Backers say it’s an effort to recognize the important contributions women have made to Alaska and the nation as a whole. It's unclear whether Gov. Dunleavy will sign it.

Lawmakers have a handful of choices to balance the state budget. Each option faces opposition from key lawmakers.

Rep. Will Stapp, R-Fairbanks, says it's an effort to cover some of the $800,000 annual cost of running what he described as an "underutilized" facility.

The state House passed House Joint Resolution 11 on Monday, recognizing Alaska’s close ties with its eastern neighbor. It now heads to the Senate.

It was a strikingly different scene from just two days before by his fellow Republican Senate colleague, Lisa Murkowski.

Dunleavy’s proposal would have split the existing Division of Agriculture into a new cabinet-level department. Lawmakers rejected it 32-28.

In a speech to the Legislature Tuesday, Alaska’s senior senator, a Republican, said the president has gone too far during his first two months back in office.

The bill’s sponsor called it a “wonderful compromise.” It boosts the largest part of the state’s public school funding formula by $1,000.

The four approved changes all came from members of the Republican House minority, who have complained in recent weeks about being left out of the process.

The ombudsman helps elevate the voices of everyday Alaskans when they have a complaint with or seek change in government services.

The issue is not with the $80-plus billion fund itself, managers say. Lawmakers could eliminate the problem by combining the fund's two accounts and capping the annual draw.

Between resignations, firings and paperwork errors, at least 23 of the roughly 200 people in the Weather Service's Alaska offices are no longer with the agency, a union source said.