Rep. Gary Knopp defends his pro-abortion stance in radio interview
Rep. Gary Knopp, R-Kenai/Soldotna is weathering a tough primary campaign to retain his seat in the Alaska State House. His conservative credentials are suspect after breaking with fellow Republicans to create a bi-partisan majority coalition in Juneau which
First-time candidate challenges Alaska’s Senate president
At 58, Roger Holland’s first stab at public office is to run against one of the most powerful politicians in the Alaska Legislature – Senate President Cathy Giessel. In vying for Giessel’s District N seat in Anchorage, Holland said he wants to bring a
Alaska Supreme Court appointee once argued against Medicaid abortions
Gov. Mike Dunleavy announced that Dario Borghesan will become the newest member of the Alaska Supreme Court. Borghesan is a former state attorney who argued in 2015 that the state should be able to restrict state funded abortions through Medicaid. While his
Supreme Court rules states can’t discriminate against religious schools
On June 30, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that states cannot prohibit tuition grants or scholarships to private religious schools if they award the same grants to secular private schools. The court’s ruling dealt with a state scholarship program in
Alaska Supremes signal intention to better respect minorities
Four members of the Alaska Supreme Court issued a letter on June 5 claiming that minorities and people of color are not treated with the same respect as white people in Alaska, and that lawyers and judges should do more to change this. While slim on
Alaska Supreme Court orders all quarantine cases to be confidential
The Chief Justice of Alaska’s Supreme Court ordered that all court cases in which the state forces people into mandatory isolation due to COVID-19 be sealed from the public. Chief Justice Joel Bolger issued the order on May 26 to comply with a law passed by
High court says recall effort against Dunleavy can proceed
The effort to recall Gov. Mike Dunleavy from office may proceed after the Alaska Supreme Court ruled 4-1 on May 8 that grounds for the potential recall election were sufficient. Chief Justice Joel Bolger did not take part in the State Division of Elections v.
Powerful Alaska Judicial Council controls the bench – we merely offer suggestions
The Alaska Judicial Council – a small but powerful group that controls placement of all judges in Alaska – says it wants to hear from rank and file Alaskans regarding the suitability of 22 judges up for retention this year. After hearing from Alaskans and
Watchman lookout: Prayer, pot lounges, and defunding liberal bias
Here are a few brief editorial observations from a dizzying week of non-stop news across Alaska. DIVINE INTERVENTION Gov. Dunleavy is setting aside some time this Friday to ask for divine assistance during our struggle with the coronavirus. The 2 p.m.
Alaska budget explicitly limits abortion funding despite court orders
The Alaska Legislature’s latest operating budget, approved March 29 and sent to Gov. Mike Dunleavy for his signature, once again clearly bans any state funding of abortion, except in rare cases. As in past years, the budget includes money for the Department