Articles written by James Brooks
Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 28
K-12 funding increase takes first step forward in Alaska House
The Alaska House Education Committee voted 5-2 Wednesday morning to raise the amount Alaska pays K-12 schools per student, a figure known as the base... Full story
Testifiers support new Alaska housing anti-discrimination bill, sharing personal stories
Dozens of Alaskans testified in the state Capitol on Monday, urging lawmakers to advance a new anti-discrimination measure that would protect... Full story
New anti-discrimination bill proposes housing protections for more Alaskans
Anchorage Democratic Rep. Jennie Armstrong, one of three newly elected LGBTQ members of the Alaska Legislature, has introduced a new proposal to ban... Full story
Alaska legislators worry that killer whales and a federal judge may doom a key fishery
The Alaska House of Representatives voted 35-1 on Wednesday to approve a letter urging state and federal officials to fight a lawsuit that could shut... Full story
Alaska sends food aid to Ukraine, but state declines to act on investments
More than 90,000 pounds of canned Alaska pink salmon purchased and donated by the state of Alaska...
Report shows Alaska has almost eliminated its backlog of untested sexual assault evidence
Alaska’s backlog of untested sexual assault examination kits has all but disappeared after a five-year, multimillion-dollar effort, according to a... Full story
USDA will restore the 'roadless rule' in the Tongass
The Biden administration will ban new logging roads and most development in much of Southeast Alaska’s Tongass National Forest, the U.S. Department... Full story
University of Alaska will gain land under new federal budget law
An obscure clause in the just-passed $1.7 trillion federal omnibus budget law has awarded the University of Alaska a plot of land half the size of the... Full story
After legislative vote, federal aid to Alaska seafood processors is again delayed
A joint House-Senate committee of the Alaska Legislature voted against accepting $20 million in federal aid to seafood processors, with lawmakers... Full story
Ahead of first-draft state budget, oil prices are driving a tighter Alaska fiscal picture
The lowest crude oil prices of the year are coming at a bad time for Alaska. This week, as required by state law, Gov. Mike Dunleavy will unveil... Full story
Murkowski, Peltola and Dunleavy projected to win
All three incumbents likely clinched final victory in Alaska's statewide elections Friday, as the... Full story
With more votes counted, Alaska House races are split 20-20 between Republicans and others
Democratic candidate Donna Mears overtook Republican candidate Forrest Wolfe in a closely watched Alaska House race as the Alaska Division of...
Years of flat state funding create budget stress for schools across Alaska
The Anchorage School District, which is considering the closure of six elementary schools amid a projected $68 million budget shortfall, isn’t the... Full story
Dunleavy, Peltola seek federal relief after failure of Alaska crab fisheries
Gov. Mike Dunleavy has requested a federal disaster declaration and U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola has requested $250 million in relief funding after the... Full story
Alaska absentee ballots should have two stamps, but one is OK, officials say
This year’s Alaska general election absentee ballot is a hefty document, weighing in between 1.1 and 1.2 ounces. If it were an ordinary letter,... Full story
To boost local lumber, Alaska plans to alter quality-testing requirement
The Alaska Department of Natural Resources is preparing a new program that would allow Alaska sawmills to sell lumber for local construction without... Full story
Five takeaway lessons from Alaska's first ranked choice election
The Alaska Division of Elections on Friday certified the state’s Aug. 16 special general election for U.S. House, confirming Democrat Mary Peltola...
Peltola wins U.S. House race
Democrat Mary Peltola will become Alaska’s first congresswoman and the first Alaska Native in the... Full story
Permanent Fund lost money for first time since 2012
For the first time in a decade, the Alaska Permanent Fund Corp., source of more than half of Alaska’s general-purpose state revenue, posted negative... Full story
Democratic candidate Peltola leads U.S. House race early, but Palin may win in final count
Democratic candidate Mary Peltola left election day leading Alaska's special election for U.S.... Full story
Almost 1 in 5 state jobs are vacant as hiring struggle gets worse
The top employees of the Alaska Permanent Fund Corp. are some of the highest-paid public workers in Alaska, but with wages rising across the country... Full story
Spending rises, but so does savings, in new Alaska state budget signed by Dunleavy
Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy has signed a $14.4 billion state budget, the sixth-largest in state history, after vetoing about $400 million from a proposa...
Al Gross will withdraw from Alaska's U.S. House race
Republican candidate Tara Sweeney cannot replace independent candidate Al Gross in Alaska's special... Full story
Palin, Begich, Gross and Peltola will advance in special U.S. House election
The four finalists for Alaska's special U.S. House election have been decided. Based on results... Full story
Ahead of filing deadline, almost a third of the Alaska Legislature isn't seeking re-election
Months before Alaska’s state elections, the Legislature is set for major turnover. At least 17 of the Legislature’s 60 members will be in a new... Full story