Dear readers,
Which branch of the Alaska state government is most off course?
Last week we asked, “Which of these conservative values matters most to you: 1) ordered liberty/ the rule of law/ backing the blue, 2) limited government, 3) constitutional Integrity/ rejection of liberal reinterpretation, or 4) pro-life, pro-family social values.” Check out the Facts and Figures section for the results!
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The Must Read Alaska Show is back! And this is just the beginning. No longer a one-man band, we are turning the Must Read Alaska show into a podcast network where you can listen to a variety of conservative hosts. Todd Lindley is kicking us off with a conversation with Anchorage Assembly Candidate Brian Flynn. Check it out below!
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Table of Contents
Essential Conversations
SB 277 Analysis: A Line-By-Line Look at Senate’s “Veto-Proof” Education Bill
By Natalie Spaulding
Senate Bill 277 has drawn widespread attention from Alaskans, generating debate that appears largely split along political lines with conservatives opposing the bill and liberals supporting it. However, according to leaders in the Alaska Senate Majority, the bill has been specifically designed to draw support from both sides of the aisle in order to prevent a governor’s veto. SB 277 contains several amendments and additions to existing education law. Determining what is good and what is bad in the bill requires critical examination.
Alaska Industry
Senate Resources Committee Holds SB 275 in Abeyance Pending Economic Data in LNG Surcharge Debate
By Todd Lindley
The Senate Resources Committee continued its detailed review of SB 275, which proposes a 15-cent-per-MMBtu processing surcharge on LNG export volumes alongside adjustments to natural gas project taxation. Over two sessions, consultants from Gaffney Cline provided illustrative modeling on project economics, tax comparisons, and the surcharge’s potential impacts, while members repeatedly highlighted the absence of firm financial data. The committee ultimately set the bill aside.
House Resources Committee Advances HJR 44 and Receives Alaska LNG Update:
By Todd Lindley
The House Resources Committee convened a dual-purpose session emphasizing Alaska’s economic foundations and future energy security. Lawmakers first advanced HJR 44, affirming support for Alaska Native Corporations’ participation in the SBA 8(a) program, before receiving a detailed update on the Alaska LNG project from developer Glenfarne.
Co-Chair Rep. Robyn Frier (D-Utiqgvik) called the meeting to order and shifted its agenda to prioritize HJR 44, a resolution from the Resources Committee itself. Sarah Snowberger, Chief of Staff to Co-Chair Rep. Maxine Dibert (D-Fairbanks), presented the measure.
Alaska Politics
House Finance Conference Committee Tightens FY26 Supplemental CBR Draw Language and $20 Million Headroom
By Todd Lindley
The conference committee for HB 289, the FY26 supplemental appropriations bill, wrapped up its work with an emphasis on fiscal discipline and targeted use of the Constitutional Budget Reserve (CBR). Lawmakers adopted House positions across nearly all departments, refined controversial CBR draw language to limit headroom to $20 million, and reported the conference committee substitute out with individual recommendations.
Opinion: CSSB 64 Makes It Easy to Vote, Hard to Cheat
By State Representative Sarah Vance
For nearly a decade, election policy in Alaska has been defined more by debate than results. Over the past ten years, the Legislature has introduced 164 election-related bills and more than 40 resolutions, yet only three measures became law, and none significantly changed how Alaska conducts elections.
For Alaskans, that record has meant years of arguments without meaningful progress. Meanwhile, voters across the political spectrum want something simple: elections that are secure, transparent, and worthy of their trust. That is why the Legislature should pass the bipartisan committee substitute for Senate Bill 64.
Alaska Healthcare
Opinion: Three Ways to Lower Alaska’s Alarmingly High Healthcare Costs
By Zack Gottshall
Healthcare costs are soaring across the United States and they are especially punishing in Alaska. Healthcare services in Alaska’s largest cities cost roughly 50% more than in other major U.S. metros, and our state ranks second nationally in per-capita health spending, despite ranking far lower in per-capita income. That mismatch helps explain why more than a quarter of Alaskans say they are worried about affording care in the coming year.
Prescription drugs are a major part of that burden, particularly for rural Alaskans who already face limited pharmacy access, higher transportation costs, and fewer alternatives when prices rise.
Alaska Congressional Delegation
$145 Million Federal Investment in Alaska Aviation Safety
By Natalie Spaulding
In 2025, Alaska received $145 million from the federal government to invest in aviation safety. $25 million came from the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 which promises $25 million yearly for the Alaska Aviation Safety initiative until 2028. The remaining $120 million came from the Working Families Tax Cuts Act.
The investments will serve to accomplish several aviation safety goals: …
Congressman Begich Highlights Increased Investments, Jobs, and Revenue for Alaska
By Natalie Spaulding
The historic National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (NPR-A) oil and gas lease sale on March 18 this year is just the beginning of promised investment, job growth, and revenue increases for Alaska.
According to Congressman Nick Begich, major producers like ConocoPhillips, Exxon, and Shell are “stepping up because they see Alaska’s immense potential.” Driving new investments is Congress’s mandate of five NPR-A lease sales over the next decade. Begich emphasizes that this “means certainty” and certainty means better stability.
National News Impacting Alaskans
Opinion: Who to Believe, Donald Trump or Joe Kent?
By Greg Sarber
On March 17, Joe Kent resigned his position as the Director of the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC), saying, “Iran posed no imminent threat to our country, and that it was clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel”. He disagreed with President Trump, who said that Iran was close to having a nuclear weapon and could pose a threat to our country and our allies in the Middle East. From the outside, it is difficult to know who to believe. They both have access to information we do not, but there is enough public information available to shed light on this issue, so let’s examine the facts that we can verify.
Opinion: How Rome Destroyed Its Citizenship (And Why America is Next)
By Marcus Sterling
Emperor Caracalla issued the Constitutio Antoniniana in the year 212 AD. To the modern mind, marinated in egalitarian sentiment, this decree reads like a triumph of social justice.
By the stroke of an imperial stylus, every free man within the borders of the Roman Empire received full citizenship. The ultimate inclusion initiative.
It was also a scam.
Facts and Figures
Which of these conservative values matters most to you?
1) Ordered liberty/ The Rule of Law/ Backing the Blue: 42 Votes
2) Limited Government: 36 Votes
3) Constitutional Integrity/ Rejection of Liberal Reinterpretation: 41 Votes
4) Pro-life, Pro-Family Social Values: 13 Votes
Total Votes: 132
Key Industry Numbers
Alaska Oil: $105.78 per barrel
Alaska Residential Gas Price: $14.87/kcf
Henry Hub Weekly Spot: $2.94/mmBTU
Alaska North Slope Production: ~478,000 barrels per day
Permanent Fund (Principal + Earnings Reserve): ~$87.5 billion
Must Read Alaska Show: NEW EPISODE
In this must-listen episode, Todd Lindley sits down with Brian Flynn, the conservative private-sector candidate challenging incumbent Anna Brawley in the Anchorage Assembly District 3 West Anchorage rematch. Flynn pulls no punches on what residents are really seeing: 15-20 foot snow piles blocking cul-de-sacs while officials claim victory, skyrocketing property taxes, a homelessness system that “recycles” people from winter shelters to summer streets, and crime ordinances that exist on paper but never get enforced.
Flynn lays out his bold, no-nonsense plan: a forensic spending audit before any new taxes, a centralized triage hub that actually matches people to the right help (not just the nearest bed), real accountability for APD, protection of the Eklutna Dam, and a push for the Railbelt gas line to keep energy affordable. He also shares his elevator pitch for why adventurous Alaskans should choose Anchorage — and why it’s time to bring private-sector discipline to City Hall.
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Thank you for reading! Until next time,
The MRAK Team
A Force for Good