After the fall election, Alaska House Republicans thought they had 21 votes — barely enough to form a majority in the 40-member chamber. But Kenai Rep. Gary Knopp abandoned the group and has been pushing for a coalition balanced between Democrats and Republicans.
Nat Herz, Alaska Public Media
New salmon-counting technique treats Alaska stream like a crime scene
Much of salmon-counting in Alaska is done by watching salmon swim through specially designed stations. But what if you could count the number of fish just by testing for DNA in a bottle of river water? There’s a new technique that could make that happen, according to a newly published study.
Government shutdown, if it continues, could cost Alaska’s lucrative Bering Sea fisheries
Even if the shutdown persists, the federal government will still open the Bering Sea fisheries as scheduled. But the government requires inspections of things like scales and monitoring equipment. Those inspections won’t happen until the government reopens.
New Alaska wildlife managers could revive old fights over federal protections, bear- and wolf-killing
Dunleavy’s administration is likely to shift the complex dynamics between the different entities and interests involved in Alaska’s fish and wildlife politics – from the state and federal governments to tribes, hunting organizations and fishing groups.
Last month, Ruth Botstein argued Alaska’s case at the Supreme Court. This month she was fired.
Botstein is one of two prominent attorneys at the Alaska Department of Law who was fired by the new administration of Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy, in a move that observers said was unusual.
Ben Stevens, former Alaska senator investigated by FBI, lands job with Dunleavy administration
Ben Stevens, the former Alaska Senate president once investigated for corruption by federal authorities, has landed a job with Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s administration. He’ll be a policy advisor, focusing on fishing, legislation and transportation.