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After governor’s veto threat, Alaska House votes down tax break for proposed natural gas pipeline

By: James Brooks and Corinne Smith, Alaska Beacon

The Alaska House of Representatives on Thursday voted down a multibillion-dollar tax break for the proposed trans-Alaska natural gas pipeline project. Glenfarne LLC, the project’s lead developer, has said the tax break is necessary for it to obtain financing from banks and equity investors. 

The Alaska Senate voted 11-8 to approve a compromise version of House Bill 381, which contains the tax break. But after that vote and as the House gaveled in, Dunleavy announced he would veto the bill if it were to pass.

In a statement on social media, the governor said a provision that applies a corporate income tax to certain kinds of privately owned oil and gas companies “raises serious concerns.”

Legislators are meeting in a second 30-day special session devoted to HB 381, and Dunleavy said he will call the Legislature into a third session starting July 27.

After the governor’s message was read on the House floor, only 19 members of the House voted in favor of the bill. Twenty-one votes were needed to approve it. 

Many of those who voted against the bill spoke against the provision identified by the governor, with Rep. Dan Saddler, R-Eagle River, calling it a “parasite” within a bill intended to benefit the gas pipeline.

The provision came at the insistence of state senators who said it was necessary for the bill to earn their votes.

“If you want a gas line, everybody’s got to compromise, and I think that’s ultimately what you saw today,” said Sen. Bill Wielechowski, D-Anchorage and one of the most vocal advocates of the provision questioned by the governor.

After the governor’s announcement, Senate President Gary Stevens, R-Kodiak, said he was unsure how the Senate would proceed in the next special session.

The bill could be referred back to the Senate Resources Committee, chaired by Sen. Cathy Giessel, R-Anchorage and a leading project critic. The Senate Finance Committee could consider the issue further. 

Senators could simply take no action and wait for the current Legislature to end and Dunleavy to leave office in December.

“I sort of feel you need to go to the next Legislature,” Stevens said. 

First gas expected before 2030, developer says

As currently planned, the Alaska LNG project would include three separate subprojects, built in two stages. Altogether, the project is expected to cost as much as $54.5 billion, making it one of the largest natural gas projects in the world. 

Gas would be pumped from North Slope wells to a processing plant on the North Slope, then down a pipeline to an export facility on the Kenai Peninsula. 

Developers expect to reach a final investment decision on the project’s first phase this year. It would include the pipeline, part of the North Slope processing plant and part of the export facility.

Initially, the export facility would function in reverse, as a place for Alaska to import natural gas for local use while the pipeline is under construction.

Southcentral Alaska is running short of domestic gas for heating and electricity during the winter months. 

Adam Prestidge, president of Glenfarne Alaska, told state senators on June 3 that after the final investment decision, it should take about three years for construction and commissioning before gas begins flowing through the pipeline to in-state residents. 

The second, export phase of the project would take several more years to complete.

Switching from a property tax to a gas tax

The main intent of the bill is to replace Alaska’s 2% petroleum property tax with a lower tax on gas shipped through the pipeline.

The pipeline is exempt from the tax during construction, but the state would start collecting taxes when gas begins flowing. Glenfarne has said that’s a problem because it won’t begin making money until exports begin several years later.

Glenfarne executives have said they cannot get financing to build the pipeline unless the tax is changed.

That led Gov. Mike Dunleavy to propose the tax change in March. Legislators were unable to pass the bill by the time the regular legislative session ended in May, and Dunleavy has now called lawmakers into special session twice to get it done. 

Through 2063, according to estimates from the Alaska Department of Revenue, the tax change would reduce state revenue by $5.3 billion when compared to current law. 

Because petroleum property taxes mostly go to municipalities, the amount received by cities and boroughs during that period would drop by another $5.3 billion.

Proponents of the change have focused on the benefits, rather than the lost revenue. Without the reduction, the pipeline cannot be built, they say. If the pipeline isn’t built, the state and municipalities get nothing. 

“We want Alaskan gas for the Alaskan people, instead of Canadian gas for Alaskan people, instead of imports,” said Rep. Kevin McCabe, R-Big Lake, on the House floor. “It means the world to our people…lowered heating bills, a stronger economy.”

While proponents of the tax break have run a “Build the Line” ad campaign insinuating that the tax reduction would guarantee a pipeline, some state legislators say there is a low chance of a pipeline, even if the tax break becomes law.

Members of the conference committee tasked with negotiating a final compromise AKLNG tax bill from House and Senate versions, debate the bill on July 16, 2026, before moving it to a vote before the full House and Senate. (Photo by Corinne Smith/Alaska Beacon)
Members of the conference committee tasked with negotiating a final compromise AKLNG tax bill from House and Senate versions, debate the bill on July 16, 2026, before moving it to a vote before the full House and Senate. (Photo by Corinne Smith/Alaska Beacon)

“This has been billed as the bill that either makes a pipeline be built or does not make a pipeline be built, and that just really is not true,” said Rep. Justin Ruffridge, R-Soldotna. 

No ‘better shot’ at compromise, drafter says

The House and Senate passed different versions of HB 381 in June, sending the bill to a six-member multipartisan conference committee tasked with negotiating a compromise. 

For weeks, the key point of contention has been whether or not the bill will also include the erasure of a tax exemption for “pass-through corporations,” generally large companies that are owned privately and not traded on public markets.

In Alaska, erasing that exemption would affect the oil and gas company Hilcorp, which operates the vast Prudhoe Bay oil field, among other work in the state. 

It also would raise taxes on the proposed gas pipeline. 

On Thursday morning, the conference committee adopted a new version of HB 381 that specifically exempts “income of an Alaska liquefied natural gas project” from the revised tax. 

That would include all three segments of the pipeline project. But it was unclear whether it would cover gas shipments between the wellhead and the North Slope processing plant.

“It will be up to the Department of Revenue to determine the scope of that exemption,” said legislative attorney Emily Nauman, answering a question from Ruffridge.

The revised bill also delays the start of the tax until 2029. Affected companies would be required to submit an “informational tax return” the year before the tax starts. 

That would give the state better information about how much money the tax will raise and whether the proposed tax rate needs to be changed.

Rep. Calvin Schrage, I-Anchorage, chaired the conference committee.

Rep. Calvin Schrage speaks on the House floor in support of the compromise AKLNG gas line tax bill in July 19, 2026. (Photo by Corinne Smith/Alaska Beacon)
Rep. Calvin Schrage speaks on the House floor in support of the compromise AKLNG gas line tax bill in July 19, 2026. (Photo by Corinne Smith/Alaska Beacon)

“I don’t think, frankly, that we’re going to get a better shot at this,” he said before the House vote.

“I don’t think you’re going to get closer alignment between the different factions on this issue than you are going to get today.”

While the conference committee consulted with Glenfarne, the Dunleavy administration and the Alaska Gasline Development Corp., it didn’t discuss the bill at length with members of the House’s 19-person, all-Republican minority caucus.

Ruffridge, the minority caucus representative on the conference committee, said he received the final copy of the bill only 30 minutes before the meeting that adopted it. 

On the House floor, members of the House minority lambasted the final version. 

“In my opinion, this process was neither transparent nor collaborative,” said Rep. Frank Tomaszewski, R-Fairbanks and a member of the minority.

One member of the Democratic-independent-Republican coalition majority in the House also voted against the bill.

House Majority Leader Chuck Kopp, R-Anchorage, alluded to the way the pass-through tax would impact Hilcorp. Changing its taxes, he said, would deter future drilling because it would create uncertainty about what additional changes might be made in the future.

“From my perspective, that’s what’s killed this iteration of the bill,” Gov. Dunleavy said about the pass-through tax. 

Climate protesters and oil advocates opposed the compromise

On Thursday morning, a small group of demonstrators gathered on the steps of the Capitol to protest the gas line and the proposed tax break. Protest signs called for investment in renewable energy instead of fossil fuels to help combat climate change, and called the megaproject a “pipedream” and a “scam.”

Demonstrators gather outside the Capitol on July 16, 2026 to protest the state providing tax cuts for the proposed AKLNG gas line project, and developing fossil fuels, the main driver of climate change. (Photo by Corinne Smith/Alaska Beacon)
Protesters gather outside the Capitol on July 16, 2026, as lawmakers consider a tax cut for the proposed AKLNG gas line project. (Photo by Corinne Smith/Alaska Beacon)

“I’m really concerned about the cost to the state and to the communities that would be impacted by the project,” said Sally Schlichting, a Juneau resident. “Especially by these proposed tax breaks. I just think it’s horrendous to forego all that revenue for so long, and I feel like there’s very little guarantee this project will ever happen.”

Schlichting said she’s concerned that Alaska is giving up too much, and the project developer Glenfarne has not disclosed who is investing or how much. 

“I just think this is the most wrong-headed way of approaching resource development,” she said. “We don’t fund our education. We are running out of money, and Alaskans own the resources, and we deserve to receive the revenue from it — and not later, now.”

Another Juneau resident, Emily Kane, called the project a “boondoggle,” and said she also came out to protest the project’s climate change impacts. 

“I am very concerned about the habitability of the planet if we don’t seriously dial down fossil fuels,” she said. “I know young adults who are choosing to not have children, and it just really breaks my heart — this selfishness about not thinking about future generations.”

A group of pro-development organizations, including the Alaska Oil and Gas Association, Alaska Support Industry Alliance, Alaska Chamber of Commerce and Resource Development Council, briefly found themselves on the same side as the protesters.

After the conference committee passed its compromise version of HB 381, they sent a letter to legislators, urging them to vote down the conference committee compromise.

Rebecca Logan, CEO of the Support Industry Alliance, said by phone that the pass-through tax would hit companies that are drilling for gas in Cook Inlet, at a time when the region is running short.

“The gasline is our future, but what we’ve got right now, we can’t hurt,” she said.

Alaska Senate 

Yes votes

Matt Claman, D-Anchorage

Forrest Dunbar, D-Anchorage

Cathy Giessel, R-Anchorage

Elvi Gray-Jackson, D-Anchorage

Lyman Hoffman, D-Bethel

Scott Kawasaki, D-Fairbanks

Jesse Kiehl, D-Juneau

Bert Stedman, R-Sitka

Gary Stevens, R-Kodiak

Loki Tobin, D-Anchorage

Bill Wielechowski, D-Anchorage

No votes

Mike Cronk, R-Tok

James Kaufman, R-Anchorage

Kelly Merrick, R-Eagle River

Robb Myers, R-North Pole

Donny Olson, D-Golovin

George Rauscher, R-Sutton

Cathy Tilton, R-Wasilla

Robert Yundt, R-Wasilla

Excused absent

Jesse Bjorkman, R-Nikiski

Alaska House 

Yes votes

Ashley Carrick, D-Fairbanks

Maxine Dibert, D-Fairbanks

Bryce Edgmon, I-Dillingham

Ted Eischeid, D-Anchorage

Zack Fields, D-Anchorage

Neal Foster, D-Nome

Alyse Galvin, I-Anchorage

Andrew Gray, D-Anchorage

Carolyn Hall, D-Anchorage

Sara Hannan, D-Juneau

Rebecca Himschoot, I-Sitka

Ky Holland, I-Anchorage

Nellie Unangiq Jimmie, D-Toksook Bay

Andy Josephson, D-Anchorage

Donna Mears, D-Anchorage

Genevive Mina, D-Anchorage

Calvin Schrage, I-Anchorage

Andi Story, D-Juneau

Louise Stutes, R-Kodiak

No votes

Jamie Allard, R-Eagle River

Jeremy Bynum, R-Ketchikan

Mia Costello, R-Anchorage

Julie Coulombe, R-Anchorage

Bill Elam, R-Nikiski

DeLena Johnson, R-Palmer

Chuck Kopp, R-Anchorage

Kevin McCabe, R-Big Lake

Elexie Moore, R-Wasilla

Garret Nelson, R-Sutton

Mike Prax, R-North Pole

Justin Ruffridge, R-Soldotna

Dan Saddler, R-Eagle River

Rebecca Schwanke, R-Glennallen

Steve St. Clair, R-Wasilla

Will Stapp, R-Fairbanks

Frank Tomaszewski, R-Fairbanks

Jubilee Underwood, R-Wasilla

Sarah Vance, R-Homer

Excused absent

Robyn Niayuq Frier, D-Utqiagvik

David Nelson, R-Anchorage

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After gasline tax bill, pipeline corporation plans to ask Alaskans for a few billion dollars

By: James Brooks, Alaska Beacon

A bumper sticker on a car parked in Midtown Anchorage on June 29, 2026, expresses support for the Glenfarne-Alaska Gasline Development Corp. plan for natural gas pipeline tax concessions. (Photo by Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon)

A few months from now, if developers of the proposed trans-Alaska natural gas pipeline move forward with the project, they will ask Alaskans for something between a few hundred million and a billion and a half dollars.

The request is optional, but if the state doesn’t chip in, Alaska’s 25% ownership of the pipeline will dwindle to a smaller fraction, and any profits will similarly shrink.

Two other requests for cash could come as soon as next year, to first fund a gas treatment plant on the North Slope and then a natural gas export facility on the Kenai Peninsula.

As state lawmakers debate a multibillion-dollar tax break for the pipeline project this week, a confidential memo and legislative testimony show the break won’t be the last financial request from Alaskans.

Keeping the state’s 25% ownership of the Alaska LNG project will cost at least $4 billion, according to estimates from the Alaska Department of Revenue. 

If the state spends that money, and if the project is built and sells gas as planned, the department estimates the state will earn more than $21 billion through 2062, almost five times its initial investment. 

But there’s a risk: if the pipeline project costs more than expected, the state of Alaska will be asked to pay more.

“We have reserved the option for the state of Alaska to elect to invest or not,” Frank Richards, president of the Alaska Gasline Development Corp., told the Senate Finance Committee on June 4. “The project will proceed forward without the state investment, but we wanted to give the state that opportunity should it elect to, eyes wide open.”

A potential investment for the state

Last year, the Gasline Development Corporation, a state-owned company charged with building the gas pipeline project, sold the lead role in the project to Glenfarne, a private multinational developer.

According to a confidential memo analyzing the deal, Glenfarne agreed to pay $10 million and fund the project’s development until the “Final Investment Decision,” the point at which investors start to put down money and contracts go out for construction.

Glenfarne has 75% ownership of 8 Star Alaska, the parent company of the pipeline project. The state — through AGDC — has 25% ownership. AGDC’s ownership share stays the same regardless of how many new investors come into the project.

But ownership of 8 Star Alaska may not mean much.

The Alaska LNG project includes three separate “subprojects” — a gas treatment plant on the North Slope, the pipeline itself and an export terminal on the Kenai Peninsula.

Each of those subprojects is its own subsidiary company, and not all of the subproject profits will go back to 8 Star Alaska.

“The real value is down in the three subsidiaries of 8 Star,” said Sen. Cathy Giessel, R-Anchorage, in a July 2 podcast interview. 

Right now, each subsidiary is subject to the same 75-25 ownership split as 8 Star, but that changes at FID, when other investors put in their money.

At that point, said Matt Kissinger, AGDC’s commercial director, there will be enough money to build each subproject, but the state will have the opportunity to push out other investors and preserve its 25% ownership. 

“​​All the investors will be in; they’ll all be committed, and then we’ll have 180 days for the state to decide to back them out of some of their commitment,” he said.

According to a draft analysis of last year’s Glenfarne-AGDC deal, AGDC has “the right to invest in up to 25%, but not less than 5%, of each sub-project at FID.”

The 5% minimum — if AGDC takes any share at all — was negotiated with Glenfarne, Kissinger said, because if the state is going to push out another investor, it needs to do so for a meaningful amount.GET THE MORNING HEADLINES.SUBSCRIBE

Part or all of the 25% buy-in could be taken by AGDC. The state could buy in directly, or another state-owned corporation like the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority, Alaska Railroad or the Alaska Permanent Fund Corp. could do so.

If the state and public corporations don’t reach the 25% maximum, then Alaska residents, Alaska Native corporations and other in-state companies would have a chance to take some or all of the remainder. 

On June 25, the AGDC board voted unanimously to approve the creation of a subsidiary that will allow individual Alaskans to invest in the project through AGDC.

“No more funds are required by the State of Alaska to invest for this project to proceed forward, it’s just that we have the option to, and if Alaskans want the opportunity to invest, that’s the structure that we’re going to set up for them,” Richards told the board.

AGDC and Glenfarne expect the pipeline subproject to reach FID this year. The gas treatment plant and the export facility FIDs are expected no sooner than 2027.

Department of Revenue estimates a $4.4 billion cost

Keeping the state’s share of the project at 25% is likely to be expensive. Glenfarne estimated last month that building the pipeline alone will cost as much as $16.9 billion. 

In an example scenario AGDC presented to legislators last month, the company suggested developers could take out loans for 70% of that cost. 

The Alaska Department of Revenue is independently using that percentage for its baseline predictions, too.

The developers could cover the remaining 30% by selling part of the pipeline subsidiary. 

If the state wants to keep 25% ownership of the whole project, that would mean buying 25% of that 30%.

Using some assumptions, “that would result in $4.4 billion in nominal terms that would be required to invest in the project,” said Dan Stickel, the Department of Revenue’s chief economist, on May 21.

The profits could be huge, the department estimates. A 25% equity share could be worth $21.3 billion through 2063. 

That’s on top of the tens of billions of dollars in production taxes, property taxes, royalties and fees that the state would receive regardless of whether or not it takes an additional ownership share.

What happens if Alaska doesn’t buy in? 

“That (25% ownership) will definitely be diluted. That’s the mechanism that was designed,” Kissinger told state lawmakers. 

AGDC’s scenario, presented to legislators on June 4, suggested 8 Star Alaska would keep 35% of the pipeline subsidiary. AGDC would have a quarter of that 35%, or 8.75% of any profits after debts are paid.

If 8 Star Alaska keeps less than that 35%, then the state’s quarter would shrink correspondingly.

While investing in the project increases the potential profits, there’s also a risk, said Sen. Bert Stedman, R-Sitka, on June 16. If the project costs more than expected, the state and other investors would have to pay more money to keep their share of the project.

“If the state wishes to take that risk, and if the state wishes to be a paying member of the project … you would be paying 25% of any of the investment dollars coming in to maintain that,” Kissinger said on June 3.

Where would Alaska get the money?

Current state law allows AGDC to borrow money without legislative approval. 

“Right now, under the current statutes, AGDC has extremely broad bonding authority. We can raise revenue bonds — provided there is no recourse back to the state — without any further approvals,” Kissinger said on June 26.

What’s a revenue bond?

The Alaska Constitution severely limits the kinds of government borrowing that the state is responsible for and must repay through taxes. Corporations like AGDC can instead issue revenue bonds, which are repaid by the corporation’s profits. There’s no obligation for the state to bail out a corporation that can’t pay its bond holders.

The current version of the gasline tax break being considered by state lawmakers would limit AGDC’s borrowing power.

Legislators would have to meet within 90 days — possibly in special session — to approve any bonds. 

The Alaska Department of Revenue would be required to analyze the investment and make a recommendation to legislators.

Another funding possibility is that the state could offer things instead of money in order to pay for its share of the project.

Earlier this year, the state of Alaska changed its regulations, allowing the state to give away gravel to public-backed construction projects.

“What we’re hoping to do is to utilize state materials, state assets, to be able to provide to the project in lieu of cash,” Richards told the House Finance Committee on May 27. “The gravel that will be used for access road and pipe bedding and pipe backfill and pipe storage yards and camp facilities represents about 20 million cubic yards of material, so that has a value of roughly $60 million and if we are able to then utilize that value and gain equity, then that would be a non-cash option that we would like to exercise for the state.”

In an interview on Tuesday, Richards said the state could also offer the land that the pipeline will use. Instead of paying something like $9 million per year in rent to the Department of Natural Resources, the state could simply deed the land to the pipeline operator and receive a share of the pipeline subsidiary in return.

Lawmakers could also appropriate money directly from the state treasury to AGDC in order to fund the project. 

Rep. Andy Josephson, D-Anchorage, said on May 21 that in order to come up with the money for the 25% investment, the state’s independent financial adviser recommended overdrawing the earnings reserve of the Alaska Permanent Fund. 

“I know that’s sacrilege to talk about, and it’ll be left for the next Legislature … but $4 billion is something this state could probably borrow or find, I guess,” he said.

“This is such a significant decision for what I call the re-electeds,” said Josephson, who is retiring and not running for re-election. “If they don’t do it, they could be chastised for decades and remembered for not doing it, but if the project has significant cost overruns, they could be chastised for that.”

“I would agree, it’s a very significant decision,” Stickel said.

Speaking June 19 on the floor of the state Senate, Sen. Jesse Kiehl, D-Juneau, said he is terrified of what might happen if the state invests and there is a cost overrun that requires more money to complete the project.

“Does it go bankrupt, and we just leave it? Nobody in this room is that naive. There’s one deep pocket around this project. There’s one entity that’s had a 50 year dream of building the pipe. There’s one place you can go for billions and billions of dollars,” he said.

Left unsaid was the name of the Alaska Permanent Fund.

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City discusses options for City Hall disposal, Burns Building renovation won’t finish this year

NOTN- City manager Katie Koester told the Assembly of the Whole Monday evening, that the Burns Building renovation, or the new City Hall is delayed and will not allow offices to move out of temporary space by year‑end as planned.

“We are not going to be able to move out of the Marine View building or this building by the end of the calendar year as we had originally hoped, so we have entered into an additional six-month lease with Marine View. We anticipate the project to be complete by May.” Koester said.

Bids are still being received; alternates in the bid package total about $1.3 million for items such as flooring, ceiling work and mechanical controls. The city has signed a six‑month lease extension for its space at Marine View, and Koester warned that lease costs and schedule slippage could draw on project contingency.

Koester said they may request additional funding or transfer from the lands fund if needed and will update the Assembly when bid results are finalized and a construction award is required.

The Assembly also moved forward with two parallel paths to dispose of the current City Hall at 155 Heritage Way after extended discussion.

Members voted to advance an ordinance for a sealed competitive bid sale with a $2.5 million minimum and also directed staff to prepare a negotiated‑sale ordinance for consideration with the Sealaska Heritage Institute’s $1.5 million proposal.

Members cited community and year‑round benefits from a cultural use, but others pushed to test market interest through bids.

“Not everything can be quantified, so I weigh the value of having a known entity being in this space.” Said Assembly member Maureen Hall, “I see the quandary. Do we open it up for a bid and go with the highest bidder, or see what it is and then scale back to an entity that’s going to provide year-round benefit and additional benefit to the community as far as sharing of resources.”

The twin approach schedules both options for the same public‑hearing timeline so the Assembly can weigh competitive offers against a negotiated community proposal.

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To vote in Alaska’s primary elections, residents must register by July 19 — here’s how

An early voting site is seen on Monday, Aug. 1, 2022 at the State Office Building in Juneau, Alaska. (Photo by James Brooks/Alaska Beacon)

By: Corinne Smith, Alaska Beacon

An early voting site is seen on Monday, Aug. 1, 2022 at the State Office Building in Juneau, Alaska. (Photo by James Brooks/Alaska Beacon)

Alaska’s primary election just over a month away, and the deadline to register to vote in that election is Sunday July 19.

Alaska’s primary election is Tuesday August 18, when voters will mark their ballots to choose among candidates for governor, legislators in the Alaska House and Senate, and representatives in the U.S. House and U.S. Senate. A sample of the primary ballot can be found on the Alaska Division of Elections website.

The top four vote-getters in the primary will advance to the general election on November 3. 

Residents can check their voter registration at myvoterportal.alaska.gov.

To register to vote in the primary election, eligible voters must be at least 18 years old within 90 days of registering, a U.S. citizen and an Alaska resident. They may not be registered to vote in another state. Voters must be a resident in Alaska and the district in which they seek to vote for at least 30 days before the election.

Language assistance is available with voting information and ballots available in Tagalog, Inupiat, Cup’ik and Yup’ik variations. Language assistance is available at every stage of the voting process, and can be requested from the division. 

Naturalized U.S. citizens are eligible to vote, but U.S. nationals and non-citizens are not allowed to vote.

Individuals who have been convicted of a felony involving moral turpitude are ineligible to vote in all elections until the date they are unconditionally discharged. That means they have completed their sentence and are no longer in Alaska Department of Corrections’ custody or supervision, which includes halfway houses, sentenced electronic monitoring, probation or parole. Once an individual is unconditionally discharged, they can re-register to vote if they otherwise meet eligibility requirements.

Residents are automatically registered to vote or their voter registration information is updated when they apply for the Alaska Permanent Fund dividend. Residents have 30 days to opt out if they do not wish to register. 

Individuals are considered Alaska residents if they reside in the state and intend to remain a resident or if they leave the state and have an intention to return. Active duty military members and family are exempt from the intent to return requirement and can register and vote by absentee ballot. 

Residents can register to vote online, by mail or in-person at regional Division of Elections Offices, Division of Motor offices, Division of Vocational Rehabilitation offices, participating Tribal government offices, Legislative Information Offices, United States Armed Forces Voter Assistance Offices, Division of Public Assistance agencies, city or borough clerk’s offices, participating public libraries, or voter registrars. 

Residents need a current Alaska driver’s license or state ID to register or update voter registration. After registration, eligible voters will be issued an Alaska Voter ID card within four to six weeks. 

Residents can apply to vote by absentee mail-in ballot by August 8 for the primary, and by October 24 for the general election. Eligible voters can apply by email, fax or in-person. Ballots must be postmarked by election day. 

Regional elections offices will open for absentee and early voting in the primary election on Sunday August 16. 

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Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy sets state record for most vetoes in a single Legislature

Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy talks to reporters during a news conference on Monday, May 19, 2025. (Photo by James Brooks/Alaska Beacon)

By: James Brooks, Alaska Beacon

Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy talks to reporters during a news conference on Monday, May 19, 2025. (Photo by James Brooks/Alaska Beacon)

Amid a series of disagreements with lawmakers in the state House and Senate, Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy has set a record for the most vetoes by an Alaska governor during a single two-year Legislature.

Through Friday morning, Dunleavy had vetoed 29 of the 115 bills passed by the 34th Alaska Legislature.

The previous record, 25 vetoes, was held by Gov. Tony Knowles in the 19th Alaska State Legislature, which ran from 1995 through 1996. 

Dunleavy’s record is particularly notable because the number of bills passed by the Legislature has dropped precipitously in recent years. 

During the 19th Legislature, Knowles’ vetoes accounted for 8.9% of all bills passed by lawmakers. Dunleavy’s vetoes cover more than 25% — one in four — of all bills passed by the 34th Legislature. 

Dunleavy is a Republican. During his first six years in office — the 31st, 32nd and 33rd Legislatures — either the state House or Senate was controlled by a solidly Republican majority. During the 34th, both the House and the Senate have been controlled by coalition majorities where Democrats and independents hold some leadership roles.

The Beacon asked the governor’s office why the governor has vetoed so many bills during the 34th Legislature and whether there is a fundamental disagreement between the Legislature and governor.

“The fact that Governor Dunleavy has vetoed a few more bills in a legislative session than previous governors does not necessarily indicate a fundamental disagreement between the executive and legislative branches,” said Jeff Turner, the governor’s communications director, by email. “Governor Dunleavy has always evaluated legislation on a bill-by-bill basis.”

Senate President Gary Stevens, R-Kodiak, and Speaker of the House Bryce Edgmon, I-Dillingham, declined to speak at length about the vetoes issue because legislators are currently negotiating with the governor on perhaps the biggest bill of the 34th Legislature: A multibillion-dollar property tax break benefiting the developer of the proposed trans-Alaska natural gas pipeline.

Legislators may vote next week on whether to send a revised version of the tax break to the governor for approval. 

Dunleavy has said he opposes the current version being discussed by a legislative conference committee. Asked this week whether he would veto the bill, he told Alaska’s News Source that it would be “tough” for him to accept it in its current form.

Eight other bills are awaiting the governor’s consideration. Those include House Bill 14, a comprehensive insurance bill; and House Bill 249, which changes the procedure for turning a car over to an insurance company after a wreck.

The governor has until Monday to act on HB 14 and until July 20 to act on HB 249.

The Legislature has not yet sent six other bills to the governor for action. Under the Alaska Constitution, that means the clock for final action has not begun.

While Dunleavy has the record for the most vetoes in a two-year Legislature, he does not hold the career record. 

Gov. Jay Hammond, who served as governor from 1974 through 1982, issued 74 vetoes, the most of any governor during their career. Knowles vetoed 69 bills during his eight years in office. Gov. Bill Egan, who served 12 years in office, vetoed 56 bills. Dunleavy, who will leave office in December, has thus far vetoed 44. 

Those figures do not include line-item vetoes in budget bills.

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Early August flood predicted as City widens evacuation zone for 2026 GLOF threat

Screenshot
Portion of the brand new evacuation maps released by CBJ ahead of 2026 flood season

NOTN- Local, tribal, state and federal officials say Juneau is better protected but still at risk as the community braces for another glacial lake outburst flood from Suicide Basin in early August.

City Manager Katie Koester at a media briefing this morning, emphasized to reporters and media outlets that the purpose of the meeting as well as upcoming community events surrounding flood protection work is all about keeping residents informed and prepared ahead of this year’s Glacial Lake Outburst Flood, or GLOF.

She said the key takeaway however, was the need to evacuate during the event.

“We’ve done a lot to prepare for this event and we really appreciate the partnership with the Army Corps of Engineers in installing essentially between the city and the Army Corps $45 million worth of protective infrastructure for this year.” Koester said, “Nevertheless, it’s an unpredictable event, and if we have a breach, it will be a flash flood, and it will be very dangerous.”

The National Weather Service says Suicide Basin water levels are tracking close to 2024. Senior service hydrologist Aaron Jacobs said the basin is about 90 feet below the spillway and is most likely to fill between Aug. 1 and Aug. 9.

Forecasts point to a major flood similar to last year if the basin releases at full volume.

“We’re very close to the levels that we were seeing in 2024 and typically we’ll see about a three foot rise in normal inflow into the basin, and so right now we are about 90 feet below that spillway.” Jacobs said, “Right now that’s about 30 days out before we could see a full basin, and on our monitoring page we do update the conditions weekly, and if we see any other conditions change, we will update it more frequently.”

The City and Borough of Juneau has expanded its evacuation advisory zone to cover just over 1,900 residences, up from about 1,000 last year, based on new evacuation maps that account for blocked roads and responder access. Residents will be guided through a “ready, set, go” framework with Wireless Emergency Alerts, siren-style phone notifications and door hangers in affected neighborhoods.

“In years past, the CBJ and Unified Command have used inundation maps to communicate the risk from from potential flooding and the need to evacuate this year.” Said Emergency Programs Manager Ryan O’Shaughnessy, “We’ve worked really closely with all of our partners to plan for all scenarios, including the potential failure of the HESCO system. Our evacuation map this year, you’ll notice, has a lot more straight lines than an inundation map, and is generally aligned with streets and infrastructure, and the reason for that is we wanted to include areas that may not be directly inundated, but where access or travel, including by first responders, may be compromised. So in other words, if we wouldn’t be able to get to you during a breach scenario, or if you may not be able to get to safety, we are recommending that you evacuate.”

Engineers say roughly $45 million in temporary flood protection including HESCO barriers and a large pump system is now in place along the river through a partnership between the city and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

“We have a very high level of confidence in the HESCO barriers, but this is a dynamic event… we really want to stress for folks to evacuate during this event,” said O’Shaughnessy.

Information on evacuation maps, sandbag events, and alerts is available on the Juneau Flood Ready page at juneau.gov.

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Under new agreement, federal government limits obstacles to oil leasing in Alaska’s Arctic refuge

By: James Brooks, Alaska Beacon

A single caribou stands in 2019 amid cottongrass and other tundra plants near the Hulahula River in the Arctic National WIldlife Refuge. (Photo by Alexis Bonogofsky/U.S. Fish and WIldlife Service)

The federal government has agreed to permanently loosen rules for oil and gas lease sales in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, according to a draft settlement agreement filed this week in the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska.

Adam Gustafson, an attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice, said in a statement that the agreement “means more oil leasing, more domestic energy, and more independence from foreign sources of energy.”

The document filed this week would settle lawsuits filed by the state of Alaska and its investment bank over the 2025 Arctic National Wildlife Refuge oil lease sale that drew no bids. 

That sale, mandated by a 2017 law, took place after the Biden administration restricted the available acreage. The Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority and the state of Alaska sued over the Biden-era limits.

This week’s agreement states in part that the federal government will not limit oil and gas leasing in ANWR until oil and gas equipment covers at least 2,000 acres in the refuge’s coastal plain. 

“The 2017 Tax Act does not authorize (the Bureau of Land Management) to deny or unreasonably limit development of production and support facilities to the Coastal Plain until 2,000 surface acres are covered by production and support facilities,” it states in part.

That’s a small fraction of the size of the leases being put up for sale but could represent a significant length of pipeline and a large number of drilling pads.

AIDEA and the state remain in court against the federal government over the result of a 2021 ANWR lease sale. AIDEA won leases during that sale, but the Biden administration canceled those leases, then attempted to re-sell the affected land during the 2025 sale. 

The ANWR leasing program overall has been challenged by a coalition of environmental groups, and that case also remains in court.

By email on Tuesday, an AIDEA spokesperson said it would be accurate to call the new agreement a victory for AIDEA and Alaska because it “includes a clear admission that the … Lease Sale ‘violated the 2017 Tax Act by preventing meaningful leasing, exploration, and development of oil and gas on the Coastal Plain, as Congress mandated.’”

Through a spokesman, acting Alaska attorney general Cori Mills noted that while Alaska’s attention has recently focused on a successful lease sale in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska to the west of the Prudhoe Bay oil field, the state continues to be interested in ANWR, which is to the east.

The new settlement agreement increases the odds that ANWR will stay open to drilling even when a new president comes after Trump.

“While the State is ecstatic about the progress in the NPR-A, we cannot lose sight of the potential in ANWR. The problem is not a lack of potential or even lack of infrastructure; it is the lack of a stable investment climate without burdensome and unnecessary strings attached,” Mills said by email.

“The last administration did everything they could to shut down development in ANWR that our congressional delegation and numerous state administrations had fought long and hard for. But that doesn’t have to be the future. We are grateful that the federal government recognizes the unlawful actions taken previously and was willing to enter into the settlement and essentially admit the error,” she said. “There is still hope that ANWR can provide economic prosperity and crucial resources for local communities, the state, and the nation.”

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Alaska lawmaker violated ethics law using official letterhead to condemn news story

Corinne Smith, Alaska Beacon

Rep. Sarah Vance, R-Homer, speaks on the House floor on Feb. 27, 2026. (Photo by Corinne Smith/Alaska Beacon)

A legislative ethics committee found that Homer Republican Rep. Sarah Vance violated Alaska ethics law when she used official legislative letterhead to publicly condemn a Homer News story last September. The story was about a local vigil she helped organize for Charlie Kirk, a right-wing political activist who was assassinated last year. 

The House Subcommittee on the Select Committee on Legislative Ethics launched a probe into Vance’s conduct after receiving 18 ethics complaints from September to December last year. On June 26, the seven-member ethics committee, by a majority vote, found probable cause that Vance violated the Legislative Ethics Act “by using Alaska State Legislature letterhead for a nonlegislative purpose, for involvement in or support of or opposition to partisan political activity.”

The committee determined that Vance’s use of official legislative letterhead violated Alaska statute that states that legislators may not use “public funds, facilities, equipment, services, or another government asset or resource for a nonlegislative purpose, for involvement in or support of or opposition to partisan political activity.”

The committee determined no corrective reaction is warranted, other than adhering to the authorized use of official legislative letterhead in the future. 

Vance opposed the ethics committee’s decision, saying in an interview on Wednesday her letter was not partisan activity and it was within her free speech rights to communicate with constituents. “I respectfully disagree,” she said. “The letterhead is mine, and my free speech should not be limited on how I can speak on behalf of my constituency.”

At issue in the probe is how Vance responded to a Homer News story published on September 17, 2025 that covered a local vigil for Charlie Kirk. Kirk was shot and killed at a public event on a college campus in Utah the week before. One suspect was arrested and is currently standing trial. Kirk was a vocal ally of President Donald Trump focused on mobilizing conservative students on college campuses, and many conservative supporters staged vigils and events around the country to memorialize him.

Vance wrote to the newspaper’s publisher, Sound Publishing, Inc. owned by Carpenter Media Group, an international chain, on her official legislative letterhead condemning the coverage of the Homer vigil. She also posted the letter to her official legislative Facebook page. The story described Kirk as a “far-right activist and Christian-Nationalist icon,” and described his views as “often racist” and “controversial,” characterizations to which Vance objected. 

“In the letter Representative Vance expressed her displeasure with portions of the content of the article and her perception that the Homer News is biased, engages in partisan rhetoric and political talking points,” the committee wrote in their decision. 

The committee identified several key phrases in her letter that violated Alaska statute, including that Vance noted a “growing movement to boycott” the Homer News that she said would result in potential financial repercussions. “If the paper continues to treat community events as opportunities for partisan spin, the consequence will be financial as well as reputational,” Vance wrote.

The committee members invited Vance to answer questions and appear before them, but she filed a request to dismiss the ethics investigation and declined to appear. On June 26, the committee held a public hearing with public comment, then moved to a nearly four hour executive session before announcing the majority vote finding probable cause that Vance violated ethics law. 

Rep. Kevin McCabe, R-Big Lake, one of two House members on the committee, penned a dissenting opinion, which the committee issued with the decision. He questioned whether the authority of ethics law extends to official letterhead and defended Vance’s First Amendment right to free speech.  

The committee dismissed three other statutory violations cited in complaints, related to political fundraising and campaigning, legislative employee political parties and campaigning, and donations. The 18 complaints are confidential, and were not made public with the decision. 

In an interview, Vance said she believes the complaints were politically partisan and should have been dismissed. She said she is aware of the ethics rules barring the use of letterhead for campaigning for a specific candidate or fundraising. She rejected the finding that her letter was politically partisan.

“I called out the media for being biased and engaging in partisan activity, that doesn’t make me partisan, that’s just providing accountability,” she said. “Just like when I write letters to the Board of Fish for not following the public process, and I call them to account and say ‘you need to take a look at this and redo your actions.’ It’s the same advocacy on behalf of my constituents.”

Vance said she was expressing her free speech right and communicating with constituents with her letter and on her social media page. She said that includes noting the potential boycott and financial repercussions for the Homer News. 

“I wanted them to know the seriousness of what was happening with their paper that had been for a long time, and it wasn’t a threat, it was just saying ‘you need to know what’s going on.’ I meant it more informational, but people perceived it differently,” she said. 

Vance said she is still deciding whether to appeal or take further action on the issue. 

Nationwide, Kirk’s killing prompted a pressure campaign by Republicans and conservatives to clamp down on language deemed critical of Kirk. A Reuters investigation found more than 600 people were fired, suspended or investigated for comments about Kirk’s death within the first two months of his killing. Some have successfully sued for First Amendment retaliation and have received large settlements or monetary damages. 

The fallout from Vance’s letter was significant, though it was not mentioned in the ethics committee’s decision.

In response to Vance’s letter, the management of Sound Publishing, Inc. and parent-company Carpenter Media Group changed the story, removing some of the language Vance objected to without consulting the reporter or editor at the Homer News, who later resigned over the decision. 

In a joint letter, four reporters and editors with the Homer News and the Peninsula Clarion — also owned by Carpenter Media Group —  said they did not have a problem with Vance’s criticisms, but voiced strong objections to the management changing a story “at the behest of a local official.” They called the decision a betrayal of the journalists on staff and the company’s integrity. 

“We believe this destroys the credibility the public has placed in us as reporters and editors,” they wrote. The group said they could not continue doing their job knowing the possibility of future pressure from an elected official could result in stories being changed without their consultation.

Vance said she was surprised that the publisher responded and changed the article, and learned later that reporters and editors were not consulted.

“It was never my intent for anyone to lose their job or to create a disagreement within the inner workings of the paper, but what it did do that was highlighted by those articles is it revealed there were long term issues that had been going on for quite some time,” she said. 

“People say that I bullied and intimidated the media, I don’t believe that for one minute,” Vance said. “Sound Publishing is a pretty big corporation, and it was never my intent to bully, but just to say ‘no, this is wrong. You need to be aware of what’s going on in this community.’ And I’m going to speak up on behalf of my constituents, because their voice has been drowned out down here.”

Jake Dye, one of the reporters that quit the Peninsula Clarion, said by email on Wednesday that voters will decide whether they approve of Vance’s actions in the November election where she is running for re-election in House District 6. He said Vance’s comments implying financial repercussions crossed a line and “represents a problematic effort to explicitly intimidate the press.”

He said he doesn’t blame Vance for what happened and said Sound Publishing and Carpenter Media management are responsible for their response. 

“There are three fewer journalists on the Kenai Peninsula today than there were a year ago,” Dye wrote. “That’s not because Vance wrote a letter, but because our corporate overlords chose to fold under her pressure and let down the talented people they employed to do reporting in the state.”

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Drug investigations by task force leads to arrest in Juneau

According to the proposed ordinance, when an officer-involved shooting occurs that causes death or serious injury to an officer or someone else, Juneau Police Department would release body-worn camera footage no later than 30 days after the incident. (Photo courtesy City & Borough of Juneau website)
According to the proposed ordinance, when an officer-involved shooting occurs that causes death or serious injury to an officer or someone else, Juneau Police Department would release body-worn camera footage no later than 30 days after the incident. (Photo courtesy City & Borough of Juneau website)
According to the proposed ordinance, when an officer-involved shooting occurs that causes death or serious injury to an officer or someone else, Juneau Police Department would release body-worn camera footage no later than 30 days after the incident. (Photo courtesy City & Borough of Juneau website)
(Photo courtesy City & Borough of Juneau website)

The Juneau Police Department says a recent Southeast Alaska Cities Against Drugs Task Force investigation resulted in an arrest and the seizure of suspected fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine, below is JPD’s press release.

JPD- On June 24, 2026, members of the Southeast Alaska Cities Against Drugs (SEACAD) Task Force executed a search warrant on a box van in the 9000 block of Gee Street in Juneau as part of an ongoing narcotics trafficking investigation.

The investigation began in late May 2026 after investigators identified the location as a source of fentanyl distribution within the community. During the execution of the search warrant, investigators contacted and arrested 39-year-old Jonathan Henry Smith of Juneau.

Search of the vehicle associated with Smith resulted in the seizure of the following suspected controlled substances:

  • Approximately 17 grams of fentanyl
  • Approximately 54 grams of methamphetamine
  • Approximately 44 grams of cocaine

Total estimated street value of seized narcotics: $23,600

Smith was arrested and lodged at the Lemon Creek Correctional Center on the following charges:

  • Four counts of Misconduct Involving a Controlled Substance in the Second Degree, a Class A Felony
  • One count of Misconduct Involving a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree, a Class B Felony

The SEACAD Task Force remains committed to disrupting the trafficking and distribution of illegal narcotics throughout Southeast Alaska. This investigation highlights the continued cooperation between local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies working together to protect our communities from the harmful impacts of illegal drugs.

SEACAD, Southeast Alaska Cities Against Drugs, is a regional task force comprised of municipal police departments from Juneau, Ketchikan, Sitka, Haines, Skagway, Petersburg, Hoonah, Wrangell, Craig, and Yakutat, the Alaska State Troopers, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, United States Postal Inspection Service, and Coast Guard Investigative Service. Together, they work to investigate drug importation and distribution in the Southeast Alaska region.

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Eaglecrest Board Appoints Julie Piper as Next General Manager

CBJ- The Eaglecrest Board of Directors is pleased to announce the selection of Julie Jackson Piper as the next General Manager of Eaglecrest Ski Area. Piper was appointed to the role at the July 7 Eaglecrest Board special meeting. 

“I am excited to welcome Julie Jackson Piper back to Eaglecrest as our ski area’s general manager,” said Brandon Cullum, Eaglecrest Board President. “Julie is the right person to lead our staff, support the board, and help inspire confidence with the Assembly as we move into the 2026/2027 ski season and work to address Eaglecrest’s longer-term sustainability concerns.” 

Piper is currently employed as the Recreation Manager for the City of Richland, Washington, where she has served in that role since 2018. Her prior experience includes being the Aquatics Manager for the City and Borough of Juneau and Youth & Community Outreach Coordinator & Snowsports School Supervisor at Eaglecrest. Piper also has a Bachelor of Science in Ski Area Business Management from Northern Michigan University. 

“I am honored to join Eaglecrest’s dedicated staff and engaged Board of Directors as we build upon the mountain’s remarkable legacy,” Piper said. “Together, we have an incredible opportunity to strengthen our connection with the community, enhance the year-round mountain experience, and ensure Eaglecrest continues to thrive for generations as we begin its next 50 years.” 

Piper will begin her new role on August 31, 2026 and be paid an annual salary of $134,014.40. 

The Eaglecrest General Manager is selected and supervised by the Eaglecrest Board. Following an initial applicant screening by the City and Borough of Juneau Human Resources Department, the Board Human Resources Committee interviewed candidates remotely before selecting a finalist for an in-person interview at the Eaglecrest Board meeting last week. 

For more information, contact Dallas Hargrave, CBJ’s Human Resources/Risk Management Director, at dallas.hargrave@juneau.gov or 907-586-0225. 

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