The House Finance Committee voted to fully fund school debt reimbursement, and voted against cutting the Base Student Allocation.
Southcentral
King salmon sport fishing in Upper Copper River closed this season
The Department of Fish and Game announced Tuesday, March 7, that all king salmon sport fisheries in the Upper Copper River drainage will be closed for the season because of declining salmon returns.
As mushers race to Nome, a Chicago educator will teach on the trail
The Iditarod trail won’t be full of just mushers: a teacher will be following along as part of a yearly program. For two years, Annie Kelley, of St. Andrew’s School in Chicago has been preparing for a new type of lesson plan.
Walker bill aims to curb opioid epidemic
The bill also limits initial opioid prescriptions to a seven-day supply.
Bill targets ‘gray area’ when police have sex with sex workers under investigation
Police are allowed to have sexual contact as part of sting operations because that’s part of investigating prostitution,” says sex worker advocate Maxine Doogan. House Bill 112 would change that.
New House minority Republicans vent, claim they’re sidelined in budget process
If the Legislature wanted to, it could spend Permanent Fund earnings by a simple majority vote.
Kenai Peninsula invocation lawsuit has roots in New York case
Greece, New York, looks like your typical New England town: quiet tree-lined streets, modest ranch-style homes and a lot of churches. Nearly a decade ago, Greece made national headlines when two residents sued the city over the prayer that begins each town board meeting. They alleged the invocations, though technically open to all faiths, were almost exclusively Christian.
Lawsuit: Should foster kids know when the state uses their benefits?
Some foster children are eligible to receive Social Security benefits, but the kids and their families don’t always know the money is available. Instead, the state applies for the benefits and puts the funds toward paying for foster care services. Now a lawsuit is asking if the state needs to notify families and guardians before it starts taking the money.
Public testimony tilts against oil and gas tax overhaul
Most Alaskans who offered public testimony Wednesday on a proposed overhaul of the state’s oil and gas taxes and tax credits opposed the measure. House Bill 111 would also increase minimum production taxes.
Alaska lawmakers seek balance between public outcry over crime and national evidence
Social science research that shaped the law points to evidence that sending many offenders to jail will actually increase the likelihood they’ll commit more violations in the future.