Teshekpuk Caribou Herd animals graze in June of 2014 in the northeastern part of the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska. (Photo by Bob Wick/Bureau of Land Management)
A newly filed lawsuit and a revived six-year-old case from environmental groups and an Alaska Native organization are challenging the Trump administration’s proposal to open more parts of the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska to oil and gas drilling.
On Tuesday, Grandmothers Growing Goodness and The Wilderness Society filed suit against the U.S. Department of the Interior, alleging that the department’s development plan for the reserve violates proper procedure and federal law.
That suit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
Thousands of miles away, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska, the Center for Biological Diversity and Friends of the Earth updated a six-year-old challenge dating from the first Trump administration.
Despite the difference in time and distance, both lawsuits are seeking the same goal: A stop to new plans for oil and gas drilling in the reserve.
The Audubon Society, which had been participating in the older lawsuit, withdrew from the case shortly before the new complaint was filed.
That sale, which will open up to 5.5 million acres of North Slope land to oil and gas drilling, would be the first in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska since 2019.
The reserve, located to the west of Prudhoe Bay, has been eyed for possible development for decades, and — unlike the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to the east of Prudhoe Bay — has been the subject of interest by major drillers.
The sale is one of five mandated in the next 10 years by the budget and policy legislation known as the “Big Beautiful Bill Act.”
During the first Trump administration and again this year, the federal government attempted to lease parts of the reserve that are near Teshekpuk Lake, an area that had been protected under previous agreements with local residents.
The lake is the largest on the North Slope and is considered important habitat for caribou and migrating birds.
Since taking office earlier this year, Trump has emphasized his desire for increased oil production from the North Slope and other federal land nationwide, part of a strategy intended to wean America off imported oil.
If a lease sale takes place in the reserve, exploratory drilling would likely take years, and production would take years more.
Oil company ConocoPhillips acquired some NPR-A leases in 1999; its Willow Project, located in the reserve, is expected to reach full production by the end of this decade.
The University of Alaska Southeast campus in Juneau as seen on May 25, 2022. (Photo by Lisa Phu/Alaska Beacon)
NOTN- The University of Alaska is asking state lawmakers for millions in additional funding next year, saying the money is needed to stabilize operations, cover rising costs and address campus safety and student mental health needs.
University officials outlined their fiscal year 2027 budget request Monday to the Alaska House Finance Subcommittee.
The university’s highest priority for FY27 is a $15.2 million increase in unrestricted general funds for employee compensation.
University officials said the request would fund a 3% raise for union and nonunion employees under negotiated agreements, that’s about 1,100 faculty members, 640 adjunct faculty and roughly 420 graduate employees covered under union contracts. Another approximately 2,700 nonunion staff would also receive a 3% increase
“President Pitney has always tried to ensure that we have a very disciplined negotiation, and we want to respect the legislative process. we’re presenting numbers that are viable in the grand scheme of things, knowing the budget pressures that exist within the state.” Said University Liaison Chad Hutchison.
Officials said 53% of the university’s operating budget goes toward employee compensation, with much of the remainder paying for contracted services like food and custodial work.
The compensation request also includes funding to address rising health care costs. The university estimates $4.8 million in increased costs for health coverage, while the governor’s proposed budget includes $3 million so far.
Beyond pay raises, the university is seeking money for public safety across campuses. At the Anchorage campus, officials said the university police department is significantly understaffed.
“To put this in context, last year, we had about 500 police reports that resulted in cases that required a lot of police officer time.” Said Ryan Buchholdt, the Vice Chancellor for University of Alaska Anchorage, “When we look at Department of Justice statistics we should be in the realm of about 30 police officers minimum, if we start thinking about leaves and training and injuries we should probably be closer to the 44 realm. We have 15 police officers.”
The university is also requesting $900,000 for student mental health services.
“This committee will remember that the students had brought that to many of your members when they visited the capital, it is my expectation based on conversations we’ve been having with the students that they’ll probably bring those requests again, mental health services are a very high need when it comes to our students across all three campuses.” Said Hutchison.
The university reports about 20,500 students statewide, describing itself as a primary workforce provider for Alaska’s economy.
Spring Creek Correctional Center is seen in an undated photo. (Photo courtesy of Alaska Department of Corrections)
Officials with the Alaska Department of Corrections told lawmakers a “large fight” with a hefty price tag broke out at the state’s maximum security prison in January, amid downsizing and cost-cutting efforts.
The fight at Spring Creek Correctional Center involved 50 inmates, some of whom sustained minor injuries, officials said.
“Quick napkin math, we believe it to be just under $200,000 that that cost us,” Jen Winkelman, the commissioner for the corrections department, told lawmakers. “Anecdotally, the pressures of moving the individuals around and being at capacity in our max unit — I believe that, (and) we all believe that that plays a part in it,” she said.
She said the altercation increased agency spending on medical and transportation costs to transfer those involved.
The disclosure came in a budget update to members of the House Finance subcommittee for DOC on Feb 10, as lawmakers are reviewing the department’s additional $24 million spent last year, and request for just over a $500 million budget for next year.
April Wilkerson, deputy DOC commissioner, and Kevin Worley, DOC administrative services director answer questions from lawmakers on the department’s budget on Feb 12, 2026. Jen Winkelman, DOC commissioner is seen in the audience. (Photo by Corinne Smith/Alaska Beacon)
Spring Creek is the state’s only maximum-security prison for men, located just outside Seward on the Kenai Peninsula, and housed approximately 375 inmates last year.
Last year, the legislature directed DOC to close one of three housing units at the prison, which contained 247 beds, as a cost-cutting measure. It was intended “to direct personnel to other areas of the facility, reduce overtime and find efficiencies,” according to a presentation by DOC officials.
The housing unit was closed July 14, and the inmates relocated to other housing in Spring Creek and to other prisons across the state, April Wilkerson, deputy commissioner told lawmakers. She said Spring Creek is now over capacity, with a waitlist of inmates to transfer into the maximum-security prison.
“Ultimately we are not achieving the savings that was identified in the department’s budget,” Wilkerson said.
According to the department, a fight broke out between two groups of inmates on Jan. 24. It involved 50 people, according to department spokesperson Betsy Holley. “Staff responded quickly. 5 inmates had non-threatening injuries and were treated. No staff were injured,” she said in an email after the hearing.
Holley said the fight lasted approximately 10 minutes, and staff responded effectively. “Those inmates involved are currently undergoing the discipline process,” she said, according to DOC policies, which may include suspension from activities or solitary confinement.
Holley said there were no further details on the cost estimate.
On Thursday, Winkelman said in a short interview between hearings at the Capitol that DOC officials reported the incident to lawmakers to illustrate how incidents can occur beyond the department’s control.
“These things happen, and they have a cost incurred, and we can’t plan for it,” Winkelman said. “It happened at eight o’clock in the morning. But they happen often — little things happen often, that have big price tags. So that’s the point that we’re trying to make.”
From left to right, Click Bishop, Dave Bronson and Adam Crum, three of the 10 candidates at the Capital City Republican governor candidate forum, are seen on Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026, at the Baranof Hotel in Juneau. (James Brooks photo/Alaska Beacon)
By: James Brooks, Alaska Beacon
From left to right, Click Bishop, Dave Bronson and Adam Crum, three of the 10 candidates at the Capital City Republican governor candidate forum, are seen on Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026, at the Baranof Hotel in Juneau. (James Brooks photo/Alaska Beacon)
A fast-moving forum in Juneau on Wednesday hosted 10 of Alaska’s 12 Republican candidates for governor, but the size of the field in the hourlong event meant there was more flavor than meat in the soup du jour.
All but two of the candidates effusively praised incumbent President Donald Trump, but despite that support, most said they disagree with his attempt to acquire Greenland and make it part of the United States.
As of Wednesday, 16 people have signed up to run for governor in this year’s election: 12 Republicans, 3 Democrats and an independent.
The top four candidates in the August primary election will advance to the November general election, where voters will sort their choices using ranked choice voting.
Incumbent Gov. Mike Dunleavy is term-limited and unable to run for a third term, leaving the seat open.
Current Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom and author Hank Kroll were the only Republicans to not participate in Wednesday’s event, which was hosted by the Capital City Republicans on the night of their annual Lincoln Day dinner. Dahlstrom had a prior commitment and was unable to attend, organizers said. Kroll was not mentioned.
Asked to name their favorite Republican president other than Reagan and Lincoln, most of the 10 candidates said Trump, and some said they put him above Reagan and Lincoln.
“He’s the best president Alaska’s ever had,” said former attorney general Treg Taylor.
“I’d have taken a bullet for him,” said Bruce Walden, a former paratrooper.
“Trump has done more for Alaska than every president in our entire American history,” said former state Sen. Shelley Hughes.
Anchorage podiatrist and state medical board member Matt Heilala said he had to choose Trump because Heilala and his wife play golf with Trump.
Former state Sen. Click Bishop was an exception, naming Teddy Roosevelt, Dwight Eisenhower and Ronald Reagan as his favorite presidents. James William Parkin IV of Angoon said he doesn’t choose favorites and didn’t name a pick.
Asked whether Alaska should support the American acquisition of Greenland, Bishop was quick to say “no,” and most of the other candidates followed suit.
“I think we have enough problems here, and I’d like to see the federal government give us more support to develop our resources here,” said former state revenue commissioner Adam Crum.
Taylor said that “when my friend, the governor of Louisiana, Jeff Landry, was tapped to be the US envoy (to Greenland), I texted him and said, ‘What the heck? You don’t even know what it’s like to be cold.’ Ultimately, it’s a question for Greenland and self determination, but I’d be happy to talk to (Trump) about how we fit into the United States and the importance that we play in our economy and our strategic location.”
Matanuska-Susitna Borough Mayor Edna DeVries was the sole candidate who offered a different answer, saying, “Well, if I want President Trump to continue to love Alaska, I’m going to say yes.”
All but Bishop and Parkin said they intend to support the repeal of Alaska’s 2020 ballot measure, which installed open primary elections and a ranked-choice general election, as well as tougher disclosure requirements for political donations.
The candidates split when asked whether they think Alaska’s judges should be required to run for office or whether judges should be appointed, as in the existing system.
Bishop, Heilala and Hughes each said they think judges should be appointed, though Hughes called for more public members on the Alaska Judicial Council, which examines applicants and nominates candidates to the governor for appointment.
Former Anchorage Mayor Dave Bronson, Crum, DeVries, Parkin, Taylor, Walden and Wilson each said they think judges should be elected.
When asked which Alaska politician each candidate admires, most said either Ted Stevens or Don Young, longtime Republicans who served in the Senate and House, respectively.
“I don’t think hardly any of them,” Wilson said. “I think you have to get back to my great-uncle Wally (Hickel). … Nick Begich is also doing a hell of a job.”
Wilson served as a senior adviser to Begich’s 2024 election campaign.
Walden also chose Nick Begich.
Asked whether Alaska should regulate artificial intelligence software, the candidates gave a variety of answers.
AI is sort of like a hammer, Walden said. “You can build a house with a hammer. You can also murder somebody with a hammer. If it’s used properly, it’s probably going to be all right, but yeah, we better regulate it big time,” he said.
Wilson said that if anyone on her campaign team is using AI, “they better not be.”
While it is a powerful tool and can be harnessed, she said there are serious concerns. “We have seen AI used to manipulate photos, especially against people running for office. We’ve seen it used to create comments that were never said. I think that we really need to pay attention to the damage that can be done for AI,” she said.
DeVries, at 83, is the oldest candidate in the field.
“I can remember when TV came in and how horrible that was going to be, right? It ended up — it can either be a blessing or a curse, and that’s the way I feel about AI,” she said.
Taylor, who said he used AI to help prepare his closing speech, said “Alaska is AI’s best friend” because the state is the source for critical minerals used in high-tech electronics.
“On the other side, AI is Alaska’s best friend,” because it could be used to make government functions more efficient, Taylor said.
“We have to responsibly deploy AI in state government to create those efficiencies, to create those savings, or we’re going to get left behind.”
NOTN- The City and Borough of Juneau survey seeking public input on how to address a projected $10 million budget gap has officially closed, but now the Assembly is preparing for a series of community workshops to further guide its decisions this tense budget season.
The survey, asked residents to weigh in on municipal services and identify what they value most as the Assembly begins work on the fiscal year 2027 budget.
Assembly Member Neil Steininger said the city faces a significant revenue shortfall following voter-approved ballot measures that eliminated sales tax on food and capped the local mill rate. The changes reduced revenue and left the Assembly with the task of determining how to maintain services with less funding.
“We got that message from the voters that, they wanted lower taxes. We need to figure out how to make that work and how to deliver city services, and we’re really looking for information from the voters to understand what their priorities are for what they see from government here in Juneau.” He said. “It is very difficult to make these decisions, which is something that we want to impress to people.”
Detailed reports from the survey are expected in the coming weeks.
“I think that’s just a really important thing for everyone to do, especially in a community like Juneau that’s so small and so closed, I think it’s important that people actively voice what they want prioritized in our city, so that the assembly can use that information to better inform their decision making.” Steininger said.
In addition to the survey, the city is hosting three in-person Community Compass workshops This month and early March. During the 60- to 90-minute sessions, participants will work through mock budgeting scenarios and discuss how to respond to unexpected financial changes.
“now it’s your turn to put yourself in an assembly member’s shoes and actively decide the city budget and then react to unforeseen circumstances that will ask you to reallocate certain pieces of the budget accordingly.” Steininger said.
Input gathered at the workshops will be shared with the Assembly as it moves deeper into the budgeting process this spring.
The workshops are scheduled for Feb. 18 at the Filipino Community Hall, Feb. 24 at Mendenhall Valley Public Library and March 3 at Douglas Public Library.
Reject stickers await ballot envelopes Wednesday, June 15, 2022 at the Division 1 office of the Alaska Division of Elections in Juneau, Alaska during counting for Alaska's special U.S. House primary election. (Photo by James Brooks/Alaska Beacon)
By: James Brooks, Alaska Beacon
Reject stickers await ballot envelopes Wednesday, June 15, 2022 at the Division 1 office of the Alaska Division of Elections in Juneau, Alaska during counting for Alaska’s special U.S. House primary election. (Photo by James Brooks/Alaska Beacon)
When the state of Alaska turned over a copy of the state’s voter rolls to the Department of Justice in December, it also signed an agreement that allows the DOJ to ask the state to put individual Alaskans on track for removal from the state’s voter list.
Officially labeled a “confidential memorandum of understanding,” the document was signed Dec. 19 by Carol Beecher, director of the Alaska Division of Elections, and U.S. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon.
Alaska is one of at least a dozen states that have signed similar documents, even as more states continue to fight the requests in court.
In part, the document says “the Justice Department will securely notify you or your state of any voter list maintenance issues … i.e., that your state’s (list) only includes eligible voters.”
It goes on to state “that within forty-five (45) days of receiving that notice from the Justice Department of any issues … your state will clean its (list) by removing ineligible voters and resubmit the updated (list) to the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department” to confirm that the state is following federal law.
Alaska’s signed agreement was obtained by the Alaska Beacon on Tuesday via a public records request.
Beecher and Kelly Howell, chief of staff to Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom, said the agreement does not allow DOJ to purge voters — a term that means removing them from the voter roll altogether.
Instead, the DOJ’s picks, if any, would be placed on the state’s inactive voter list. Anyone on that list must provide ID and have their identity verified if they wish to vote.
The agreement says in part that it was “entered into at your state’s request,” but by email, Dahlstrom’s office said that isn’t correct and that the Department of Justice provided the agreement.
The lieutenant governor is in charge of Alaska’s elections, and in a cover letter dated Dec. 19, she said the memo was “entered at the request of the Department of Justice” and state law.
That law, Dahlstrom said, “allows the Division of Elections to share voters’ confidential information with a federal government agency, such as the Department of Justice, provided it uses ‘the information only for governmental purposes authorized under law.’”
If the Department of Justice were to seek faster removal of Alaskans from the voter rolls, it could violate that clause.
Responding to questions from the Beacon, the lieutenant governor’s chief of staff said the state has not received any notices from the Justice Department about problems with its voter list, that no “ineligible voters” have been removed and that the state isn’t aware of any times when Alaska’s rolls were used for “pre-litigation or litigation purposes,” as defined in the agreement.
Concerns about states’ rights being overridden
The U.S. Supreme Court has repeatedly upheld the right of states to set the rules for local and state elections; changing voter rolls would represent a new expansion of powers by the Department of Justice.
Former Democratic state Sen. Tom Begich, posting about the issue on social media, said he is “outraged” by the agreement between the state and the federal government.
“That kind of federal interference threatens our constitutional right to run our own elections,” he said.
He later issued a statement calling on the Alaska Legislature to investigate the issue.
Dahlstrom, a Republican, is also a candidate for governor.
Writing in an opinion column published by the Juneau Independent on Friday, former Alaska Attorney General Bruce Botelho, a Democrat, said “it is alarming that the federal government has demanded” the copy of the voter roll with personally identifying information.
Nationally, at least 11 other states have signed agreements similar to the one signed by Alaska, according to federal court testimony in December over a lawsuit that challenged the state of California’s refusal to turn over its voter rolls to the federal government.
The text of Alaska’s agreement is almost identical to ones previously disclosed in court and by the American Civil Liberties Union in a lawsuit by the federal government against the state of Colorado.
“We will not comply with the Trump Department of Justice’s request for Coloradans’ sensitive voting information,” said Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold, a Democrat, in December. “The DOJ can take a hike; it does not have a legal right to the information. Colorado will not help Donald Trump undermine our elections and hurt the American people.”
Nationally, the federal government has sued more than two dozen states, including Colorado, that refused to send voter rolls to the federal government.
Those states generally have provided copies of publicly available rolls, but the federal government is seeking more detailed information, including lists of personally identifying information that may include birth dates, driver’s license numbers and Social Security numbers in part or whole.
“The manner in which the Department of Justice has acted makes clear that what is at stake is not voter integrity, but voter privacy,” Botelho said.
The Justice Department has said that its requests are necessary to make sure that states are following federal laws that require them to regularly maintain their lists and keep noncitizens from voting.
As of this week, federal judges had ruled against the Department of Justice in lawsuits covering Oregon, California and Michigan. The department has not prevailed in any case so far.
In the Oregon ruling, published on Feb. 5, Judge Mustafa Kashubhai wrote that the federal government cannot be trusted about its true motives.
“When Plaintiff, in this case, conveys assurances that any private and sensitive data will remain private and used only for a declared and limited purpose, it must be thoroughly scrutinized and squared with its open and public statements to the contrary,” he wrote.
Alaska-specific implications may be broad
The national ACLU has opposed the federal government’s requests in general. When contacted Friday about the Alaska memo, the Alaska chapter of the organization said it did not have immediate comment and was still researching the issue.
The agreement between the state of Alaska and the Department of Justice could have broad consequences here.
Days before signing the agreement, the Alaska Division of Elections disclosed that dozens of noncitizens had accidentally been registered to vote by the Alaska Department of Motor Vehicles.
Under guidelines imposed by the Trump administration, those noncitizens could be deported, because federal law strictly prohibits noncitizens from registering to vote, and appearing on a voter list prompts special review when someone is attempting to become a citizen.
Correction: The initial version of this article incorrectly stated that the memo would allow the Department of Justice to direct the purge of individual voters. It only permits DOJ to identify Alaskans for eventual removal and does not immediately prevent them from voting.
The Alaska State Capitol is seen behind other buildings on Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026, in downtown Juneau. (James Brooks photo/Alaska Beacon)
By: James Brooks, Alaska Beacon
The Alaska State Capitol is seen behind other buildings on Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026, in downtown Juneau. (James Brooks photo/Alaska Beacon)
The Alaska Legislature on Wednesday approved a 30-day extension for the state of disaster covering the fall 2025 storms that battered the state’s west coast.
The extension allows the state to continue spending money from its disaster response fund as it continues cleanup and repair efforts from two storms in October. Hundreds of Alaskans were displaced by the disasters, which devastated coastal communities.
The Alaska Senate approved the extension in a 19-0 vote on Monday, but the extension nearly failed in the Alaska House after members of the House’s Republican minority caucus raised procedural issues on Wednesday and said members of the majority were not following state law.
The extension was included in Senate Concurrent Resolution 12, which retroactively approves extensions issued since October and allows the governor to spend more from the state’s disaster response fund.
“Doing this as a resolution is dangerous, I think it’s a mistake, and I’m not even certain that it’s legal,” said House Minority Leader DeLena Johnson, R-Palmer.
Johnson and other Republicans said that under their interpretation of state law, legislators would need to approve the spending via a bill, not a resolution.
A legislative attorney, writing in a Feb. 2 memo to Speaker of the House Bryce Edgmon, I-Dillingham, said, “when the legislature means to take action having a binding effect on those outside the legislature, including extending a disaster declaration, the legislature must enact a bill in a special or regular session rather than using the less formal resolution process.”
Johnson was rebutted by House Rules Chair Louise Stutes, R-Kodiak and a member of the House’s majority coalition.
“This is not new money,” she said. “This is money that has been (in the fund) and is being allowed to be appropriated out. … it’s been agreed upon that maybe this wasn’t the optimum way. Nothing’s perfect. We’re moving forward. We are trying to do the best we can as quickly as we can. Time is of the essence, so I ask you to ask yourself: Do you want to be right in how it is done, or do you want to do the right thing when there’s a question?”
The House vote was 22-18, with Rep. Will Stapp, R-Fairbanks, joining the 21 members of the House’s coalition majority in support. All other members of the House Republican minority voted against the resolution.
As debate opened, Rep. Nellie Unangiq Jimmie, D-Toksook Bay, became choked up as she described the disaster, which devastated her district and resulted in the largest peacetime evacuation in state history.
“Today, months later, 340 of our neighbors remain without permanent houses. Mr. Speaker, we are Yup’ik. Our people have lived in this delta for thousands of years. We know storms. We know water. We know loss,” she said. “We have lived on this coast for thousands of years, and we’ve survived ice ages, epidemics, colonization. We’ve survived by adapting, sharing, by refusing to abandon our homes, but you can’t really live when your home floats 10 miles out to sea, when your fuel tanks that heat your home in winter are submerged in salt water.”
On Jan. 28, Gov. Mike Dunleavy requested permission to spend $20.5 million from the disaster response fund, up $5.5 million from a prior request.
When federal money is added to that tally, the total amount is $39.25 million.
More spending is expected.
Last week, the director of the Alaska Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management said that the Federal Emergency Management Agency has estimated at least $125 million in state and federal costs related to the storm disaster.
“The declaration allows state agencies to continue their emergency response and to extend state funds as needed,” said Rep. Andy Josephson, D-Anchorage and co-chair of the House Finance Committee.
Rep. Justin Ruffridge, R-Soldotna, took issue with the fact that after Dunleavy declared a state of disaster in October, the Speaker of the House and Senate President approved subsequent 30-day extensions without consulting legislators.
“I think we should have called ourselves in (to special session), or the third floor should have called us in (to special session) to take up this very important issue,” Ruffridge said.
“What precedent does this set for the presiding officers to make the decisions before us on our behalf?” he asked. “What power do we give the executive by allowing disaster declarations to continue without (the House) or the (Senate) taking up that order of business?”
Rep. Dan Saddler, R-Eagle River, said he worries that failing to follow proper procedure could leave disaster relief vulnerable to legal challenge.
“We put the reliability of that relief at question if this is not done right,” he said.
The day after the vote, Ruffridge said members of the minority have drafted a bill that would fix the problems they see, and that bill is being reviewed by legislative attorneys.
House Majority Leader Chuck Kopp, R-Anchorage, said legislative attorneys have reviewed the majority’s plan.
“We have had our legal department tell us that this passes muster,” he said during the debate.
After the vote, Kopp’s office was unable to provide a legal memo to that effect but said he had received verbal advice.
Josephson, wrapping up debate, said the majority was working in good faith with Dunleavy to get the money out the door quickly.
“Given the urgency of the matter, we’re trying to cooperate with the executive branch,” he said.
Alaska Chief Justice Susan Carney gives the annual State of the Judiciary address to members of the Alaska State Legislature on Feb. 11, 2026. (Photo by Corinne Smith/Alaska Beacon)
In her annual speech, Alaska’s chief justice of the Supreme Court told lawmakers the state is making significant progress on the court’s backlog of criminal cases, but there is more work to be done.
Susan Carney, chief justice of the Alaska Supreme Court poses for a photo in the Juneau Courthouse following her annual State of the Judiciary address to the Legislature on Feb. 11, 2026. (Photo by Corinne Smith/Alaska Beacon)
Susan Carney gave the annual State of the Judiciary address to members of the Legislature on Monday. She is now in the second year of her term as chief justice, presiding over the five-member Alaska Supreme Court.
Carney has practiced law in Alaska for over 40 years, and has served on the Supreme Court since 2016, when she was appointed by Gov. Bill Walker. She’s the second woman to serve in the role as chief justice, leading Alaska’s first female-majority Supreme Court.
“We have eliminated the pandemic backlog,” she said. “But I told you last year, and I’ll reiterate to you today, that our work isn’t done.”
Alaska’s court system has grappled with significant pre-trial delays, with some defendants and victims languishing for years before court rulings — as highlighted by investigative reporting from the Anchorage Daily News and ProPublica. The time to resolve the most serious criminal cases, such as murder and sexual assault, has nearly tripled in the last decade, reporters found.
“It’s not comfortable to have the press focus on a few extremely sad but also extremely unusual cases, but it’s valuable for us,” Carney said in her address. “I know that the cases with extreme delay are outliers compared to the vast majority of criminal cases and the time it takes to resolve them, but it’s still heartbreaking to think of the anguish that victims suffer and the problems that delays cause to everybody involved.”
Carney said pending criminal cases ballooned during the COVID pandemic to over 20,000 cases in 2023, which she said was unprecedented. She said with focused efforts, and the legislature’s approved raises for state attorneys, the courts are making progress. “There are now fewer than 11,000 open criminal cases,” she said.
Last year, the Supreme Court ordered limits on continuances, or time extensions granted by judges, in order to limit delays and speed up court proceedings. The order required that there be no more than 270 days of new delays for criminal cases filed in 2022 or before.
“Our order addressed continuance requests because judges are not the ones that delayed cases. Delays happen when an attorney, whether on the defense or prosecution side, asks for more time to prepare for a hearing or to file some kind of document,” Carney said. “And the judge grants that request.”
Carney said the order requires all requests to be made on the record or documented in writing, and judges are given guidelines for making rulings on whether to grant delays. “For example, a medical emergency will almost always be a good cause to put off a case, but negotiations with the other side will just about never be a good cause.”
She said as a result, the number of pending felony cases in criminal court has dropped by more than half.
“On January 1, 2023 there were 1,677 pending felonies, more than two years old. That was nearly one out of every four pending felony cases,” she said “This year, on January 1, 2026 we had fewer than 750 pending felonies over two years old. This is great progress.”
Carney emphasized that criminal cases are complex, and continuing the effort to reduce the backlog requires work from everyone involved — from juries and witnesses, to prosecutors and defense attorneys. “We continue to work with the prosecution and the defense agencies so that we can all keep cutting down the time it takes to move cases through the criminal justice system,” she said.
Carney noted criminal cases make up roughly 30% of all cases in state courts, and the 70% that are civil cases — which can be divorces, child custody, or foster care decisions — are highly emotional and can take extra time and care from judges as well.
“When people come to a courthouse, they are generally having their worst day ever, and they’re going through very challenging and often life changing circumstances. We work hard every day to provide not only fair and reasonable decisions, but to recognize the difficulties that Alaskans are having when they come into our courthouses and to explain and to help them feel heard and feel that we understand them,” she said.
Moving forward, Carney said the courts have requested one new Superior Court judge in Palmer to address the growing case load of the Matanuska-Susitna Borough’s growing population. The four judges based in Palmer are handling an average of 683 cases per judge, compared to a statewide average of 458 cases per judge, according to state data.
“They are the busiest in the state, and they have been the busiest each of the last five years,” she said, adding that judges from Anchorage to Valdez have stepped in to relieve the burden.
“This is mostly for criminal and Child in Need of Aid cases, but that leaves all the other kinds of cases — the divorces, the custody business matters — just waiting,” she said. “We do not want to clear out all the oldest criminal cases only to find a similarly problematic group of old civil cases causing our new crisis.”
Rep. Andrew Gray, D-Anchorage, who chairs the House Judiciary Committee, after the speech questioned whether just one more judge is enough. “The idea that we just need one judge is, I find, a little bit conservative. I think we might need more judges,” he said.
Gray has called for the state to expand the number of prosecutors and public defenders. He said imposed timelines for trials is a concern, with overburdened attorneys carrying high case loads, and can risk a mistrial and more delays.
“Our prosecutors and our public defenders have too many cases. We need more of them. We need to lower their caseloads,” he said. “That’s going to improve these timelines the most, and ensure that folks are getting the best lawyer available who’s fully prepared and ready to do the work.”
Carney, in an interview after the address, said the request for the Palmer Superior Court is the focus for now. “Bringing in another judge will, I think, at the very least, mean that we don’t have to keep bringing judges from other places,” she said. “I think it will allow us to keep even at this point.”
Lawmakers are now considering House Bill 262, which would expand the number of judges, which passed the House Judiciary Committee on Monday. If the bill becomes law, the Alaska Judicial Council would put forward recommendations for a new state judge that would then be approved by the governor.
Alaska Supreme Court Justices (left to right) Aimee A. Oravec, Jude Pate, Jennifer S. Henderson, and Dario Borghesan, attend the chief justice’s annual State of the Judiciary address to the Legislature on Feb. 11, 2026. (Photo by Corinne Smith/Alaska Beacon)
Sen. Elvi Gray-Jackson, D-Anchorage, talks to a colleague on the floor of the Alaska Senate, Wednesday, May 1, 2024. (Photo by James Brooks/Alaska Beacon)
By: James Brooks, Alaska Beacon
Sen. Elvi Gray-Jackson, D-Anchorage, talks to a colleague on the floor of the Alaska Senate, Wednesday, May 1, 2024. (Photo by James Brooks/Alaska Beacon)
Alaska public school students would be required to learn hands-only CPR under a proposal advancing through the state legislature.
In a 19-0 vote on Wednesday, the Alaska Senate approved Senate Bill 20, which requires the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development to “adopt curricula to instruct public school students on hands-only cardiopulmonary resuscitation.”
Sen. Robert Yundt, R-Wasilla, was absent from the vote.
Existing state law says that each state school district is “encouraged” to teach CPR; the new bill, if approved by the House and Gov. Mike Dunleavy, would change CPR to a requirement.
The department said in a fiscal note that it will be able to implement the new requirement at no additional cost to the state.
“It’s time for Alaska to align with the growing national standard that ensures students learn these life-saving CPR techniques,” said Sen. Elvi Gray-Jackson, D-Anchorage and the sponsor of the bill.
Heart diseases are the No. 2 cause of death in Alaska, according to the latest available state statistics. CPR can be used to keep someone’s blood flowing if they experience sudden cardiac arrest. That can triple a victim’s chances of survival, Gray-Jackson said, noting that CPR has even been used in the Capitol on occasion.
SB 20 advances to the House for further consideration. A companion measure, House Bill 92, is in the House Education Committee and has not yet been heard.
NOTN- A proposed ferry terminal at Cascade Point near Juneau is drawing increasing criticism from Alaska lawmakers and the public alike, who are question its cost, planning and long-term benefit to the state’s struggling ferry system.
“I’m really struggling when we talk about the Cascade Point project and a few of these other proposed items, to understand how, from that statewide perspective, we’re investing the amount of money we’re investing into these projects.” Said Representative Ashley Carrick, “Why this? I’d like this money to stay in Southeast and be reinvested back into the Marine highway system in some way. But when you talk about there being controversy and welcoming the dialog, it doesn’t seem to jive with the fact that the dollars are already dedicated towards this project. So the discussion seems to be sort of moot and after the fact.”
Ryan Anderson, Commissioner for the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities said, “When we are looking at that balance between the cost of a ferry, I view it as the time of a person, so if you can reduce the time you have to be on the ferry by hours, I see that as a value. We’re constantly looking for ways for operational efficiency.”
The Department of Transportation has already begun spending money on the project despite what lawmakers call unresolved issues, including plans for fresh water, sewage handling and access for walk-on passengers.
“They have a sort of big concept of a plan,” Kiehl said. “You shouldn’t start spending money before you’ve worked that stuff out.”
An economic analysis completed earlier this year concluded the project would not pay for itself within a reasonable time frame, Kiehl said. Lawmakers are also concerned that the terminal would not reduce operating costs for the Alaska Marine Highway System, which has faced years of service cuts and budget challenges.
“The other thing that’s super weird is, We really use a lot fewer of Alaskans dollars if we put the projects through the federal process, 9 national dollars for every 1 Alaska dollar.” He said, “I want to be able to promise you that I’m using your money as efficiently as I can. Well DOT has decided to do this with 100% Alaska dollars, no federal money in it.”
The Marine Highway Operations Board has formally opposed the project, and Kiehl said many legislators share those concerns.
“I have a huge number of colleagues who are just saying, this is crazy.” Kiehl said, “When I talk to DOT, and I say, show me the homework, and I get the dreaming stage, that’s tough defense to play.”
Supporters of a proposed ferry terminal at Cascade Point point to a partnership with Goldbelt Inc. as a key advantage, but Alaska lawmakers say the collaboration has not resolved broader concerns about the project.
“I guess most folks in the legislature are really questioning, is a second ferry terminal in Juneau, the way to go? Does it save us money long term? Does it make the ferry system more efficient long term?” Kiehl said.
