Governorship of Sarah Palin December 4, 2006, and maintained a high approval rating throughout her term. On July 3, 2009, Sarah Palin announced her resignation as governor of Alaska. She stepped down on July 26, 2009, being replaced by Lieutenant Governor Sean Parnell. Palin had championed ethics reform throughout her election campaign. Her first legislative action after taking office was to push for a bipartisan ethics reform bill. She signed the resulting legislation in July 2007, calling it a "first step" declaring that she remains determined to clean up Alaska politics. However, Palin was also the subject of an ethics probe concerning her brother-in-law,
Alaska Airlines Center million was allocated in the FY 2009 capital budget, with an additional $60 million coming from the approval of bonds by Alaska voters in 2010. The remaining $34 million came from the FY 2012 capital budget signed by governor Sean Parnell, which also included $2 million for team recruiting efforts for the Great Alaska Shootout. Design of the arena commenced in 2011, shortly after the regents' vote. Groundwork and construction occurred throughout 2012. The arena and PAMC share parking, as parking on the UAA campus north of Providence Drive is limited. The school's ice hockey team continues to play at