Session scorecard: Tracking the ups, downs of 25th Legislature
Published Wednesday, April 16, 2008
JUNEAU — A lot of the focus in Juneau this year went to the annual operating and capital budgets and three major pieces of legislation dealing with education funding, revenue sharing and the state’s retirement debt.
Lawmakers approved a multi-year K-12 education funding plan that increases the per-student dollar amount and provided more money for high-cost districts, students with intensive needs, and pupil transportation. They set up a recurring municipal revenue sharing program and funded the program for the next three years. And they approved a plan for paying down the debt associated with the state’s retirement system.
But that wasn’t all they did. A long list of other bills and resolutions passed, too, and even more measures were introduced and debated but didn’t make it through.
Here’s a look at some of the proposals with local interest and how they fared in the 25th Alaska Legislature.
The regular session ended Sunday.
Bill numbers are as follows. HB: House Bill; SB: Senate Bill; HJR: House Joint Resolution; HCR: House Concurrent Resolution; SCR: Senate Concurrent Resolution.
Only local bill sponsors and bills introduced at the request of the governor are listed.
Health
• SB 245, HB 337, Gov. Sarah Palin: Establishes health care commission and information office, repeals certificate of need requirements — died in committee.
• HB 345, Rep. Mike Kelly, R-Fairbanks: Repeals CON requirements for certain facilities — died in committee.
• SCR 24: Setting up a legislative task force to study the CON issue — died in committee.
• HB 364, Rep. John Coghill, R-North Pole: Requires parental consent for minors seeking abortions — died in committee.
• HB 301, Coghill: Alters legal definition of so-called “partial-birth” abortions — died in committee.
Education
• SB 241: Requires the University of Alaska to submit an annual report to the Legislature on efforts to attract, train, and retain public school teachers — passed the Legislature.
• HCR 13: Establishes a legislative commission to study school district cost factors — passed the Legislature.
• SB 219, Sen. Gary Wilken, R-Fairbanks: Sets up panel in the governor’s office to study district cost factors — died in committee.
• HB 306, Rep. Scott Kawasaki, D-Fairbanks: Allows school districts to start pre-K programs — died in committee.
• HB 234: Covers up to $37,500 in student debt for Alaskans working hard-to-fill jobs — died in committee.
• HB 397, Guttenberg: Establishes a merit and needs-based scholarship program — died in committee.
Public safety
• SB 265: Omnibus crime bill that deals with bootlegging, sex offenders, aggravating factors and other things — passed the Legislature.
• HB 75, Rep. Jay Ramras, R-Fairbanks: Requires Alaska residents to renew drivers licenses at 21 and pass a drug and alcohol safety test — passed the Legislature.
• HB 307: Imposes felony charges for third-time violators of domestic violence and animal cruelty — passed the Legislature.
• SB 38, Sen. Gene Therriault, R-North Pole: Makes Salvia divinorum a controlled substance — died in committee.
Energy
• HB 152, Rep. John Harris, R-Valdez: Establishes fund for grants and loans to renewable energy projects — passed the Legislature.
• SB 289: With appropriations in the supplemental budget, increases state weatherization and energy efficiency programs — passed the Legislature.
• SB 246, Thomas: Requires feasibility study of Susitna River dam project — died in committee, but money appropriated in capital budget for the study.
• HB 396: Provides $500 to every Alaskan to help with energy costs — died in committee.
Municipal
• HB 285, Coghill: Allows municipalities to offer residential property tax exemptions to widows of soldiers killed in action — passed the Legislature.
• HB 199, Kawasaki; SB 122, Thomas: Increases allowable residential property tax exemptions — died in committee.
Commerce
• HB 65, Coghill: Implements numerous measures aimed at protecting from identity theft — passed the Legislature.
• SB 305 (companion bill to HB 51, Ramras): Allows diners to take half-empty bottles of wine home with them from a restaurant — passed the Legislature.
• HB 388, Guttenberg: Sets up a task force to study Internet access in Alaska — died in committee.
• HB 80, Rep. Woodie Salmon, D-Beaver: Allows for state ferry service along the Yukon and Kuskokwim Rivers — died in committee.
Natural resources
• SCR 22: Urges Palin to consider an in-state gas pipeline during the summer special session on pipeline issues — passed the Legislature.
• HJR 27, Ramras: Allows state to lock in gas taxes to encourage construction of a natural gas pipeline — died in committee.
• HB 370, Kelly: Allows state to consider the value of public and private infrastructure when fighting wildfires — passed the Legislature.
• SB 229, Thomas: Alters boundaries of the Tanana Valley forest and Minto Flats refuge — passed the Legislature.
• HB 241, Guttenberg; SB 173, Thomas: Creates the Stampede State Recreation Area outside Healy — died in committee.
• HB 134: Restricts disturbance of waters in Bristol Bay watersheds — died in committee.
Military
• SB 214: Waives one-year residency requirement for active duty military hunting licenses, provides free hunting and fishing licenses for Alaska National Guard and military reserves — passed the Legislature.
• HB 326, Palin: Allows Alaska National Guard to receive same pay as others while fighting wildfires — passed the Legislature.
• HB 44, Guttenberg: Allows veterans to seek benefit information by checking a box on the permanent fund application — passed the Legislature.
• HB 45, Guttenberg: Allows the state to establish veterans’ cemeteries — died in committee.
Other
• HB 305: Bars campaign fundraising by lawmakers while in session — passed the Legislature.
• HJR 19, Coghill: Encourages the repeal of the federal Real ID Act — passed the Legislature.
• HB 317, Coghill: Allows lawmakers to receive “compassionate gifts,” such as organ donations — passed the Legislature.
• HB 37, Guttenberg: Establishes Susan Butcher Day on the first Saturday in March — passed the Legislature, signed into law.
• SB 158, Sen. Albert Kookesh, D-Angoon: Names a bridge on the George Parks Highway near Nenana after Alaska Native leader Shirley Demientieff — passed the Legislature.
For more news from the capital, visit www.newsminer.com/weblogs and look for Capital Focus.
Comments
It's too bad House Bill 389 never saw light of day. Its one of the few that would save lives.
In case anybody else finds Mr. Berg's comment cryptic, here is the full text of HB 389. It's short.
00 HOUSE BILL NO. 389
01 "An Act relating to the mandatory use of motor vehicle headlights."
02 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:
03 * Section 1. AS 28.35 is amended by adding a new section to read:
04 Sec. 28.35.165. Mandatory use of headlights. A person may not operate a
05 motor vehicle at any time during the period from September 16 through April 30,
06 inclusive, unless both of the motor vehicle's headlights are illuminated.
Well, look on the bright side. HB 389 becomes increasingly irrelevant as time goes on, thanks to the fact that virtually all new cars have daytime running lights.
You know, I'd like to think I'm not pessimistic by nature, but when SB78 "An Act relating to the installation of window tinting in automobiles." has received more discussion and action in the past year than an increase in the Property Tax Exemption allowance (HB199) you just gotta wonder who's smoking salvia down there in Juneau.
SENATE BILL NO. 78
01 "An Act relating to the installation of window tinting in automobiles."
02 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:
03 * Section 1. AS 28.35 is amended by adding new sections to article 3 to read:
04 Sec. 28.35.271. Installation of window tinting. (a) A person commits the crime of improper installation of window tinting if the person in this state installs window tinting on a motor vehicle (1) on portions of vehicle windows not permitted by the department; or (2) that does not allow the level of light transmittance required by the department by regulation.
(b) In this section, "light transmittance" means the ratio, expressed as a percentage, of the amount of total light that is allowed to pass through a window, including glazing, to the amount of total light falling on the window.
The political regional bias that promotes pork barrel projects in the operating and capital budgets, for the Chairman's district, while denying the basic public services to numerous communities of Alaska, is the legacy of the 25th Alaskan Legislature.
Ya gotta love that Ramras guy...
Let's make it ok for people drive home with half empty bottles of wine, but make them take an extra test about drinking and driving!
*LOL*
These guys crack me up. You'd think that there might be something more important to do than wasting time on renaming bridges and establishing Susan Butcher days, but I guess that's part of their jobs too, right?
Seriously though, can anyone tell me how we are supposed to get the 1/2 empty bottle home? Isn't there an open container law that would disallow this new law?
newsreader: I guess you could pour it in the gas tank (alternative fuel). Second thought, they probably past a law for impounding DRUNKEN Vehicles...breathalyzer test on the tail pipe. Yep, one more way to confiscate private sector's assets for bureaucrat's pleasure.
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