Government & Politics
Alaska lawmakers aim to expand eligibility for scholarships
Alaska lawmakers approved legislation to increase eligibility for the Alaska Performance Scholarship, a merit-based program that provides financial assistance to students pursuing higher education or technical training in-state. House Bill 148 also raises the maximum award amount. Since launching in 2011, the Alaska Performance Scholarship has funded over $122 million scholarships for Alaskan students. However, […]
Gov. Dunleavy signs Alaska budget, vetoes more than $230 million in spending
Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy signed the state budget into law on Friday, while vetoing more than $230 million in operating and capital spending. The total operating budget funding state agencies is $12.2 billion, including $914 million for Permanent Fund dividends, while the capital budget, money designated to build and repair roads, buildings and other infrastructure […]
Dunleavy signs bill to make Juneteenth a state holiday in Alaska
On Thursday, Gov. Mike Dunleavy signed a bill to make Juneteenth a legal holiday in the state. “Juneteenth is a day to celebrate a milestone in our country’s history as it has become a more perfect union,” said Dunleavy in a written statement on Facebook. Sen. Elvi Gray-Jackson sponsored the legislation, Senate Bill 22. “Like […]
Federal departments announce about $280 million in funding for Alaska projects
Three departments of the U.S. government have announced they have awarded about $280 million in new funding for transportation and energy projects in Alaska, money made available through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 and the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. In its announcement, the U.S. Department of Transportation said on Wednesday that […]
Federal judge says Alaska tribes may put land into trust, a step toward ‘Indian country’ here
A federal judge in Anchorage has ruled that the Department of the Interior may take land into trust on behalf of Alaska Native tribes, a decision that could allow tribes to create “Indian country,” which had been mostly eliminated here by the 53-year-old Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act. In a 39-page summary judgment order, Judge […]
After email leak, some Alaska legislators say they’re skeptical of Permanent Fund’s direction
Members of the Alaska Legislature questioned the direction of the Alaska Permanent Fund Corp. on Monday in a hearing of the Legislative Budget and Audit Committee, the committee’s first since leaked internal emails indicated that board member Gabrielle Rubenstein may have engaged in conflicts of interest. The corporation controls the investments of Alaska’s $80 billion […]
Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority leader will resign July 5
The leader of the Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority, one of the state’s largest landholders, is resigning effective July 5, he told the trust’s board on Thursday. Steve Williams has been CEO of the $500 million public corporation for two years and has worked for the organization in a variety of roles since 2005. The […]
U.S. Supreme Court may consider Alaska’s ‘dark money’ disclosure rules
Opponents of an Alaska law that requires the disclosure of “dark money” political donors are asking the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn the law. A group of Republican and Republican-leaning plaintiffs filed a petition with the high court last week. Under Alaska law, donors are required to disclose the “true source” of large contributions from […]
Federal judge considers lawsuit that could decide Alaska tribes’ ability to put land into trust
This month, hundreds of Tlingit, Tsimshian and Haida tribal members gathered in Juneau for Celebration, a four-day, biennial cultural festival. As they walked to Juneau’s convention center, attendees passed a black banner advocating “LandBack,” or the return of land to Alaska Native tribes. Hundreds of miles away, in Anchorage, a federal judge is considering a […]
On Juneteenth, Gov. Dunleavy weighs adding a new legal holiday for Alaska
As Alaska celebrates Juneteenth this Wednesday, Gov. Mike Dunleavy is weighing whether to sign a bill to make it a legal holiday in Alaska. Dunleavy has until early July to make a decision on Senate Bill 22. If he approves the measure, it will automatically go into effect for 2025. Juneteenth, a portmanteau of “June” […]
Disabled Alaskans encountered barriers in recent elections, Justice Department investigation finds
Alaska failed to accommodate people with disabilities who were trying to cast votes in various 2022 and 2023 elections, a violation of federal law, the U.S. Justice Department said on Tuesday. The findings, described in a letter to the Alaska Division of Elections, resulted from an investigation spurred by voter complaints, the Justice Department said. […]
In petition, environmentalists see future end to Alaska North Slope oil production
When Kay Brown was director of the Alaska Division of Oil and Gas in the 1980s, her job was to make sure the state got the maximum benefit from its abundant fossil fuel. At the time, North Slope activity was on the rise and Alaska was on its way to supplying a quarter of the […]