Alaska legislators are filing early bills and resolutions for the coming legislative session, which begins Jan. 21, 2025 in Juneau.
On Tuesday, Dec. 31, they’ll have their first deadline for the pre-filed bills, which will then be then published by the Legislative Affairs Agency on Jan. 10.
A second pre-file deadline is Jan. 14, for release to the public on Jan. 17.
The 34th Alaska Legislature will gavel in on Tuesday, Jan. 21. That means for the next three weeks, legislators and their staff will be packing personal belongings and office materials to be sent to Juneau, and legislative staff in Juneau will be preparing for the major move of offices. With the House having been taken over by the Democrat-led majority, most, if not all members’ offices will be moving, with Republicans issued the smaller offices to accommodate the smaller staffs that they will be afforded this session.
Meanwhile, the Alaska House Democrats will have a fundraiser in Anchorage on Jan. 9 to start protecting their majority in the next election, two years away. Sponsors for the House Democrat Majority fundraiser include Rep. Calvin Schrage, who has been the Democrat minority leader the past two years, while he presents himself to voters as an unaligned legislator.
The Republicans will have a joint House and Senate Leadership Fund fundraiser when they get to Juneau, with the annual event scheduled for Jan. 20, the night before the legislative session starts. Once the legislative session starts, all fundraising by incumbent legislators must end, whether in Juneau or elsewhere in the state, until the end of session.
On Jan 15, 16, and 17, freshmen legislators will attend all-day orientations in Juneau, so they know how the bill process works, legislative protocols, and where the bathrooms are.
Jan. 21 marks the annual legislative welcome reception by the City and Borough of Juneau and the Alaska Committee, starting at 5:30 p.m. at Centennial Hall. After that, there will be one legislative fly-in and reception after another for the first few weeks of the legislative session, as everyone from fishermen to oilmen visit Juneau and meet with lawmakers and their staff.
I don’t expect anything good from the uni-party in Juneau. The GOP in Alaska is dead and they don’t seem to care. We vote hoping for the best but the candidates have there own agenda. I give up!
More loss of freedoms brought to you by politicians.