Government

This session, some state legislators hope to put an end to the uncertainty school districts across the state face when it comes to their budgets. House Bill 287 and Senate Bill 131 both address K-12 school funding, but in different ways.

Safety advocates and federal investigators have railed against a “lax safety culture” within Amtrak in recent years, but investigators warn against attributing four recent crashes to a systemic issue.

Alaska Sen. Dennis Egan won’t seek re-election this year due to poor health. Early contenders to seek his seat include Aleutian Pribilof Island Community Development Association CEO Larry Cotter and possibly Juneau Assemblyman Jesse Kiehl.

Alaska Lt. Gov. Byron Mallot and U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan met with Canadian officials to press for more U.S. input on transboundary mines.

During his refueling stop at Joint Base Elemendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Pence toured the Alaskan Command Center. He also had a closed-door meeting with Gov. Bill Walker and top military officials, including Gen. Lori Robinson, Lt. Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach, Lt. Gen. Samuel Greaves and Maj. Gen. Laurie Hummel.

The City and Borough of Juneau will petition state regulators for a seat at the table as it reviews Alaska Electric Light & Power’s acquisition by Hydro One of Canada. The Juneau Assembly unanimously approved $75,000 in legal fees to make its case to the Regulatory Commission of Alaska.