Andrew Kitchenman, Alaska Public Media & KTOO - Juneau
Andrew Kitchenman is the state government and politics reporter for Alaska Public Media and KTOO in Juneau. Reach him at akitchenman@alaskapublic.org.
Vice President meets with Walker over the weekend on his way to Asia
Vice President Mike Pence stopped in Anchorage on Saturday and met with Governor Bill Walker. Listen now
End of legislative session unclear as lawmakers remain divided
The news about oil revenue comes out two days before the Legislature was scheduled to end its session. But with much work left to do, lawmakers will continue to work in Juneau next week. To talk about this, Alaska Public Media's Lori Townsend spoke with Alaska Public Media and KTOO’s Andrew Kitchenman. Listen now
Alaska Legislature on pace to pass fewest bills ever
Alaska’s Legislature is on pace to pass fewer bills than in any other session in the state’s history. And it’s not clear whether lawmakers will be able to agree on a plan to fix the state’s budget for the future. Listen now
Human Rights Commission appointment draws conservative ire
The Senate voted Wednesday to delay a joint session on whether to confirm Gov. Bill Walker’s appointments. When the hearing does happen, one of Walker’s appointments to the Alaska State Commission for Human Rights potentially faces a close vote. Listen now
Following majority departure, Dunleavy to lose committee seats
When Senator Mike Dunleavy left the Senate majority last week, he knew it meant he would lose some of his official positions of power. Listen now
New version of Permanent Fund bill would require income tax, oil tax hike
The House Finance Committee is taking a new approach and will combine its proposals to institute an income tax and raise oil and gas taxes with a proposal to draw money from Permanent Fund earnings to pay for the state government. Listen now
Dunleavy leaves Senate majority before voting against budget
Wasilla Republican Sen. Mike Dunleavy announced he’s leaving the Senate majority, before the Senate passed its budget on Thursday. Listen now
Rep. Eastman is sole lawmaker to vote against honoring black soldiers
Yesterday new legislation was passed that named Oct 25th as African American Soldiers’ Contribution to Building the Alaska Highway Day. All 19 senators who were present and 39 of the 40 House members voted for the bill. Listen now
Fate of competing plans to close state budget is uncertain
To some House members, reintroducing an income tax in Alaska is the best way to close a long-term gap between how much the state government spends and what it raises in revenue. Listen now
Senate Finance budget cut falls short of $300 million goal
The Senate will debate a state government budget for the coming year that is $262 million less than the current budget. Listen now
Senate committee seeks to cut per-student school funding
Alaska schools would see a $69 million cut in the amount of money the state provides based on the number of students each school district serves, called the base student allocation, under the budget proposed by the Senate Finance Committee on Monday. Listen now
Bill would halve Gov. Walker’s pension bond authority
Alaska is projected to owe public workers more than $6 billion more in pensions than it has in assets. So state officials are looking for ways to save money. Listen now
Alcohol, drugs cost Alaska economy $3 billion a year
The total costs from alcohol and drug abuse and dependence in Alaska are more than $3 billion per year, according to a new Alaska Mental Health Trust report completed by the McDowell Group. Listen now
Lawmakers eye lower health care cost as way of lowering budget
The amount Alaska’s state government spends on health care is one of the biggest drivers of state spending. That’s why the legislature is looking at ways to reduce health care costs. Listen now
UPS, Delta oppose proposal to triple state jet fuel tax
UPS and Delta Air Lines oppose a proposal to triple the state’s jet fuel tax. But the Alaska Trucking Association supports a similar increase on fuel for cars and trucks. Listen now
House majority and minority offer new plans for budget future
House members from both sides of the aisle have put forward new ideas to balance the state government budget into the future. Listen now
Military officials discuss REAL ID urgency, other issues
Time is running out for Alaskans who work on military bases to get IDs like passports that comply with federal law ahead of an early June deadline. Alaska National Guard leader Major Gen. Laurie Hummel spoke about the effect of federal REAL ID Act requirements during the state’s military leaders’ annual visit to the Legislature Thursday (March 23). Listen now
Differences over future divide Alaska Legislature
Philosophical differences between members of the House and Senate are raising the risk that the Legislature ends the session without resolving the state’s ongoing budget crisis. Listen now
State health commissioner, Rep. Young concerned about health care bill
Alaska’s top health official said the federal health care bill scheduled for a vote on Thursday would devastate the Medicaid program in the state. The bill’s effect on Alaska has prompted U.S. Rep. Don Young to say today he won’t vote for it in its current form. Listen now
House passes deep cut to per diem allowances
The House voted to cut the money to pay for lawmakers’ daily expenses during the legislative session by three-quarters. Listen now