Gov. Bill Walker came to Alaska’s First City on Saturday to experience this year’s sun-filled Blueberry Arts Festival. He is attending fairs and festivals around Alaska in place of scheduling the governor’s picnics that have been traditional for the past few years.
State Government
State budget cuts hitting Interior’s main public media company
The state’s fiscal situation is taking a toll on one of Alaska’s longest operating and largest public media companies.
BlueCrest to pause drilling in Cook Inlet
BlueCrest says they’ll get back to work when the state pays it $75 million in tax credits.
Egan calls for criminal justice bill, income tax
Senate Bill 54 would have increased jail times for some offenses. The Senate passed the bill by a wide margin.
Mandated reporting of prescribed controlled substances begins in Alaska
The state has been collecting data on prescription opioids and controlled substances since 2012, but until last month, prescribers and pharmacies have been volunteering that data. As part of an ongoing legislative effort, medical professionals prescribing controlled substances are now required to provide hard numbers.
State capital budget funds some Southeast projects
Among the funded projects are replacement floats for a harbor in Wrangell, cruise ship dock improvements in Ketchikan and Hoonah and renovation of the headquarters for the Alaska Permanent Fund in Juneau.
Lt. Gov. Mallott says he and Gov. Walker will run for re-election
Mallott told KINY that they’ll run together. Even for incumbents, that may be an uphill fight.
Closed process on capital budget draws criticism
In five and a half hours on July 27, the two chambers met, formed a conference committee and passed the $1.4 billion capital budget.
Revenue commissioner resigns to serve ministry
Randall Hoffbeck has often served as the governor’s point person on how to close the state’s budget gap.
State Sen. Gary Stevens files to run for lieutenant governor
Longtime Kodiak resident Republican state Sen. Gary Stevens will run for lieutenant governor in 2018. Stevens has spent almost 18 years in the Alaska legislature. Before that, he was a familiar face in Kodiak’s local government.