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U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski raises her right hand to demonstrate the oath she took while answering a question about her responsibility to defend the U.S. Constitution during her annual address to the Alaska Legislature on March 18, 2025. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire)

News

Murkowski embraces many of Trump’s goals, but questions his methods

Senator addresses flood concerns, federal firings, Medicaid worries in annual speech to Legislature.

Rep. Justin Ruffridge, R-Soldotna, speaks in support of debating an omnibus education bill in the Alaska House Chambers on Monday, Feb. 19, 2024, in Juneau, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)

Opinion

Capitol Corner: HB 69 moves forward, fixes still needed

Rep. Justin Ruffridge reports back from Juneau.

Sen. Jesse Bjorkman, a Nikiski Republican, speaks during floor debate of a joint session of the Alaska State Legislature on Monday, March 18, 2024. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

Opinion

Capitol Corner: Agricultural department makes sense, but order raises questions about funding, operation

Sen. Jesse Bjorkman reports back from Juneau.

Rep. Rebecca Himschoot (I-Sitka) offers an overview of House Bill 69 during Wednesday’s floor session. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

News

House passes education bill with $1,000 BSA increase as state’s fiscal situation grows bleaker

Senate majority likely to trim hike to $680 while legislators also seek policy deal with governor.

Sen. Jesse Bjorkman, R-Nikiski, speaks at a town hall meeting in the Moose Pass Sportsman’s Club in Moose Pass, Alaska, on Friday, Feb. 28, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)

Opinion

Capitol Corner: Reaching the people at town halls, diving into committee work

Sen. Jesse Bjorkman reports back from Juneau.

Alaska State House District 7 candidate Rep. Justin Ruffridge participates in the Peninsula Clarion and KDLL 91.9 FM candidate forum at the Soldotna Public Library on Monday, Oct. 14, 2024, in Soldotna, Alaska. (Photo by Erin Thompson/Peninsula Clarion)

Opinion

Capitol Corner: Empowering Alaskans: How to engage in the legislative process

Rep. Justin Ruffridge reports back from Juneau.

Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion Sen. Jesse Bjorkman, R-Nikiski, speaks at a town hall meeting in the Moose Pass Sportsman’s Club in Moose Pass on Friday, Feb. 28.

News

Community airs concerns about education, energy at town halls

Bjorkman hosts meetings in Moose Pass, Nikiski and Soldotna.

Sen. Jesse Bjorkman, R-Nikiski, delivers a legislative update to the joint Kenai and Soldotna Chambers of Commerce in Kenai, Alaska, on Wednesday, June 19, 2024. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)

Opinion

Capitol Corner: Town halls and transportation issues on the agenda

Sen. Jesse Bjorkman reports back from Juneau.

Alaska State House District 7 candidate Rep. Justin Ruffridge participates in the Peninsula Clarion and KDLL 91.9 FM candidate forum at the Soldotna Public Library on Monday, Oct. 14, 2024, in Soldotna, Alaska. (Photo by Erin Thompson/Peninsula Clarion)

Opinion

Capitol Corner: Serving Alaskans: How my office can help you

Rep. Justin Ruffridge reports back from Juneau.

U.S. Rep. Nick Begich holds a telephone town hall on Monday, Feb. 17, 2025. (Screenshot from the Facebook page of U.S. Rep. Nick Begich)

News

Murkowski, Begich host telephone town halls to address constituent concerns

Both events were inaccessible to some, who grew frustrated at technical problems

Sen. Jesse Bjorkman, a Nikiski Republican, speaks in favor of overriding a veto of Senate Bill 140 during floor debate of a joint session of the Alaska State Legislature on Monday, March 18, 2024. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

Opinion

Capitol Corner: Peninsula projects move forward; bills head to committees

Sen. Jesse Bjorkman reports back from Juneau.

Rep. Justin Ruffridge, R-Soldotna, speaks in support of debating an omnibus education bill in the Alaska House Chambers on Monday, Feb. 19, 2024 in Juneau, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)

Opinion

Capitol Corner: Prioritizing fiscal responsibility and saying no to pay raises

Rep. Justin Ruffridge reports back from Juneau.

Rep. Will Stapp, R-Fairbanks, speaks on the House floor on Thursday, May 2, 2024. (Photo by James Brooks/Alaska Beacon)

News

Education funding bill unexpectedly advances again, nears House floor vote amid affordability concerns

HB 69 clears Finance Committee at first hearing as minority says discussions there are not worthwhile.

Sen. Jesse Bjorkman, a Nikiski Republican, speaks in favor of overriding a veto of Senate Bill 140 during floor debate of a joint session of the Alaska State Legislature on Monday, March 18, 2024 (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

Opinion

Capitol Corner: Making way for LNG while pressing for peninsula improvements

Sen. Jesse Bjorkman reports back from Juneau.

Rep. Justin Ruffridge, R-Soldotna, speaks in support of debating an omnibus education bill in the Alaska House Chambers on Monday, Feb. 19, 2024, in Juneau, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)

Opinion

Capitol Corner: Continuing the conversation on education, looking for budget solutions

Rep. Justin Ruffridge reports back from Juneau.

Kenai Peninsula Borough School District Board of Education member Penny Vadla and student representative Emerson Kapp speak to the joint Alaska House and Senate education committees in Juneau, Alaska, on Monday, Feb. 10, 2025. (Screenshot courtesy Gavel Alaska/KTOO)

News

KPBSD among dozens of districts to deliver in-person testimony to Alaska Legislature

Districts spotlighted programs already lost over years of stagnant funding that hasn’t met inflationary pressure.

Rep. Bill Elam, R-Nikiski, speaks during a town hall meeting hosted by his office at the Nikiski Community Recreation Center in Nikiski, Alaska, on Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)

News

Education dominates Elam’s 1st town hall as state rep

Education funding dominated much of the conversation.

Sen. Jesse Bjorkman, a Nikiski Republican, speaks in favor of overriding a veto of Senate Bill 140 during floor debate of a joint session of the Alaska State Legislature on Monday, March 18, 2024. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

Opinion

Capitol Corner: Education looms large in fast-paced start to session

Sen. Jesse Bjorkman reports back from Juneau.

State Rep. Rebecca Himschoot (right), I-Sitka, answers a question from Rep. Jubilee Underwood (right), R-Wasilla, about a bill increasing per-pupil public school funding during a House Education Committee meeting on Monday. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

News

Legislators and governor form working group seeking quick education funding and policy package

Small bipartisan group plans to spend up to two weeks on plan as related bills are put on…

Kate Sheehan (left foreground), director of the Alaska Division of Personnel and Labor Relations, and Paula Vrana, commissioner of the Alaska Department of Administration, discuss an ongoing statewide salary study during a House State Affairs Committee meeting Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025, at the Alaska State Capitol. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

News

Dunleavy’s delay in releasing state salary study frustrates legislators, union leaders

Draft report to assess competitiveness completed last June, but not released publicly.