Eric Stone, Alaska Public Media - Juneau
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.
Lawmakers say they’re puzzled by Gov. Dunleavy’s veto of $5M for K-3 reading, a goal of his signature education bill
Lawmakers say the money was intended to achieve the goals of the 2022 Alaska Reads Act — a priority bill for Gov. Mike Dunleavy.
Peltola declines to endorse Kamala Harris, won’t say who she’ll vote for
Congresswoman Mary Peltola, a Democrat, said Tuesday morning she's "keeping an open mind." She later said she wouldn't vote for Trump.
Alaska Democratic Party endorses Kamala Harris after Biden steps aside
Party officials met Sunday evening and coalesced behind Harris, according to a news release from the Alaska Democratic Party.
Alaska institutions and businesses reckon with impacts of wide-ranging cloud software glitch
Across the country, the faulty software update disrupted health care providers, airlines and banks, among others.
Judge suspends controversial federal Cook Inlet lease sale, citing impacts on beluga whales
The landmark Inflation Reduction Act mandated the federal oil and gas lease sale. But the agency offering it fell short, the judge ruled.
ACLU points to continued issues with Alaska prisoners’ access to attorneys
The Department of Corrections has agreed to meet with the ACLU to discuss the issues, a spokesperson said.
Why last week’s Alaska Supreme Court ruling isn’t the final word on homeschool allotments
There's a key question the court left open: whether Alaska correspondence schools can allow parents to spend public money at private schools.
Gov. Dunleavy trims $225M with budget vetoes but leaves school funding boost intact
Dunleavy trimmed funding for Head Start, the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute and rural broadband, among other line-item vetoes.
Alaska Supreme Court sides with state, allows correspondence school laws to stand
The court said plaintiffs had failed to show that a 2014 law reforming Alaska's correspondence school system violated the state Constitution.
USDA fines Alaska $11.9M for failing to ensure SNAP recipients are eligible
For the second year in a row, Alaska’s so-called “payment error rate” for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program topped 50%.
Justices grill attorneys as correspondence school case reaches Alaska Supreme Court
The justices are considering an appeal of a decision that ruled two 2014 laws key to the correspondence school system unconstitutional.
Why Permanent Fund managers are again sounding the alarm about a key account running low
The Alaska Permanent Fund’s two-account structure means there’s a significant risk that it runs out of spendable cash in the coming years.
New Alaska water quality rules are coming. Here’s what that could mean for wastewater systems.
Some difficult-to-treat compounds could present costly challenges, said the head of Alaska's largest water system.
As Alaska high court preps for correspondence school arguments, here’s what each side says
The state and plaintiffs submitted briefs outlining their arguments. They'll make their case during oral arguments set for June 27.
Suit asserting Metlakatla tribal members’ right to fish off-reservation heads for trial
A trial in federal court is expected to determine where Metlakatla Indian Community members can fish without state permits.
A new lawsuit over Alaska’s Medicaid backlog asks a judge to order faster processing
As of last month, more than 15,000 Alaskans had Medicaid applications awaiting approval by the Division of Public Assistance.
How much fish do Alaskans eat? Enough to require new water pollution rules, EPA says
The EPA is giving the state six to 12 months to come up with new or revised standards for more than 100 pollutants in state waters.
Deal to buy North Slope gas boosts Alaska Gasline prospects, but hurdles remain
The Alaska Gasline Development Corp. announced Tuesday it’s signed a deal with a London-based oil and gas firm to supply enough gas to meet demand in Southcentral, and then some. But the project still faces a number of hurdles.
Filings in Alaska Legislature races set up key races in August primary and November general
Just three legislative races will feature competitive primaries, but the final slate sets up a number of key contests in November.
ACLU says Department of Corrections is illegally limiting access to attorneys in Alaska
The group says staff at Hiland Mountain Correctional Center is reading inmates' letters to and from their attorneys, among other allegations.