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Table of Contents
Alaska’s Permanent Fund
Alaska Industry
Council for a Secure America Highlights Alaska’s Pivotal Role in U.S. Energy Dominance and National Security
By Todd Lindley
State lawmakers and staff gathered today for a lunch-and-learn briefing hosted by Representative Kevin McCabe’s (R-Big Lake) office featuring the Council for a Secure America (CSA). The session underscored Alaska’s longstanding contribution to American energy independence and its strategic importance amid ongoing Middle East tensions, including Iranian missile strikes on U.S. allies and Abraham Accords partners.
Staffer Elesheva Almeida welcomed attendees, noting the informal setting while emphasizing Alaska’s “very unique role” in global stability and energy. Executive Director Jennifer Sutton of CSA, delivered a detailed historical and geopolitical overview. Sutton traced the origins of U.S. energy policy to the 1973 Yom Kippur War and Arab oil embargo, which quadrupled prices from $2.90 to $11.65 per barrel and exposed 35% import dependence, triggering gas lines, inflation, and recession.
House Finance Closes FY27 Budgets for Key Departments; Hears Industry Concerns on HB280 Digital Tax Overhaul
By Todd Lindley
The Alaska House Finance Committee wrapped up a marathon afternoon of subcommittee closeout reports and began formal hearings on House Bill 280, the state’s proposed shift to market-based sourcing for corporate income taxes.
David Jiang, staff to Rep. Alyse Galvin (NA-Anchorage), presented the Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development (DCCED) closeout totaling $197,193,100 for FY27. The subcommittee achieved a net-zero change from the governor’s amended request by boosting Unrestricted General Funds (UGF) $2.1 million (13.2%) while trimming Designated General Funds (DGF) by the same amount. Positions stayed flat at 596. Key accepted increments included $2,238,800 UGF to restore Alaska Gasline Development Corporation (AGDC) operations and $1,306,200 UGF as stop-gap funding for the Railbelt Transmission Organization (RTO) until the Regulatory Commission of Alaska (RCA) finalizes its open-access tariff.
House Transportation: Alaska Railroad Highlights Self-Sustaining Model, LNG Readiness and Major Projects; Advance Northern Continental Corridor Resolution
By Todd Lindley
The Alaska House Transportation Committee received a detailed briefing today from Alaska Railroad Corporation (ARRC) leadership on the railroad’s unique public-corporation structure, operational performance, capital investments, and preparedness for the Alaska LNG project. The session also featured the introduction of House Joint Resolution 42 (HJR 42), which expresses legislative support for the Northern Continental Corridor (NCC) rail link to the Lower 48. The meeting underscored the ARRC’s role as a self-sustaining economic engine while spotlighting opportunities for expanded rail infrastructure amid federal defense priorities.
House Energy Committee: AEA Advances Bradley Lake Expansion, Secures $206.5M Federal Grant for Cook Inlet Power, and Highlights $41M REF Demand
By Todd Lindley
The Alaska House Energy Committee convened yesterday to receive a comprehensive update from the Alaska Energy Authority (AEA) on critical infrastructure projects, rural energy programs, and federal funding wins that are reshaping the state’s power landscape. Executive Director Curtis Thayer detailed progress on the Bradley Lake expansion, the Cook Inlet Power Link (CIP Link), the Power Cost Equalization (PCE) program serving 81,000 rural Alaskans, and Round 18 of the Renewable Energy Fund (REF), underscoring AEA’s role as a pivotal player in lowering costs and displacing fossil fuels.
Alaska Elections
Josh Church: It’s Time to Open Alaska Again
By Josh Church, Candidate for Lieutenant Governor
My family came to Alaska in 1935.
As I write this, I am looking at a family history book. On one page is a line that reads, “The New Home of John Church and Paul Nelson,” with the Matanuska Valley circled.
In May of 1935, my ancestors boarded a train headed west. They traveled to Seattle and then set sail for Alaska. Like hundreds of other families during the Great Depression, they came north because the territory was opening land and opportunity to people willing to work and build a life.
Shelley Hughes: Real Solutions, Real Support, and a Campaign Built for Alaska
By Shelley Hughes, Candidate for Governor
As the first round of campaign finance reports are released, I want to speak directly to Alaskans about what this campaign is—and what it is not.
From the beginning, my focus has been on Alaska: building a serious campaign team, meeting Alaskans in every region of our state, and developing real, workable policies to address the challenges we face. This campaign is about real solutions, not soundbites.
Alaska Education
Joint Education Committees Review Education Board’s 2026 Annual Report: Early Literacy Gains, Chronic Absenteeism, Teacher Turnover, and Data Dashboard Delays
By Todd Lindley
The House and Senate Education Committees convened a joint session to receive the Alaska State Board of Education and Early Development’s required 2026 annual report, covering January through December 2025. Presented by Board Chair Sally Stockhausen and Commissioner Dr. Deena Bishop, the briefing detailed progress under the five strategic priorities of Alaska’s Education Challenge while exposing persistent challenges in attendance, workforce stability, and public transparency.
House Education Committee Tackles Funding Woes: Waive H-1B Fees to BSA Increases
By Todd Lindley
The House Education Committee convened for a session that blended celebration of educational innovation with urgent legislative action. The meeting spotlighted Alaska’s 2026 Teacher of the Year, Pete Daley, and his groundbreaking “Girls in Welding” program before delving into three key pieces of legislation: House Joint Resolution 39 (HJR39), House Bill 261 (HB261), and House Bill 374 (HB374). These bills, while distinct in focus, are interconnected threads in a broader effort to stabilize Alaska’s public education system amid declining enrollment, rising costs, and persistent teacher shortages. HJR39 addresses international teacher recruitment by easing H-1B visa fees, HB261 seeks to provide fiscal predictability through reformed student counting methods, and HB374 proposes a direct infusion of funds via an increase in the Base Student Allocation (BSA).
Structural Chokepoints in Alaska K-12 Part 4: GO Bonds
By Michael Tavoliero
In larger cities, the ceiling on reform is reinforced by school general obligation (GO) bond debt. Major school projects are financed with voter‑approved GO bonds backed by the municipality’s full faith and credit and repaid through dedicated property taxes. Once issued, debt service becomes a hard, non‑discretionary claim on the tax base.
At the same time, school operations are locked into PERA’s mandatory bargaining regime and governed by boards elected in low‑turnout, off‑cycle elections. Labor costs, which dominate operating budgets, cannot be structurally renegotiated outside PERA, while GO bond obligations keep debt and mill rates near their caps, pre‑committing a large share of every education dollar to long‑term debt service and a state‑mandated labor framework voters cannot change.
Structural Chokepoints in Alaska K-12 Part 3: Reform Recycling
By Michael Tavoliero
The 2009 Alaska Education Plan and the 2018 Alaska Education Challenge look, on paper, like serious efforts to rethink K–12. The Plan billed itself as the state’s “first blueprint for public education,” promising a vision to guide spending and give citizens a basis for accountability. The Education Challenge, adopted nine years later, promised to “transform our public education system” around three commitments: increasing student success, supporting responsible and reflective learners, and cultivating safety and well‑being.
Alaska Politics
House Finance Committee Scrutinizes SB 64 Election Reforms
By Todd Lindley
The Alaska House Finance Committee spent more than an hour questioning sponsors and the Division of Elections on SB 64, the sweeping elections reform package aimed at expanding ballot curing and tightening voter roll maintenance. The discussion revealed deep operational and legal concerns, particularly for rural Alaskans, around data privacy, and practical feasibility over ambitious deadlines.
House Grapples with HB 289 Supplemental Funding: Clash on CBR Draw as Bill Returns to Rules Committee
By Todd Lindley
The Alaska House of Representatives convened for a full session debate over Senate amendments to HB 289, a critical supplemental budget measure. What began as a near-unanimous concurrence vote quickly unraveled when the required supermajority for a Constitutional Budget Reserve (CBR) draw failed, prompting leadership to rescind the action and return the bill to the Rules Committee.
Anchorage Politics
Anchorage Volunteers Needed to Process Nearly 2,000 Tax Assessment Appeals
By Natalie Spaulding
This year’s property tax assessments caused quite an uproar in the Municipality of Anchorage. Many residents saw their property valuations rise significantly with little to no apparent reason. Some residents noted suspiciously targeted assessments that seem to favor politicians. Residents’ frustration resulted in 1,953 appeals submitted to the Anchorage Assembly.
No Major Homeless Camps in Anchorage for First Time in Over a Decade
By Natalie Spaulding
According to a recent press release from Anchorage Assembly Chair Christopher Constant, Anchorage has eliminated major homeless encampments in the city for the first time in over a decade.
Facts and Figures
Poll Results: LNG Matters Most
We asked you what legislative coverage you want more of. Here are the results:
Alaska LNG: 46 votes
HB 124: AIDEA Accountability Act: 40 votes
State budget/ Governor's fiscal plan: 21 votes
HB 78: Defined benefits: 20 votes
Alaska Education: 18 votes
Alaska Healthcare: 15 votes
SJR 2: Limiting the governor's veto power: 8 votes
Key Industry Numbers
Alaska Oil: $87.77 per barrel
Alaska Residential Gas Price: $13.95/kcf
Henry Hub Weekly Spot: $3.25/mmBTU
Alaska North Slope Production: 474,437 barrels per day
Permanent Fund (Principal + Earnings Reserve): ~$87.4 billion
Must Read Alaska Show
We hope to get our podcast back up and running in the near future. Plus, we are continuing to develop our sortable audio-files for easy listening of or stories.
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Thank you for reading! Until next time,
The MRAK Team
A Force for Good