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T H E V O I C E O F I N T E R I O R A L A S K A S I N C E 1 9 0 3

SOURDOUGH JACK:

“Tried to get me one a those Arctic Winter Games pins, but the missus wouldn’t let me. Somethin’ about not trustin’ me with sharp objects.”

The weather.Today will be cloudy with snow developing.

High today ..............25Low tonight ............ -4

WEATHER » A11

GOODMORNING

Classified » B8 | Comics » B7 | Dear Abby » B6 | Food » B5 | Markets » A9 | Obituaries » A8 | Opinion » A6 | Weather » A11INSIDE

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For continuing coverage of this week’s Arctic Winter Games, see www.newsminer.com.Inside Today

SMOKIN’Bad 2 Da Bone BBQ is a “labor of love” for owner Mark Peterson.

FOODPage B5

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Aurora forecast.Auroral activity will be low. Weather permit-ting, low displays will be visible overhead from Barrow to Fairbanks.

This information is provid-ed by aurora forecasters at the Geophysical Institute at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.

ON THE OTHER SIDERussia redraws country’s boundaries to add Crimea.

WORLDPage A4

Controversial gun bill getting a rewrite

By Matt BuxtonMBUXTON@NEWSMINER.COM

JUNEAU — After vocal opposition from many students and professors to a bill that would allow concealed carry of firearms on University of Alaska cam-puses, the Senate Judiciary Committee is preparing a rewrite of the bill.

The rewrite, which is expected to

be formally introduced today, would require that concealed carry on cam-puses be limited to people at least 21 years old who also hold an Alaska con-cealed handgun permit.

The explanation of the changes to the bill, which is authored by North Pole Republican John Coghill, says the new limits are a response to the gener-al opposition the committee heard in

public testimony last week.“Though Alaska law does not require

a law-abiding adult (21 years of age and older) to have a concealed handgun permit to car-ry a concealed hand-gun, we think, that given the uniqueness of the UA system, the requirement to obtain a concealed handgun permit is the least restrictive alterna-tive that allows for the lawful exercise of two fundamental rights,” the expla-nation states.

Although the testimony was most-ly opposed, there were a handful of teachers and students who supported the bill. They said the bill supported their Second Amendment rights and their right to defend themselves.

University of Alaska system Pres-ident Pat Gamble spoke in opposi-tion to the bill, and University system spokeswoman Kate Ripley said on Tuesday “the university does not sup-port the (committee substitute.” Gam-ble is schedule to speak to the changes today.

Team Alaska alpine skier Roan Willson, of Fairbanks, competes in the second run of the junior female’s giant slalom Tuesday at Skiland. Willson finished second taking the silver ulu. For more on skiing and the other Arctic Winter Games events, see the sports section. SAM HARREL/NEWS-MINER

Coghill

Under changes, people must hold permit, be at least 21 to concealed carry on campus

SKIING HER WAY TO THE PODIUM

GUNS » A11

Alaska Senate passes bill to advance gas projectBy Matt BuxtonMBUXTON@NEWSMINER.COM

J U N E AU — L awmakers debated the project’s cost, they debated gas tax rates, they debated ownership, property taxes, lawsuits, leases and project labor agreements, but it was the promise of affordable gas for Alaskans from the proposed 800-mile, large-diameter natural gas pipeline run-ning from the North Slope to tidewater that brought Senators together Tuesday night.

After a marathon floor session that stretched well past five hours, the Senate passed Gov. Sean Parnell’s Senate Bill 138 that grants the administration sweeping

Fairbanks Republican Sen. Pete Kelly holds up a photocopy of a 1958 Fairbanks Daily News-Miner article declaring the impending delivery of natural gas to the Interior. Nearly 60 years later, the Senate on Tuesday night passed what supporters said is the state’s best chance at seeing that pipeline built. MATT BUXTON/NEWS-MINERGAS » A11

Health officials push insurance enrollment as deadline nearsBy Weston MorrowWMORROW@NEWSMINER.COM

More than 6,600 Alas-kans — and 5 million Amer-icans — have enrolled in health care plans through the federal marketplace since it opened Oct. 1, but that number still falls short of where U.S. Department of Health and Human Ser-vices officials had hoped to be by this point.

Despite the shortcomings and the troubled launch of healthcare.gov six months ago, the administration looks to have a chance of hitting its revised goal of 6 million enrollees by March 31.

That goal of 6 million was lowered by the Congressio-

nal Budget Office after the online marketplace affected signups for the first sever-al weeks of the six-month enrollment period. The original goal had been 7 million signups.

With two weeks to go, the administration is 1 million signups short of its goal. The marketplace received 800,000 new enrollments in the past two weeks.

People not signed up for insurance by March 31 will begin to be hit by penalties. As that penalty deadline looms ever greater, mar-ketplace navigators and officials are optimistic the 6 million goal is within reach.

INSURANCE » A10