Becky Bohrer - The Associated Press
Huge opal sells for nearly $144,000 at Alaska auction
The opal, dubbed the “Americus Australis,” weighs more than 11,800 carats.
Alaska House backs off sanctions for legislator in far-right Oath Keepers group
House Majority Leader Chris Tuck said it was “questionable” whether the votes were there to remove Republican Rep. David Eastman from committees.
Murkowski campaign has more than 6 times the cash as rival Tshibaka
U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski's campaign reported bringing in nearly $1.4 million last quarter compared to Kelly Tshibaka's nearly $602,000.
Here’s how Alaska’s unique new election system will work
Alaska elections will be held for the first time this year under a unique new system that scraps party primaries and uses ranked choice voting in general elections.
Trial begins over challenges to Alaska redistricting plan
Following a discussion of procedural matters, the trial began with questioning of witnesses related to a case challenging the board’s decision to split conservative Eagle River into two Senate districts.
Dunleavy says work with Murkowski endures after Trump nod, and he says he stands by Zink
Dunleavy, in a wide-ranging interview, also defended the state’s chief medical officer, Dr. Anne Zink. He and Zink have been among the most visible public faces of the state’s COVID-19 response.
Alaska Supreme Court upholds ranked choice voting and top-four primary
The ruling comes one day after the justices heard arguments in the case.
Alaska lawmakers face proposed salary hike, allowance limits
The Alaska State Officers Compensation Commission voted 3-1 to raise the base salary from $50,400 a year to $64,000.
Bridge proposed in Denali National Park to avoid landslide area
The National Park Service is proposing a large steel bridge along a section of the only road that runs through Denali National Park and Preserve. The road was closed last year near its halfway point due to a long-running landslide issue that has been exacerbated by climate change.
Records request reveals that email complaints were scarce before Alaska’s $55K ballot review
Alaska Lt. Gov. Kevin Meyer last year said the issue his office seemed to be getting the most email on after the 2020 election was the narrow success of a ballot measure that would overhaul Alaska’s election process. His chief of staff said they were getting up to 20 emails a day. But a records request by The Associated Press yielded fewer than 20 total unique emails that were received by the office with complaints or concerns about the election.
The Mat-Su Borough is suing over Alaska’s new redistricting maps
The Matanuska-Susitna Borough says the recently drawn legislative boundaries dilutes the votes of borough residents.
Biden administration launches series on Arctic energy
Separately, U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski announced the Department of Defense had selected Anchorage as the location for the Ted Stevens Center for Arctic Security Studies.
Critics raise concerns with new Alaska political boundaries
The Matanuska-Susitna Borough, known as a hotbed of conservatism, gained the most population since the 2010 Census and will keep the same number of seats in the Alaska Legislature under a new map of state political boundaries that some critics say short-changes the area.
State elections commission suggests campaign caps to replace those struck down
A draft opinion prepared by Alaska Public Offices Commission staff proposes imposing campaign contribution limits in the place of some of the caps that were struck down by a panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals earlier this year.
Alaska state-owned agency sues over Arctic refuge leases
The Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority alleges federal officials overstepped in suspending lease-related activities, among other actions.
‘It’s not just all TVs from Costco’: Alaskans use their PFDs in many different ways
People use the money in different ways, including for vacations, electronics, savings or college funds or necessities. In places like rural Alaska, the money can help with the high costs of fuel and food.
Rural Alaska at risk as COVID surge swamps faraway hospitals
The battle against the coronavirus isn’t over. The highly contagious delta variant is spreading across Alaska, driving one of the nation’s sharpest upticks in infections and posing risks for remote outposts like Tanacross where the closest hospital is hours away.
Alaska governor will let PFD stand that lawmakers passed
Gov. Mike Dunleavy, who has advocated for a roughly $2,350 check, late Tuesday said he would not veto the dividend approved by lawmakers, though he considered it a “partial” dividend. He said Alaskans “need help now.”
Alaska Senate passes $1,100 dividend, now the governor must approve it
The Alaska Senate approved a roughly $1,100 dividend on the last day of a special session Tuesday, after the House canceled its floor and left the Senate with what amounted to a take-it-or-leave-it decision on the check for residents that the House had previously passed.
Alaska Senate to weigh dividend bill after House maneuver
The Alaska House canceled its floor session Tuesday, the last day of the special session, leaving the Senate with what amounted to a take-it-or-leave-it decision on the roughly $1,100 the House had previously passed.