Articles written by james brooks
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Alaska Native leaders praise court decision in adoptions case
Alaska Native leaders and the state of Alaska have hailed the U.S. Supreme Court decision upholding the constitutionality of the Indian Child Welfare Act. The ruling preserves a 35-year-old law intended to address the harm caused by the federal... Full story
Group wants to place campaign limits initiative before voters
The group that brought ranked-choice voting to Alaska elections is now seeking to restrict big campaign donations after a federal appeals court erased the state’s prior limits. Alaskans for Better Elections submitted a proposed ballot measure to t... Full story
Legislature approved lower than usual number of bills this session
Alaska’s legislative session ended last month, and Gov. Mike Dunleavy has yet to consider most of the 31 bills passed by both House and Senate this spring. The Legislature’s 31 bills are the third fewest of any first-year session since sta... Full story
State school board starts process to ban transgender girls from girls sports
Alaska’s state school board has voted almost unanimously to advance a proposed regulation that would bar transgender girls from playing on girls’ high school sports teams in the state. The vote opens a 30-day public comment period. After that per... Full story
Alaska will remain in nationwide anti-voter fraud network
The state of Alaska will keep its membership in the Electronic Registration Information Center, a nonprofit network that helps states keep track of registered voters and reduce fraud, an official at the Alaska Division of Elections confirmed June 7.... Full story
U.S. Supreme Court limits EPA jurisdiction to regulate wetlands
A new ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court likely exempts large areas of wetlands in Alaska from federal regulation under the Clean Water Act, a decision that has alarmed environmentalists and could speed road construction, mining and other development... Full story
State Supreme Court rules against Dunleavy administration in union lawsuit
The Alaska Supreme Court has affirmed that the state will not be allowed to go ahead with a plan intended to make it more difficult for state employees to participate in a union. In a ruling released Friday, the court upheld and confirmed a... Full story
Legislation would allow subscription-style health care services
Alaskans would be able to more easily get subscription-style health care from their doctor or dentist if a bill passed by the Alaska Senate last week moves through the House next year and becomes law. Under a “direct health care agreement,” also cal... Full story
Legislation could expand availability of at-home care for seniors and disabled
Senior citizens and people with disabilities who need extra care would be able to get help at home under a bill passed by the Alaska Legislature and on its way to the governor for signature into law. The state House voted 39-1 to approve Senate Bill... Full story
No budget deal on PFD as Legislature enters final week
With a week remaining in Alaska’s regular legislative session, leading lawmakers say they still haven’t reached agreement on a deal to finish the state budget and end the session on time. “We are meeting daily with the Senate … just working on find... Full story
Public calling in to testify overwhelm Capitol phone lines
The Alaska Legislature is changing some procedures after Capitol phone lines became overloaded by public testimony for a record fifth time this year. The Capitol’s phones reached capacity on May 2, during a hearing about a bill that intends to r... Full story
Legislation would allow faster decisions on state timber sales
A bill advancing in the Alaska Legislature would dramatically shorten the time needed to authorize logging of some state-owned lands, shrinking approval time from years to days in the most extreme cases. Proponents say the bill will alleviate fire da... Full story
Senators acknowledge no change this year in public employee retirement plan
As public employees rallied in front of the Alaska Capitol last week, demanding reinstatement of a pension system the Legislature abolished 18 years ago, leading members of the state Senate said their request was unlikely to be fulfilled this year.... Full story
Legislation would require parental approval of student lesson plans
Parents of Alaska public school students would be required to OK every lesson taught by their child’s teacher under newly revised legislation approved by the House Education Committee, but which is not expected to pass the Legislature this year. W... Full story
Governor says new taxes should be part of any fiscal plan
Gov. Mike Dunleavy, once a staunch opponent of tax increases, said last Thursday that they are now a core part of any long-term state fiscal plan. Speaking in a news conference, the governor said there is a broad recognition in the Legislature and in... Full story
Severe staff shortage delays state approval of occupational licenses
After waiting six months for a license to operate, an Anchorage psychologist asked Senate Majority Leader Cathy Giessel for help. But when the Anchorage Republican called the licensing office, she was greeted by voicemail. The person in charge of... Full story
Kenai borough settles third workplace complaint against former mayor
Former Republican governor candidate and Kenai Peninsula Borough Mayor Charlie Pierce will not have to pay out of his pocket to settle a sexual harassment lawsuit brought by a former aide. The borough assembly, meeting on April 18, said the borough... Full story
Murkowski visits Ukraine, meets with President Zelenskyy
Sen. Lisa Murkowski on April 12 became the first member of Alaska’s congressional delegation to visit Ukraine since the Russian invasion of that country 14 months ago. The Alaska Republican joined two Democrats — Sen. Joe Manchin of West Vir...
Judge denies opponents' request to halt major North Slope oil project
A federal court judge on April 3 ruled against environmental groups seeking to block preliminary construction of the Willow oil project on Alaska’s North Slope. The decision allows ConocoPhillips, the project developer, to begin digging a gravel m... Full story
Legislators introduce tax bills amid forecasts of long-term budget deficits
The Alaska Legislature is preparing to examine two new tax proposals after a state revenue forecast showed significant long-term budget deficits even with a sharply reduced Permanent Fund dividend. One proposal, introduced Friday by Anchorage... Full story
Anti-discrimination bill gets first hearing in state House committee
Dozens of Alaskans testified in the state Capitol on March 20, urging lawmakers to advance a new anti-discrimination measure that would protect Alaskans from being denied housing or access to public accommodations because of their sexual orientation... Full story
Legislators consider multiple PFD proposals amid growing interest to solve the problem
A crowded field of proposals to address the annual debate over the amount of the Permanent Fund dividend became even more so on Friday as the Senate Finance Committee proposed a new formula for setting the payment. In the first 60 days of the 2023... Full story
Walgreens will not sell abortion pills in Alaska, at request of state attorney general
Following criticism from Alaska Attorney General Treg Taylor, the nationwide pharmacy chain Walgreens will not seek to sell the abortion-inducing drug mifepristone in Alaska, the company said earlier this month. Though abortion is legal in Alaska,... Full story
Alaska Airlines salmon 737 will make final run to Wrangell
Alaska Airlines will paint over "Salmon Thirty Salmon," the custom Boeing 737 that looks like a 129-foot-long Alaska king salmon, the company confirmed Feb. 27. Tim Thompson, director of public... Full story
Moving magna prompts observers to install monitors on Mount Edgecumbe
The Alaska Volcano Observatory is planning to install a series of seismic instruments on Mount Edgecumbe near Sitka after preliminary measurements showed magma moving deep below the Mount Fuji-shaped... Full story