Both bodies of the Alaska State Legislature are scheduled to meet Tuesday, but there’s nothing on their calendars and no committee meetings are scheduled to hear legislation in the last week of the Legislature’s fourth special session.
Gov. Mike Dunleavy called the session to find a resolution to the state’s fiscal problems, but lawmakers said from the beginning they weren’t optimistic much would get done. Some legislation has been presented to committees in the House of Representatives, but the Alaska State Senate has held none of its own committee meetings.
Legislative Council, which oversees the business affairs of the legislature, is scheduled to meet Tuesday to approve work contracts and leasing agreements, but as of Monday afternoon no regular committee meetings were scheduled.
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A report drafted over the summer by a legislative work group is being used by lawmakers as a general guide for achieving fiscal stability, but the report makes no specific policy recommendations. Bills offered this session took varying approaches to achieving some of the goals outlined in the report.
House committees were able to hear a few bills during the special session, partially moving them through the legislative process and readying them for the next session. A few bills were heard before at least one House committee allowing the bill’s sponsor to offer an explanation of what the bill does. The next regular session begins Jan. 18, 2022, when House members and several senators will be up for reelection along with the governor and the federal mid-term elections.
• Contact reporter Peter Segall at psegall@juneauempire.com. Follow him on Twitter at @SegallJnuEmpire.
