Anchorage Sen. Chris Birch dead after apparent heart attack
Birch joined the Alaska Legislature after the 2016 election.
alaska state legislature
AKLEG Recap, Day 35: Legislators file more than two dozen bills before cutoff
A bill legalizing industrial hemp farming also cleared the Legislature.
Friday in the Sun (June 16, 2017): The House Majority’s budget, the PFD lawsuit and a puzzling political challenger
The House Majority’s budget, the PFD lawsuit and a puzzling political challenger.
The education head tax is a broad-based tax that everyone can hate, at least for now
In the normal course of a legislative session that would probably spell the end of SB 12, but this session is anything but.
House Finance returns one-time trooper, prosecutor and road funding to AKLNG on word the project made it to Trump’s desk
The House initially seemed on-board with the Senate’s spending proposal. That wasn’t to last.
The Midnight Sun Podcast for June 11, 2017
On our June 11 episode of Alaska’s most listened-to political podcast, Casey Reynolds and Forrest Dunbar discuss the continuing state budget standoff in Juneau with Midnight Sun Editor Matt Buxton and the continued success of anti-Trump candidates–as seen in the UK election. Then we talk with MSNBC contributor and former CIA Analyst/Spokesman Edward Price about former FBI Director James Comey’s dramatic testimony before Congress this week.
Walker sets up disaster response team for Alaska government shutdown
Walker set up a similar kind of incident command structure in response to the opioid epidemic earlier this year.
Minor progress made on state budget crisis, but it’s better than nothing
There’s still no major announcement—or even minor actions—suggesting the House and Senate majorities are closer to resolution. Work like today’s at least makes sure things are ready to go if and when that does happen.
Legislators can’t help but play oil and gas tax politics before HB 111 conference committee
The administration hoped to stick to the numbers of the oil and gas tax credit bill, but the House Finance Committee was at peak political sniping.
Walker to Legislature: If you don’t like my budget compromise “please, please develop your own”
Two-thirds of the way through the special session, Gov. Bill Walker is asking the Legislature to please, just do something to reach a budget compromise and avert the July 1 government shutdown. Today, Walker kept pressing the sales pitch for his compromise.