Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s veto of the latest education funding bill, House Bill 57, following his recent veto of House Bill 69, cements the decline of Alaska’s public education system as the hallmark of his administration. Dunleavy has been notably absent from debates and legislative negotiations on education. Even Sen. James Kaufman criticized his failure to […]
State wildlife agencies have a big job. While the federal government protects animals listed under the Endangered Species Act, states are tasked with keeping the vast majority of other species out of the “emergency room.” Habitat loss, pollution and climate change are making that job much more difficult. At the same time, states are finding […]
Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy vetoed an education funding bill for the second time this year, prompting legislators to move on an immediate override vote scheduled for Tuesday. Lawmakers on Monday expressed more confidence that the veto override would be successful. Lawmakers passed House Bill 57 in late April, which would permanently increase the base student […]
For decades, our elected leadership at both the legislative and executive levels have neglected to look ahead and find ways to cement a sustainable future for Alaskans. Instead of working to establish and secure new revenue streams, we married ourselves to oil and mining companies that inexplicably continue to receive massive tax cuts, even as […]
This year’s Permanent Fund dividend will be $1,000, according to a final draft state budget approved Sunday afternoon by six House and Senate negotiators. The dividend was among the biggest items in a $5.9 billion document that will fund state services from July 1 this year through June 30 next year. The draft approved Sunday […]
A major elections reform bill, a priority of House and Senate leaders, is dead in the Alaska Legislature. Wednesday is the last day of the regular legislative session, and members of the House’s multipartisan majority said on Saturday that they lack the support needed to overcome the opposition of the House’s Republican minority in the […]
There will be no extra money for the University of Alaska’s sports teams, its effort to become a top-tier research university or its attempts to hire and keep staff. On Friday, the legislative committee assigned to write the final version of Alaska’s state operating budget axed all of those items — and many more — […]
After a poor showing last year, Alaska’s statewide commercial salmon harvest appears poised for a rebound, according to projections by state biologists. This year’s total salmon harvest is expected to be more than twice as big as last year’s total, thanks primarily to stronger returns of pink salmon, according to the Alaska Department of Fish […]
The Alaska House voted to advance a bill that would establish a statewide tracking system for sexual assault examination kits, expedite processing times, and ensure that survivors can privately monitor the status of their own kit. Gov. Mike Dunleavy proposed the legislation, House Bill 62, and the House passed the bill on Friday with a […]
As a fourth-generation sockeye salmon fisherman, I have my own reasons for disliking farmed fish. I started fishing with my family in Bristol Bay in 1979 on my great-grandfather’s site. That was the first year independent fishermen were paid $1 per pound for their salmon. The price increased for several years and then declined drastically […]
Rep. David Eastman lost his bid for reelection last November, but the Wasilla Republican’s legacy is still affecting the Alaska Legislature. On Friday, the Legislature passed four bills that are attempts to redo legislation that passed the Capitol last year. The redo was encouraged by a lawsuit filed by Eastman against the Legislature in November. […]
Gov. Mike Dunleavy has chosen a state government veteran to be the new commissioner of the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation. Dunleavy announced Thursday that he has selected Randy Bates, a former head of the department’s Division of Water. “Randy is uniquely suited to assume the role of commissioner-designee for DEC and continue to push […]
With urban Alaska facing a shortfall in the natural gas long used to generate the vast majority of its power, renewable energy advocates have been pressuring the region’s utilities to advance large-scale wind and solar development to meet future power demands. But no such projects have been built in the past few years, even with […]
The Alaska Senate voted to enact new rules to streamline the voting process in Alaska and expand voter access. If signed into law, the legislation would update the state’s voter rolls, mandate that the state pay for postage for mailed ballots, introduce a new ballot tracking system, and repeal a requirement that a witness sign […]
On Monday, the Trump administration announced that it is canceling permission for about 9,000 Afghanistan refugees to remain in the United States, including some who aided America’s war effort in Afghanistan. The move came eight days after the Alaska House of Representatives voted unanimously to approve a resolution that asks the administration to resume evacuation […]
A group of Alaska’s rural school districts are asking for help after the federal government failed to renew a program that sends grant money to logging-dependent areas. On Monday, the Alaska Legislature joined the call for help by passing House Joint Resolution 5, which asks Congress to reauthorize the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination […]
Following a request by the federal government, the state of Alaska has turned over the personal information of roughly 70,000 Alaskans enrolled in the federally funded Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly known as food stamps. As first reported by NPR, the federal government normally collects information to determine a SNAP applicant’s financial eligibility for the […]
The Alaska Legislature is nearing a final vote on a bill that would limit state politicians’ ability to accept campaign donations. On Wednesday, the Senate Finance Committee voted without objection to advance House Bill 16 to a vote of the full Senate. That vote is expected before lawmakers adjourn their regular session on May 21. […]
The Alaska Legislature on Wednesday approved almost all of Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s appointments to state boards and commissions during an annual joint session of the state House and Senate. Of the 99 officials awaiting confirmation, the Legislature rejected only two: physician assistant Samantha Smith to the state medical board, and principal Kimberly Bergey to the […]
Industrial-scale logging in the Tongass National Forest was due to monopolies created by the federal government and taxpayer subsidies. Two proposed pulp mills were granted 50-year logging contracts in territorial days: Ketchikan Pulp Company in Ketchikan was awarded 8.25 billion board feet in 1951 and Alaska Pulp Company in Sitka 4.975 billion board feet in […]