With a bipartisan vote, the Alaska House has approved a wide-ranging reform of the state’s government-run health care system.Senate Bill 74, which includes a variety… Continue reading
The Alaska Legislature has confirmed Gov. Bill Walker’s selection of Dean Williams as the commissioner of the Alaska Department of Corrections.The 49-9 approval came after… Continue reading
The Alaska Legislature is planning to take the most extreme option from the budget-cutting menu covering the University of Alaska system.On Thursday evening, the House… Continue reading
It was an alley-oop pass gone awry.On Wednesday night, as Kobe Bryant played his final game of professional basketball, the Alaska House prepared to toss… Continue reading
With three days remaining in the Legislature’s statutory 90-day session, House lawmakers focused on smaller bills awaiting attention in the statehouse queue.The House approved one… Continue reading
The Alaska Senate has voted to reduce the state’s subsidy of local government.On Wednesday morning, the Senate voted 17-3 to approve Senate Bill 210, which… Continue reading
The Alaska House has approved a new program to assist business owners interested in making energy efficiency improvements to their buildings.House Bill 118, brought by… Continue reading
The Alaska Senate Finance Committee has unveiled its plan to fill much of the state’s $4.1 billion annual deficit using the Alaska Permanent Fund.In a… Continue reading
Legislators agree that using the earnings of the Alaska Permanent Fund would do more than anything else to balance Alaska’s $4 billion annual deficit.The problem:… Continue reading
The Alaska House has voted to require Alaska businesses to report when an employee loses an eye or a limb on the job.Senate Bill 148,… Continue reading
The Alaska House of Representatives is again recommending Alaska join a convention to revise the U.S. Constitution.On Sunday, lawmakers spent nearly 90 minutes debating the… Continue reading
The House has approved a Senate bill that will appoint three members of the Alaska Legislature to nonvoting seats on the Alaska Gasline Development Corporation… Continue reading
Democrats frustrated at the Republican-led House and Senate majorities’ pursuit of a lawsuit against Gov. Bill Walker for authorizing Medicaid expansion attempted Friday to de-fund… Continue reading
A decision about whether independents may appear on the Alaska Democratic Party’s fall primary election ballot is now in the hands of Juneau Superior Court… Continue reading
Since 2012, alcohol retailers, public health experts and others have spent more than 8,000 hours drafting a mammoth revision to the state statutes dealing with… Continue reading
Clarification: A story in Saturday’s Web edition of the Empire stated that AWARE of Juneau supports Senate Bill 91, criminal sentencing reform. AWARE executive director Saralyn… Continue reading
The Alaska House of Representatives has voted to restrict the ability of the governor to accept additional funds from the federal government.The issue came about… Continue reading
A bill eliminating Daylight Saving Time in Alaska is advancing in the Alaska Legislature after receiving its first hearing since last year.On Thursday morning, the… Continue reading
The Alaska Senate has approved a bill permitting Alaskans to carry weapons concealed on the campuses of the University of Alaska system.The decision was 13-5,… Continue reading
The latest version of a bill cutting the state’s subsidies to oil and gas drillers is about 40 percent of what was first proposed by… Continue reading
