska House of Representatives. On Monday, the state House voted 38-2 to increase the maximum subsidy allowed under the state’s Power Cost Equalization program. The […]