Under the Senate’s amendment, judges would be able to order bail for all defendants. The change isn’t final; it’s up to the House to accept or reject, possibly sending it to conference committee.
Southcentral
Bill to overhaul Alaska’s alcohol laws is dead, for now
An amendment to Senate Bill 76 that would cut the amount that breweries and distilleries can sell as samples to customers opened up disagreements over the bill.
Senate seeks to revive Juneau Access and Knik Arm projects through capital budget
The Senate’s capital budget also doesn’t include Medicaid funding that state officials say is needed by next week to pay health care providers.
Cook Inlet oil and gas lease sale attracts just one company
The state offered 2.6 million acres, but just one company — Hilcorp — bid on 16,636 acres.
Recovery experts fear Alaska’s meth epidemic getting worse
Methamphetamine appears in Alaska at greater volumes than ever before. Opioid crisis is making meth’s negative health impacts worse, allowing it to reach new users and being used in riskier ways. People working at the ground level warn it’s getting worse.
Lawmakers pass permanent fund draw, spar over PFD effect
For the first time in the Alaska Permanent Fund’s 40-year history, the Legislature has adopted a plan to draw money from the fund to pay for state government. Gov. Bill Walker says he’ll sign it.
Sample sales present snag for overhaul of state alcohol laws
Until last week, alcohol sellers and others were in agreement over the need to make legal changes.
Air Force mulls staffing problems as more fighter pilots leave
Across all of its branches, filling the ranks of the American military is proving difficult. For the Air Force, retaining pilots after they’ve gone through years of costly training is the main issue. Those staffing problems likely are to worsen in the years ahead.
House passes bill to allow bonds to pay off oil and gas tax credits
The state owes the companies more than $800 million in credits.
Anchorage snowmachiner dies in glacier avalanche
An Anchorage man has died after being swept up in an avalanche Wednesday afternoon. Chad Christman, 41, was snowmachining on Blackstone Glacier, about 9 miles southwest of Whittier when the accident occurred.