Protecting Your Rights: Serving West Anchorage

March 27, 2026

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

This week, the Legislature approved an elections reform bill to ensure all eligible Alaska voters can vote. The Legislature also approved a final supplemental budget for FY 2026 after negotiations between the House and Senate.

And a reminder that the Anchorage Municipal Election is Tuesday, April 7th.

Please read on for more information.

Legislature Passes Elections Reform

This Wednesday, the Senate approved the House changes to Senate Bill 64, a large elections reform bill. When SB 64 becomes law, it will implement changes to the way Alaskans vote. Voter roll cleanup would begin immediately, and voting changes would take effect after the August primary election for the November general election. Accepted forms of identification will include tribal IDs and exclude hunting and fishing licenses, bank statements, and paychecks. The State will pay for all postage for mail-in ballots, which the Division of Elections must receive no later than 10 days after the election day. Ballots will be trackable by phone and email, a system already used by some municipalities and local governments for local elections.

The Alaska Division of Elections (DOE) will also undergo changes. The DOE will receive information from the Permanent Fund Division to ensure voter data accuracy. Residency in another state will now be a factor that triggers voter roll cleanup. An expert will be hired to recommend areas of improvement in Alaska’s voter rolls. The bill also establishes a process for voters to fix small errors on their ballots and ensure that DOE counts their vote.

These changes reflect priorities from both minority and majority caucuses in each legislative body. The bill is the result of extensive negotiations and compromise between the House, the Senate, and the Governor's office. These changes will make it easier for all eligible Alaskans to vote while ensuring that ineligible people cannot vote.

The changes resulted in bipartisan support of the bill, and it passed the House by a vote of 23-16. The legislation then moved back to the Senate for consideration of the House changes. Two Senate minority members who originally opposed the bill voted in support on Wednesday, and the Senate approved the House changes by a vote of 16-4.

Senate Bill 64 now moves to Governor Dunleavy for his consideration.

Article II, Section 17 of the Alaska Constitution states that a bill becomes law if, while the legislature is in session, the governor neither signs nor vetoes it within fifteen days, Sundays excepted, after its delivery to him. If vetoed, the legislature must immediately meet in joint session to reconsider passage of the vetoed bill (Article II, Section 16).

FY 2026 Supplemental Budget Passes

This week, the Legislature passed the FY 2026 supplemental budget. The Senate approved a version of the bill earlier this month after reducing spending by about $150 million. To read more about that bill, click here.

The bill then went to the House for further review, which resulted in further negotiations and the appointment of a Conference Committee to resolve the differences. Both the House and Senate approved the final version from the Conference Committee. That version maintains funding for wildfire response, Western Alaska disaster relief, and transportation matching funds.

The war in Iran and the resulting spike in oil prices impacted how the state can pay for this measure. The Department of Revenue has predicted that oil prices will average $91 per barrel through the rest of the fiscal year, which could result in over $500 million in unforeseen tax revenue to the state. The Legislature knows that oil prices are extremely volatile. If the new revenue projections are inaccurate, the Senate voted to approve a draw from the Constitutional Budget Reserve (CBR) to address any shortfall. The House, however, did not approve a draw from the CBR. If additional oil revenue is insufficient to pay for the supplemental budget, the approved budget will be unfunded and additional steps may be necessary.

Community Information

→ Anchorage Municipal Election

The Anchorage Municipal Election is Tuesday, April 7th. Make sure you're ready to vote!

→ For more information on how to vote, please visit our last e-news

→ For information on the bond proposals, click here

→ For the official elections website, click here

Community Events

National Civics Bee

When: Saturday, March 28th from 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Where: West Anchorage High School Auditorium (1700 Hillcrest Dr)

The Anchorage Chamber of Commerce is partnering with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation to host a nonpartisan civics competition that encourages young Americans to engage in civics and contribute to their communities. Participating 6th, 7th and 8th graders will flex their civics knowledge for a chance to win recognition and cash prizes. Finalists will be invited to Washington, DC to compete in the National Civics Bee® national championship in Fall 2026.

The Anchorage Chamber is participating in the National Civics Bee® because we believe that informed and active citizens make for a strong country, a strong economy, and a strong workforce, and that our continued prosperity depends on the strength of all three. Through the Bee, we are promoting greater civic knowledge in Alaska and celebrating our civic pride.

For more information, click here.