Banned from the Capitol, Alaska lobbyists contend with pandemic predicament

Lobbyists Ted Popely, Frank Bickford and Ray Matiashowski work at the Alaska Capitol in 2017, in a scene unlikely to be repeated this year. (Nathaniel Herz / Anchorage Daily News)
The Alaska Legislature opened its session Tuesday amid a deadly pandemic and a huge budget shortfall.
But if you think lawmakers’ job is tough, consider, for a moment, the plight of the lobbyist. They’re paid for access to and intelligence on what’s happening in the Capitol — but for now, they&r