Day 42 of Legislature: House takes up resolution to ask Biden to ask Russia to end Alaska seafood embargo

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Monday doesn’t appear to be an unusually productive day in Alaska’s Capitol. The Senate has a technical session planned for the day, which means it gavels in and out in a few seconds, while over in the House, just two items are on the Senate floor for consideration: An anti-gig economy bill that will start the taxing car rentals like Turo, and Senate Joint Resolution 16, which asks President Joe Biden to ask Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the Russian embargo on Alaska seafood. If Putin doesn’t, the resolution requests an embargo on Russian seafood.

SJR 16, passed by the Senate unanimously in January, comes to the House at a time when Biden is imposing few sanctions on Russia, as Russia attacks neighboring Ukraine and threatens to start an all-out world war.

Biden has put modest sanctions on certain Russians and financial institutions close to the Kremlin, Russian technology, Russian banks and “corrupt billionaires.” But he has not sanctioned Russian oil, and many are quick to point out that the 700,000 barrels of Russian oil that is imported to the United States daily is the U.S. equivalent of funding Russians war on Ukraine. Biden knows America needs Russian oil as he shuts down domestic production.

The seafood bill summary says “Calling on President Biden to immediately seek and secure an end to the embargo imposed by Russia on seafood imports from abroad, or place a reciprocal embargo on Russian seafood entering the United States, until a reasonable trade agreement restoring Alaska seafood producers’ full access to Russia’s domestic seafood market is secured.” It may be the kind of bill that is sent back to the Rules committee for work, considering the global crisis over Ukraine.

In Washington, it appears Sen. Dan Sullivan and Sen. Lisa Murkowski are considering introducing a bill to place sanctions on Russia seafood imports.

Several committees will also meet on Monday:

HOUSE EDUCATION 8 am, Presentation on understanding culturally responsive education, by Lance (X_’unei) A Twitchell, M.F.A., Ph.D., University of Alaska Southeast. Schedule   

SENATE EDUCATION 9 am, Update on teacher recruitment Schedule    Documents

SENATE FINANCE 9 am, SB 81, Village Public Safety Officer grants, and governor’s appointment of Kevin Fimon to Mental Health Trust Authority Board of Trustees. Schedule    Documents

HOUSE JUDICIARY 1 pm, HB 372, eliminating minimum wage exemptions for disabled working in nonprofits. Schedule   

HOUSE GOVERNOR FINANCE SUBCOMMITTEE 1:30 pm, Governor’s office budget closeout. Schedule   

SENATE JUDICIARY 1:30 pm, SB 31, prohibiting binding caucus. Schedule    Documents

SENATE LABOR & COMMERCE 1:30 pm, no prohibition allowed against natural black hair styles, Schedule    Documents

HOUSE LEGISLATURE 2 pm, Legislature’s budget closeout. Schedule   

HOUSE FINANCE 2:30 pm, HB 64 and HB 30. Schedule   

HOUSE LABOR & COMMERCE 3:15 pm, HB 58, contraception coverage by insurance. Schedule   

HOUSE REVENUE 3:30 pm, budget amendments. Schedule   

SENATE RESOURCES 3:30 pm, mining industry updates. Schedule

18 COMMENTS

  1. Are you kidding me? Really? Given what is going on over there, they want to ask Biden to talk to Putin about doing business with them? Did I read that wrong or not understand what it is that they’re driving at? Russia has an embargo on Alaska seafood but we still buy Russian seafood? What the heck is wrong with that picture? Absolutely asinine!!!!

  2. I’m curious if the embargo was ended. Would they be able to buy king crab cheaper than us Alaskans?
    42.00 @ big box store and
    60.00 per lb at small local chain…..
    Who in their right mind would walk out of the store with this just out of principal.
    Brandon….. let’s go!

  3. Ha, ha, ha, Juneau is so broken. The whole place needs to be flushed and moved to South Central Alaska.

  4. They should be asking president Biden why he’s actively shutting down oil production in America while supporting the Russian War against Ukraine. We get almost 1,000,000 barrels a day from Russia, just imagine if we were to get that oil from American soil.

    • Right Steve-O, plus imagine if Alaska received the same price for our oil as the rest of the world gets for theirs.

  5. Kevin Fimon……..there can only be one person with that name. My old Nome thawfield buddy. Minnesota boy has come a long way!

  6. Put the entire legislature on one of our numerous idled ferries, tow it out into the Gulf, and park it there until they get their job done. I bet it would take far less than 60 days. I bet too that we’d see far fewer useless bills offered up for the sole purpose of pruning their peacock feathers.

  7. The lowest form of evil has to be an oath breaker it hurts us all in the worst ways it destroys everything good. Oath breakers you will soon be on GODs television your web won’t be spun no more so help you GOD remember you swore.

  8. The Seafood Bill needs to be put on hold until Russia is off of Ukranian soil. We need a resolution to ban seafood imports from Russia. Alaska has a huge budget surplus, we need to support democracy

  9. So we want to sell high quality, high protein food to Russia? Is this so they can feed their troops better? This can go with the billions we send them from oil purchases.

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