Rebecca Braun

Rebecca Braun publishes and edits the report. Rebecca began covering the Legislature for the Alaska Budget Report in 2000 and bought the report in 2005 from founders Judy and Gregg Erickson. In addition to her work for the Budget Report, she has written newspaper columns and has appeared as a guest host and commentator on various public affairs programs. For the past few years, Rebecca has provided a weekly legislative analysis during the session for KTOO-FM radio in Juneau.

Rebecca’s columns in the Juneau Empire received the Suzan Nightingale award for best columnist by the Alaska Press Club in 2005, and her analysis pieces in the Budget Report were awarded first place in their category for excellence in state government reporting by the national Association of Capitol Reporters and Editors.

Rebecca earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from Harvard College, and a masters in teaching from the University of Alaska Southeast. She enjoys reading, running and outdoor adventure, and spending time with her children, Rosie and Alder.

Gregg Erickson

Economist and the ABR’s editor-at-large, Gregg Erickson, was raised in Anchorage, and educated at Wesleyan University in Connecticut and the University of Alaska Fairbanks. After a stint at the University’s Institute of Social and Economic Research he took an appointment as a research fellow with Resources for the Future, a Washington, D.C., think-tank, and later joined the staff of the Senate Energy Committee.

Gregg returned to Alaska in 1976 as the Alaska Legislature’s director of research. In 1984 he joined the Alaska Office of the Governor, where he served as senior economist under two governors. Following the Exxon Valdez oil spill he directed the state’s oil spill impact assessment and restoration effort.

In 1991, Gregg opened his economic consulting firm, Erickson & Associates. In the same year he and his wife, Judith, founded the Alaska Budget Report. He maintains an active economic consulting practice, and frequently testifies as an economic expert in state and federal courts. He is the author or co-author of more than 150 articles, papers and monographs on Alaska economics, public finance and fiscal policy issues.

Gregg and Judith have four grown children, and five grandchildren.

Judith Erickson

Judith Erickson is the founding publisher of the Alaska Budget Report. She continues her association with the newsletter as a reporter, consultant and occasional copy editor under ABR Co., the current owner. She remains the owner of Capital Information Group, a full service legislative information business she opened in 1986. Judy has 30 years of direct experience with the Alaska legislative process, and for over 20 years wrote and published the Alaska Oil & Gas Legislative Report newsletter. In 1997 she was the recipient of the Alaska Civil Liberties Union Liberty Award for “outstanding contributions to defend the right to public information.” She and her husband Gregg received the Alaska Press Club’s prestigous First Amendment Award in 2009.