Alaska Beacon reporters take home journalism awards | Alaska Beacon The Alaska Beacon team took home five awards from the Saturday Alaska Press Club banquet for our coverage in 2025.

The @alaskabeacon.com team took home five awards from the Alaska Press Club contest for our coverage in 2025 — thank you for supporting our journalism!
@alaska.bsky.social @corinne-smith.bsky.social @yjrosen.bsky.social
alaskabeacon.com/briefs/alask...

Anchorage mother drives national push to prevent fentanyl deaths | Alaska Beacon Sandy Snodgrass championed the passage of Bruce’s Law, named after her son, which expands funds and focus on overdose prevention education for youth.

NEW: Anchorage mother Sandy Snodgrass is championing a national push to prevent fentanyl deaths, following the death of her son Bruce in 2021.

alaskabeacon.com/2026/04/20/a...

Also glad to contribute reporting on seafood processing workers, working with Hal Bernton, Nat Herz & @propublica.org on this project - www.propublica.org/article/alas...

2nd place for the A-Mark Prize for Investigative Reporting

Thank you!

Alaska lawmakers override governor’s veto of public school funding, restoring services and teachers | Alaska Beacon The override eliminates a 5.6% year-over-year cut to public school funding, leaving districts with a small funding increase.

Here's the story - all in one action-packed day of a special session in August. And the first time since 1987 a Legislature voted to override a governor's budget line veto by a governor

alaskabeacon.com/2025/08/02/a...

Thanks to the Alaska Press Club for 1st place in Education Reporting w my colleague @alaska.bsky.social for our coverage of the Legislature overriding Gov Dunleavy's veto of education funding last summer, restoring funds for schools.

W/ my friend/reporter Jasz Garrett @juneauindependent.bsky.social

Great work!

National Guard 'follows the Constitution,' general says of troops possibly deployed to polls | Alaska Beacon The National Guard’s top general told Congress on Friday that it would follow the Constitution and the law when he was asked about the possibility President Donald Trump would order troops to polling ...

National Guard ‘follows the Constitution,’ general says of troops possibly deployed to polls, writes Jonathan Shorman for @statesnewsroom.com alaskabeacon.com/2026/04/17/r...

Far North Fashion Show celebrates Alaska cultures | Alaska Beacon The event showcases the work of Indigenous designers who embed culturally significant elements and some social messages in their creations.

Beautiful! “We have designers and models who have put in hundreds and hundreds of hours into what you are about to see,” she said."

From Inupiaq, Athabascan, Tlingit, Yup’ik and Aleut cultures, among others.

alaskabeacon.com/briefs/far-n...

Socioeconomic status a key factor in understanding Alaska test data, lawmakers hear | Alaska Beacon Standardized test results might not be the most appropriate set of data to base education policy decisions on a Furman University professor told lawmakers.

Standardized test results might not be the most appropriate set of data on which to base education policy decisions, a professor at Furman University told the Alaska Legislature Task Force on Education Funding, writes Haley Lehman for the @alaskabeacon.com alaskabeacon.com/briefs/socio...

Alaska Senate committee advances draft capital budget, boosting funds for school maintenance | Alaska Beacon The Alaska Senate Finance committee advanced a draft capital budget on Tuesday that would put nearly $250 million toward state facilities and maintenance projects next year.

Alaska Senate committee advances draft capital budget, boosting funds for school maintenance, writes @corinne-smith.bsky.social for the @alaskabeacon.com alaskabeacon.com/2026/04/17/a...

Alaska House rejects Senate bid to impose corporate tax on privately owned oil companies | Alaska Beacon The Alaska House of Representatives on Monday rejected a bill that would have applied state corporate income taxes to privately owned oil and gas companies.

Alaska House rejects Senate bid to impose corporate tax on privately owned oil companies, writes @corinne-smith.bsky.social for the @alaskabeacon.com alaskabeacon.com/2026/04/16/a...

"We’re looking at, maybe, a survival scenario for rural Alaska,” Mathiasson said in a phone interview Monday. “At those prices, I would imagine that people are going to try to move into Anchorage. I don’t know if you can heat your house at over $20 a gallon.”

Alaska Forest Service facility slated for closure amid federal restructuring | Alaska Beacon A lab in Anchorage is among the sites on the Forest service closure list, as is an Oregon-based lab that supports Alaska research.

Alaska Forest Service facility slated for closure amid federal restructuring, writes @yjrosen.bsky.social for the @alaskabeacon.com alaskabeacon.com/2026/04/15/a...

Alaska House passes draft operating budget with a $1,500 PFD | Alaska Beacon It includes a nearly $158 million one-time funding boost for public schools and tens of millions for disaster relief, transportation and public assistance programs.

NEW: After 4 long days of debate on the House floor, Alaska House reps narrowly passed a draft operating budget with a final vote today of 21-19.

Very interesting to hear the political debates on this one around funding government services vs. a larger PFD

alaskabeacon.com/2026/04/14/a...

Alaska House passes draft operating budget with a $1,500 PFD | Alaska Beacon It includes a nearly $158 million one-time funding boost for public schools and tens of millions for disaster relief, transportation and public assistance programs.

Alaska House passes draft operating budget with a $1,500 PFD, writes @corinne-smith.bsky.social for the @alaskabeacon.com alaskabeacon.com/2026/04/14/a...

Troopers won’t face charges for killing man and injuring brother in Fairbanks shooting The Office of Special Prosecutions said Troopers John Faul and Wyatt Miller were justified in shooting and killing William Rexford after he tried to stab Faul on New Year’s Day.

Two Alaska State Troopers who shot and killed an armed man experiencing a mental health crisis and injured his brother in Fairbanks earlier this year will not face criminal charges.

The Alaska House passed a draft operating budget along caucus lines, 21-19.

That includes a $158M in one-time funding increase for schools, more for disaster relief, corrections, transportation, and public assistance programs, among others.

Plus a $1500 Permanent Fund dividend per eligible Alaskan

The Alaska House voted down a bill passed by the Senate that would have increased taxes on oil & gas companies, including S corps like Hilcorp

Vote failed by 23-17

Background: alaskabeacon.com/2026/03/25/a...

Incredible energy and skill at the Native Youth Olympic Games in Juneau!

Teams competing are from across Alaska and the Yukon

Gov. Mike Dunleavy signed off on a supplemental budget bill that authorizes nearly $450 million in additional state spending this year, writes @corinne-smith.bsky.social for the @alaskabeacon.com

Alaska House legislator’s aide arrested for DUI in Juneau | Alaska Beacon Katy Giorgio, 45, is chief of staff to Rep. Genevieve Mina, D-Anchorage, and is the second high-profile DUI arrest this week at the Capitol.

An Alaska legislator’s aide was arrested for DUI this week — then was granted permission to play trombone in a bar for Alaska Folk Fest: alaskabeacon.com/briefs/alask... #akleg

The Alaska House is kicking off day 3 of all-day debates on the operating budget -

Today will include this year's $$ amount of the Permanent Fund dividend, and how to balance it with covering costs of state government

Campbell STEM families sue over school closure; district transfers STEM accreditation to Klatt Superintendent Jharrett Bryantt said that he would not recommend any more schools be closed next year.

Families opposed to the Anchorage School Board’s decision to close Campbell STEM Elementary are suing the board and district in an effort to prevent its closure at the end of the school year.

Lawmakers consider Alaska Board of Parole member amid questions around low rates of parole | Alaska Beacon Steve Meyer has served on the board since 2016, and is up for appointment for a third five-year term, amid questions about low parole rates.

Lawmakers consider Alaska Board of Parole member amid questions around low rates of parole, writes @corinne-smith.bsky.social for the @alaskabeacon.com alaskabeacon.com/2026/04/09/l...

Public pools, small schools will close under newly adopted district budget By Jake Dye Special to the Homer Independent PressHomer’s public pool will be defunded, four schools in other towns will be closed, librarians will be eliminated and teachers will lose their jobs u…

Four schools will be closed, librarians will be eliminated, pools will be defunded and teachers will lose their jobs under a budget adopted Monday by the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District Board of Education.
#aknews
homerindependentpress.com/2026/04/09/p...

And the amendment unconstitutionally blocking funding for Medicaid abortions fails 20-20.

Rep. Kopp is the lone Majority member to split off.

And the amendment to move $10M of the $158M of the one-time education funding into pupil transportation passes 33-7.

Day 2 of the Alaska House debating amendments to the state's operating budget - adding or deleting $$ for next year.

They approved an amendment to redistribute $10 million for transportation for schools to help with rising fuel costs

Alaska State Legislature Find out who your legislators are by submitting your address in the “Who Represent Me” bubble on the lower right-hand corner on any page of our website.

Her nomination now goes to a vote by a joint session of the House and Senate, so send your feedback directly to your representative

akleg.gov/faq.php