Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport has added new non-stop routes to and from Denver, CO and Las Vegas, NV, serviced by Southwest Airlines. The routes will be available twice daily from May 15 to September 15, expanding summer travel options to and from Anchorage.
“Southwest continues to give Customers more opportunities to connect with the travel experiences that matter most to them,” said Ted Gordon, Vice President Airport Affairs at Southwest Airlines. “Anchorage stands out as a great destination for its culture, unforgettable scenery, and hospitality.”
The airline celebrated customers traveling on the inaugural flights to Anchorage with commemorative boarding passes, Alaskan-themed swag, and a friendly welcome at the gate from Anchorage’s very own critters— including Seymour the Moose.
The second regular session of the Alaska 34th Legislature comes to a close tomorrow, May 20, 2026. Here is a summary of what bills have passed the 34th State Legislature during its second session and were signed into law by Governor Dunleavy, which bills passed but were vetoed, and which bills have been transmitted to the Governor but await signature.
Passed and Signed into Law
There are 3 bills that passed and were signed into law during the 34th State Legislature’s second regular session: HB 33, SB 40, and HB 289.
HB 33: “An Act relating to participation in matters before the Board of Fisheries and the Board of Game by the members of the respective boards; and providing for an effective date.”
House Bill 33 amends AS 39.52.120(b) to allow board members of the Board of Fisheries and the Board of Game to deliberate but not vote on a matter in which they have a personal or financial interest. Prior to this law, board members were prohibited from deliberating in these matters where they have a conflict of interest.
A long list of fishing and hunting groups and individuals supported the bill, claiming the current law as written often prevents the board member with the most expertise on a certain issue from weighing in. Three letters in opposition were submitted to the Legislature, arguing that allowing board members to deliberate on matters in which they have a personal or financial interest loosens the Boards’ ethical standards and creates unfair advantage.
The bill was sponsored by Representative Louise Stutes (R-Kodiak) and cosponsored by Representatives Rebecca Himshoot (NA-Sitka) and Sara Hannan (D-Juneau). It passed the House 28-12 during the first session of the 34th Legislature and then passed the Senate 15-4 (1 excused) during the second session. It was signed by Governor Dunleavy and became effective on April 30, 2026.
SB 40: “An Act establishing the period between September 15 and October 15 of each year as Hispanic Heritage Month.”
Senate Bill 40 establishes Hispanic Heritage Month to be observed “observed by schools, community groups, and other public and private agencies and individuals with appropriate activities to honor and recognize the contributions that Hispanic Americans have made in the history and culture of this state and the United States.”
The bill was sponsored by Senator Elvi Gray-Jackson (D-Anchorage) and cosponsored by Representatives Andy Josephson (D-Anchorage) and Alyse Galvin (NA-Anchorage). It passed the Senate 20-0 during the first session and passed the House 36-3 (1 excused) during the second session. The Governor signed it into law May 11, 2026 and becomes effective August 6, 2026.
HB 289: “An Act making appropriations, including supplemental appropriations, capital appropriations, reappropriations, and other appropriations; amending appropriations; capitalizing funds; and providing for an effective date.”
House Bill 289 is the appropriations bill signed into law during the second regular session. A complete look at the State’s appropriated funds in this bill can be viewed here: HB0289Z
This bill was sponsored by the House Rules Committee by Request of the Governor. After several amendments, it passed the House 24-16. After amendments by the Senate, it was passed back to the House 20-0. After amendments in Conference Committee, the House passed the final version 40-0 and Governor Dunleavy signed the legislation on April 10, 2026.
Passed But Vetoed
There were 2 bills passed by the 34th State Legislature in its second session that were vetoed by Governor Dunleavy: HB 78 and SB 64.
HB 78: “An Act relating to the public employees’ retirement system and the teachers’ retirement system; and providing certain employees an opportunity to choose between the defined benefit and defined contribution plans of the public employees’ retirement system and the teachers’ retirement system.”
House Bill 78 attempted to reestablish a defined benefits retirement plan for public employees. It was sponsored by the House Finance Committee and passed the House 21-19. It then was passed 12-8 in the Senate after several amendments. The House concurred with the Senate’s amendments 21-18 and it was transmitted to the Governor’s Office. Dunleavy vetoed the legislation on May 18, 2026. A veto override was attempted but failed. The governor’s veto was sustained 33-17.
SB 64: “An Act relating to elections; relating to voters; relating to voting; relating to voter registration; relating to election administration; relating to campaign contributions; relating to write-in candidates for President and Vice-President of the United States; relating to the crimes of unlawful interference with voting in the first degree, unlawful interference with an election, and election official misconduct; relating to voter registration on permanent fund dividend applications; relating to the duties of the commissioner of revenue; and providing for an effective date.”
Senate Bill 64 attempted to reform Alaska’s election system to better enhance election integrity, security, and efficiency in Alaska. The bill was sponsored by the Senate Rules Committee. The bill passed the Senate 14-6. After amendments, it passed the House 23-16 (1 excused). The Senate concurred with amendments with a vote of 16-4 and transmitted it to the Governor’s Office. Dunleavy vetoed the bill on May 1, 2026. An override was attempted but the veto was sustained 38-22.
“An Act relating to the duties of the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities; and relating to a statewide public and community transit plan.”
Senate Majority Leader Cathy Giessel (R-Anchorage) voiced her opinion opposing the Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson boundary fence project, urging the base to find “a less intrusive solution” to securing its boundaries.
According to Sen. Giessel, the fence is unnecessarily restrictive of recreational uses. “I’m confident that we can work together to continue their mission without this fence as has been done successfully for decades,” she states. She also points to alternatives the base could pursue to secure the boundary, including “increased base security assignments, sensor or surveillance perimeter security, wildlife permeable fencing, and designated wildlife crossings.”
Read Sen. Giessel’s full opinion published in a Senate Majority newsletter, May 9, 2026: Special Alert re: JBER Fence.
Senator Bill Wielechowski (D-Anchorage) also voiced concerns regarding the fence project at a recent Joint Armed Services Committee hearing and met with the JBER Commander to further discuss community concerns.
Anchorage Assemblymembers Yarrow Silvers and Keith McCormack submitted a resolution in opposition to the fence, expressing “substantive concern that the proposed fence installation would significantly affect the quality of the human environment and the Draft Finding of No Significant Impact does not adequately account for the foreseeable, cumulative, and long-term impacts of impassible perimeter fencing on the Anchorage moose population, on regional habitat connectivity, and on public recreational access.”
On the other hand, retired U.S. Army veteran and former Anchorage Assemblymember Paul A. Bauer, Jr. supports the boundary fence, arguing that security matters more than recreation. “In the end, this issue is straightforward: JBER is a military installation, not a public park,” writes Bauer in an op-ed published on Must Read Alaska. “East Anchorage residents may have become accustomed to informal use of the land, but long-term convenience does not create a right to access military property. I support the fence because national security, installation security, and public safety must come before recreational preference.”
I am writing in support of the proposed fence project along the Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson boundary adjacent to East Anchorage neighborhoods.
I am a retired United States Army veteran, a longtime East Anchorage resident of more than 30 years, and a former Anchorage Assembly member. I retired from Fort Richardson and have spent much of my professional life in public service, security, investigations, and public integrity consulting. Based on that background, I strongly believe the security of JBER must take priority over informal recreational access.
Residents who live near the former Fort Richardson boundary, now part of JBER, have long known they border an active military installation. For decades, some community members have benefited from the open landscape and the appearance of informal access. However, that access was never ownership, and it should not be treated as a permanent community entitlement. Unauthorized trails, dog walking routes, and recreational paths along or across installation property demonstrate exactly why the boundary needs to be clarified and secured.
JBER is not ordinary vacant land. It is a strategic military installation. Alaska’s role in national defense continues to grow because of its location, air assets, training areas, missile defense relevance, Arctic operations, and proximity to global threats. In today’s security environment, military installations face risks that include trespassing, surveillance, sabotage, vandalism, and unauthorized observation of sensitive operations. A secure perimeter is a basic and responsible measure.
Some nearby property owners may enjoy the visual benefit of raw land adjacent to their homes, but that benefit does not override the security needs of the installation. Those who purchased property along the boundary of a military reservation did so with knowledge that the land next to them was not theirs and could be secured when necessary. Community convenience cannot be allowed to outweigh military readiness, force protection, and public safety.
The fence may also provide a safety benefit by reducing uncontrolled access to areas where residents, children, elders, pets, or wildlife could be placed at risk. A clear boundary protects both the installation and the surrounding neighborhoods.
If JBER determines that limited recreational access is appropriate in certain areas, that access should be controlled, permitted, and security-screened. Options could include designated access gates, user permits, fees to offset management costs, background checks where appropriate, posted rules, and immediate revocation for violations. However, any access must remain secondary to the installation’s mission and security requirements.
I also encourage JBER to maintain the fence with regular inspections, including checks for cuts, openings, tampering, or signs of unauthorized entry. Landscaping or visual buffering may be considered where practical, but it should not compromise visibility, patrol access, or perimeter security.
In the end, this issue is straightforward: JBER is a military installation, not a public park. East Anchorage residents may have become accustomed to informal use of the land, but long-term convenience does not create a right to access military property. I support the fence because national security, installation security, and public safety must come before recreational preference.
Respectfully, Paul A. Bauer Jr. U.S. Army Retired East Anchorage Resident Former Anchorage Assembly Member Business Owner / Security Consultant Protec Public Integrity Strategies
On May 18, 2026, Governor Mike Dunleavy vetoed House Bill 78, a bill that would have reestablished a defined benefits retirement plan for public employees.
HB 78 had passed the Senate by a vote of 12-8 and the House by 21-19.
The Senate Majority had hailed the bill as “a fiscally responsible path to recruit and retain public employees by providing a modest pension plan with structural safeguards, including adjustable contributions and shared risk provisions that ensure the plan remains fully funded without creating unfunded liability for the state.”
However, opponents in the Senate Republican Caucus warned that the bill carries “unknowable future costs, obscure fiscal notes, and a legacy of failure.” House Minority Leader DeLena Johnson (R-Palmer) echoed these concerns: “Alaska is already struggling under a $7 billion deficit in its retirement systems, despite a massive $3 billion infusion in 2014. While other states struggle under the weight of their own defined benefit plans, Alaska had previously found a more stable path. This plan costs $40 million a year. Where is the state going to find the money to cover these new costs?”
Dunleavy urges the Legislature to consider this revenue question, stating in his veto letter: “If the Legislature intends to increase the State’s long-term spending obligations, it must also be prepared to support the long-term revenue needed to pay for them.”
He then urges the Legislature to put Alaska’s economy first, saying that any increase in public employee retirement benefits will first “require a serious commitment to natural resource development, private-sector growth, and a stronger economic foundation for Alaska’s future.”
Although Dunleavy states that he “share[s] the Legislature’s goal of strengthening recruitment and retention for Alaska’s public workforce,” he clearly outlines the standard for a sustainable pension bill: “legally sound, fiscally responsible, administrable, fully compliant with federal tax law, and supported by a durable plan to pay for it.”
According to Dunleavy, HB 78 does not meet that standard and thus is vetoed.
The following is a press release from Nuvision Credit Union.
Nuvision Credit Union continues its commitment to supporting our active military personnel and veterans in Alaska with two special events scheduled over Memorial Day weekend in Anchorage.
Honoring our Heroes Headstone Cleanup – Saturday, May 23th
Nuvision Credit Union is once again partnering with American Legion Jack Henry Post 1 to host our 5th annual Honoring Our Heroes Headstone Clean-Up. The event will take place at Anchorage Memorial Park Cemetery on May 23rd (535 E 9th Ave, Anchorage, AK 99501), from 10:00 AM-2:00 PM.
Nuvision Credit Union invites the community to join our volunteers, including active military, veterans and local citizens, in cleaning and maintaining the grave markers of local veterans, ensuring their legacies are honored and remembered with the respect they deserve. We hope to pay tribute to these soldiers by making sure their names are seen and recognized.
Tools will be provided to volunteers, but Nuvision encourages everyone to bring their own tools if they have them.
This event has grown each year since it began four years ago, and now includes over 100 volunteers dedicating their time, and over 2,500 headstones have been cleaned in the first 4 years of the event. With the amazing help of volunteers, this year, Nuvision hopes to expand cleaning veteran headstones in more tracts at the cemetery.
The credit union is asking both its members and the community to come together to make a meaningful difference, as we remember those who served and sacrificed for their country.
Everyone is welcome to bring family or friends, the more volunteers we get, the larger impact we can make!
The American Legion Auxiliary will be placing American Flags on all Veteran Headstones
Coffee and snacks will be provided to volunteers during the event
The event will conclude with a Thank You Reception for all volunteers at American Legion Post 1, 840 W Fireweed Lane.
Those interested in volunteering for the Heroes Headstone Clean-Up can do so by registering here, visiting nuvisionfederal.com, or emailing [email protected].
Free Memorial Day Appreciation BBQ for Veterans, Active Military and Families – Monday, May 25th
As a thank you to our service men and women and veterans, and to honor those lives lost, Nuvision Credit Union is hosting its 7th annual Memorial Day Appreciation BBQ on May 25th in Anchorage. The event takes place at American Legion Jack Henry Post 1 (840 W Fireweed Lane) 12:30 PM – 3:00 PM.
The free BBQ will offer active military, veterans and their guests a chance to enjoy great food, live music, and the opportunity to relax with the company of fellow service members.
Event will include Mayor Suzanne LaFrance and a special ceremony and check presentation by Nuvision to the American Legion leadership.
The event is expected to serve more than 400 meals to active military personnel and veterans.
We ask that all those attending to please bring proof of service to the luncheon. DD214’s, VA or Military ID, American Legion Membership Card, or State of Alaska ID with Veteran Designation are all accepted.
Nuvision Credit Union Background
Nuvision has 10 branches in Alaska, serving the communities of Anchorage, Eagle River, Wasilla, Fairbanks, Juneau, and Kenai
Nuvision serves more 200,000+ members in 5 states, including Alaska, California, Washington State, Wyoming, and Arizona.
This Thursday, May 21, 2026, several of the gubernatorial candidates will participate in Alaska Family Action’s Governor Forum, moderated by Editor of Alaska Watchman Joel Davidson.
Confirmed candidates include Dave Bronson, Adam Crum, Edna DeVries, Matt Heilala, Shelley Hughes and Bernadette Wilson.
Questions will focus on issues such as school choice and parental rights, protecting the unborn, gender ideology and how to fix our broken judicial selection process.
The event begins at 8:00 a.m. on Thursday, May 21, at the Petroleum Club in Anchorage.
Today, May 18, Glenfarne Alaska LNG, LLC and ConocoPhillips Alaska announced the companies have signed a gas sales precedent agreement to supply natural gas produced on Alaska’s North Slope for Phase One of the Alaska LNG project.
ConocoPhillips joins the North Slope’s two other major producers, ExxonMobil and Hilcorp Alaska, in agreeing to provide gas for the Alaska LNG pipeline. Glenfarne also has a gas sales precedent agreement with Great Bear Pantheon LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Pantheon Resources plc.
“All major North Slope producers have now committed enough natural gas to support a Phase One final investment decision,” stated Adam Prestidge, President of Glenfarne Alaska LNG. “Today’s milestone agreement establishes the commercial terms for ConocoPhillips to supply gas and help Phase One of Alaska LNG provide energy security for Alaska. I appreciate Erec and his team for their continued collaboration and support as we advance this transformational energy project for Alaska.”
ConocoPhillips Alaska President Erec Isaacson said, “ConocoPhillips shares Glenfarne’s commitment to developing Alaska’s resources for the long-term benefit of Alaskans. Our participation in Alaska LNG supports reliable access to responsibly produced North Slope natural gas while complementing our ongoing investment in Alaska.”
What if the future of healthcare has more to do with the kitchen than the hospital?
That was the underlying message at the inaugural Food is Life, Food is Health summit in Napa, California, where Stanford physicians and researchers joined Harvard nutrition scientists and Culinary Institute of America leadership and faculty in a groundbreaking effort to rethink the role of food in modern medicine.
Hosted through a collaboration between the Culinary Institute of America and Stanford Medicine, the summit reflected a growing movement that no longer views culinary arts, nutrition science, and healthcare as separate disciplines. Instead, discussions focused on how preventive nutrition, microbiome science, culinary education, and food preparation may become increasingly central to chronic disease prevention and long-term public health.
For many Alaskans, the summit’s core message was familiar. Across the state, food has long been connected to culture, resilience, community, and health— whether through salmon and halibut fishing, subsistence hunting, berry picking, foraging, or traditional methods of food preservation, such as drying and fermenting.
But the summit approached these ideas through a scientific lens. Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health nutrition leaders Dr. Walter Willett and Dr. Frank Hu, two of the world’s most influential voices in nutrition science and chronic disease prevention, participated in discussions focused on dietary guidance and longevity. Stanford professor of medicine and nutrition scientist Christopher Gardner, widely recognized for his work on the Stanford Twins Study, joined discussions exploring how evidence-based nutrition can be translated into realistic and culturally relevant meals people will actually enjoy eating.
Dr. David Eisenberg, Director of Culinary Nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, moderated discussions exploring how physicians, chefs, dietitians, and farmers can work together to address chronic disease and broader public health challenges.
Presenters emphasized that scientific evidence alone was insufficient if healthy food lacked flavor, cultural relevance, affordability, or practicality. Discussions repeatedly returned to the idea that successful dietary change depends not only on nutritional science but also on deliciousness, sensory appeal, affordability, and long-term sustainability. Culinary arts and flavor development were treated as central components of public health itself.
At the Culinary Institute of America, known as the world’s premier culinary college, these ideas are no longer just theoretical. The school has already begun building programs around the growing connection between culinary arts, nutrition science, and preventive healthcare, including its graduate-level Culinary Therapeutics program, designed to prepare culinarians for emerging roles at the intersection of food, health, and wellness.
Meanwhile, the scientific evidence connecting diet to health and longevity continues to grow.
Among the summit’s standout presenters was Stanford microbiologist Dr. Justin Sonnenburg, one of the world’s leading researchers studying the gut microbiome and its connection to human health.
Sonnenburg explained that the microbes living in the human gut influence far more than digestion alone. His presentation examined connections between the microbiome and metabolism, obesity, immune function, inflammation, and even the central nervous system. He described the human body as “a walking ecosystem,” illustrating the close relationship between human health and microbial life within the gut. Sonnenburg also warned that modern industrialized diets and lifestyles may be reducing microbiome diversity, contributing to chronic inflammation, chronic disease, and poorer long-term health outcomes.
However, Sonnenburg also emphasized that the microbiome may be highly responsive to dietary changes. Growing research suggests that dietary fiber and fermented foods may help support healthier microbiome function and diversity.
Fiber and fermented foods were recurring themes throughout the summit. One session was dedicated entirely to the culinary versatility and nutritional value of lentils. Fermented foods were also recognized for their health benefits and longstanding role in traditional food cultures around the world. Examples discussed during the conference included yogurt, kimchi, kefir, sauerkraut, miso, and koji-based foods.
The summit also highlighted how chefs trained in culinary therapeutics may increasingly serve as translators between complex nutrition science and everyday life. Throughout the conference, chefs were treated not as secondary to the science but as essential partners helping transform evidence-based nutrition into meals people can realistically prepare, enjoy, and sustain over time.
