A 39-year-old Wasilla woman, Heather McElwain, is running for U.S. Senate this election, and among her campaign promises is donating 2 of 6 years of Senate salary to the Mat-Su school district and to Alaska veterans

Here at the Alaska governor candidate education panel - speaking before a room of superintendents. Includes: Matt Heleila, Click Bishop, Tom Begich, Randy Hoffbeck for Bill Walker, and Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins

Lawmakers gaveled in for the 3rd special session this summer to largely empty chambers - they say theyre waiting for Gov. Mike Dunleavy to introduce a new compromise bill on the proposed AKLNG gasline

Alaska Division of Elections director Carol Beecher appears before lawmakers to testify on the division's decision to declare Dan J Sullivan of Petersburg ineligible, and after the AK Supreme Court ruling overturning it, put him on the ballot without a party affiliation www.ktoo.org/video/gavel/...

Capitol security was observing nearby and asked tourists to stay across the street... bear seemed unbothered and finished his snack under the Liberty bell. Only in Alaska!

A black bear snacks on granola bars in front of the Alaska State Capitol this morning, reportedly snatched from a parked car nearby.

The Alaska Senate passed the AKLNG tax bill by a vote of 11 to 8. But Gov Dunleavy has announced he will veto the bill in its current form, and will call a 3rd Special Session on July 27. Now the House is now on the floor, set to vote on the bill (now symbolic)

Demonstrators are gathered in front of the Capitol protest the proposed AKLNG gasline project and the Legislature's tax cut Signs: "No secrets, no scams, no AKLNG"

The conference committee has rolled out the final compromise AKLNG tax bill - we'll be digging into the details today. Notably they've included the S corp tax provision, but have exempted the gas line project !

Here in the Capitol we are waiting for news on the revised compromise bill for the proposed AKLNG gasline tax break - Members of the Conference Committee are meeting privately in Rep Schrage's office & just saw the Glenfarne president Adam Prestidge walk in

The conference committee is about to present their revised version of the AKLNG tax break bill - a lot of anticipation in the room

From KDLG in Dillingham, AK: A fisherman went overboard and likely died yesterday in Egegik Bay, in the Bristol Bay fishery. He has not yet been publically identified or located.

Also, as other reporters have pointed out - was there state scrutiny of the motives of candidate Carol "Kitty" Hafner ? Now on the Alaska ballot for US Senate She and her son Eric Hafner are "perennial" candidates, running for federal office in states around the US en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carol_a...

Update: The Division of Elections - after being ordered by the AK Supreme Court to include Dan Sullivan of Petersburg on the ballot - lists him as "Daniel J. Sullivan, Jr." w no party And added "incumbent" for Sen. Sullivan TBD if someone challenges that as an "honorific" which isn't allowed

BREAKING: The Alaska Supreme Court has affirmed a lower court's ruling Dan J. Sullivan is eligible to run for U.S. Senate and shall be placed on the August 18 primary ballot.

Now, an attorney for Glenfarne is walking through the proposed corporate income S corp tax (Amendment 2) in the Senate's version and why they think it's bad for investors and the AKLNG project -

The conference committee of Alaska lawmakers for the proposed AKLNG gas line is hearing from the developer Glenfarne today- presenting what they want from the Legislature in the proposed tax break bill Here's their presentation: lots of opposition to the Senate version www.akleg.gov/basis/get_do...

News tip: Attorney Chris Murray, who argued on behalf of the AK Division of Elections today is not a state attorney but was hired in - he has a long resume of representing Republican Party causes, incl challenging a congressional subpoena to investigate Jan. 6 first-fourteenth.com/team/christo...

Prior to the hearing, demonstrators w Juneau for Democracy gathered outside the Division of Elections offices in downtown Juneau where they planned to broadcast the hearing + protest the decision to remove a candidate from the ballot they said is an abuse of power and compromising election integrity

The House Judiciary + State Affairs hearing is underway to investigate the Division of Election's decision to remove the challenger Dan Sullivan of Petersburg from the ballot www.ktoo.org/video/gavel/...

The Alaska House has objected to the Senate version of the tax break bill for the proposed AK LNG gas line - They failed to concur on the bill by a vote of 12 to 28, sending the bill to a conference committee

Among many political pushes, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin rode the possible LNG gas line wave to the presidential race in 2008 Photo: Gov. Sarah Palin delivers her acceptance speech on Sept. 3, 2008, at the Republican National Convention (Toni L. Sandys/The The Washington Post via Getty Images)

Fishing season in full swing off north Douglas Island in Juneau

An Anchorage man has been sentenced to 5.8 yrs in federal prison for receiving AI-generated child sexual abuse material (CSAM) - Created by a U.S. Air Force Airman at JBER who was sentenced to 10 yrs + 20 yrs supervised release, via the U.S. Attorney's Office 1/ www.justice.gov/usao-ak/pr/a...

Wow. UAF students urge Gov. Dunleavy not to veto maintenance funding for the university. They say dorms have had to be evacuated due to mold, outdated elevators pose an entrapment risk & ADA requirements are not met. "We respectfully urge you to support UA students in this critical decision."

Alaska's oldest original lighthouse, Eldred Rock, opened to the public today after 10+ yrs of renovation. Very special day for many: dozens of volunteers behind the effort from Haines, Skagway, Gustavus, Juneau & beyond, plus the great-grandchildren of the 1st lighthouse keeper there joined from WA

Rep. Dan Saddler, R-Eagle River, serenades lawmakers and staff in the Capitol stairwell celebrating the end of the legislative session.

The Alaska Legislature failed to override Gov. Dunleavy's veto of the pension bill by a combined vote of 33-27. The veto stands and thus no new public pension system for Alaska workers

Sen. Bert Stedman, R-Sitka, opposes the new pension plan saying Alaska has a good retirement system, not perfect but good. He says the Legislature can work on raising teacher salaries and retirement benefits to be more competitive.

The Alaska Legislature is meeting now to vote on whether to override Gov Dunleavy's veto of a bill to revive the state's public pension program. Rep. Chuck Kopp, R-Anchorage says the state is on track to spend $225M in overtime this year, in part failing to retain people due to a lack of a pension