Beth Kerttula

With a busy three weeks remaining in the 28th Alaska Legislature, lawmakers missed out on nearly a whole week of sunshine, a rarity in Juneau. Legislators spent much of their held up in long sessions or committee meetings, mainly dealing with oil taxes...

Governor Sean Parnell's oil tax reform bill is facing another round of changes, just weeks after it was altered by the Senate Resources Committee. On Tuesday, the Senate Finance Committee made several committee substitutes. "The base rate, we did...

The Alaska House has passed a measure that critics say could hurt the public's ability to participate in permitting decisions.   Monday night's 23-14 vote followed debate on water rights and whether Native entities should be allowed to apply for water...

It's deja vu all over again for Chickaloon Republican Representative Eric Feige. For the third time in his legislative career, Feige will vote on an oil tax reform bill. It’s an issue he's already dealing with front and center as chairman of the...

The state Legislature’s Democratic minorities in the House and Senate introduced their answer to the state’s oil-taxation woes Monday, a bill competing with Gov. Sean Parnell’s proposed revision of Alaska’s oil tax regime....

House Democratic leader Beth Kerttula says she's hopeful that legislation will be introduced this year to re-establish a coastal management program. Kerttula says she's heard that something is being worked on. Last week, Rep. Bryce Edgmon, chairman of...

Governor Sean Parnell's plan to scale back the new state ferry project has caught Southeast leaders by surprise, and they're not happy. Parnell announced plans in Ketchikan last week to scrap the 350-foot Alaska Class Ferry in favor of two smaller...

Gov. Sean Parnell says a state Senate education proposal lacks accountability, firing the latest salvo this week in a fight over education funding at the State Capitol. The debate centers on how much money the state gives school districts for each student...

Alaska's 2012 legislative session began Tuesday as lawmakers listened to a rendition of the Alaska state song. With a lot to deal with this session, today some legislators wondered if the 90-day session should last longer - 120 days like before it was in...

Supporters of a a coastal zone management initiative say they'll have enough signatures to put it on the ballot this fall, despite news early Tuesday that a state computer couldn't verify more than 10,000 signatures that the Alaska Sea Party turned in two...

Gov. Sean Parnell took on critics in the state Legislature about his plans for both oil tax reform and education policies during a press conference on Thursday. Parnell once again urged the Legislature to pass oil tax reform in the form of the bill he...

The annual State of the State address was given by Gov. Sean Parnell before the state Legislature at the Capitol on Wednesday, emphasizing the importance of increasing oil production on the North Slope. Parnell began by asking the Legislature to vote...