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Lawmakers will be back at the Alaska State Capitol, seen here in this file photo, on Aug. 16, and after spending several weeks on background hearings and public testimony, members of the work group say they’re ready to get into solutions. (Peter Segall / Juneau Empire file)

News

Fiscal working group readies for policy proposals

Making progress.

Gavel (Courtesy photo)

News

Judge hears arguments in budget effective date suit

Superior Court Judge Herman Walker Jr. heard arguments in Anchorage

Gov. Mike Dunleavy, seen here speaking at a Jun 17, 2021 news conference at the Alaska State Capitol, announced $215 million in vetoes to the state budget Thursday, and called on lawmakers to come together to solve the state's fiscal issues. (Peter Segall / Juneau Empire file)

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Gov announces $215M in vetoes —lawmakers’ per diem payments, PFD are among cuts

Announcement prompts strong pushback.

A letter from the Alaska Broadcasters Association was sent to Alaska House Rep. Ron Gillham, R-Kenai-Soldotna, on July 1, 2021, condemning a post he shared on Facebook that compared journalists and medical professionals who disseminate information about COVID-19 to Nazis executed for war crimes. (Letter provided by the Alaska Broadcasters Association) Alaska House Rep. Ron Gillham. (Courtesy Ron Gillham)

News

Broadcasters group decries lawmaker’s Facebook post

House Rep. Ron Gillham, who represents the Kenai-Soldotna area, posted a meme comparing journalists, medics to Nazis.

A warning by Facebook content moderators denoting sensitive content is superimposed on a post shared by Alaska House Rep. Ron Gillham, R-Kenai-Soldotna. Gillham shared a post comparing media and medical professionals to Nazi-era war criminals on his Facebook page on June 21, 2021. (Screenshot)

News

Kenai lawmaker shares photo comparing media and medical officials to Nazi war criminals

Republican Ron Gillham represents the Kenai-Soldotna area in the Alaska State House of Representatives.

Members of the House Republican Minority Caucus talk amongst themselves during an at ease on the floor of the Alaska House of Representatives on Monday, June 28, 2021. House members reached a deal on an operating budget and avoided a government shutdown but members of the minority said they had been repeatedly pushed out of the process. (Peter Segall / Juneau Empire)

News

Lawmakers pass budget again; send to Gov ahead of shutdown deadline

More work and a work group ahead.

Sen. Bert Stedman, R-Sitka, spoke to the Empire on Monday, June 14, 2021, about the final budget proposal for the state which he helped craft. Some lawmakers said they felt bullied by the budget's contents. (Peter Segall / Juneau Empire)

News

Lawmakers decry ‘bully tactics’ in budget proposal

Legislative leverage.

Mark Spano and Bob Loeffler hike in Chugach National Forest in this undated photo. (Photo courtesy Chris Beck/Alaska Trails Initiative)

News

Funding for 500-mile trail awaits lawmaker action

The proposed trail would run from Seward to Fairbanks.

Ron Gillham represents District 30 in the Alaska State House. (Courtesy photo)

Opinion

Point of Vew: Alaska, resource development and an eye for the future

When Alaskans set their minds toward a project, no matter the difficulty, we do what others say, “can’t…

Rep. Sarah Vance, R-Homer, speaks at a town hall meeting on Monday, March 29, 2021, at Captain's Coffee in Homer, Alaska. (Photo by Michael Armstrong/Homer News)

News

‘Sip with Sarah’ at coffee shop covers topics from budget to pandemic response

Vance affirms support for rural DMV offices, opposes emergency declaration

The Department of Health and Social Services, its headquarters seen here in Juneau on Monday, March 8, 2021, could be split into two departments by an executive order from the governor. However, some lawmakers have raised concern about the legality of the order, saying it could lead to costly litigation. (Peter Segall / Juneau Empire)

News

Lawmakers question whether proposed department split is legal

Governor maintains executive order is within his powers, others are less sure.

Members of the Alaska House of Representatives gather for a Finance Committee meeting on Monday, March 1, 2021 even after a staff member had tested positive for COVID-19. Meetings were canceled last week after Rep. Mike Cronk, R-Tok, tested positive. (Peter Segall / Juneau Empire)

News

Work continues even with new cases at the Capitol

“Hell or high water.”

Alaska state Sen. Lora Reinbold, an Eagle River Republican, holds a copy of the Alaska Constitution during a committee hearing on Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2021, in Juneau, Alaska. Gov. Mike Dunleavy, a Republican, sent Reinbold a letter on Feb. 18, 2021, saying she has used her position to “misrepresent” the state’s COVID-19 response. Reinbold said the letter was “full of baseless accusations and complaints.” (AP Photo / Becky Bohrer)

News

Dunleavy says Reinbold misrepresents virus response

Dunleavy said his administration will no longer participate in hearings led by Sen. Lora Reinbold