Reproductive rights and Alaska

In the November general election, more than 70 percent of Alaska voters rejected holding a  Constitutional Convention, leaving the state’s constitutional privacy clause unchanged for another 10 years.  The privacy clause protects abortion and reproductive rights in Alaska, one of the few states where abortion remains legal now that the U.S. Supreme Court has overturned Roe v. Wade. Since that June decision, 13 states have … Continue reading Reproductive rights and Alaska

State of the Race: Alaska 2022

Alaska’s 2022 midterm elections are Tuesday, Nov. 8. Alaska’s statewide elections are the topic of contentious debate, as U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola, and Gov. Mike Dunleavy are up for re-election. Peltola is completing the term of U.S. Rep. Don Young, who died unexpectedly in March, prompting a special election. Peltola, a Democrat, ran against Republicans Nick Begich and Sarah Palin in … Continue reading State of the Race: Alaska 2022

Will Alaska hold a Constitutional Convention?

Every 10 years, Alaskans are asked to vote on whether they want to hold a constitutional convention. The time has come again this year on Nov. 8.   In the original constitutional convention in the winter of 1955-1956, delegates wrote that Alaska should decide every decade whether to hold another one. The question was first polled in 1970 and the measure passed. However, that vote … Continue reading Will Alaska hold a Constitutional Convention?

UNAC and UA: Still at Odds

“Faculty working conditions are student learning conditions” was the rallying cry outside the University of Alaska Board of Regents meetings in Juneau on Sept. 8-9.  Frustration has grown among members of United Academics (UNAC), the union that represents all University of Alaska faculty, as bargaining with UA for a new contract has entered its second year.   “We made concession after concession after concession,” said Abel … Continue reading UNAC and UA: Still at Odds

UA Newsroom: September 2021

It’s sometimes difficult to keep up on the news. Emails get buried in your inbox and it can be a struggle to stay informed. The following is adapted from press releases and announcements by the UAS and the UA system. Evening at Egan Lecture Series began September 10 The annual fall lecture series Evening at Egan kicked off  Friday, September 10 at 7 pm with … Continue reading UA Newsroom: September 2021

What happened to the Alaska College of Education?

By Margaret Everson, Staff Writer In the June 2021 Board of Regents meeting, Interim President Pat Pitney announced that education programs within the University of Alaska system would focus on collaboration between Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Juneau. This decision reversed previous efforts to consolidate UA education programs to the Alaska College of Education, which was to be hosted at UAS. According to a 2016 UA press … Continue reading What happened to the Alaska College of Education?

The future of Alaska voting

By Lucas Stewart, Staff Writer What does ranked choice voting mean for the state? Alaskans who vote in the 2022 election will rank candidates in order of prefer- ence as the state moves to a new voting system. Alaska is the second state in the U.S. to adopt Ranked Choice Voting for state- wide elections, with Maine being the first. Ranked Choice Voting allows voters … Continue reading The future of Alaska voting

UA Newsroom: November 2021

By Whalesong Staff It’s sometimes difficult to keep up on the news. Emails get buried in your inbox and it can be a struggle to stay informed. The following is adapted from press releases and announcements by the UAS and the UA system. UAS reaccredited for AAS-Health Information Management program The UAS Associate of Applied Science – Health Information Management Program (AAS-HIM) was successfully reaccredited … Continue reading UA Newsroom: November 2021