Alexandra Gutierrez, APRN - Juneau
agutierrez (at) alaskapublic (dot) org | 907.209.1799 | About Alexandra
French Considers Run For Governor
The Alaska Democratic Party may finally have at least one candidate in the race for governor. Hollis French, a state senator from Anchorage, announced today he's considering jumping in.
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State Officials Gather For “Federal Overreach” Summit
This week, Alaska lawmakers and government officials are meeting in Anchorage to discuss what they see as "federal overreach."
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Legislative Task Force To Perform Educational Review
The state spends nearly $2 billion on its public school system every year, but despite that, districts across Alaska come up against layoffs and strapped budgets. Now, a newly formed legislative task force plans to review the state of Education in Alaska.
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Alaska Scores Low On Lobbying Transparency
When it comes to lobbying and transparency, Alaska gets a "C" grade. If the state were only graded on how well it gets that information out to the public, it would be failing.
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Oil Tax Referendum Meets Ballot Requirements
An effort to repeal a tax cut on oil companies hit the magic number for its referendum to appear on the ballot.
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How Much Are Companies Spending Lobbying Juneau?
There are over 10,000 registered lobbyists in Washington, DC. By contrast, Juneau barely breaks the hundred mark. But even though they're a small tribe, they still wield plenty of influence in the state capitol.
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The Alaska Redistricting Board has rejected a settlement offer and sent their map to a judge for review. The plaintiffs said they will see the Board in court.
Hundreds Gather For Regional Economic Summit
Hundreds of business and political leaders from Canada, Oregon, Washington, Montana and Idaho have come to Alaska to talk about what these places all have in common.
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Redistricting Board Adopts Final Plan
In a half-hour meeting on a Sunday afternoon, the Alaska Redistricting Board unanimously agreed on a new electoral map.
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Repeal Group Exceeds 45,000 Signatures For Referendum
Tomorrow is the deadline for a group trying to repeal a tax cut on oil companies. Yes Repeal the Giveaway need* at least 30,000 verified signatures to get a referendum on the August primary ballot. So far, over 45,000 people have signed the petition booklets.
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Begich Responds To Palin Challenge With Questions Over Residency
According to state documents, no one by the name of Sarah Palin applied for a PFD in 2012 or 2013. The last time someone with that name filed was in 2011.
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Palin Talks Senate Run, But State GOP Hears Radio Silence
With Lt. Gov. Mead Treadwell and former candidate Joe Miller in the race, the Republican Senate primary is already being watched closely. Now, it's gotten an extra dose of national attention with former Gov. and once-vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin saying she could be persuaded to run against incumbent Democrat Mark Begich. But while the news made a splash Outside, Republicans in the state still haven't heard from her.
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State Presents New Plan For ANWR Development
After getting a “no” from the Department of the Interior, Gov. Sean Parnell has doubled down on a plan to conduct seismic testing in a section of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Tuesday, the administration offered a new plan, pledged more money to the effort, and argued that the federal government was legally obligated to consider their proposal. But already, there are questions over whether this is just another round in a decades-long game of chicken between the state and federal government.
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Redistricting Board Offers New Plan
the Alaska Redistricting Board is now one step closer to finalizing the state's political boundaries. The "concept plan" released on Monday addresses a variety of legal complaints against the interim map that was used for the 2012 election.
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With Federal Funding Drying Up, Fate of Trails Program Uncertain
Whether it's with bicycles, ATVs, or hiking boots, summer is a prime time for Alaskans to go and play outside. There are hundreds of miles of trails available for use across the state, and much of that system is developed and maintained with federal funding. But now, some of that money is at risk of drying up, and outdoor enthusiasts are worried about what that could mean for recreation in the state.
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Redistricting Board Hears Questions, Concerns On New Maps
Every 10 years, Alaska's political lines are redrawn to reflect changes in population. In an ideal world, the state's redistricting board takes the results of the U.S. census, tries to divide the state into regions with equal population, and finalizes a map before the next election cycle. That didn't happen this go-round. It's been nearly three years since the redistricting board first came together, and Alaska still doesn't have its political boundaries settled.
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Lawmakers Calculating Costs Of State-Run Health Insurance For Public School Employees
Lawmakers are now trying to figure out what it would cost to implement a state-run health insurance program for public school employees.
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With Representation On Decline, Voting Rights Decision Worries Native Districts
Most states that had been covered under the Voting Rights Act won't feel the full impact of the Supreme Court's ruling until 2020, when the next redistricting cycle starts up. But Alaska, along with Texas, will experience the effects straight away. Here, political lines still haven't been finalized, and today's decision could shape the way boundaries are drawn.
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Minimum Wage Initiative One Step Closer To Ballot
Another ballot proposition has made it to the signature-gathering phase. Today, Lt. Gov. Mead Treadwelll certified an initiative that would raise the minimum wage to $9.75 an hour.
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Anti-Pebble Operative Launches Campaign Against Oil Tax Referendum
Earlier this week, activists fighting a tax cut on oil companies requested a meeting with police. They said their opponents were harassing people circulating referendum petitions, and that if this kept up, it could make it harder for the repeal proposition to get on the ballot. Now, it's come out that the person behind the opposition effort is actually a well-known political operative who's been promoting an initiative of his own.
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