Juneau Independent

Mining, long a part of state history, is now a $4 billion-a-year industry in Alaska, with export value rivaling that of seafood, a state analysis shows.

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

Mike Dunleavy, in a required gift disclosure, said he accepted a helicopter ride and overnight stay at a preserve. But his hosts won’t be getting any special treatment, he said after returning home.

The Alaska House on Wednesday advanced a bill to establish cooperatives for salmon setnetters, which would allow commingling of fish.

Staff voted to form the union Coalition of Alaska University Staff for Equity, which would join the roughly 120,000 higher education workers with the national United Auto Workers union.

Supporters say the constitutional change could be a powerful tool to provide stable funding for public education, while critics suggest it could remove flexibility in budgeting.

The Alaska Senate on Tuesday unanimously advanced a bill that would clarify state regulators’ authority to oversee pricing for imported natural gas.

The Alaska Senate on Tuesday advanced a constitutional amendment that would lower the threshold for veto overrides of spending decisions.

Matthew “Bronco” Williams, an Anchorage-based private school teacher, has announced that he is running as an independent for Alaska’s lone seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Municipal leaders cited concerns about the costs to their communities and the need to continue negotiations with Glenfarne, the New York-based developer of the pipeline.

A legislative aide to Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy, and a former candidate for the Alaska House of Representatives, was arrested and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol on Thursday in Juneau.

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