The 2016 sessions-regular, extended-regular, and special(s)-have, collectively, been the most disappointing experiences I’ve had in my admittedly short legislative career.
Read More →
They say when one door closes, another door opens. Apparently the same holds true for special sessions in Alaska because as soon as the Legislature adjourned the Governor called us back to Juneau for the 5th special session of the 29th Legislature. You can read Governor Walker’s proclamation here. (Note that, one new addition to the “call”—the bills before us—is a sales tax. I’m not sure this is an especially good sign, but am willing to review the idea).
Read More →JUNEAU — Today, members of the Alaska Senate Democrats and the Alaska Independent Democratic Coalition sent a letter to Laura Eskenazi, the Vice Chairman and Executive in Charge of the Board of Veterans Appeals, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, requesting immediate in-person proceedings in Alaska by the Board of Veterans Appeals.
Read More →
A recent commentary in the Dispatch from Senate leadership omits some important facts concerning the present legislative stalemate. This omission calls for clarification.
Read More →
Today marks the 109th day of the second session of the 29th Legislature and we are still here in Juneau. There are three major issues in front of the legislature that are keeping us from adjourning. One of those issues, the Criminal Omnibus legislation, was passed from the House. It awaits a vote on “reconsideration” next week. It will likely pass on reconsideration and be returned back to the Senate where they will vote on concurrence (in other words, they will decide whether they like the House’s changes to the original bill). I will cover this topic more in a subsequent section, so be sure to read below.
Read More →Juneau – The Republican-controlled leadership in the Alaska House of Representatives has filed an appeal to the Alaska Supreme Court of a lawsuit challenging Medicaid expansion in Alaska without approval of the full Alaska Legislature as required by law. The ill-advised lawsuit was dismissed in March by a Superior Court Judge after finding that the Social Security Act allowed the Governor to initiate Medicaid expansion and that existing state law required Governor Walker to provide Medicaid to the group of Alaskans eligible for expansion.
Read More →