Protecting Your Rights: Serving West Anchorage

February 26, 2026

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

This week, the House voted to pass the supplemental budget requested by the Governor, but failed to approve an appropriation to pay for the bill from the Constitutional Budget Reserve.

And last week, in the Senate Judiciary Committee, we received recommendations to lower the overrepresentation of Alaska Natives in our jails.

Report on Overrepresentation of Alaska Natives in State Custody

In 2024, the Legislature passed a major crime bill, House Bill 66. Part of the bill requires the Department of Corrections to produce a report on the overrepresentation of Alaska natives in Alaska’s prisons and to recommend ways to reduce it. Alaska Natives make up less than 20% of Alaska’s population, yet they represent 42% of the state’s prison population. And that percentage has increased from 35% in 2017 to 42% today. Those statistics are troubling. The Department of Corrections worked with the Alaska Federation of Natives, the UAF Center for Alaska Native Health Research, and the UAA Alaska Justice Information Center to prepare the report. You can read the report here. They presented the report to the Senate Judiciary Committee last week and made four recommendations.

Change the probation and parole requirements to make the requirements more realistic for people upon release from prison. Too often, the probation and parole requirements are a recipe for a person's rapid return to prison despite their good behavior on probation or parole.
Improve early life support and intervention for youth, starting as early as prenatal care. Making sure families have the support they need to raise a child is essential for a child's successful future. And connecting youth to their culture and communities reduces the risk that they will commit crimes when they grow older.
Increase substance and alcohol misuse treatment in prisons. Combining traditional misuse treatment with culturally-based practices helps prisoners have a better opportunity for successful treatment.
Better fund and support tribal courts. Tribal courts are focused on restoration. By providing more infrastructure and staff with community-based intervention options, tribal courts promote problem solving while lowering incarceration.

This detailed report identifies specific issues that we can address through legislation and better programs. To watch the full presentation, click here.

Read the Report

Supplemental Budget Update

The supplemental budget adds funding for the current year's budget that began on July 1, 2025 and ends June 30, 2026. Governor Dunleavy requested all of the items in the supplemental budget, which adds funding for essential state services like wildfire suppression and disaster relief. The state has already spent some of this funding.

The supplemental budget includes $70 million in transportation funds that are needed to unlock $630 million in federal transportation funding. The Governor vetoed this $70 million in federal matching funds in the summer of 2025, then requested the same $70 million in his supplemental funding request in December 2025. The 9-1 federal matching funds are critical for Alaska's transportation sector, which relies heavily on state contracting for transportation projects. Without the federal matching funds, the construction industry anticipates negative impacts to the 2026 summer construction season.

This week, the House voted to pass the supplemental budget by a vote of 24 to 16. But they failed to approve funding for the bill from the Constitutional Budget Reserve, which requires a 3/4 vote, or 30 out of 40 House members in support. Next, the supplemental budget will move to the Senate, which will review and may make additional changes. If the Senate approves the supplemental budget and approves funding for the budget with a 3/4 vote, it will go back to the House for a concurrence vote. At that point, the House will have another chance to approve funding from the Constitutional Budget Reserve.

Anchorage Election

The Anchorage Municipal Election is April 7th and the last day to register to vote is Sunday, March 8th. Anchorage votes at home, which means the Municipality will mail ballot packages to your mailing address on record in the State of Alaska voter registration database. For Regular Municipal Elections, the Municipality will mail ballot packages to qualified Anchorage voters on March 17.

Make sure you're ready to vote!

→ To see the Municipal elections calendar, click here.

→ To apply for an absentee ballot or to vote by email, click here.

→ To track your ballot in the mail, click here.

→ To register to vote, click here.

Anchorage Municipal Elections Information

Reminder: 2026 Constituent Survey

Community Information

→ Public Testimony Opportunity

The Senate Finance Committee will welcome public testimony on the state's budgets from Anchorage region residents this Friday, February 27 at 1:30 p.m. To testify, use the call-in numbers below and sign up by 2:45 p.m. to be heard.

From Juneau: (907) 586-9085
From Anchorage: (907) 563-9085
Anywhere Else: (844) 586-9085

You can also email testimony to finance.committee@akleg.gov.

Community Events

Fur Rendezvous Begins

When: February 26-March 8

Where: Throughout Downtown Anchorage

Every February, Anchorage comes alive for Fur Rendezvous - "Rondy," North America's largest winter festival. For over 90 years, this iconic tradition has celebrated Alaska's frontier spirit, bringing the community together for world-class sled dog races, massive snow sculptures, and fireworks. From its 1935 roots as a gathering for trappers and miners to today's citywide celebration featuring over 50 events - including the Running of the Reindeer and the Official Fur Auction - Rondy is the ultimate showcase of Alaskan life and winter wonder.

The 2026 Fur Rondy festival starts this week and ends March 8. For more information about the Fur Rendezvous and the event schedule, visit furrondy.net.