James Brooks, Alaska Beacon
Alaska breaks cruise ship passenger record as tourism rebounds from the COVID pandemic
Juneau, the state’s leading cruise ship port, tallied 1.65 million passengers, a 23% bump from 2019.
Alaska Permanent Fund Corp. board all but rejects plan for riskier investment target
Board members had been considering a four-year plan that included an aggressive strategy to reach $100 billion by 2028.
Alaska retirement board recommends closure of widely used plan after analysis finds flaws
The "managed accounts" program covers more than 10,000 of the 122,000-plus retirement accounts managed by the state.
Alaska governor’s staff deleted state agency’s analysis of teacher pay
The article would have been on cover of Alaska Economic Trends for October.
Proposed class-action lawsuit claims Alaska prisons are holding people without criminal charges
Barbara Pete, represented by the Northern Justice Project, filed suit Oct. 6 in Nome. The suit was first reported by the Nome Nugget.
Doyon Ltd. drops support for Ambler Road, at least temporarily
Doyon, the regional Native corporation for Interior Alaska, owns 10-12 miles of the two primary planned routes of the 211-mile Ambler Road.
Alaska attorney general approves free legal defense for top officials accused of ethical lapses
The policy change was unanimously opposed by those members of the public who testified; critics say it’s a recipe for self-dealing.
Alaska redistricting board agrees to pay $400K after losing Eagle River Senate lawsuit
A group of East Anchorage plaintiffs successfully challenged the boundaries of Eagle River’s state Senate district last year.
Alaska Permanent Fund leaders may recommend constitutional amendment to fix fiscal problem
Financial returns have been less than needed to keep the fund’s spendable account full, potentially endangering the state budget.
State Rep. Josiah Patkotak resigns after winning North Slope mayor’s race
Patkotak’s resignation opens a vacancy in the Alaska House of Representatives, and Gov. Mike Dunleavy has 30 days to nominate someone to fill the seat.
Alaska Permanent Fund leaders discuss whether to seek exemption from open-government law
Trustees are considering that idea and others, including an amendment to the Alaska Constitution, as they seek to increase the fund’s value.
U.S. military pay in question, including thousands in Alaska, as government shutdown approaches
Alaska’s three members of Congress say they support interim measures as negotiations continue on a long-term funding bill.
Alaska Permanent Fund improves after money-losing year but withdrawals still exceed earnings
The corporation’s earnings need to average 5% plus the rate of inflation to be sustainable; over the past five years, the corporation hasn’t done that.
Alaska relaxes rules for marijuana ads, allows free samples
Nine years after Alaska legalized the cultivation and sale of marijuana for recreational reasons in 2014, the rules are beginning to loosen.
With Alaska’s federal judge vacancy nearing 2-year mark, Sullivan breaks from nomination tradition
Sen. Lisa Murkowski appears skeptical about the switch, saying she’s prepared to advance nominees to President Biden.
No special session this year on fiscal issues, Alaska legislators say
Members of the Alaska Legislature say they’re far apart on a long-term structure to stabilize state finances.
In new challenges to Alaska forest’s ‘Roadless Rule,’ pro-logging arguments have disappeared
Prior versions of the rule have been repeatedly upheld by federal courts, but new U.S. Supreme Court rulings may give opponents new ammunition.
Alaska DMV considers eliminating license plate stickers
The DMV is also considering self-service kiosks, a mobile app to renew licenses and registration, and an AI chatbot to answer online questions.
Alaska marijuana businesses, citing black market, plead for tax relief
A legislative committee is considering a proposal that would revamp Alaska’s marijuana tax system.
Alaska begins process of examining workers’ pay for competitiveness
The state is seeking a contractor to perform a comparison of state pay in Alaska, pay in the private sector and pay among other governments.