Alaska news 4/40

Alaska Beacon state and legislative daybook for the week of April 13, 2026

Here’s what’s happening in the Alaska Capitol and elsewhere across the state.

Apr 136 min read

Trump calls for repeal of ranked choice voting in Alaska

President Donald Trump on Friday called on Alaska voters to repeal ranked choice voting at the November election.

Apr 112 min read

Alaska Legislature considers bills to ban bottom trawling in state waters

Access to salmon is highly charged in Alaska as it is tied to jobs, food security and culture. Trawling has been cited as one cause of a salmon collapse. Bills to end trawling in state waters are the latest chapter in a long-running and heated debate.

Apr 105 min read

Dunleavy signs nearly $450M supplemental budget to cover state expenses this year

Funding for the bill relies on war-driven oil prices staying high through the remainder of the fiscal year.

Apr 103 min read

Alaska House legislator’s aide arrested for DUI in Juneau

The chief of staff for a member of the Alaska House of Representatives was arrested early Sunday morning in Juneau and accused of driving under the influence of alcohol.

Apr 102 min read

Alaska’s low parole rate questioned by lawmakers considering reappointment of board member

Steve Meyer has served on the board since 2016, and is up for appointment for a third five-year term.

Apr 95 min read

‘The salmon people’: How Alaska’s only Native reservation saved its fishing culture

A half-century ago, the Indigenous Tsimshian village of Metlakatla, in Southeast Alaska, preserved its reservation when others in Alaska were terminated. Today, the reserve sustains a thriving fishing industry — and the tribe is fighting in court to expand its territory.

Apr 910 min read

Anchorage man set to plead guilty for violent threats against US Supreme Court justices

An Anchorage man is set to plead guilty for making violent threats against U.S. Supreme Court justices and their families.

Apr 92 min read

House committee advances governor's appointee for Alaska Police Standards Council with some skepticism

Veronica Lambertsen is a small business owner with no professional law enforcement experience and a volunteer secretary for the advocacy group Moms for Liberty.

Apr 94 min read

5.4 metric tons of roe seized from factory trawler accused of fishing violations in Bering Sea

The U.S. Coast Guard said it has seized 5.4 metric tons of allegedly unreported pollock roe and discovered several significant fishing violations aboard one of the biggest factory trawlers operating in the Bering Sea off Alaska.

Apr 83 min read

Trawl allies fire back as Alaska candidates’ anti-industry rhetoric heats up

Gubernatorial hopefuls are blasting Alaska’s trawlers for catching salmon. Now industry allies have launched a radio ad campaign.

Apr 86 min read

Critics of Alaska bear-culling program seek court order to block its resumption

With just a few weeks before a renewed state-managed bear killing program is set to start in Western Alaska, conservation groups are seeking a court order to halt it.