Andrew Kitchenman, Alaska Public Media & KTOO - Juneau

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Andrew Kitchenman is the state government and politics reporter for Alaska Public Media and KTOO in Juneau. Reach him at akitchenman@alaskapublic.org.
A white man in a suit and tie

Former Alaska House Speaker Bradner, who helped pass Permanent Fund amendment, dies at 83

Former Alaska House Speaker Mike Bradner died Saturday of complications from a COVID-19 infection. He was 83.
A four story concrete building

Update: 4 legislative aides test positive for COVID-19

Two close contacts of Rep. Mike Cronk and one Alaska Senate staff member have tested positive for COVID-19 since Cronk tested positive on Wednesday.
A man in a vest and a red tie walks through a hallway

Lawmakers consider unplanned spending from the Permanent Fund

There isn’t enough left in the piggy bank the state has used for decades to cover deficits — the Constitutional Budget Reserve — to both manage the state’s cashflow and pay even the roughly $1,000 Permanent Fund dividends Alaskans received last year.
A white old man in a judge's robee sits at a desk in front of an Alaskan flag

Alaska Gov. Dunleavy didn’t have power to extend appointees’ terms, judge rules

A Juneau Superior Court judge has ruled that Gov. Mike Dunleavy didn’t have the power to extend many of his appointees’ terms late last year after the Legislature failed to meet to confirm them.
A legislative chamber with plastic barriers in between

Alaska House organizes — without clear majority

The Alaska House of Representatives organized on Thursday, but without either caucus able to claim most of the members.
A woman in a wood-panelled building

Gov. Dunleavy to Sen. Reinbold: ‘The misinformation must end’

Dunleavy wrote fellow Republican Lora Reinbold a letter on Thursday saying she has “abdicated the tenets” of her oath of office after she attacked his administration’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
A white man inn a black suit speaks on the podium

Alaska chief justice defends judicial selection process, as senator introduces bill to change it

Wasilla Republican Sen. Mike Shower has introduced a bill that would give the governor the power to directly appoint district and appeals court judges.
A woman in a mask speaks in an official room

Party of principles or party of Trump: Murkowski says Republicans must choose

“I’m not a Democrat. And so I continue to be a Republican, but I am not a Trump Republican," said Murkowski at the Alaska State Capitol in Juneau. Murkowski is facing censure from state the state Republican party.
The House of Representatives entrance

Mostly Democratic majority forms in Alaska House, seeks to add Republicans

After a month-long stalemate, the dam has finally broken in Alaska's State House. With a new majority, speaker and committee assignments, legislators can finally get to work.
A white woman with a black mask

Stutes elected as Alaska House speaker, breaking deadlock

Kodiak Republican Rep. Louise Stutes was elected Alaska House speaker on Thursday, breaking a deadlock on the 24th day of the legislative session.
woman stands on the floor of the Legislature under a board that displays the vote count

Dunleavy asks Alaskans to be aware of COVID-19 pandemic misinformation

Gov. Mike Dunleavy warned Alaskans away from “misinformation” regarding the pandemic and his administration’s response to it. He encouraged people to challenge those making allegations.
Governor stands at podium with a woman on a zoom projected next to him

State scrambles to maintain COVID-19 response effort as disaster declaration nears expiration

State officials are scrambling to determine if they’ll still be able to allocate vaccines and determine who’s eligible if the state’s COVID-19 disaster declaration expires at 12:01 a.m. on Monday.
A room with tables and officils sitting around

If Legislature fails to act, Alaska’s vaccine plan and testing mandate face uncertainty

When Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s pandemic disaster declaration expires this weekend, the state will lose a wide range of special powers to respond to COVID-19.
A mostly empty hospital hallway

How many Alaskans died from COVID-19? ‘Excess death’ count sheds some light

A new report found 529 excess deaths, more than twice as many as the 255 deaths Alaska doctors have determined the coronavirus disease caused in 2020. But it's not clear what caused them.
An Alaska Native woman with a baby sling aroundd her stands next to a man in a bolo tie

Josiah Patkotak elected speaker in unorganized Alaska House of Representatives

Independent Representative Josiah Patkotak from Utqiagvik will preside over the House until there’s a permanent speaker.
Governor Dunleavy peeks through a door with a man in a suit in the foreground

11 days after appointment, Alaska Attorney General Ed Sniffen leaving job

Alaska Attorney General Ed Sniffen is leaving his position 11 days after Gov. Mike Dunleavy appointed him.
A white man in a black susit and red tie speaks into camer

Dunleavy talks pandemic, big dividends and resource development in virtual State of the State address

Gov. Mike Dunleavy explained his approach to the COVID-19 pandemic and called for large permanent fund dividend payments and developing Alaska’s resources in his third State of the State address on Thursday.
A white man in a blue zipper jacket sits at a table and speaks

Gov. Dunleavy proposes bill to extend Alaska’s COVID-19 disaster declaration through September

Gov. Mike Dunleavy proposed a bill to Alaska’s legislature on Monday that would extend the state’s COVID-19 public health disaster declaration through September.
A white man at a podium looks at a video screen with another white man speaking

Concerns raised about the future of Alaska’s foster care system under Dunleavy plan to split state health department

Tribal organizations, advocates for foster children and the largest state worker union are all voicing their concerns.
A white man in a suit and blue tie walks throug a crowded corridor

Alaska Senate announces committee members, Sen. Hoffman returns as only Democrat in majority

This ensures that the mostly Republican Senate majority will have at least one Democrat for the seventh straight year. Hoffman has been the only majority Democrat since 2017.