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The Midnight Sun

Permanent increase to public school funding headed to vote in the Senate

The Midnight Sun Matt Acuña Buxton -
After much talk this session about a one-time increase to public school funding, the Senate is poised to pass legislation that would permanently increase the base student allocation. Senate Bill 52 would enshrine the $680 per-student increase currently contained in...
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Legislators reject far-right Bethany Marcum’s appointment UA Board of Regents

The Midnight Sun Matt Acuña Buxton -
The Alaska Legislature voted narrowly today to reject Bethany Marcum’s appointment to the University of Alaska’s Board of Regents, marking the only rejection in this year’s round of confirmation votes. Marcum is a long-time figure in far-right politics in Alaska...
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House drops ‘egregious’ fee to seal old marijuana convictions

The Midnight Sun Matt Acuña Buxton -
Ever since the 2014 vote to legalize recreational marijuana in Alaska, there’s been the question of how convictions for what’s no longer a crime should be handled today. Both Democrats and Republicans in the Legislature have carried bills to...
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With pregnancy-related deaths on the rise, Legislature passes bill expanding health care coverage for mothers

The Midnight Sun Matt Acuña Buxton -
The hearings on Senate Bill 58 have been, to put it lightly, distressing. The legislation, which passed the Legislature on Wednesday, would extend a full year of postpartum health coverage under Medicaid to mothers and their children for a year,...
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House committee gets an earful at hearing on RCV repeal

The Midnight Sun Matt Acuña Buxton -
When far-right Homer Republican Rep. Sarah Vance introduced her legislation to repeal ranked-choice voting at Tuesday’s meeting of the House State Affairs Committee, she told the committee that repealing the system was more important to her constituents than school...
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Opinion: Can an repeal of ranked-choice voting really sneak through?

The Midnight Sun Matt Acuña Buxton -
With the Legislature entering the final stretch of the 2023 regular legislative session, several bills that have laid dormant for much of session are getting new life. One bill garnering a lot of attention—and a fair bit of fretting—is...
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Senate passes new PFD formula, hoping to break through gridlock

The Midnight Sun Matt Acuña Buxton -
The Senate today passed a new formula for the Alaska Permanent Fund dividend, setting it at a level that backers say should be sustainable without new taxes, about $1,300. The legislation also allows for bigger dividends in the future,...
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Funding for education, child care get bumps as Senate wraps up work on the budget

The Midnight Sun Matt Acuña Buxton -
A bit of last-minute pressure from the Senate Majority's bipartisan membership saw a boost to education funding as the Senate wraps up its work on the state's operating budget, as well as increases in several other key areas like...
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Newest version of controversial ‘parents’ rights’ bill would make all classes opt-in

The Midnight Sun Matt Acuña Buxton -
After closing public testimony on Monday without ever hearing the support for the governor’s “parents’ rights” bill they swore was out there, the House Education Committee’s conservative majority pushed ahead with a revised version of HB105 on Wednesday. It...
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Committee closes testimony on Dunleavy’s ‘parents’ rights’ bill after hearing mostly opposition

The Midnight Sun Matt Acuña Buxton -
Would a third public hearing on Gov. Mike Dunleay’s “parental rights” legislation have been the charm to deliver the support that its backers claimed is out there? We’ll never know. An unusual third public hearing on House Bill 105, legislation...
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