Eric Stone, Alaska Public Media - Juneau

Eric Stone, Alaska Public Media - Juneau
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Eric Stone covers state government, tracking the Alaska Legislature, state policy and its impact on all Alaskans. Reach him at estone@alaskapublic.org and follow him on X at @eriwinsto. Read more about Eric here.
Man speaking into microphones in wood-paneled room

Dunleavy introduces first-draft budget with $1.5 billion deficit and more than $3,800 PFD

Over the next several months, there’ll be lots of back-and-forth with legislators before they pass their own version.
a building

Alaska Permanent Fund Corp. board approves 10% raise for CEO

Board chair Jason Brune said the raise comes after Deven Mitchell got high marks on an annual performance evaluation.

Dunleavy says he plans to introduce education bill pairing funding increase with reforms

Education and energy top the governor's list of legislative priorities, he told reporters ahead of his annual holiday open house.
people in a room

The recount is over. Alaska will keep ranked choice voting.

Election officials wrapped up the recount Monday. The ballot measure to repeal ranked choice voting and open primaries failed by 743 votes.

Alaska House Republicans form 19-member minority caucus led by Mia Costello

That means the Democrat-heavy bipartisan majority caucus will have no wiggle room on contentious votes.
people in a room

Can you guess how these 10 ambiguous Ballot Measure 2 votes were counted?

We picked 10 ambiguous ballots to illustrate how the recount process works. See if you can correctly identify all 10.

Division of Election plans to recount Wasilla state House race decided by just 12 votes

Second-place candidate Steve Menard requested the recount and says he’s “just doing [his] due diligence” in the closely contested race.

Recount of ranked choice repeal ballot measure gets underway in Juneau

The Alaska Republican Party requested the recount, which is being performed at the state’s expense because of the close final margin.
Man speaking in legislative chamber

Alaska Senate’s minority caucus will include 6 Republicans led by Wasilla Sen. Mike Shower

With six members, the conservative minority would be guaranteed seats on legislative committees and be able to hire additional staff.
People walk on a construction area in fornt of some suburban houses and a snow covered mountain.

Alaska’s state-backed housing lender relaunches $10K rebate for new energy-efficient homes

The Alaska Housing Finance Corp. will offer a $10,000 credit for roughly 650 new homes that receive a five-plus or six-star energy efficiency rating.

Alaska House and Senate leaders name committee chairs, talk priorities

The biggest changes will come in the House as it flips from a Republican-led coalition to one mostly made up of Democrats and independents.
a man in a tie

Dunleavy says he plans to stay governor, ending speculation about possible Trump appointment

Dunleavy was seen as a possible candidate to join the Trump administration. He sought to blunt the speculation on Monday.

Susan Carney tapped as next chief justice of Alaska Supreme Court

Carney was appointed to the state Supreme Court in 2016 by then-Gov. Bill Walker. She’ll be the longest-serving justice on the bench when Maassen retires.

A fish plant fueled King Cove’s economy. Without it, can the community survive?

In rural Alaska, the barriers to participating in the electoral process can be much greater than in urban areas.

For the first time, women will outnumber men in the Alaska House next year

There will be 21 women in the state House, according to unofficial election results. 43% of the Legislature will be women, a record high.
people wave signs

Alaska’s ranked choice repeal measure fails by 664 votes

Phil Izon, who led the campaign in support of the ballot measure, said he planned to submit a recount request once the election is certified.
two men

Alaska House Democrats Cliff Groh and CJ McCormick ousted after final ballot count

Groh’s loss leaves just 21 members in a Democrat-heavy bipartisan caucus that is seeking to take control of the Alaska House, a bare majority.
a voter

Watch Alaska’s 2024 ranked choice tabulation

Ranked choice tabulation determined the winner in eight legislative races, plus the U.S. House race.

Ranked choice repeal ballot measure now failing by just 45 votes after Tuesday results update

Roughly 5,800 ballots remain to be counted, largely from Anchorage and rural Alaska.
people counting ballots

Ballot measure to repeal Alaska’s ranked choice voting system is now failing by 192 votes

Out of 314,056 ballots counted so far, “No” on Ballot Measure 2 now leads by 192 votes, 50.03% to 49.97%.