The Alaska Legislature gavels in on Jan. 21, but the first batch of pre-filed bills has now been posted by Legislative Affairs. The bills cover everything from the use of gold as legal tender to banning styrofoam food service containers (Rep. Andy Josephson).
HB 1, the first bill filed, is by Rep. Kevin McCabe of Big Lake. It’s a bill he has offered in previous sessions, specifying “specie as legal tender in the state; and relating to borough and city sales and use taxes on specie.”
HB 2 was filed by Rep. Mike Prax of North Pole. It “establishes the driving while under the influence diversion program for eligible persons charged with driving while under the influence or refusal to submit to a chemical test; and “relating to judgment for restitution; relating to suspended imposition of sentence; relating to records kept by the Department of Administration; relating to operating a vehicle, aircraft, or watercraft while under the influence of an alcoholic beverage, inhalant, or controlled substance; relating to refusal to submit to a chemical test; amending Rule 9, Alaska Rules of Administration, and Rule 39, Alaska Rules of Criminal Procedure; and providing for an effective date.”
HB 3 was filed by Rep. George Rauscher, “Relating to convening the legislature in Anchorage; relating to the regulation of lobbying; relating to annual student guests of the legislature; relating to locations of sessions of the legislature; relating to the Legislative Ethics Act; relating to the relocation of functions of state government; and providing for an effective date.”
HB 4 was filed by Rep. Dan Saddler, “Relating to write-in candidates for President and Vice-President of the United States.”
In all, there are 37 pre-filed bills by House members so far. The members are still filing them and a second tranche will be released next week.
Over in the Senate, SB 1 was filed by Sen. Forrest Dunbar in support of appropriations to the civil legal services fund.
SB 2 was filed by Sen. Shelley Hughes, “relating to disclosure of election-related deepfakes; relating to use of artificial intelligence by state agencies; and relating to transfer of data about individuals between state agencies.”
SB 3 was also filed by Sen. Hughes, “Requiring school districts to grant qualified persons an assigned duty to carry a concealed handgun on school grounds under certain conditions; relating to standards, training, and continuing education in firearms training for qualified persons granted an assigned duty to carry a concealed handgun on school grounds; relating to communication of school districts with state and local law enforcement; and relating to school crisis response plans.”
SB 4 and 5 were also filed by Sen. Hughes and relate to health insurance.
Bills filed by Republicans in the House and Senate will probably have tough sledding in the Democrat-controlled House and Senate.
Must Read Alaska will analyze these bills and others that will be announced next week, so check back.
You can read the entire list of the first bills’ titles here:
Thanks to rino’s the elected majority will have very little say. Who else is sick and tired of the weak spineless Alaskan GOP. I don’t have any faith in Alaskan’s agenda being brought to the floor, only the democrat uni-party agenda. Thank you traitors.
I agree we have some ill informed and non voters.
They are don’t have a clue how government works.
Dunbar filed a bill to fill his own wallet with taxpayer money
Why doesn’t this cadre of clowns start with the budget? Much of what they want or need requires funding. Start there then finish out the session with the minutia that has value, but is not the priority. Ooh, that would make sense and cut into their extended session ($$bonus$$) time so can’t do that… I wonder if any of them know what big rocks are in business??
You are correct in the beginning of your sentence: Cadre of Clowns. I refer our legislature in Juneau as the Clown College. They go down, take our money, do sill and dump stuff, everyone in Alaska laughs at their decisions and with them being so far away, not accountable.
The good ones who are there are silenced and ignored.
Big problem is: Citizens of this state keep voting the same clowns in.
Those legislators work too hard. Let’s put the PFD into the constitution so they can have more time to debate styrofoam cups and student visitors (which sounds like something Bill Clinton would like.)
The PFD should be eliminated immediately in perpetuity.
Then the legislature can blow through the billions that are in the pfd account and quickly pass legislation to tax the working class.
There needs to be more control on the non-profits in this state. Maybe some of these elected officials, had another word for them, could put a limit on how many operate in this state. There are far too many and they are running fake lottery now. Do away with this lottery and actually create a real lottery.
Here is an excellent talk by a pastor in California that everyone should listen to.
Pastor Jack Hibbs speaking about the destruction in California.
‘https://x.com/DanielCohenTV/status/1878601327338746325