The Alaska House has passed a bill last week banning wolf harvest on a section of state land bordering Denali National Park. House Bill 105 prohibits wolf hunting and trapping on the park’s northeastern edge, where a few Denali wolves are harvested each year.
State Government
House passes bill intended to curb opioid overdose deaths
House Bill 159 would cut the number of days’ supply of opioid pills in a single prescription.
Anchorage rally urges lawmakers to preserve state education funding
More than 100 people, many clad in rain jackets, braved a cool, overcast Saturday morning and gathered in midtown Anchorage’s Cuddy Midtown Park, urging lawmakers to support public education funding.
State asks for mule deer sightings due to moose winter tick concern
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game is asking for the public’s help in reporting sightings of mule deer around the Interior.
Anthony Weiner pleads guilty to charge over sexting with a minor
The disgraced former congressman from New York pleaded guilty to one charge of transferring obscene material to a minor. Weiner is the estranged husband of Hillary Clinton aide Huma Abedin.
Uber, Lyft could be back in Alaska by June
The state House and Senate have both passed bills that allow transportation network companies to operate, which means controversial businesses like Uber and Lyft could open up shop in Alaska as early as June. The companies allow passengers to book and pay for rides through apps on a smartphone. Republican Sen. Mia Costello of Anchorage sponsored…
$50 million budget cut latest indicator of waning support for state gasline project
If the Senate’s cut stands the Alaska Gasline Development Corporation will be tackling the $45 billion project with only $45 million in the bank.
State House, Senate call for each other to give ground, Walker hopes for compromise
Talk on the first day of the legislative special session focused on whether the House and Senate can compromise on a plan to balance the state’s budget in the future.
Special session to begin Thursday after lawmakers fail to compromise
Gov. Walker has called an immediate special session on the state’s fiscal future. Legislators didn’t pass a budget, but did pass bills on ride-sharing, criminal justice and REAL ID.
As states tighten restrictions on ivory, Skagway carvers worry about the future
Restrictions on the ivory industry are multiplying in the U.S., causing concern for artists in Alaska. Alaska Native carvers do have a degree of protection under federal law. But, non-Native carvers who only work with fossilized ivory are not shielded in the same way.