How to track the 2021 legislative session

The Alaska State Capitol is closed to visitors for the time being. Here’s how to follow what’s going on from afar.

Websites
It’s not the easiest website to navigate, but all things legislative, including daily schedules, documents, and bills are available at www.akleg.gov. Learn how to use it if you can.

Live streaming
Many legislative hearings are streamed live online by KTOO in Juneau.

Television
Gavel to Gavel provides live and recorded television coverage of the legislature’s floor sessions, most committee meetings, press conferences, and other newsworthy events. Watch in on cable. Stations vary across the state, but it’s Channel 15 in Anchorage. The famously random hold music is an added bonus.

Emails
The Alaska Senate Majority puts out a daily, no commentary email round-up of the day’s headlines from around the state. Sign up online.

Blogs
These blogs are written by well-connected political insiders, and contain insightful “the story behind the story” context. Just be aware they all have political perspectives.

Must Read Alaska
The Alaska Landmine
The Midnight Sun

Newsletters
Bradner’s Alaska Legislative Digest (paid subscription): Emailed weekly with in-depth analysis by long-time legislative observers Mike and Tim Bradner.

Club MRAK: Email newsletter produced by the Must Read Alaska website authors.

Alaska Political Report (paid subscription): Email newsletter produced by the Alaska Landmine website authors.

Twitter
Most of the Juneau press corps uses twitter, often tweeting live as events unfold. So do many legislators and politicos. The best way to identify the most active accounts is to search twitter using the hashtag #akleg or #akgov. Beware, it can get testy.

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