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Gas Pipeline Dispute Fuels Wild Alaska Race
JUNEAU , Alaska — The wildest race for governor of Alaska in 20 years shares center stage with the state’s thorniest political issue over those same two decades: a proposed contract for a natural gas pipeline from Alaska’s North Slope through Canada to the Midwest. The Republican primary race pits Gov. Frank Murkowski against two […]
Alaska Tires of Sitting on Natural Gas Wealth
For nearly 30 years, Alaskans have relied on the 800-mile trans-Alaska oil pipeline to pay for 80 percent of state general fund spending and to provide every man, woman and child a yearly dividend check, simply for living here. But with oil production gradually waning, Alaskans have been waiting for a booster shot. The oil […]
Alaska Dreams of a New Capitol, But Where?
An effort to build a new Capitol in time for the 50th anniversary of Alaska’s statehood has re-ignited debate over Juneau’s suitability as the seat of government. This month, a design jury assembled by the City and Borough of Juneau chose four architectural teams as finalists in an international competition to build the first state […]
Alaska Governor Takes Heat for Budget Cuts
It was either a lousy political sales job or a subtle effort to manipulate political backlash. Either way, the state of Alaska will spend much less in fiscal year 2004 than it did last year, and Republican Gov. Frank Murkowski is taking the heat. As the Alaska Legislature’s session wound to a close in mid-May, […]
Alaska Senate District Tests Candidates Stamina
In Alaska’s Senate District C, the rigors of campaigning probably exceed what even presidential candidates must endure. Before post-Census redistricting, the district already was the largest, most geographically sprawling political unit in any state.Yet because of population losses in rural areas since 1990, it was expanded to get near the “ideal” size of about 30,000 […]
Alaska Won’t ‘Break The Bank’ on Security Spending
Like other states, Alaska scrambled in the wake of the terrorist attacks to assess risk and heighten security around critical infrastructure. But despite recommendations by the governor for broad spending on new security measures, Alaskas looming budget deficit kept lawmakers from approving all but a fraction of funds targeted to ongoing homeland security projects. There […]