Alaska Politics & News
Alaska politics and news from The Daily Signal, featuring coverage of natural resource debates, state sovereignty issues, and the Last Frontier’s unique role in American energy independence.
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America Needs Oil Exploration in Alaska
America faces an energy emergency—namely, a weakening electricity grid with the potential for blackouts. That’s why President Donald Trump has proposed rescinding a Biden-era rule that closed the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska to oil and natural gas exploration, after allowing exploration in the Arctic National Wildlife Reserve earlier this year. Current U.S. electricity supplies…Diana Furchtgott-Roth -
Alaska Medical Board Recommends ‘Statutory Limits’ on Gender Transition Procedures for Minors
“The Alaska State Medical Board opposes hormonal and surgical treatments for gender dysphoria in minors due to insufficient evidence of long-term benefits and risks of irreversible harm,” the board told the state Legislature on March 21, reporting a resolution it unanimously adopted at its March 20 meeting. “The Board urges members of the legislature to consider statutory…Joshua Arnold -
Republican on Way to Defeating Incumbent Democrat in Race for Alaska House Seat
Republican challenger Nick Begich was leading incumbent Democrat Mary Peltola in the race for Alaska’s sole seat in the U.S. House of Representatives by a margin of 50.1% to 44.8% in unofficial results. About 59% of the vote had been counted at 3:30 a.m. ET Wednesday. The Alaska race attracted over $40 million in contributions,…Christina Lewis -
How Biden-Harris Admin Undermined Alaska’s Energy Production
Take a hard look at the Biden-Harris administration’s energy policy, which requires critical minerals yet bans their production in Alaska. One word comes to mind: contradictory. Consider the Biden-Harris administration’s policy projecting that 68% of all new cars sold to be battery electric or plug-in hybrid by 2032. Electric vehicles require six times more minerals…Austin Gae -
ARCTIC MENACE: Chinese, Russian Operations off Coast of Alaska
Rear Adm. Megan Dean, the commander of the 17th Coast Guard District, reported earlier this month that China has demonstrated increased interest in the Arctic where—for the first time—China’s coast guard has been operating in the Bering Sea, not far from the coast of Alaska. Specifically, two Chinese coast guard vessels, accompanied by two Russian…Elizabeth Lapporte -
Alaska Democrat Voted Against Parental Rights Bill While Taking Tens of Thousands from Anti-Parent Orgs
A member of Congress from Alaska voted against a bill allowing parents to access the curriculum at their children's school while accepting thousands from groups that support schools hiding gender identity from parents. Democratic Rep. Mary Peltola voted against the Parents Bill of Rights Act in March 2023, which would have required schools to allow…Elizabeth Troutman Mitchell -
Russian and Chinese Military Activity Near Alaska Is ‘Becoming More Frequent,’ Gov. Mike Dunleavy Warns
ANCHORAGE, Alaska—The U.S. military is responding after Russia and China increased their military activity near Alaska. The U.S. military deployed 130 Army airborne soldiers with mobile rocket launchers earlier this month to the Aleutian Islands of western Alaska. The action comes after Russia and China conducted joint military exercises close to Alaska. “There’s been naval…Virginia Allen -
Biden’s Ill-Advised Alaska Oil Ban Bodes Continued Pain at Pump
Earth Day is Monday, and once again President Joe Biden is putting the American people last and environmentalists first with Friday’s actions making swaths of Alaska off limits to the development of oil, natural gas, and critical minerals. America’s air is getting cleaner every year, and carbon emissions have declined by 1,000 million metric…Diana Furchtgott-Roth -
Unfriendly Skies: Flight Attendants Fired for Opposing Radical Equality Act Sue Alaska Airlines
Two flight attendants are fighting back after Alaska Airlines fired them because they dared to question the validity of the proposed federal Equality Act in a company forum. First Liberty Institute on Tuesday filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of Marli Brown and Lacey Smith on grounds of religious discrimination with the Equal Employment Opportunity…Nicole Russell -
Alaska Shouldn’t Undo 16 Years and Counting of Fiscal Responsibility
Sixteen years ago, Alaska enacted a commonsense, fiscally responsible pension reform bill that put new hires into a defined contribution pension plan as opposed to the state’s woefully underfunded Illinois-style defined benefit pension system. That’s been a win for workers who now have greater certainty about the value of their retirement accounts and accumulated real…Rachel Greszler -
The Alaska Pebble Mine Project Has Been Held Up for Years. Science, Not Politics, Should Guide the Approval Process.
A battle over a proposed copper and gold mine in Alaska that has lasted more than a decade took another turn recently as the Army Corps of Engineers pressed pause on a permit for the project to move forward. The Army Corps’ letter to Pebble Limited Partnership did not kill the project, but requires additional…Nicolas Loris -
Alaska Governor Shares His Vision to Keep Government in Check
Is Alaska a model of success for the rest of the country? Virginia Allen speaks with Alaska Gov. Michael Dunleavy, who took office in December 2018. Dunleavy, a Republican, talks about how he is working to make the state more fiscally responsible, why he sent National Guard troops from Alaska to the U.S.-Mexico border, and…Virginia Allen -
Podcast: Alaska Attorney General Talks Workers’ Rights
Two years ago, the Supreme Court handed down a major ruling in the Janus decision. That decision freed up public-sector workers from having to pay unions against their will. But since then, a lot of states haven’t been complying—and unions have fought back. Alaska is leading the charge in the opposite direction—bringing its state into…Katrina Trinko -
Alaska Moves to Comply With Supreme Court on Deducting Union Dues
Alaska’s labor policies need a “course correction” to ensure the First Amendment rights of public employees are protected under a recent Supreme Court ruling, the state’s attorney general has told Gov. Michael Dunleavy in a legal opinion. Because public sector employers no longer are permitted to deduct labor union dues or fees from an employee’s…Kevin Mooney -
EPA’s Reversal on Alaska’s Pebble Mine a Victory for Regulatory Process
For more than a decade, the owners of Alaska’s Pebble Mine just wanted a shot at going through the permitting phase of the project. But before the mine’s owners could even submit a permit application, the federal government in effect said, “Don’t bother.” The Environmental Protection Agency, however, announced last Wednesday its intention to withdraw…Nicolas Loris -
Why Lisa Murkowski’s Senate Vote Preserving Obamacare Riles Alaska Conservatives
Some Republicans in Alaska are frustrated that one of their own broke ranks to vote with Senate Democrats against repealing Obamacare. Lisa Murkowski, Alaska’s senior U.S. senator, was one of three Republicans to join forces with Democrats to defeat the Senate bill that would have prompted a conference with the House on how to repeal…Rachel del Guidice -
Alaska Court’s Ruling on Abortion and Parental Notification Hurts Teens
Hillary Kieft grew worried when her daughter didn’t arrive from school on the bus as usual. After she called the school to find out what was wrong, a school nurse pulled into her driveway with the daughter (let’s call her “Kelly”) in tow. The nurse explained that she had taken Kelly for counseling after school,…Jana Minich -
Why These Women Want to Repeal an LGBT Law in Alaska’s Biggest City
A gender identity law in Anchorage, Alaska, has met with opposition from a dozen women who say they are concerned about safety and privacy in bathrooms and locker rooms. The group—made up of mothers, sisters, aunts, grandmothers, and wives—submitted an application to Anchorage officials for a ballot question to repeal the law, which grants protected status to those…Leah Jessen -
Alaska Legislature to Sue Governor Over Unilateral Medicaid Expansion
The Alaska Legislature will sue Gov. Bill Walker in an effort to prevent him from unilaterally expanding Medicaid in the state. Christie Herrera, a senior fellow at The Foundation for Government Accountability, told The Daily Signal in an interview that the lawsuit is about “separation of powers.” “Who holds the power of the purse?” Herrera…Kate Scanlon -
Alaska Governor Expanding Medicaid Despite Objections From Legislature
Alaska’s governor said Thursday he was using his executive authority to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act after failing to get the state legislature to sign off on providing the coverage. Independent Gov. Bill Walker’s announcement seats Alaska as the 30th state to expand Medicaid coverage. The independent governor said his state could not…Natalie Johnson