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For both sides, abortion policy two years after Dobbs decision hinges on November
WASHINGTON — Exactly two years after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to an abortion, the battles rage among both advocates and lawmakers over the future of reproductive rights at the state and federal levels. Anti-abortion groups that have achieved considerable success in deep-red parts of the country are working to sway voters […] The post For both sides, abortion policy two years after Dobbs decision hinges on November appeared first on Alaska Beacon.
Alaska foster families get another year of fully funded child care
State officials have alerted foster parents that Alaska health and community services agencies will take over the costs of a federal program that fully funds their child care after the pandemic-era money ends in July. The news is a boon to the foster system, which foster families and child care providers say has struggled to […] The post Alaska foster families get another year of fully funded child care appeared first on Alaska Beacon.
Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority leader will resign July 5
The leader of the Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority, one of the state’s largest landholders, is resigning effective July 5, he told the trust’s board on Thursday. Steve Williams has been CEO of the $500 million public corporation for two years and has worked for the organization in a variety of roles since 2005. The […] The post Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority leader will resign July 5 appeared first on Alaska Beacon.
Don’t give up on the FAFSA, advocates for student financial aid urge
Though the new version of the form to apply for federal financial student aid has had its fair share of highly publicized hiccups, U.S. Under Secretary of Education James Kvaal says the department has made a lot of progress in the past couple of months. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid — better known […] The post Don’t give up on the FAFSA, advocates for student financial aid urge appeared first on Alaska Beacon.
Nearly $12 million headed to Alaska in latest infusion of fishery-disaster aid
The federal government is sending nearly $12 million to Alaska to address salmon fishery disasters on the Kuskokwim River and in Upper Cook Inlet, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo announced on Friday. The aid money is for disasters declared for the 2022 chum salmon failure on the Kuskokwim River and the 2021-2022 sockeye salmon failure that […] The post Nearly $12 million headed to Alaska in latest infusion of fishery-disaster aid appeared first on Alaska Beacon.
State judge upholds most fines against group seeking repeal of Alaska ranked choice voting
An Anchorage Superior Court judge has ruled that opponents of Alaska’s ranked choice election system violated state campaign finance laws in their effort to gather signatures for a repeal ballot measure. In a 54-page order, Judge Laura Hartz upheld almost all fines issued in January by the state’s campaign finance regulator and concluded that Alaska’s […] The post State judge upholds most fines against group seeking repeal of Alaska ranked choice voting appeared first on Alaska Beacon.
U.S. Supreme Court upholds law that prevents domestic abusers from owning guns
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Supreme Court Friday upheld a federal law that bars people subject to domestic violence restraining orders from owning a firearm. In an 8-1 decision on United States v. Rahimi, Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in the opinion that “our Nation’s firearm laws have included provisions preventing individuals who threaten physical harm […] The post U.S. Supreme Court upholds law that prevents domestic abusers from owning guns appeared first on Alaska Beacon.
National Park Service drafting plan that might allow fire-prevention work in coastal Alaska units
National parks located along Alaska’s coast might clear away some trees or even light fires to limit wildfire damage to important resources like visitor facilities, under a plan being considered by the National Park Service. The plan is for five coastal parks units: Kenai Fjords National Park on the Kenai Peninsula; Glacier Bay National Park […] The post National Park Service drafting plan that might allow fire-prevention work in coastal Alaska units appeared first on Alaska Beacon.
Sitka and Juneau residents propose hard caps on cruise ships as tourism grows
On Tuesday a group of Sitka residents submitted a proposed cruise-ship-limiting ballot measure to city officials for legal review. Two days later, in Juneau, a different group of Alaskans submitted the last batch of signatures needed to put a different limit on the local ballot this fall. With as many as 1.6 million cruise ship […] The post Sitka and Juneau residents propose hard caps on cruise ships as tourism grows appeared first on Alaska Beacon.
U.S. Supreme Court may consider Alaska’s ‘dark money’ disclosure rules
Opponents of an Alaska law that requires the disclosure of “dark money” political donors are asking the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn the law. A group of Republican and Republican-leaning plaintiffs filed a petition with the high court last week. Under Alaska law, donors are required to disclose the “true source” of large contributions from […] The post U.S. Supreme Court may consider Alaska’s ‘dark money’ disclosure rules appeared first on Alaska Beacon.
Alaska’s food stamp program rebound continues with more users, timely benefits
After years of backlogged applications kept thousands of Alaskans from accessing food aid, the state’s health department appears to be maintaining the program’s recovery. State officials said they overcame the backlog in March. Deb Etheridge, director of the Division of Public Assistance, said the agency is processing roughly 90% of its Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program […] The post Alaska’s food stamp program rebound continues with more users, timely benefits appeared first on Alaska Beacon.
Democrats stress reproductive rights in fight for control of Congress, White House
WASHINGTON — Top Democratic campaign officials Thursday pressed their case for control of Congress and the White House by pointing toward the upcoming two-year anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court overturning the constitutional right to an abortion. More than a dozen Democrats also introduced legislation in Congress to prevent a future Republican administration from using […] The post Democrats stress reproductive rights in fight for control of Congress, White House appeared first on Alaska Beacon.
The number of job openings has declined sharply in every state
The number of job openings has declined sharply in every state since 2022, better aligning the numbers of unfilled jobs and people seeking work. Nationally, for the first time since before the pandemic, the number of job openings and unemployed people is roughly in balance: a little more than one opening per person looking for […] The post The number of job openings has declined sharply in every state appeared first on Alaska Beacon.
Federal judge considers lawsuit that could decide Alaska tribes’ ability to put land into trust
This month, hundreds of Tlingit, Tsimshian and Haida tribal members gathered in Juneau for Celebration, a four-day, biennial cultural festival. As they walked to Juneau’s convention center, attendees passed a black banner advocating “LandBack,” or the return of land to Alaska Native tribes. Hundreds of miles away, in Anchorage, a federal judge is considering a […] The post Federal judge considers lawsuit that could decide Alaska tribes’ ability to put land into trust appeared first on Alaska Beacon.
Swing-state legislatures diverge on election-year gun measures
Read more Stateline coverage of the 2024 election. States continued to diverge on gun policy this year, with especially intense debate in the swing states that will decide November’s election. In Michigan, legislators are considering at least half a dozen gun bills that would create storage requirements and establish gun-free zones. In Pennsylvania, lawmakers are still debating […] The post Swing-state legislatures diverge on election-year gun measures appeared first on Alaska Beacon.
On Juneteenth, Gov. Dunleavy weighs adding a new legal holiday for Alaska
As Alaska celebrates Juneteenth this Wednesday, Gov. Mike Dunleavy is weighing whether to sign a bill to make it a legal holiday in Alaska. Dunleavy has until early July to make a decision on Senate Bill 22. If he approves the measure, it will automatically go into effect for 2025. Juneteenth, a portmanteau of “June” […] The post On Juneteenth, Gov. Dunleavy weighs adding a new legal holiday for Alaska appeared first on Alaska Beacon.
Alaska faces consequences as federal education funding equity dispute continues
A dispute between Alaska’s education officials and their federal counterparts over whether the state spent pandemic relief equitably has had its first tangible consequence: the state must receive a federal OK before it can spend nearly $1 million in grants. The United States Department of Education has put restrictions on the money in addition to […] The post Alaska faces consequences as federal education funding equity dispute continues appeared first on Alaska Beacon.
Want to run for President in Alaska? You’ll need a few thousand friends.
On Friday, supporters of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. turned in more than 5,900 signatures to the Alaska Division of Elections, hoping to get the independent presidential candidate on this fall’s ballot. If successful, Kennedy will join Cornel West as the only independent candidates on Alaska’s presidential ballot thus far. Under state law and regulation, if […] The post Want to run for President in Alaska? You’ll need a few thousand friends. appeared first on Alaska Beacon.
Excavating data from digs done decades ago and connecting with today’s communities
The ancestors of Alaska Native people began using local copper sources to craft intricate tools roughly 1,000 years ago. Over one-third of all copper objects archaeologists have found in this region were excavated at a single spot, named the Gulkana Site. This is the site I’ve studied for the past four years as a Ph.D. […] The post Excavating data from digs done decades ago and connecting with today’s communities appeared first on Alaska Beacon.
Disabled Alaskans encountered barriers in recent elections, Justice Department investigation finds
Alaska failed to accommodate people with disabilities who were trying to cast votes in various 2022 and 2023 elections, a violation of federal law, the U.S. Justice Department said on Tuesday. The findings, described in a letter to the Alaska Division of Elections, resulted from an investigation spurred by voter complaints, the Justice Department said. […] The post Disabled Alaskans encountered barriers in recent elections, Justice Department investigation finds appeared first on Alaska Beacon.
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Alaska Beacon is an independent, nonpartisan news organization focused on connecting Alaskans to their state government. Alaska, like many states, has seen a decline in the coverage of state news. We aim to reverse that. Our name comes from the first verse of the Alaska Flag Song: “The great North Star with its steady light, O'er land and sea a beacon bright.” Our journalists report fairly and fearlessly on the people and interests that determine state policy. We do not serve any political party or private interest. We support the ability of all Alaskans to participate in the political process. We provide accurate, factual reporting. We promptly correct errors. If you see one, let us know. Beacon reporters explore how state policies affect specific areas like the economy and environment, education, health, and criminal and social justice. We aim to tell stories that aren’t being told, to bring fresh perspectives to state issues and to amplify the voices of Alaska communities that have been marginalized. Alaska Beacon provides a forum for commentary on state issues, with a goal of elevating policy conversations. These commentaries don’t come from our reporters and are labeled differently than our news reporting. Read our submission guidelines here. To do our jobs, we rely solely on the donations of those who value independent journalism. We welcome other news organizations to republish our work, and ask that they credit us. Alaska Beacon is an affiliate of States Newsroom, a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit supported by grants and a coalition of donors and readers. Our editorial decisions are made inside Alaska by Alaska journalists.
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