The Alaska Landmine

The Alaska Landmine provides unbiased news about Alaska that you might not find in other media sources. We present our stories in an engaging, lively, and enjoyable manner!

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Loose email exchange shows new legislative staffer's inexperience and cockiness

2 weeks ago | alaskalandmine.com | Jeff Landfield

Twenty-five-year-old Ryan Sheldon is new to the Capitol. He’s been working for Representative Julie Coulombe (R – Anchorage) for the last few months. His inexperience was revealed in an email exchange with Nate Graham, who works for Representative Andrew Gray (D – Anchorage). Gray chairs the House Judiciary Committee. Coulombe has a bill, House Bill 77, that was in Gray’s committee. The bill, introduced on January 31, aims to make mail theft a felony. The bill had hearings on February 21 and March 5.
The Sunday Minefield - April 6, 2025

2 weeks ago | alaskalandmine.com | Jeff Landfield

It’s day 75 of the 121-day legislative session, and there is no clear path to get out of town. The House Finance Committee finished hearing budget amendments and passed the FY2026 budget out of committee, but it’s $2 billion underwater with no mechanism to pay for the deficit. The House passed the FY2025 supplemental budget and sent to the Senate, but failed to garner the 30 votes needed to access the Constitutional Budget Reserve (CBR) to pay for it.
HEX/Furie royalty relief approved by DNR includes $2 million credit for future royalty payments

2 weeks ago | alaskalandmine.com | Jeff Landfield

In February, the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) approved a 76% decrease in royalty payments for HEX/Furie, owned by John Hendrix. This applies to gas leases he holds in the Cook Inlet, known as the Kitchen Lights Unit. The state normally charges a 12.5% royalty, but agreed to reduce it to 3% starting September 1, 2024.
Sen. Lyman Hoffman drops hammer on budget, takes vote on committee he is not on

3 weeks ago | alaskalandmine.com | Jeff Landfield

Senator Lyman Hoffman (D – Bethel) is soft spoken and usually doesn’t say much. But he veered from that persona this week with two big actions. First, he sent out a memo instructing finance subcommittees to not make any additions, start any new programs, or accept and additions from Governor Mike Dunleavy (R – Alaska) except ones related to Medicaid. The Alaska Political Report first obtained the memo. Hoffman has been in the Legislature since the 1980s and is a powerful force.
The Sunday Minefield - March 30, 2025

3 weeks ago | alaskalandmine.com | Jeff Landfield

It’s day 68 of the 121-day session (the 90-day statutory session has been a joke for a while) and the budget is stalling in the House. They are not only facing issues with the FY2025 supplemental budget, but also the FY2026 operating budget. Both the House and Senate are struggling to figure out how to tackle the deficit due to spending pressures.
House and Senate finance leadership refuse to share budget agreement and calendar

1 month ago | alaskalandmine.com | Jeff Landfield

House and Senate leadership are refusing to share a budget agreement and calendar that they both agreed to follow this session. The agreement lays out a framework and timeline for the House and Senate in order to advance the operating and capital budgets. Traditionally, the operating budget starts in the House while the capital budget starts in the Senate. They are then passed to one another where the opposite body makes changes. Those changes are usually worked out in a conference committee.
The Sunday Minefield - March 23, 2025

1 month ago | alaskalandmine.com | Jeff Landfield

We have reached the halfway point of the 121-day legislative session. Senators Lisa Murkowski (R – Alaska) and Dan Sullivan (R – Alaska) both addressed joint sessions of the Alaska Legislature this week, though the tone of their speeches were very different. The Legislature narrowly rejected Governor Mike Dunleavy’s (R – Alaska) proposed Department of Agriculture.
Nome Superior Court Judge DiBenedetto placed on administrate leave, no one will say why

1 month ago | alaskalandmine.com | Jeff Landfield

The Landmine has confirmed that Nome Superior Judge Romano DiBenedetto has been on paid administrative leave since March 8. The information came via a tip last week and was confirmed by a spokesperson from the Alaska Court System, though no reason was given. A judge can be placed on administrative leave by the chief justice and administrative director, according to a spokesperson for the court system. Justice Susan Carney is the current chief justice and Stacey Marz is the administrative director.
The Sunday Minefield - March 16, 2025

1 month ago | alaskalandmine.com | Jeff Landfield

We are approaching the halfway mark of the 120-day legislative session. The big news this week is the House, after three days of amendments and debate, passed House Bill 69, the majority’s education bill. Updated revenue projections came out this week, forecasting a larger deficit. Senator Donny Olson (D – Golovin) says he is back in Juneau after spending time in Chicago recovering from a medical event. Governor Mike Dunleavy (R – Alaska) continues to spend time outside of the state.
The Sunday Minefield - March 9, 2025

1 month ago | alaskalandmine.com | Jeff Landfield

After weeks of delay in the House, the majority’s education bill started moving again this week. It was first altered in the rules committee and then subject to some drama on the House floor on Thursday morning. House Finance subcommittees are wrapping up their closeouts. The Legislative Budget & Audit Committee heard a presentation from Permanent Fund about issues they say stem from the fund’s two separate accounts.