The Alaska Legislature rejected eight executive orders issued by Gov. Mike Dunleavy in lengthy joint session on Tuesday.
Typically, the Legislature writes bills and sends them to the governor for approval or veto. But on Tuesday, the process worked in reverse: Lawmakers were the ones pondering their veto power over a dozen executive orders issued by Dunleavy.
Senate President Gary Stevens, R-Kodiak, underscored the governor’s historic use of executive power.
“The Legislature has never considered 12 executive orders during one floor session, as we will be doing today,” Stevens said.
Dunleavy’s 12 orders make up nearly 10% of the total number of executive orders issued since statehood. Most of his orders would have transferred the functions of various boards and commissions to the executive branch.
The Alaska Constitution allows the governor to reorganize the executive branch to provide for “efficient administration,” but it also gives lawmakers a chance to vote them down — something they hadn’t done in nearly 30 years.
Lawmakers voted unanimously to uphold two of the governor’s orders. They eliminate the Alaska Council on Emergency Medical Services and the Criminal Justice Information Advisory Board. The latter board hadn’t met in years, Sen. Matt Claman, D-Anchorage, said.
But lawmakers were far more skeptical of other orders. Rep. Bryce Edgmon, I-Dillingham, urged lawmakers to reject an order that would have eliminated the management council that oversees Wood-Tikchik State Park in Southwest Alaska. He said the council has been an integral part of the park since its inception in 1978.
“The agreement back then with then-Gov. (Jay) Hammond and his administration was that an independent advisory body would be set up to ensure that traditional hunting and fishing rights would be overseen and protected and that there’ll be a proper balance with sports fishing and recreators going into time,” Edgmon said. “It’s been around for 50 years. The park itself has worked beautifully.”
The joint House and Senate voted 38-21 to reject the order. Lawmakers then rejected another order that would have eliminated the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve Advisory Board, 40-19.
And it was a similar story for an order that would have allowed Dunleavy to appoint all nine members of the Alaska Marine Highway Operations Board. The board advises the administration on how to operate the ferry system. Currently, four members are appointed by leaders of the House and Senate.
The Dunleavy administration told lawmakers the board was dysfunctional and resisted department leadership. But Rep. Louise Stutes, R-Kodiak, who helped craft the board, argued a little discord can be a good thing.
“This is a very successful board with a diverse group of board members with diverse ideas,” Stutes said. “This, to me, is exactly what we’re looking for: a group of people that do not all think alike and are able to think outside the box and ask tough questions.”
The feeling was not unanimous. Rep. Kevin McCabe, R-Big Lake, who chairs the House Transportation Committee, said he agreed that the Legislature should have some input on the future of the ferry system, but spoke in support of the restructuring.
“I think that the governor deserves to have a board that supports his vision for the Marine Highway System,” McCabe said. “I don’t think it’s all that different from our vision.”
Lawmakers ultimately rejected the reorganization 33-26.
Lawmakers also rejected three orders that would have eliminated the regulatory boards for barbers and hairdressers, massage therapists and midwives.
Sen. Jesse Bjorkman, R-Nikiski and chair of the Senate Labor and Commerce Committee, said midwives had come out in force to oppose the order.
“We heard about the desire from midwives for their profession to be regulated and have a board that represents them professionally in what those regulations are and what those folks are able to do,” Bjorkman said.
The Legislature also nixed a proposal that would have allowed the commissioner of the Department of Fish and Game to craft regulations for “live capture, possession, transport, or release of native or exotic game or their eggs.” That’s currently the prerogative of the Board of Game. Sen. Bill Wielechowski, D-Anchorage, argued the board’s yearslong public process is essential to preventing invasive species from taking root in Alaska.
“I trust this commissioner will conduct a robust process, but I don’t know who the future commissioner will be that will be running this process. And quite frankly, on decisions of this magnitude, I’d rather have a more dispersed decision making process, then the decision being made by one political appointee,” he said.
Lawmakers also rejected an order that would have split the boards of the Alaska Energy Authority and the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority. The two state-run enterprises currently share a board. Though lawmakers said they’re open to the idea, legislative attorneys raised concerns about the constitutionality of the executive action.
Just four of Dunleavy’s orders survived — the two mentioned earlier, plus one that eliminates the Alaska Safety Advisory Council, which holds an annual workplace safety conference, and the Susitna Basin Recreation Rivers Advisory Board, which provides input on the management of six Southcentral rivers. Mat-Su lawmakers offered nearly unanimous support for eliminating the board, which they said was standing in the way of development.
In an interview shortly after the votes, Wielechowski said lawmakers considered all of the orders on their own merits — but there was something of a theme.
“I think it’s Alaskans being concerned about consolidation of power in one individual or one department, and I think really an appreciation of these checks and balances that we have in our governmental system,” he said.
Dunleavy’s press office had a different take, issuing a brief statement after the series of votes.
“The purpose of the executive orders was to check the growth of government and improve efficiency,” spokesperson Jeff Turner wrote in an email. “Therefore, the Dunleavy administration will continue to forward executive orders that streamline government and make it more efficient.”
Eric Stone covers state government, tracking the Alaska Legislature, state policy and its impact on all Alaskans. Reach him at estone@alaskapublic.org.
WHEREAS, all Alaskans have the right to safety and justice, and the rates of missing and murdered Indigenous persons (MMIP) represent a crisis that is actively being addressed; and
WHEREAS, Alaska Native women are overrepresented in the domestic violence victim population by 250 percent, and although Alaska Natives comprise 19 percent of Alaska’s population, they represent 47 percent of the State’s reported rape victims; and
WHEREAS, the call for a greater response to the MMIP led to increased communication between tribal communities and State agencies in an effort to better understand the scope of the issue; and
WHEREAS, the State of Alaska now has four MMIP investigators, two tribal liaisons, and dedicates significant resources to address these cases and work with the family members of missing and murdered persons; and
WHEREAS, in 2024 I signed legislation that further moves Alaska’s response forward with mandatory entry of missing persons into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System, and requires that the State employ MMIP investigators, and requires that all current and future Alaska law enforcement officers attend cultural diversity training with an emphasis on MMIP; and
WHEREAS, the State of Alaska is committed to continuing its efforts to work with Alaska Tribes in combatting this crisis and offering support to communities and families.
NOW THEREFORE, I, Mike Dunleavy, GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF ALASKA, do hereby proclaim May 5, 2026, as:
Missing and Murdered Indigenous People Awareness Day
in Alaska and encourage all Alaskans to recognize the elevated rates of missing and murdered Indigenous persons and support law enforcement, victim advocacy, and the efforts of Alaska Native Tribes to work with State, local, and other entities working together toward solutions.
Dated: May 5, 2026
The letter, from Director of White House Intergovernmental Affairs Alex Meyer, underscores federal recognition of Alaska’s efforts to modernize its tax framework for liquefied natural gas (LNG) development and highlights the importance of these reforms to advancing American energy security and economic growth.
In the letter Meyer said, “Given the scale and complexity of AKLNG, a stable and competitive policy environment is critical to the project’s success. Clear and predictable tax policy will improve feasibility, attract private investment, and help secure final commitments. This approach promotes job creation, expanded economic activity, and durable public revenue.”
“Alaska has long been a cornerstone of America’s energy future, and this support from the White House affirms the importance of getting our LNG tax policy right,” said Governor Dunleavy. “HB 381 and SB 280 provide a clear, predictable, and competitive structure that will help unlock Alaska’s vast natural gas resources, create jobs, and deliver long-term benefits for our state and the nation.”
The volumetric LNG tax bills establish a straightforward tax system based on the volume of gas produced, offering greater certainty to investors and developers and ensuring Alaskans benefit from a secure, low-cost supply of energy.
Governor Dunleavy emphasized that alignment between state and federal leadership is critical to advancing major energy infrastructure projects like Alaska LNG.
“We appreciate the Administration’s recognition of the role Alaska can play in strengthening domestic energy production and supporting our allies abroad,” Dunleavy added.
The Governor continues to work with members of the Alaska Legislature, industry stakeholders, and federal partners to move these bills forward and position Alaska as a global leader in LNG development.
An Alaska woman is accusing the Alaska Department of Public Safety, two Alaska State Troopers and the A&E Television Network of compromising her privacy and safety as a confidential informant after they filmed an arrest without her consent.
The woman, identified in the filings as Jane Doe, says that she received death threats after she was a confidential informant whose information led to an arrest that was filmed and later aired on the Alaska State Troopers reality show.
Alaska Beacon is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Alaska Beacon maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Claire Stremple for questions: info@alaskabeacon.com.
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