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Current Topics
Long-awaited salary study reveals more than a quarter of Alaska state employees underpaid compared with other employees. Anchorage Daily News
The study found that 32% of Alaska state employees are paid below market rate when compared with the midpoint of the 50th percentile pay range. When compared with the 65th percentile — which the state has historically done to keep wages more competitive — 57% of state employees are paid below the midpoint of the pay range.
Salary Study shows large segment of Alaska state workforce is underpaid. Alaska Public Media
The study shows that more a quarter of the jobs surveyed, 28%, pay less than the median market wage, and 43% pay less than a key benchmark the state has used for decades.
West High theater production of 'Hadestown' takes the biggest stage in Anchorage. Alaska Public Media
But then at the end of March, the Anchorage School District notified hundreds of teachers that they would lose their positions due to a massive budget deficit. Lyke was among them - he’ll be transferred to another school - and because he’s the only theater teacher at West High, that means an end to the current theater program.
Alaska Senate unanimously advances slip capital budget with school maintenance focus. Anchorage Daily News
Road improvements, safety upgrades included in Senate's $2.9B capital budget: bill now headed to House. Alaska's News Source
Education funding, the budget, and other legislative priorities - Talk of Alaska. Alaska Public Media
Juneau road and Nome port lose funding as Alaska Senate passes capital budget. Alaska Beacon
As Alaska legislators confront a major state budget deficit, the state Senate on Tuesday voted unanimously to approve a “bare bones” $162 million capital budget to pay for construction and renovation projects across the state.
Arctic Issues
Arctic Economic Council, municipal group, support Denmark's Arctic Council priorities. Eye on the Arctic
The Kingdom of Denmark will officially take over the Arctic Council chairmanship from Norway on May 12 in a private, virtual-only event.
Economy
In turnaround, median rental cost in Alaska is now down to the national median. Alaska Beacon
Alaska residential rental costs used to be the highest in the nation. Now the typical rent in Alaska is about the same as the national median for the first time on record, and 19 states have higher rental prices, according to an analysis by state economists.
Spending on states. Axios
As of 2022, federal funding accounts for the greatest shares of state revenue in Louisiana (50.5%), Alaska (50.2%) and Arizona (49.7%).
USDA funding cuts and their impacts on Alaska's economy. Alaska's News Source
The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) federal funding cuts are impacting allocations to programs meant to help provide increased access to locally grown food. The two programs include the Local Food Purchase Assistance (LFPA) and Local Food for Schools (LFS), which are run through the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). LFPA also deals with tribal funding for local produce.
Goldman Sachs expects oil prices to decline through 2026. Reuters
Goldman Sachs expects oil prices to decline through the end of this year and next year because of the rising risk of a recession and higher supply from the OPEC+ group. The bank expects Brent and WTI oil prices to edge down, averaging $63 and $59 a barrel, respectively, for the remainder of 2025, and $58 and $55 in 2026.
(My comment: I know that the far-right conservative blogs will have their hair on fire but…if this predicted oil price becomes real, the State of Alaska will be reinstating an income tax. We will have to finally become responsible to pay for the services we want. Right now, oil is only about 30% of our revenue source, at about $70/barrel. Drop the price more: $1/barrel in price change = about $35Million in revenue. You can do the math.)
Trade war hits oil demand growth. Axios
“With arduous trade negotiations expected to take place during the coming 90-day reprieve on tariffs and possibly beyond, oil markets are in for a bumpy ride and considerable uncertainties hang over our forecasts for this year and next," IEA said.
Japan says no plan for big concessions in talks on U.S. tariffs. Reuters
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said on Monday his country does not plan to make big concessions and won't rush to reach a deal in upcoming tariff negotiations with U.S. President Donald Trump's administration. Japan, a long-time U.S. ally, has been hit with 24% levies on its exports to the United States though these tariffs have, like most of Trump's sweeping "reciprocal" tariffs, been paused for 90 days.
Keep the Alaska Permanent Fund permanent. Alaska Beacon
(My comment: Joe and I were classmates in elementary and junior high, in Fairbanks. I disagree with his opinion piece and believe he is misunderstanding Trustee Paper #10 that recommends that the Earnings Reserve Account (that can be spent easily by the Legislature) be put into the Principle (which is secured from spending by the Alaska Constitution). Nothing changes about that security of the Principle. The Legislature would be restricted from spending more than the POMV, which cannot exceed 5% (the same restriction now but right now, that 5% can be overridden.
A Constitutional Amendment secures more money in the Principle and limits spending more securely to only up to 5% POMV.)
Trump tariffs face Main Street lawsuit. Axios
Trump invoked authorities under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), which gives the president wide-ranging powers in an emergency. IEEPA has never been used to implement tariffs since its creation in 1977.
Tourism in America is under threat. Axios
International tourism to the U.S. is falling fast, and the actions of the Trump administration are only likely to make things worse, industry experts say.
Energy
Trump administration says Alaska gas line investment could ward off tariffs. Alaska Public Media
Bessent raised the Alaska project as a possible deal-maker. “These are trade negotiations, but if countries want to come and offer other things — so I talked about yesterday that we are thinking about a big LNG project in Alaska, that South Korea, Japan (and) Taiwan are interested in financing and taking a substantial portion of the off-take," Bessent said. A country’s investment and purchase of Alaska’s natural gas would help reduce its trade imbalance with the United States, he said.
How Trump's tariff dealmaking could deal a blow to Canadian LNG. Financial Post
Alaska LNG will compete head-to-head with Canada’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) industry for buyers in Asian markets if it is ever built, but the proposed US$44-billion project faces major hurdles despite a recent revival in fortunes, experts say.
Asian nations promise to buy more US gas to win tariff relief. Financial Post
Asian governments from South Korea to Indonesia are rushing to sign up for liquefied natural gas purchases from the US, hoping to reduce trade surpluses with the world’s largest economy and secure some relief from President Donald Trump’s sweeping “reciprocal” tariffs.
Great Bear exploration. Petroleum News
Great Bear Pantheon plans to drill an exploration well beginning this summer at its acreage astride the Dalton Highway south of Deadhorse. The company has filed a unit plan of operations application with the Alaska Department of Natural Resources' Division of Oil and Gas for authorization to build a gravel pad and drill the Dubhe-1 exploration well some 27 miles south of Deadhorse in the company's Talitha unit.
(My comment: The Alaska Gasline Development Corporation (AGDC) touts getting $1/mcf gas from this company, for the pipeline. Problem: This company hasn’t got any gas proven yet. Hmm, that is a problem.)
On Alaska LNG Project, a lot of work must be done, but major progress has been made. Alaska Beacon
Alaska LNG is a big, expensive and complex project. Many Alaskans don’t realize just how big. Alaska LNG’s latest cost estimate, at the end of 2023, is for $44 billion. In comparison, Alaska’s annual state budget is about $13 billion.
Alaskan LNG project participation may be nonstarter with Kogas in the red. Korea JoongAng Daily
(My comment: The Golden Age may not be real.)
AIDEA's enormous cash reserves can do more to help close state deficit. Reporting from Alaska
The law that determines how much AIDEA is required to contribute to the general fund puts the amount somewhere between 25 percent and 50 percent, the number to be decided by the board.
Education
Gov. Dunleavy promises veto as education funding bill passes Legislature. Alaska Public Media
Alaska Legislature passes $1,000 per student funding boost, despite governor vowing to veto it. Alaska Beacon
House education bill with $1K per-student funding boost advances to governor's desk after floor votes. Alaska's News Source
The Alaska Legislature on Friday passed a major increase to K-12 education funding, worth $1,000 in the state’s per-student funding formula. Gov. Mike Dunleavy has indicated he will veto the proposal, saying lawmakers failed to include policy changes he requested.
Alaska education funding boost, sent to governor, awaits his veto. Alaska Beacon
On Monday, a spokesperson for the governor said Dunleavy intends to veto it, confirming prior posts on social media.
Education funding boost advances to governor's desk. Raven Radio
Three Senate majority members, including Sitka Republican Senator Bert Stedman, voted against the bill. Stedman said he supported increasing education funding, but he didn’t see how this funding could fit into a balanced budget.
More Anchorage teachers receive notice of displacement. Alaska's News Source
Fisheries
Murkowski says tariffs could hit hard for Alaska fishing and mining sectors. Alaska Public Media
Sen. Lisa Murkowski says she’s worried new U.S. tariffs will damage some of Alaska’s biggest industries, especially commercial fishing. “We send a lot of product to China, and we get a lot of it back from China," she told reporters in Anchorage Monday. "So this is something I think that's going to be very significant to us.”
Politics
House passes Republican bill requiring proof of citizenship for voting, a Trump priority. Anchorage Daily News
The U.S. House passed one of Republicans’ signature issues for the year on Thursday, approving legislation to require proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote for federal elections, one of President Donald Trump’s top election-related priorities.
The trade war's pandemic parallel. Axios
Trump is taking one of the pandemic's most harmful, unintended economic consequences — supply chain chaos — and morphing it into official U.S. policy.
'We are all afraid': Speaking to Alaska nonprofit leaders, Murkowski gets candid on upheaval in federal government. Anchorage Daily News
“We are all afraid,” Murkowski said, taking a long pause. “It’s quite a statement. But we are in a time and a place where I certainly have not been here before. And I’ll tell ya, I’m oftentimes very anxious myself about using my voice, because retaliation is real. And that’s not right.”
Protesting the Trump administration? Murkowski says keep at it. Alaska Public Media
At the end of March, the Anchorage School District began informing teachers that a lack of state funding would mean some of them would be “displaced” — they would still have a job but could anticipate a schedule change, likely in a different school. The notice went out to 185 people, including classroom teachers, nurses, and librarians. But on Monday, a new round of displacements took another group by surprise. According to Cory Aist, President of the Anchorage Education Association, at least 20 “specialists,” mostly at the elementary level, including art, P.E., music, and health teachers, learned they too were being displaced.
Health Care
Republicans in Congress are eyeing cuts to Medicaid. But what does Medicaid actually do? Alaska Beacon
In recent months, this complicated government program has increasingly come under the spotlight, so Stateline has put together a guide explaining what Medicaid is and how it operates.
Alabama Legislature sends bill regulating pharmacy benefit managers to Gov. Kay Ivey. Alabama Reflector
The Alabama House of Representatives on Tuesday unanimously passed legislation that creates new regulations on reimbursements and fees pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) charge to pharmacies.
(My comment: I have been fighting this battle with PBMs for about 10 years. The Big 3 PBMs profit more than $300 Billion on the backs of American consumers. I have SB 134, SB 142, and SB 147 this year, all addressing different aspects of these companies predation on Alaskan healthcare costs.)
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