Rep. Les Gara says he’s ready to retire from the Legislature–if the right candidate (or candidates) comes along
The Anchorage Democrat would like to have some input in finding a replacement as he considers stepping away after 16 years.
State Politics
Lost Bills: Eight good, bad and terrible bills that were left behind this session
A last-minute flurry of bills saved the 30th Legislature from being the least productive in history, but there were still plenty of bills left behind.
A last-minute amendment saved distilleries’ cocktails
The messy, twisting process of getting this fix through the Legislature is particularly illustrative of the strange things that happen in the final days of the legislative session.
Kito finally loses Legislative Council chair for walking out of caucus after smoking bill clash
Kito took issue with the leeway the House Majority Coalition has given House Rules Committee chair Rep. Gabrielle LeDoux on multiple issues.
Sen. Anna MacKinnon will not run for re-election: Report
Most expect Eagle River Republican Rep. Lora Reinbold will seek the open seat.
Here’s how Alaska’s statewide workplace smoking ban will work
In the final days of the session, the Legislature finally approved a smoke-free workplaces bill that’s been in the works for five years.
The smoke-free workplaces bill will finally get a vote in the House
Senate Bill 63 has been locked up in the House Rules Committee for the nearly the entire session. It’s finally scheduled to be up for a vote today, which is likely to be the final day of the session.
Alcohol bill dead after “unfair and self-serving” cut to brewery and distillery serving sizes, sponsor says
A last-minute amendment by a former bar owner targeting distilleries and breweries snarled a fix to the distillery the cocktail issue and years of negotiations on alcohol laws.
Fairbanks Rep. David Guttenberg announces he won’t seek re-election
Guttenberg made the announcement to the monthly meeting at the Fairbanks Laborers’ hall, which helped launch his political career.
Legislature passes bill to protect permanent fund from the Legislature
The bill restructures the permanent fund to pay for government, formalizing what the Legislature was already planning on doing. Some say it’ll act like a spending limit, others worry it’ll be easily ignored.