Print article JUNEAU Gov. Mike Dunleavy said Wednesday the future of Alaska’s COVID-19 response is in the hands of the Alaska Legislature, but if lawmakers do not extend a state of emergency that has assisted vaccine distribution and treatment, he will use all remaining tools to continue to fight the pandemic. Alaska has been in a COVID-19 emergency since March 2020, but the emergency is set to expire at midnight Sunday morning, and the Legislature appears unlikely to pass a bill extending it. While the state Senate is expected to vote Friday to extend the emergency for 30 days, the state House is tied 20-20, disorganized and unable to act.
Print article JUNEAU The new version of the Alaska Senate that organized this week has placed Republican moderates in charge of the state budget and put conservative Republicans at the head of policy committees. Those conservatives say they intend to work as part of a “caucus of equals” including more moderate Republicans, but minority Democrats contend that the conservative Republican senators are now in position to advance long-held goals, including limits on abortion and new election security procedures. “We’re gonna see, potentially, some divisive bills move toward the floor,” said Senate Minority Leader Tom Begich, D-Anchorage. Asked what those might entail, he said, “Issues around reproductive rights, things like that.”
Wed, 01/06/2021 - 9:03am
With the 32nd Session of the Alaska Legislature set to convene on Jan. 19, neither the House nor the Senate have organized into majority caucuses or chosen leadership positions. (Illustration/AJOC)
The Alaska Legislature is still struggling to pick its new leaders in the wake of the 2020 elections.
While members of the Alaska Senate believe they will pick a new Senate president before the Legislature convenes Jan. 19 in Juneau, members of the Alaska House of Representatives say they expect their leadership deadlock to extend through the session’s start.
Several legislators said the situation is similar to the 2018 session, when the House deadlocked for a month and failed to pick a leader until February.
Alaska lawmakers say state House is unlikely to choose a leader before session
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Print article The Alaska Legislature is still struggling to pick its new leaders in the wake of this year’s elections. While members of the Alaska Senate believe they will pick a new Senate president before the Legislature convenes Jan. 19 in Juneau, members of the Alaska House of Representatives say they expect their leadership deadlock to extend through the session’s start. Several legislators said the situation is similar to the 2018 session, when the House deadlocked for a month and failed to pick a leader until February.