Juneau – For decades, Alaska has grappled with the harrowing crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples (MMIP), tearing families apart and leaving communities shattered.
Juneau – The Alaska Senate passed Senate Bill 152 unanimously today. Sponsored by Senator Bill Wielechowski, D-Anchorage, this legislation aims to expand options for renewable energy development, reduce electric costs for Alaskan ratepayers, and mitigate natural gas shortages by establishing a virtual net metering program for small-scale renewable energy generation.
JUNEAU – Tomorrow, Senator Elvi Gray-Jackson, D-Anchorage, welcomes the Alaska chapter of Make Us Visible, a grassroots organization that advocates for the inclusion of Asian American and Pacific Islander history curricula in public education.
JUNEAU – Last week, the legislature passed Senate Bill 45, sponsored by Senator David Wilson (R-Wasilla), which seeks to reduce barriers and costs for healthcare services through direct health care agreements, typically paid through a monthly fee.
NEWS: Legislature Passes Bill Establishing Direct Health Care Agreements Read More »
JUNEAU—Today, the Alaska Senate passed Senate Bill 187, otherwise known as the capital budget. The budget totals $450 million of general fund dollars and is carefully crafted to promote infrastructure projects throughout the state, address the state’s backlog of deferred maintenance, support statewide weatherization, and increase resources for food security, among other priorities.
JUNEAU – Employers and employees in Alaska would have a simpler option for drug and alcohol testing under Senate Bill 196, which passed the Senate unanimously today. Sponsored by the Senate Labor and Commerce Committee, the bill would add saliva or “oral fluids” to the samples an employer may collect for testing.
NEWS: Senate Approves Easier and Less Invasive Drug and Alcohol Testing Method Read More »
JUNEAU – Senate Bill 93, which increases the limits on payouts from the Alaska Fisherman’s Fund for commercial fishing illnesses and injuries, passed the Alaska House 39 – 1 on Thursday. The bill, sponsored by the Senate Labor and Commerce Committee, better ensures fishing crew members’ medical costs from fishing related incidents are covered.
JUNEAU – On Wednesday, April 3, the Senate Education Committee will hold an emergency hearing at 3:30 p.m. to hear from the Department of Education and Early Development on its actions leading up to a designation of a “high-risk” grantee by the U.S. Department of Education and its plan forward to remove the designation.
JUNEAU – Senate Bill 161, which supports Alaska farmers by improving their municipal property tax breaks, unanimously passed the Senate on Monday. Sponsored by Senator Jesse Bjorkman, R-Nikiski, the bill expands the tax breaks to include structures on farmlands and updates the financial qualifications and application requirements.
NEWS: Bill to Support Alaska Farmers Passes the Senate Read More »
JUNEAU – Yesterday, Governor Mike Dunleavy vetoed Senate Bill 140, the legislature’s omnibus education compromise. Senate Bill 140 was the largest increase in school funding in state history, with a $680 increase to the Base Student Allocation. Senate Bill 140 significantly improved internet connectivity in rural Alaska, provided $10 million in additional funding for the
