Protecting Your Rights: Serving West Anchorage

February 20, 2026

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

This week, Senator Sullivan gave his annual address to the Legislature. The Resources Committee made significant changes to the Governor's tax bill. And in the Judiciary Committee, we will hear a report today about the rates of Alaska Native and American Indian people in Alaska's jails. Please read on for more.

Senator Sullivan addresses the Legislature

On Wednesday, U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan gave his annual address to the Legislature. Senator Sullivan spoke on the issues that Alaska faces and potential development that may benefit the state.

One of his goals for Alaska is to combat the cost of healthcare. He stated that he has been working to increase the FMAP, or Federal Medical Assistance Percentage, from 51% - the lowest amount of federal health care funding per capita. Although Congress didn't pass this provision in the Working Families Tax Cuts Act (also known as the One Big Beautiful Bill), he stated in his speech that he worked to tailor the new Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) to benefit Alaska and help with our unique healthcare challenges. Alaska will receive $272 million a year for five years under the program, the second highest amount of RHTP funding in the nation after Texas. Senator Sullivan discussed how he and his colleagues were able to increase the amount of funding - doubling it from $25 billion to $50 billion - and how he worked to define all of Alaska as "rural" for this program. He did not mention that the same legislation is cutting funding to Medicaid for Alaskans. The bill doubled the frequency of eligibility checks and added new work requirements for some applicants. These changes increase the likelihood of Alaskans losing access to healthcare.

Senator Sullivan also talked about his efforts to lower the taxes that Alaskans must pay. Through the Working Families Tax Cut Act, seniors will receive a $6,000 tax break. Senator Sullivan believes that this tax cut also allows businesses to write off costs for equipment, research, and development during their first year of operation. This tax cut also prevented a large tax increase in Alaska. He stated that for a family of four, this tax cut will save them $7,500 to $11,000 on their taxes. The tax changes also include no taxes on tips or overtime and is set to take effect in for the 2025 income taxes.

To watch Senator Sullivan's address, click here.

Committee Updates

Senate Bill 227: Tax Omnibus

This week, the Senate Resources approved an amended version of Senate Bill 227, the governor's tax bill.

The Governor's original tax bill included several different revenue measures, including a seasonal sales tax, increased taxes on oil and gas companies, and changes to the state's corporate income tax for out-of-state companies. The Governor's proposal scheduled all of the tax changes to expire after several years. The Governor's proposal in SB 227 was contingent on the passage of other legislation, including a spending cap and a constitutional amendment.

The Senate Resources Committee made significant changes.

It eliminated the proposed seasonal sales tax
It changed elements of the corporate income tax for out-of-state and digital business, aligning SB 227 with SB 113, which the governor vetoed
It lowers tax credits for oil and gas companies (similar to Senate Bill 112) and eliminates tax credits below the 6% minimum tax on production
It includes a corporate income tax on oil and gas S-corporations, which is the policy from Senate Bill 92
It establishes an education head tax to fund our public schools.

Alaska had an education head tax until 1980, when the Legislature eliminated it along with the statewide income tax. The state levies the head tax on wages in Alaska and the employer withdraws the tax from an employee's paycheck. The proposal in Senate Bill 227 would levy a $60 per-year tax on individuals earning over $150,000 and a lower tax on lower earners.

The bill now heads to the Senate Finance Committee.

Report on Recommendations to Reduce Overrepresentation of Alaska Native People in the Criminal Justice System

Today, the Senate Judiciary Committee will hear a report on Recommendations to Reduce the Overrepresentation of Alaska Native People in the Criminal Justice System. The Legislature requested the report in House Bill 66, which passed in 2024. Alaska Department of Corrections, the Alaska Federation of Natives, the UAF Center for Alaska Native Health Research, and the UAA Justice Center conducted and published the report.

The overrepresentation of Alaska Native people in our prisons is concerning. This report marks one step towards understanding the causes and working towards a solution.

You can watch the presentation at 1:30 PM today (Friday, February 20th) in the Senate Judiciary Committee at akleg.gov or ktoo.org/gavel.

Legislation Update: Senate Joint Resolution 2 Advances

This week, Senate Joint Resolution 2 moved out of the Senate Finance Committee. SJR 2 lowers the threshold for veto override on appropriation or revenue legislation from 3/4 to 2/3, aligning with the 2/3 veto override threshold for all other legislation. To learn more, we discuss the resolution and the history of Alaska's decision to choose a 3/4 vote threshold in the introductory hearing here.

→ To read more about polling results on SJR 2, click here.

→ To read more about the history of this constitutional provision, click here.

→ To read more about other states' override requirements, click here.

Anchorage Legislators on Education Funding

Last week, I joined 16 other Anchorage legislators in an opinion letter expressing our support for increased education funding following dire budget cuts in the Anchorage School District. Public education is our best investment in Alaska’s future, and I will continue to support adequate funding for our public schools.

"As state legislators, we want to be clear with parents, teachers and students:

Our schools are our highest budget priority, and we are doing everything in our power to restore school funding and prevent an exodus of families from our state."

Read the Opinion Here

Reminder: 2026 Constituent Survey

Community Information

→ Community Challenge Grants

Community Challenge Grants provide competitive funding to support projects that expand access to public lands, strengthen outdoor recreation, and encourage long-term stewardship of Anchorage’s shared spaces. This program is managed by the Anchorage Park Foundation with generous grant funding from Rasmuson Foundation.

Applications are due by Friday, April 10, 2026. Learn more and apply here.

→ People Mover Transit Watch

With People Mover Transit Watch, riders now have a new way to communicate quickly with Transit Security in addition to phone support. The app is an easy way for riders to communicate directly and anonymously with People Mover Transit Security about activities or quality of ride problems on or around the system. Transit riders have the option of a direct call button or an easy-to-use formatted screen to instantly

send a photo or message about customer concerns. The People Mover Transit Watch app is designed for use throughout the system. Learn more here.

Community Events

Iditarod Ceremonial Start

When: Saturday, March 7 at 10:00 am

Where: 4th and D St

Join us for the Ceremonial Start of the 2026 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race®!

Race day is Saturday, March 7 and festivities begin at 8 a.m. in Downtown Anchorage at the corner of 4th and D Street. Come down, hang out, visit vendors, and see the human and canine athletes as they start preparing for the Ceremonial Start that will take these teams with their IditaRiders through 11 miles of Anchorage. The teams leave the start line at the corner of 4th and D Street in 3 minute intervals, with the festivities and opening ceremonies starting at 10 a.m. Get there early to get a good viewing spot!

For more information about the Iditarod visit iditarod.com.

ASD Choice Schools and Programs Expo

When: Saturday, February 21 from 12 to 4 p.m.

Where: Begich Middle School (7440 Creekside Center Dr)

This is an opportunity for the public to learn about the unique choice schools and programs that ASD has to offer, including alternative schools, career and technical education (CTE) programs, and language immersion programs.