We reached the halfway point of the 121-day legislative session this week. Snow continues to fall in Juneau. Spring cannot come fast enough! Governor Mike Dunleavy’s (R – Alaska) long-awaited gasline bill was finally introduced this week. The drama with the supplemental budget continues – it is now in a conference committee. A major lease sale occurred in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska (NPRA), drawing more than $160 million in winning bids from several companies. Ballots for the April 7 Anchorage Assembly race went out in the mail. And the price of oil has continued to rise amid the war with Iran. 

I was in Anchorage this week doing debates for the six Anchorage Assembly races. You can watch them on the Alaska Landmine YouTube channel or Facebook page. Thanks to our viewers and sponsors! 

A friendly message and reminder to all our readers. The Landmine is made possible by myself and a team of awesome Alaskans. I have been covering the legislative session in Juneau for the last seven years and am now here for my eighth session. We will be covering all the 2026 Alaska elections in-depth. If you enjoy the content we provide, please consider making a one time or recurring monthly donation. You can click here to donate. We have a system that makes it super easy. We would really appreciate it. And thanks to everyone who has been supportive. 

Gasline bill finally introduced

On Friday (3/20/2026), Governor Dunleavy introduced his long-awaited gasline bill. The bill aims to replace Alaska’s existing oil and gas property tax for the gasline with a volumetric tax. The goal is essentially to reduce the cost of building the gasline and then raise revenues after it’s built and gas is flowing.  

One major problem is the session is already half over. The bill will needs to make its way through the House and Senate resource and finance committees. With the budget, pension bill, and other key legislation making its way through the Legislature, they will be busy during the next few months.

It’s also the second session, which means all the bills die when session ends. It’s possible Dunleavy or the Legislature could call a special session this summer or fall to deal with this or other bills, but that is more challenging in an election year.

Another major problem is Senator Cathy Giessel (R – Anchorage). She’s been openly hostile to the project and Glenfarne. Giessel, who chairs the Senate Resources Committee, recently introduced her own gasline bill. The 37-page bill on the proposed gasline aims to mandate greater financial transparency, expand the Legislature’s oversight role, and increase/modify several oil and gas related taxes. Proponents of the project see Giessel as an obstacle.

With global LNG demand forecast to significantly rise by 2040, Qatar’s LNG supply reduced due to the war in Iran, and the Trump administration being supportive of the gasline, supporters of the project are saying it is closer than ever.

It will be very interesting to see how things progress the next few months between Dunleavy and the Legislature on this bill. 

Supplemental budget now in conference committee

The following is an excerpt from this week’s edition of the Alaska Political Report. You can click here for more information about the Political Report. A subscription is $1,299/year per organization. Discounted pricing is available for non-profits and government entities. Our coverage of the budget starts with the governor’s proposed budget, and we track everything in detail through the entire process. If you have any questions or would like to subscribe, please email jeff@akpoliticalreport.com.

The House and Senate appointed a conference committee this week to resolve the gridlock that has stymied attempts to pass the supplemental appropriations bill to fund the state’s highway and airport construction programs amongst other FY2026 needs. 

The conference committee met today and took procedural actions to establish the limits of their power to make changes between the two versions of the bill. They did not take any material action other than to accept any items that were identical between the versions.

Anchorage Democratic Rep. Andy Josephson, the chair of the committee, stated a goal to bring the conference committee report to the two bodies for a vote on Monday or Tuesday of next week.

The delays faced by the bill, due to political maneuvering regarding access to the Constitutional Budget Reserve (CBR), has created uncertainty for this summer’s construction season. While the eventual passage of the supplemental bill – which could be next week – will allow the Dept. of Transportation to begin planning for summer construction, there may still be projects that get pushed further down the schedule.

New Amendments

Last Friday, March 13, the Gov. Dunleavy released a second package of budget amendments. The amendments add $18 million Unrestricted General Funds (UGF) to the original FY2027 budget request from the Governor and an additional $11.2 million UGF in supplemental items. Additionally, the amendments reveal $26.8 million in overspending by the Dept. of Corrections in FY2024 and FY2025.

The amendments include:

• $8.6 million UGF to cover cost of living adjustments negotiated with the Alaska Correctional Officers Association,
• $10.5 million UGF for payment assistance at the Alaska Pioneer Home.
  • $5.2 million is an FY2026 supplemental request and $5.3 million is added to the base budget in FY2027.
• $1.4 million UGF for Senior Benefits
• $3.5 million UGF ($1.5 million in FY2026 and $2 million in FY2027) for the Dept. of Law Criminal Division to address increased case costs related to travel, technology, and leases.
• $4 million UGF for case costs for ongoing litigation in Vail v. State of Alaska.
• $534,000 UGF for a settlement in the case of Alaska Wildlife Alliance v. Board of Game.

If you would like to see the rest of this section, as well as a comprehensive breakdown of the legislative candidates’ APOC reports, please consider subscribing to the Alaska Political Report. Email jeff@akpoliticalreport.com for a copy of the latest special report. 

Other Happenings 

A huge lease sale in the NPRA happened this week. Winning bids totaled $163 million, half of which goes to the state. Companies with winning bids include ExxonMobil, ConocoPhillips, a joint venture between Repsol and Shell, Oil Search, and North Slope Exploration (Bill Armstrong). There is some real excitement for oil prospects in the NPRA. It’s ironic that the best news for oil and gas in Alaska in a while is a result of the federal and not state government. 

Ballots for the April 7 Anchorage Assembly election went out in the mail on March 17. There are six Assembly races, two school board races, and a variety of bond propositions. Ballots need to be returned via mail or put in a drop box by April 7. 

Adam Trombley left his role as Senator Dan Sullivan’s (R – Alaska) state director. He’s now the director of community engagement for the CDQ group Coastal Villages Region Fund (CVRF). Rick Whitbeck also recently started working at CVRF.

ANS crude has been above $100/barrel since March 12. 

It’s a GIANT mystery! 

This Week’s Loose Unit

There were definitely a lot of deserving candidates this week. But three extremely loose individuals stood out. This week’s Loose Unit is a tie between Anchorage School Board candidate Alexander Rosales, Marcus Moore (Alaska Rants wacko), and political gadfly and Ivan Hodes. 

It all started with a Landmine post on March 14. Someone pointed out to me that this Rosales guy running for the Anchorage School Board put on his website that he “barely graduated high school with a 1.0 GPA.” Very loose. Maybe leave that part out if you are running for the school board. 

It did not take long for these Loose Units to get triggered. Rosales reposted my post. Then the Marcus Moore guy (the lunatic who runs the stupid and whiny Alaska Rants account) jumps in! Rosales shares an email from a year ago where I told him I was in Juneau and do not have the time or resources to cover the school board races. I was prompt and polite in my response. But this dude is clearly a self-important nutcase. And don’t forget his banger of a tweet where he talked about how great Hitler was. 

Two things. First, he left out the original email he sent me and his response to me. He failed to mention that I invited him to our election night coverage. He also shared a message he sent me on X in November. I was again prompt and police. And how the fuck am I supposed to know who KeKius J. Leviticus, Esq. is. I guess he ditched his very loose @ValhallaTears account (the one with the kind words about Hitler) for the KeKius J. Leviticus, Esq one. Maximum loose. 

And let’s not forget the hyper loose Ivan Hodes. I normally don’t write about this guy as he is a true nutjob. But I am making an exception here. Hodes, who hates Rosales, shared the email that Rosales posted. In Hodes‘ post, he said I wished a Nazi “best of luck” in his school board race. This Hodes guy is a fucking lunatic. But I just love that I could bring him and Rosales together! There are some legit mentally ill people attracted to Anchorage politics. 

If you have a nomination for this week’s Loose Unit, or if you have any political news, stories or gossip (or any old pics of politicians or public officials) please email me at jeff@alaskalandmine.com.