Site Logo
State Sen. Jesse Kiehl, D-Juneau, explains the details of his bill banning PFAS chemicals for most firefighting during the Senate floor session on Monday. The bill passed unanimously and now goes to the House for consideration. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

News

Kiehl’s ‘no new spills’ PFAS bill passes Senate

Unanimous vote comes after years of effort by Juneau lawmaker to limit harm of “forever chemicals”

Bethany Marcum, executive director of the Alaska Policy Forum, responds to questions from the Senate Education Committee on March 14 about her nomination to the University of Alaska’s Board of Regents. Her organization’s conservative policies, including backing a budget by Gov. Mike Dunleavy that proposed a 40% cut to the university system, made her one of the most controversial nominees who will be considered during a joint session of the Legislature on Tuesday. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

News

Lawmakers raise questions ahead of joint Legislative confirmation session

UA Regents nominee among those expected to face opposition in Tuesday’s votes.

Catherine Edwards, co-chair of Tlingit and Haida’s Violence Against Women Task Force hugs Áakʼw Ḵwáan spokesperson Fran Houston at at the steps of the Alaska State Capitol Friday evening for a rally and march to recognize Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples Awareness Day held each year on May 5. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)

News

‘This is now a plea’: Rally brings awareness to missing and murdered Indigenous people

“We want answers — our families deserve answers on what happened to our people.”

State senators leave the chamber after adjourning for the year Wednesday evening, leaving the fate of passing the bill for next year’s budget — and a special session if they fail to do so — to the House. The House gaveled in at 8 p.m., four hours before the adjournment deadline. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

News

Capitol Live: House adjourns after refusing to OK Senate’s budget; Governor orders special session

The latest from the Captiol.

Senate President Gary Stevens, a Kodiak Republican, listens to Sen. Löki Tobin, an Anchorage Democrat, as she speaks in support of a bill Stevens sponsored that would require Alaska high school students to complete a civics education course or receive a passing score on a civics assessment exam in order to graduate. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)

News

Senate passes bill implementing new civics requirements to graduate high school

The bill advances as recent national data shows declining test scores on the topic.

`Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire James and Claudia Criss of Juneau testify Tuesday during a House State Affairs Committee meeting in opposition to a bill that would repeal ranked choice voting and open primaries in Alaska.

News

Will elections bills get a vote this session?

Repeal of ranked choice voting appears doomed to defeat, far-ranging procedural changes still viable

State House Speaker Cathy Tilton, R-Wasilla, and House Rules Committee Chair Craig Johnson, R-Anchorage, talk to reporters in the speaker’s office Friday afternoon about the House’s priorities during the last 13 days of this year’s scheduled legislative session. Both legislators said a cap on spending is a priority of the Republican-led House majority as the budget for next year and the size of this year’s Permanent Fund dividend remain the biggest unresolved issues. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

News

House Speaker declares spending cap a priority

Budget-cutting measure has ties to Senate’s plan to reduce PFDs — but it’s not a trade-off, leaders say

Sen. Elvi Gray-Jackson, an Anchorage Democrat, speaks to members of the Alaska Senate about a bill she sponsored that would make Juneteenth a paid state holiday in Alaska. The senate passed the bill 16-4 Thursday morning. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

News

Alaska Senate passes bill recognizing Juneteenth as paid state holiday

The bill will now head to the House.

Rep. Andrew Gray, an Anchorage Democrat, speak to a crowd outside at the steps of the Alaska State Capitol in January. Gray introduced a bill Monday that would make short-term rental registration a requirement and limit operators to just one unit per person in Alaska. (Mark Sabbatini/ Juneau Empire File)

News

Lawmaker introduces bill to require short-term rental registry, limits in Alaska

The bill would limit units to one per person beginning January 2025.

Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire State Rep. Andi Story, D-Juneau, explains during Wednesday’s floor session how a bill she is sponsoring will add to the number of Alaska Native languages officially recognized by the state and expand the role of a Native language preservation council.

News

Alaska Native language expansion passes House

Bill by Juneau lawmaker adds more officially recognized dialects, expands preservation council’s role

Members of the Alaska State House vote 35-3 to pass a bill Wednesday expanding Medicaid coverage for new mothers to 12 months instead of 60 days. The Senate has already passed the bill, but must concur with House changes before it is sent to Gov. Mike Dunleavy, who introduced the bill. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

News

Extended Medicaid coverage for new moms passes House

Bill providing one year of care is a proceedural step from being sent to Gov. Mike Dunleavy

State Rep. Mike Cronk, R-Tok, left, confers with Rep. Craig Johnson, during floor debate Wednesday about a bill prohibiting state and local governments from imposing firearms restrictions during disaster declarations. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

News

Ban on gun limits during emergencies passes House

Supporters say it’s about hunting for food during crises, opponents call it reckless and dangerous

State Sen. Jesse Kiehl, D-Juneau, vows a bill boosting state employees pensions will pass “the 33rd Alaska Legislature” during a rally by about 70 union supporters on the steps of the Alaska State Capitol on Tuesday. Kiehl is a member of the Senate Finance Committee, which spent much of Tuesday hearing testimony about a pension bill, but Senate and union leaders acknowledge the proposal will likely have to wait until next year before it has a realistic chance of making it through the full Legislature. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

News

State pension reform not yet ready for retirement

Legislative and union leaders say boost for public employees unlikely this session, target next year

House Speaker Cathy Tilton, a Wasilla Republican, listens Monday morning to amendments to a bill she sponsored that seeks to bar the state and local governments in Alaska from mandating restrictions or closures to firearms and retailers in the event of a disaster. (Clarise Larson/ Juneau Empire)

News

Bill disallowing firearm restrictions during emergencies moves toward third reading

It’s expected to have its final reading Wednesday.

Sen. Jesse Bjorkman, left, addresses constituents during a town hall event on Saturday, April 15, 2023 in Kenai, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)

News

Nikiski senator’s bill ‘lumbers’ toward governor’s desk

Senate Bill 87 aims to make locally milled lumber more widely available for the construction of housing in…

Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire State Sen. Mike Shower, R-Wasilla, speaks in opposition to a bill allocating 75% of spendable Permanent Fund earnings to state programs and 25% to dividends during Monday’s floor session.

News

Senate passes $1,300 PFD bill despite dissension

Four majority members vote no on “75-25” bill, making it vulnerable to veto or other politicking.

Teaser

News

State association considers transgender ban on student sports

Change would limit girls teams to birth-assigned sex; public meeting scheduled Monday

Senate President Gary Stevens, R-Kodiak, listens to a procedural discussion by senators during Friday’s floor session about a bill modifying how Permanent Fund dividends are calculated. The bill, which reduce PFDs significantly from those under previously calculations unless the state has an abundance of revenue, is scheduled for further debate and a vote on Monday. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

News

‘75-25’ PFD plan reaches Senate floor

Change would drastically shrink dividends, allocate most Permanent Fund earnings to state spending

2Rep. Andrew Gray, D-Anchorage, and Sarah Vance, R-Homer, of the House Judiciary Committee listen to Alaska State Commission for Human Rights Executive Director Robert Corbisier explain why his agency is seeking changes to its name and duties, including exempting religious and other nonprofit organizations from anti-discrimination workplace rules. A bill making those changes got its first hearing by the committee Wednesday about an hour after it was introduced on the House floor. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

News

Bill seeks to allow workplace discrimination by religious, nonprofit organizations

State human rights commission seeking change after eliminating LGBTQ+ protections

Gov. Mike Dunleavy speaks during a news conference in which options for a long-range fiscal plan were discussed. Dunleavy said in the coming days, he expects a sales tax proposal to be drafted and that a special session to create long-term plan is possible. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)

News

Show we the money: Governor, legislators stage news conference vowing again to work together on long-range fiscal plan

Sales tax and special session loom as possibilities.