JUNEAU – Wednesday, members of the Senate Democrats introduced two pieces of legislation to increase revenue for the state of Alaska. During a Senate Finance Committee hearing on August 24, 2021, it was noted by the non-partisan Legislative Finance Division that Alaska faces a $285 million budget shortfall for Fiscal Year 2023, even after overdrawing […]
ANCHORAGE – Today, Governor Mike Dunleavy signed into law Senate Bill 47, sponsored by Senator Elvi Gray-Jackson (D-Anchorage), to expand the ability for speech-language pathologists, physical therapists, and occupational therapists to provide proof of disability for Alaskans to obtain special disability plates for vehicles. Many disabled Alaskans are closer to their physical or occupational […]
ANCHORAGE – Last Friday, a panel of three judges of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued its decision in Thompson v. Hebdon that Alaska’s campaign contribution limits violated the First Amendment of the United States Constitution. Today, the Alaska Senate Democrats sent a letter to Governor Mike Dunleavy urging him to direct the […]
ANCHORAGE – Today, Governor Dunleavy issued his vetoes of the Fiscal Year 2022 budgets. Many of the vetoes contained services and projects that had bipartisan and bicameral support in the legislature. These vetoes include public broadcasting, pre-Kindergarten grants, Alaska Marine Highway, front-line social workers, tourism, and the Permanent Fund Dividend, among other essential services. Members […]
JUNEAU – Wednesday, the Alaska State Legislature passed Senate Bill 76 by Senator Jesse Kiehl (D-Juneau), which shortens the wait for private property owners to dispose of abandoned vehicles. Current law requires a person to live with an abandoned car in their driveway or on their lot for six months before starting the legal process […]
An Income Tax Seeks to be Part of a Balanced Solution to Alaska’s Budget Deficit JUNEAU – Today, Senator Tom Begich (D-Anchorage) introduced legislation to establish a flat five percent income tax based on your federal tax rate. Senate Bill 100 would generate new state revenue from residents and non-residents earning an income in […]
Wednesday evening, Governor Dunleavy spoke directly to Alaskans that he will not issue a new COVID-19 disaster declaration, despite his willingness to issue new disaster declarations in the past. Senator Tom Begich (D-Anchorage), the Senate Democratic Leader, issued the following statement: “These are challenging times. In the past, the Governor has seen fit to […]
ANCHORAGE – With the recent killings of George Floyd, Trayvon Martin, Breonna Taylor, Sandra Bland, Tony McDade (and so many others), the nation has drawn even greater attention to the use of police force, particularly within the Black, Indigenous, and People of Color communities. Last week, Senator Elvi Gray-Jackson (D-Anchorage) pre-filed legislation to address this […]
JUNEAU – On Tuesday, Governor Mike Dunleavy, Department of Health and Social Services Commissioner Adam Crum, and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Anne Zink extended Health Mandate 5, which postpones and cancels non-urgent or elective procedures until June 15, 2020. The Administration also included an attachment listing which types of surgeries must be delayed based […]