Alexandra Gutierrez, APRN - Juneau
agutierrez (at) alaskapublic (dot) org | 907.209.1799 | About Alexandra
Wisconite Petitions For Right To Distribute Alaska Petitions
There are a lot of rules if you want to gather signatures to get a question on the ballot. You have to be at least 18. You can't share your petition booklet with other people. And you have to be a resident of the state of Alaska. Now, a man from Wisconsin wants that last part of the law struck down, and he's taking his case to court.
Opponents Of Wastewater Discharge Bill Pass On Referendum
When voters head to the polls next year, they could be faced with questions on oil taxes, the minimum wage, and the use of recreational marijuana. But one thing that won't be on the ballot is a referendum on a controversial bill concerning cruise ship waste.
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Federal Government Targets 50 Legacy Wells For Clean-Up
Across the North Slope, there are over a hundred oil wells drilled by the federal government that are no longer operational. At some sites, there are abandoned drums sunk in oil seeps; other wells have gas leaking from them. On Wednesday, the Bureau of Land Management released a draft plan identifying 50 of these so-called "legacy wells" for clean up.
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Pebble Review Panel Finds Flaws With Baseline Studies
With two big studies out on the proposed Pebble Mine, there's been a fight over whether work by the Pebble Partnership or the Environmental Protection Agency is more credible. Now, members of a science panel sponsored by the Pebble Partnership are criticizing the Partnership's own research.
Decades After WWII, Alaska’s First Governor Gets His Discharge Papers
At the onset of World War II, the territory of Alaska was seen as too big, too remote, and too sparsely populated to defend. That is, until it was attacked by Japanese forces. In response, a few thousand residents came together to form the Alaska Territorial Guard. Once the war was over, the guard disbanded, and those who served went back to their daily lives. But they were never formally released from duty. Decades later, these guardsmen are now finally getting their discharge papers.
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Governor Sean Parnell Announces He Will Seek Re-Election in 2014
For months, there has been speculation as to whether Gov. Sean Parnell would run for reelection or choose to go up against Democrat Mark Begich in the Senate race. Tonight, he made his announcement in Fairbanks at a meeting of the Republican Women.
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Alaska Supreme Court Rejects “Fetal Personhood” Initiative
Over the past few months, states like Kansas and North Dakota have moved so-called "fetal personhood" measures forward as a challenge to Roe v. Wade. Friday, Alaska's Supreme Court reaffirmed that such anti-abortion laws would not hold up in this state.
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Parnell Administration Shifts Focus From Oil To Natural Gas
If this legislative session was all about oil, the next one could be more focused on natural gas. The end goal is a pipeline capable of moving the massive supply of gas on North Slope to market.
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Signature Collection Starts For Oil Tax Referendum
With the signature booklets hot off the printers, opponents of a controversial tax cut for oil companies should be able to start gathering support for their referendum Tuesday.
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After Quiet Change to State Rules, An Unintended Parking Holiday in Many Cities
Cities across the state are facing parking ticket holidays after being caught off guard by a change in statute that passed years ago.
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Not All Legislators Agree On Session Length
Ever since voters decided to shorten the legislative session to 90 days, there’s been an expectation that lawmakers will call special sessions to add more time to the clock. This year, they didn’t. It was only the second time that’s happened since the initiative passed. But even though legislators met the deadline this year, not all of them are convinced it’s a good system.
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Politicians Split On How To Judge New Oil Tax System
Now that a bill lowering taxes on oil companies has passed, the big question is: Will it work?
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No Special Session for Legislature
For the first time since 2010, the Alaska State Legislature has wrapped up in time. With Republican majorities in both chambers, legislators took full advantage of their 90 days in Juneau. They approved 71 bills, a $2.2 billion capital budget, and a 737-mile in-state gasline. Most importantly, the legislature passed a bill that would give oil companies a tax cut.
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Legislature Approves Tax Cut for Oil Companies
After years of fighting for it, Gov. Sean Parnell has gotten his major legislative priority through: a reduction of the state's oil tax rate.
House Passes Oil Tax Bill
With less than 24 hours of the legislative session to go, the House approved an overhaul of the state's oil tax system, bringing down taxes on producers by hundreds of millions of dollars.
Legislators Enter Final Stretch Of Session
With the legislature scheduled to gavel out on Sunday, lawmakers seem determined not to have to go into special session. Although there is some talk of extending the session for a few days to tie up loose ends.
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Senate Passes “Stand Your Ground” Law
On Thursday night, the Senate passed a bill that would get rid of the duty to retreat if a person feels threatened, so long as that person has a right to be in that place.
Legislature Passes Interior Gas Trucking Plan
The legislature has approved a plan allowing for natural gas to be trucked from the North Slope down to Fairbanks. It's seen as a way of bringing down energy costs in the Interior.
Measure Changing School District Health Plans Speeding Through Legislature
A measure that would put the state in charge of school districts’ health plans is speeding through the legislature.
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Finance Committee Releases Version Of Oil Tax Overhaul
The House Finance Committee today released their version of a bill that would overhaul the state's oil tax policy. It's forecasted to cut taxes by $3.5 billion over the next five years, a smaller amount than the last proposal. That number is expected to appease swing votes on the bill.
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