Government

Alaska Gov. Bill Walker has proposed a tax of 1.5 percent on wages and self-employment income. There would be a limit. No one would pay more than twice what they receive in an Alaska Permanent Fund dividend.

HHS Secretary Tom Price, who earned a reputation in the House as a budget hawk critical of government waste, resigned Friday after President Trump criticized him for chartering private jet flights.

A new business venture by the Petersburg Indian Association has begun to provide the town with locally made, environmentally friendly compost.

Democrats this week introduced a rare procedural move to force a vote on the Dream Act, while Republicans rolled out a conservative-friendly option aimed at resolving the legal status of Dreamers.

Filings a week before the Oct. 3 local election show who’s supporting which candidates. It also shows how much they’ve spent and how much cash remains on hand.

Candidates have been announcing plans for governor, lieutenant governor and the Legislature since July. And they’re taking positions that could make a budget deal more difficult.

As part of that program, the state wants to shift its relationship with 15 communities that operate rural jails. It will mean more money for local police departments, but also more work on the prevention side of things. Haines is the first community to sign the new contract.

The Fairbanks City Council on Monday approved an ordinance that’s intended to help provide drinking water for property owners in an area on the city’s south side who’ve lost the use of their wells because of groundwater contamination. Mayor Jim Matherly said it’s only the first step toward addressing the mounting costs of the contamination problem.

The administration has waived the Jones Act for Puerto Rico. Under the law, only U.S.-flagged ships are allowed to move goods between U.S. ports.