“If people aren’t applying for jobs and accepting jobs, it’s usually because it doesn’t pay enough or it doesn’t provide benefits or it’s bad working conditions. This one could be all three, and I don’t think any of them have been addressed.” - Jeff Kasper, business manager of the Alaska Public Employees Association, on the state’s announcement it plans to outsource the payroll department.
Vice President JD Vance delivers a speech at a campaign rally at an airport hangar in Fairbanks on Monday. Vance was in Alaska to campaign for U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska. Vance praised Sullivan and criticized his opponent, former U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola, D-Alaska. (Photo by Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon)
By Yereth Rosen
Near the end of a 33-minute speech to an enthusiastic Republican crowd gathered in a Fairbanks airport hangar on Monday, Vice President JD Vance got to the point about why he was making an extraordinary campaign stop in Alaska.
Incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan, a Republican, is facing a stiff challenge in the midterm election, and the outcome of the Senate race in Alaska could tip control of the body to Democrats, Vance warned.
A high-voltage power line is seen on Sept. 4, 2018, in Alaska. (James Brooks photo/Alaska Beacon)
By James Brooks
The U.S. Department of Energy said on Monday that it has approved $150 million to partially fund a second electrical intertie between Southcentral Alaska and the Interior.
When built, the Beluga-Healy Transmission Project would result in a redundant power link between Fairbanks and Anchorage, increasing the ability of power companies to use the cheapest electricity possible, even if it’s coming from the opposite end of the railbelt.
Construction isn’t expected until after 2030.
The Alaska State Office Building in Juneau, the state capital, is seen on Feb. 16, 2023. (Photo by Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon)
By James Brooks
By the end of 2027, as many as 14,000 Alaska state workers could be paid by someone outside the state.
After years of trouble within the payroll department within the Alaska Department of Administration, the agency is planning to outsource the state’s public employee payroll to an outside company.
Proposals from interested companies were due Thursday, and in an internal letter, DOA Commissioner Paula Vrana said “it likely will be several weeks before a final decision is made.”
Republican U.S. House candidate Nick Begich, left, and Rep. Mary Peltola, D-Alaska (right) remove their microphones after a televised debate Thursday night, Oct. 10, 2024, in Anchorage. (Photo by James Brooks/Alaska Beacon)
COMMENTARY
By Claire Stremple and James Brooks
Over the past few weeks, the four of us here at the Beacon have been wrestling with a pretty tough decision, and we’d like to get your feedback.
Do you have questions for candidates?
We'll ask.
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