The Alaska Current

On a 21-19 vote, the Alaska House on Tuesday approved a change to Senate Bill 24 that would legalize new cigar lounges in Alaska. buff.ly/Lb9FlAj

Alaska lawmakers failed to override Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s veto of the public pension bill Tuesday, ending the latest push to restore a retirement option for public workers. thealaskacurrent.com/2026/05/19/lon…

Alaska lawmakers spent Monday trying to rush through a massive AKLNG subsidy bill while rewriting provisions on the House floor in real time. buff.ly/zSSBktk

Last week, Alaska lawmakers rejected Attorney General Stephen Cox, making him the first Alaska cabinet-level appointee rejected by legislators since Sarah Palin’s administration. Hours later, Gov. Mike Dunleavy gave him a new job anyway. buff.ly/ODkqMFA

Weeks after a tech vendor backed a GOP finance conference hosted by Revenue Commissioner Adam Crum, it received millions in state contracts tied to Alaska’s $90M+ tech and energy deal network. buff.ly/2mvcvSQ

CORRECTION: We stated that the initial Department of Revenue contract was worth $7.5 million, when in fact, that contract expanded to $11.9 million, according to Saige Managing Partner Charles Hu, who supplied us with the numbers himself. buff.ly/LZ5oFn9

On Tuesday, I published a big scoop on @AdamCrumAK and tech vendor Saige Consulting with @AlaskaCurrent, and we got a request for corrections! Please check out our response... thealaskacurrent.com/2026/05/14/cor…

A vendor sponsoring a glacier cruise at a GOP finance conference hosted by Revenue Commissioner Adam Crum later secured millions in Alaska contracts — part of a wider $80M+ set of deals tied to the state’s data center and energy ambitions. buff.ly/2mvcvSQ

The Alaska Legislature has less than a week left to pass a budget, confirm appointees, wrap priority bills — and somehow decide whether to approve a multibillion-dollar subsidy for the AKLNG pipeline. buff.ly/asPDJOm

As Alaska school districts lose students — and funding — to out-of-district homeschool and charter programs, the House approved a bill aimed at stabilizing budgets by smoothing enrollment-based funding swings. buff.ly/yAu1UwW

Breaking! Sounds fishy to me! Great work by @Lawindsor and @AlaskaCurrent

The state had a chance to make Alaska’s election system work better for the people who often face the biggest barriers to voting: rural Alaskans. Instead, Gov. Mike Dunleavy vetoed the bill and the override effort collapsed after two lawmakers flipped their votes. By Holly Todd.

A company bidding for state contracts sponsored a glacier cruise at a GOP finance conference hosted by then-Revenue Commissioner Adam Crum. Weeks later, Crum awarded companies tied to the same investor network more than $80 million in contracts. buff.ly/2mvcvSQ

A @lawindsor banger in the @AlaskaCurrent. MAGA's "War on Woke" in one image: GOP state treasurers on a glacier cruise that was sponsored by a vendor toasting "fiduciary duty" & fossil fuels. Then $80M in state contracts went to the sponsor's network. thealaskacurrent.com/2026/05/12/tec…

BREAKING from me: A free glacier cruise for state treasurers preceded more than $80M in public contracts to firms tied to a data infrastructure investor building the most ambitious natural gas plant in the world, in the Arctic... thealaskacurrent.com/2026/05/12/tec…

A pop-up apartment gallery tradition that began in Burlington, VT has evolved into [Insert Art], a new residency and community arts space helping emerging artists build careers in Ketchikan. buff.ly/OtJwTeB

A bill to restore pensions for Alaska’s public workers cleared the Legislature for the first time in nearly two decades, despite opposition from some lawmakers who have benefited from pensions themselves. Illustration by Holly Todd.

Our Current Cravings columnist checked out Sofra, Anchorage’s newest Turkish breakfast and lunch spot, where sprawling spreads, strong coffee and standout baklava offer something new to the city’s breakfast scene. Read her review here: buff.ly/HS0VRGC

A look back at last month: Emily Mesner centered April’s photo column around Anchorage’s municipal election. She wanted to explore the theme “voices”— and in doing so, gave herself space to move more slowly and connect with people along the way. buff.ly/AvguPcH