Alaska’s chief justice steps down from case to recall governor
Chief Justice of the Alaska Supreme Court Joel Bolger has admitted to having made statements that may cause a “reasonable person” to wonder whether he could impartially rule on the merits of a case to recall Gov. Mike Dunleavy from office. On March 2,
Kenai Assembly splits 5-4 in support of LGBT hate crime bill
Following an impassioned and sometimes angry public comment period, the Kenai Borough Assembly narrowly approved a resolution on Feb. 25, urging the Alaska Legislature to include “sexual orientation and gender identity” in state hate crimes law. Sponsored
Alaska lawmakers to debate bill on prostitution & sex trafficking
The House State Affairs Committee in Juneau is set to hear a bill on Thursday, Feb. 20 that deals with prostitution and sex trafficking. The bill will be heard at 3 p.m. and will be teleconferenced. No public testimony, however, will be taken. House Bill
Chief justice claims Alaska judges not moved by ‘political interests’
In his Feb. 12 address to a joint session of the Alaska Legislature, Chief Justice of the Alaska Supreme Court Joel Bolger alluded to the court’s ongoing dispute with Gov. Mike Dunleavy regarding cuts to the judiciary’s budget following high court’s
Push for stiffer hate crime laws seen as threat to religious liberty
Hate crime is back in the national and local spotlight following the recent introduction of legislation in both the Alaska Legislature and the U.S. Senate. Senator Lisa Murkowski introduced legislation last week to make it easier for federal prosecutors to
Alaska Legislature to consider LGBT ‘hate crime’ bill on Feb. 6
A bill aimed at adding “sexual orientation and gender identity” to categories like race, sex, religion, national origin when determining sentencing for hate crimes is set for public testimony on Feb. 6, in the Alaska Legislature. Rep. Andy Josephson,
Kenai City Council to vote on support of statewide LGBT hate crimes bill
City council members in Kenai and Soldotna are pushing for the expansion of statewide hate crimes legislation to include “sexual orientation and gender identity.” Last month the Soldotna City Council voted 5-1 in favor of a resolution urging state
Inside scoop: Planned Parenthood’s 2020 strategy for Alaska
Planned Parenthood, Alaska’s largest provider of abortions, held a strategic planning session on Jan. 7 in Anchorage. The event took place at Writer’s Block Café where a “We Support Planned Parenthood” sign stood in the window. About 30 people came,
Women fight Alaska sex trafficking with faith, personal mentorship
While it is hard to quantify the number of human sex trafficking victims because the crime is inherently underground, the International Labor Organization estimates there are 4.8 million sex trafficking victims globally – 99% are women and girls. Alaska
Vital signs: Alaskans marry less as childhood population plummets
The number of marriages, babies and children are plummeting across Alaska according to the state’s Vital Statistics report released on Dec. 6. The annual publication contains key information about life, death, marriage, separations, declining birth rates










