With scheduled renovations to begin May 1 at the Alaska Capitol, lawmakers are moving to a new location before continuing to work to fix the state’s multi-billion dollar budget deficit. Constitutionally, the legislature can remain in session for up to 121 days, despite a 90-day limit written into state law after voters passed a ballot initiative in 2008.

Senate President Kevin Meyer wants to remain in Juneau as long as the legislature remains in regular session. Last year, lawmakers moved to Anchorage following Gov. Bill Walker’s call for a special session.

On Wednesday, Walker announced he is prepared to call a special session in Juneau if the budget issue, including his plan for a broad-based tax, cannot be addressed before the 121-day deadline.

The Alaska Legislature remains in session despite its Sunday deadline, with lawmakers set to work on a budget deficit-reduction package. Other issues still outstanding include Gov. Walker’s legislation to reform Alaska’s oil tax credit subsidy program and the institution of a personal income tax.

A voter initiative passed in 2006 limits the legislative session to 90 days, but legislators often continue after the deadline and adhere, instead, to a constitutional deadline of 121 days.

Photo of the Alaska State Capitol by Jay Galvin on Wikimedia Commons.

Alaska Gov. Bill Walker is willing to call a special legislative session if lawmakers do not pass his tax or revenue proposals to address the growing budget deficit. The state Department of Revenue forecasts a dramatic drop in overall funding and predicts low oil prices will continue for several more years.

To help shrink the multi-billion dollar deficit, Walker proposed tax increases, including the reinstitution of a personal income tax. He also suggested restructuring the use of the Alaska Permanent Fund earnings to change how the annual dividends most Alaskans receive are calculated.

The regular legislative session is set to adjourn April 17.

Photo of Gov. Bill Walker by James Brooks on Wikimedia Commons.

The City and Borough of Juneau Assembly voted to call for a special election to elect a mayor for the remainder of the current term. Deputy Mayor Mary Becker stepped in to the role in November following the passing of Mayor Greg Fisk. The special election will be held Tuesday, March 15. Because Becker was serving as Assemblymember for District 1 when she became mayor, there is now a vacant seat on the Assembly.

Interested applicants for the seat will be interviewed during a Special Assembly meeting on Monday, January 11. On Tuesday, January 12, the Assembly will hold a Special Assembly Meeting with the Juneau Legislative Delegation and will conduct a public hearing followed by Assembly action regarding appointment to the vacant District 1 seat.

The Alaska Public Offices Commission proposes to adopt regulation changes concerning mitigation criteria and penalty assessment for violations of state lobbying and campaign finance laws. Substantive changes include expanding the definition of inexperienced filer to take into account technical issues, defining self-reporting, and limiting penalties to be considered out of proportion to the alleged violation.

Written comments must be submitted to the Commission by January 29, 2016. Oral comments may be submitted at a hearing on February 11, 2016 in Anchorage. The Commission will aggregate its response to substantially similar questions and make the questions and responses available on its website.

The 3rd special session of the 29th Alaska State Legislature adjourned sine die on Thursday, November 5. Lawmakers approved a $160 million spending bill for the state’s natural gas pipeline. Construction is still years away, but the money will allow study and planning for the pipeline to continue. Ultimately, if approved, the pipeline project could require a $15 billion investment from the state.

Photo of the Alaska State Capitol by Jay Galvin on Wikimedia Commons.

Alaska Gov. Bill Walker called for a third special legislative session to convene on October 24, 2015.

The Legislature will meet in Juneau to consider an act to monetize certain natural gas reserves via a gas reserves tax, as well as an act to make supplemental, capital, and operating appropriations from the constitutional budget reserve fund.

Alaska Gov. Bill Walker plans to call a special legislative session to address details of, and issues related to, the development of a natural gas pipeline. The state is currently developing the project with three oil producers and a pipeline company.

Because Walker is required to give legislators a 30 day notice, the special session cannot begin until the end of October at the earliest. Walker expects the session to conclude before Thanksgiving and would prefer it be held in Juneau despite ongoing renovations at the state Capitol.

On July 14, 2015, the Anchorage Assembly voted 7-3 to move the regular 2017 city elections from November back to April. Last year the city Assembly voted to change city elections from April to November in the hopes of boosting voter turnout.

Members of the Assembly who supported the reversal based their votes on a number of issues ranging from logistics to preventing local candidate campaigns from being overshadowed by state and federal campaigns.

The Alaska State Legislature adjourned its second special session on Thursday, June 11, 2015.

It took both houses nearly two months to reach an agreement on budget terms, pushing negotiations to within three weeks of a potential government shutdown set to start July 1.

The $5 billion budget preserves scheduled pay raises for public employees while reducing state agency spending by $400 million to help close the deficit.

The first session of the 29th Alaska State Legislature adjourned on Monday, April 27 after a week of frustrating budget negotiations. A deal was passed to fund the government through the fall.

Following adjournment, Gov. Bill Walker immediately called a special session; the session began today at 10:00 a.m.

Walker is not willing to accept a budget if it does not cover the full year. He ordered the special session to allow legislators an opportunity to discuss a fully funded state budget and consider pending legislation for Erin’s Law as well as Medicaid reform and expansion.

Photo of the Alaska State House of Representatives chamber by L’Aquatique on Wikimedia Commons.

Alaska Gov. Bill Walker hinted at a possible special session if the Legislature does not act on Medicaid expansion before the session’s scheduled end on Sunday.

Walker considers expansion necessary while many legislators have concerns about adding thousands of people to what some consider an already broken system.

If legislators run out of time without addressing the issue, Walker said he plans to simply put more time on the clock.

Photo of the Alaska State Capitol by Jay Galvin on Wikimedia Commons.

Today we will be visiting the Alaska capitol and learning about its history.

The first Alaska statehouse was located in Elks Lodge Hall in Juneau, the current capital. Legislators started meeting there in 1913 after Alaska became a territory of the United States. Juneau was chosen as the capital over much debate. The cities of Sitka and Anchorage were favored by those in south-central, western, and interior Alaska because Juneau was difficult to access in the winter. However, Juneau had superior communication with the federal government and was an established mining town.

It took another 18 years after the choosing of Juneau for a statehouse to be built. The federal government was short on funds because of World War I, but the people of Juneau raised the rest of the amount in time for the statehouse to be completed in 1931.

The statehouse sits on almost 5 acres in Juneau near the coast of the Pacific Ocean. It was built in Art Deco style. The main material in the building is limestone from Prince of Wales Island in the southeastern part of the state. There is a replica of the Liberty Bell in the front of the building. In fact, every state was given one in 1950 in a campaign to promote federal savings bonds. The lobby has carvings depicting the abundance of natural resources, a crucial source of economic stability for Alaska.

There are designs in the works for a new statehouse. It will have an egg-shaped dome and a number of public spaces to encourage visitors. The new statehouse will be more environmentally friendly and inclusive of Alaskan motifs, such as the use of local stone and wood. It will even be constructed to preserve the views from other buildings. You can take a video tour of the Capital Building with Lt. Gov. Mead Treadwell in this video.

Thanks for joining us once again on yet another statehouse tour.

Photo of the Alaska State Capitol by Jay Galvin on Wikimedia Commons.

On December 1, 2014 Bill Walker will be sworn in as Alaska’s governor. If you are planning involvement in inaugural events, be aware of the gift and campaign finance laws.

Lobbyists and non-lobbyists may provide legislators with tickets or contributions to a preapproved charity event with an annual aggregate value of less than $250.

Executive branch officials are prohibited from accepting gifts that may improperly influence the official. A gift from a lobbyist to a public official or to an immediate family member is presumed to be intended to influence the performance of official duties unless the giver is an immediate family member of the person receiving the gift. Occasional gifts of $50 or less from a non-lobbyist are presumed not to improperly influence.

Corporate contributions are prohibited in Alaska. Additionally, candidates are unable to use campaign funds for inaugural expenses until they receive an opinion from APOC designating inaugural activities as reasonably related to their political campaign. Use caution if asked to make contributions for inaugural events.