The Alaska Beacon is an independent, nonpartisan news organization focused on connecting Alaskans to their state government. Our journalists fairly and fearlessly report on the people and interests that determine state policy.

5 days ago · Salary board recommends automatic pay changes for Alaska governor, legislators, top officials BY: James Brooks - January 30, 2025 A state commission is recommending automatic inflation-driven raises and salary cuts for Alaska’s governor, lieutenant governor, members of the state Legislature and top officials at state agencies.

4 days ago · Seven years ago, heavy tariffs levied by President Donald Trump against China triggered a trade war that crimped Alaska’s seafood exports and left fishermen with less money for their catches.. On Saturday, a second round of Trump tariffs is scheduled to take effect, and the impact on Alaska is expected to be even bigger than it was in his first term.

22 hours ago · The state of Alaska is bringing in less money than it is spending, and is on pace to finish the current fiscal year with a deficit of $171 million, according to figures presented Tuesday.. Lacey Sanders, Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s top budget official, told the Senate Finance Committee that spending from the Constitutional Budget Reserve likely will be needed to close the gap.

6 days ago · A state commission is recommending automatic inflation-driven raises and salary cuts for Alaska’s governor, lieutenant governor, members of the state Legislature and top officials at state agencies. The recommendation, approved by the three members of the State Officers Compensation Commission on ...

Nov 19, 2024 · In a panel discussion at last week’s Resource Development Council for Alaska annual conference in Anchorage, Bundrant pointed to the recently announced Russian decision to increase its allowable catch of pollock by 7% to 2.46 million metric tons. The Russian quota decision ran counter to advice from some scientists and pleas from some Russian fishing groups worried about low prices in a ...

Jan 11, 2025 · In all, the Alaska seafood industry lost $1.8 billion from 2022 to 2023, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.. Those problems inspired the creation of the task force last spring. The group has been meeting regularly since the summer.. The draft recommendations that have emerged from the task force’s work address marketing, product development, workforce shortages ...

Nov 6, 2024 · Alaska voters favored a ballot measure backed by labor unions by a margin of 12.46 percentage points with roughly 70% of the ballots counted early Wednesday.

Jan 14, 2025 · Two health-related bills that faced unusual deaths in last year’s session of the Alaska Legislature have been resurrected as new bills for lawmakers to consider this session. A list of bills filed before the start of the session as of Friday includes a measure sponsored by Rep. Andrew Gray, D ...

Oct 18, 2024 · A sign outside of a McDonald's restaurant in Midtown Anchorage, seen on Oct. 7, advertises openings for jobs that pay up to $16 an hour. Voters will decide the fate of a ballot measure that would set a $15-an-hour minimum wage …