Government & Politics
Attorney asks judge to throw out Republican-supported map of Anchorage state Senate districts
A group of Girdwood residents seeking to overturn a proposed map of state Senate districts in Anchorage has presented new evidence of possible collusion among Republican-appointed members of the Alaska Redistricting Board. Citing text messages and emails obtained from board members, the group’s attorney told a state judge on Thursday that the board had an […]
U.S. Senate Democrats fail to enshrine nationwide abortion protections, vow more action
WASHINGTON — Efforts to secure the nationwide right to an abortion stalled for a second time Wednesday when U.S. Senate Democrats failed to get enough votes to overcome the legislative filibuster. Republicans, including Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski and Maine Sen. Susan Collins, voted uniformly against limiting debate on the bill while Democrats, save West Virginia’s […]
Alaska House contemplates a multibillion-dollar gamble on oil prices to pay $5,500 per Alaskan
Leading members of the Alaska House of Representatives said on Thursday that the House appears ready to approve a Senate-passed budget that would pay $5,500 this year to eligible Alaskans. They cautioned that the situation remains in flux and could change quickly. On Wednesday and Thursday, Speaker of the House Louise Stutes canceled scheduled votes […]
Alaska U.S. House candidates use industry forum to try to stand out in crowded field
The nine candidates at the forum, seated in alphabetical order, faced their own common challenge: distinguishing themselves from other contenders in the very crowded field.
Interior Department report details the brutality of federal Indian boarding schools
These schools used “militarized” tactics to assimilate Native American children as young as 4-years-old in environments described in the report as fostering, “rampant physical, sexual, and emotional abuse; disease; malnourishment; overcrowding; and lack of health care.”
Action needed to address Alaska’s stagnant demographic trends, economist says
More people are leaving Alaska than coming, too few babies are being born to make up the population gap and the state workforce is withering. That presents a tough challenge that demands aggressive policy responses, a university economist argues. “In 2010, essentially, Alaska stopped growing. That’s not the Alaska we all know,” said Ralph Townsend, […]
Bill aimed at reducing hair discrimination in schools is headed to governor
The Senate on Wednesday agreed to accept the changes the House made to a bill that aimed to reduce hair discrimination – including the amendment to strip the protection for employees in the workplace. The bill still retains protection in public schools. “I’ll be voting yes today. Not because I support some of the changes […]
After U.S. Supreme Court opinion leaks, Alaska governor candidates share their thoughts
One week ago, the political news website Politico published a bombshell report saying that the U.S. Supreme Court is prepared to overturn prior rulings that uphold the legal right to an abortion. Here in Alaska, the state supreme court has repeatedly ruled that the privacy clause of the Alaska Constitution protects abortion access. Even if […]
Democrats from the West push update of 150-year-old federal mining law
Democrats in Congress are hoping to overhaul the nation’s 150-year-old system for mining the elements needed for battery manufacturing, as high gas prices and Russia’s war in Ukraine underline the need to transition from oil and gas to renewable energy sources. U.S. House Natural Resources Chairman Raúl Grijalva of Arizona and U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich […]
Alaska Senate approves $5,500 payout to Alaskans, but it’s not final yet
Alaskans will receive $5,500 and could get it as soon as July if the Alaska House agrees with a budget proposal approved Tuesday afternoon by the state Senate. Senators voted 15-5 to approve what would be the fifth-largest budget in state history and sent the draft to the House for agreement. If the House rejects […]
Entire life prepares Alaska investigator of missing and murdered Indigenous people
When Anne Sears spoke in front of a crowd of more than 100 people on the Alaska State Capitol steps for the Missing and Murdered Indigenous People rally on May 5, she wore a red scarf that belonged to her mom. “She passed away a couple of years ago. I think she’d be beyond words […]
Beyond COVID: Zink seeks to refocus on Alaskans’ holistic health
When Anne Zink began working as the state’s chief medical officer in the summer of 2019, she had a vision of transforming the state’s health system into one that promotes health holistically rather than one that simply responds to sickness. Then came COVID-19. At least a third of Alaskans have tested positive for the COVID […]