Hearing concludes regarding French’s fate at head of state oil and gas watchdog agency
A three-day public hearing ended Friday regarding Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s bid to remove Hollis French from his position as chair of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission.
Drilling foes in House launch bill to close ANWR
Opponents of development in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge filed a U.S. House bill Monday that would end the possibility of drilling in the refuge. The bill's prospects are dim in the Senate, but sponsors say they will press on.
Dunleavy outlines approach ahead of big budget rollout
Gov. Michael Dunleavy has not proposed a public vote on spending cuts, and he says there isn’t time to do that with this budget.
Update: Knopp votes against Republican Talerico for speaker as House stalemate continues
After holding out for a bipartisan majority for nearly a month, Kenai Republican Rep. Gary Knopp says he’s “not at all optimistic, but we’ve got to move forward at this point.”
Alaska Native issues feature prominently at hearing on Arctic Refuge oil leasing
At the Anchorage hearing on oil leasing in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska Native voices provided passionate testimony on both sides of the issue.
Big win for Murkowski: Public lands bill passes Senate
The U.S. Senate today passed a massive public lands bill, and to the delight of its sponsor, Sen. Lisa Murkowski, the vote was overwhelming.
House deadlock persists after Knopp votes for himself for speaker
Rep. Gary Knopp said on the House floor that he committed to being the 21st vote for a Republican nominee, but he didn’t say which one. He then voted for himself to become speaker.
Dunleavy unveils budget proposal, with deep cuts to education and health care
The spending plan would overhaul major government functions and eliminate specific programs and services. Dunleavy says the cuts are needed to balance the state budget while paying out larger Permanent Fund dividend checks under a historical legal formula.
‘Devastating’ and ‘significant’: Educators react to Dunleavy’s budget proposal
Education leaders are deeply worried about how the cuts will affect schools.
Gov. Dunleavy faces political, legal obstacles to enacting far-reaching budget cuts
Governor Dunleavy's power to reduce Alaska's budget only goes so far – there are legal and political obstacles that stand between the governor and his goal of a balanced budget.
Among Dunleavy’s proposed DOC cuts, sending 500 prisoners out of state
Governor Mike Dunleavy's proposed budget for the Department of Corrections cuts $19 million from this year's budget. About $12.8 million of the estimated savings will come from a plan to send 500 inmates to private prisons outside of Alaska.
After a month of deadlock, Bryce Edgmon selected as state House speaker
The Alaska House has a new speaker and can officially begin its work.
Rep. Young sponsors bill to bring back deported vets
The "Repatriate Our Patriots" bill would allow honorably discharged veterans to return to the U.S. as permanent residents and apply for citizenship.
Alaska fishing towns would forfeit $28M in fish tax under Dunleavy budget
Governor Mike Dunleavy’s proposals for balancing the state’s budget include a plan to stop sharing of millions of dollars in taxes on commercial fishing with coastal communities.
Trump’s wall could drain money from Alaska military projects
President Trump's plan to divert $3.6 billion from military construction accounts could drain money from Alaska projects.
Legislative Finance gets ready to release its version of Dunleavy’s new budget
Typically, the governor is required to release a budget by mid-December, and the Legislative Finance Division has about a month to get through it before lawmakers come into session. But that didn’t happen this year.
Multi-partisan House majority takes shape
The newly-formed House majority is working out who will fill its committee seats. Meanwhile, the majority coalition is still trying to add more Republican members who are currently in the minority.
Suspect arrested for 25-year-old murder of UAF student
There’s a break in a murder case that has haunted Fairbanks for over a quarter century.
Industry launches campaign to rid ocean of plastic. Is it for real?
The plastics industry has a new billion-dollar campaign to get plastic trash out of the ocean. Sen. Dan Sullivan and a close ally are working on a bill to enhance that campaign. But is industry really suited to clean up the mess its products create?
Senators question Dunleavy’s budget proposal
Anchorage Republican Sen. Natasha von Imhof said that to maintain Dunleavy’s commitment to full permanent fund dividends — without having an income tax — would require cuts on the scale he’s proposed.