Judge Frank Pfiffner ruled the governor did not violate the state’s constitution when he expanded Medicaid. More than 10,000 low-income Alaskans have enrolled in the program since it began Sept. 1.
Government
Sullivan: ‘Idiotic’ for Trump to accept KKK plug
U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan wouldn’t tell reporters who he’s voting for, but he did weigh in on a racism controversy enveloping front-runner Donald Trump.
Energy industry leaders reject oil and gas tax hikes
Alaska Oil and Gas Association President Kara Moriarty told the House Resources Committee that companies can’t afford higher costs when oil prices are low.
Meet Jamie Bursell, the newest Juneau Assembly member
“There’s a huge variety of issues that we have to tackle. I feel like I have a lot of good life experience, and I enjoy Juneau.”
Alaska Republicans go to the polls on Super Tuesday
Democrats won’t hold their caucus until later this month on March 26.
Bill to bar ‘abortion providers’ from schools passes Alaska Senate
What’s drawn more controversy is that the measure would bar schools from using educational material from any “abortion services provider.” That includes Planned Parenthood, which says it currently provides education to over 2,000 Alaskan children.
Without ferry service, a Southeast village considers $18 gallon of milk
Three Southeast villages endured the longest ferry drought in recent memory. The LeConte didn’t arrive for more than a month, leaving communities such as Angoon to depend more on subsistence or the only grocery store in town. As lawmakers consider even deeper cuts to ferry services, some locals are already getting a taste of what that reality could be like.
Video: Gastineau Apartments demolished
City officials plan to file a complaint in court this week as a first step toward getting a lien on the newly cleared Gastineau Apartments property in downtown Juneau.
Murkowski urges construction of multiple icebreakers
In another effort to increase presence in the Arctic, Murkowski encouraged homeporting a National Security Cutter in Alaska. The closest cutter right now is near San Francisco.
Public assistance to drop for 5,348 low-income seniors
Thousands of low-income seniors will see a drop in their state benefits starting March 1. Officials say they have tried to mitigate the negative impacts on beneficiaries, which stem from last year’s budget cuts.