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Press

NEWS: Alaska Senate Passes Legislation Establishing Juneteenth as an Observed State Holiday

JUNEAU – Today, the Alaska Senate passed Senate Bill 22, sponsored by Senator Elvi Gray-Jackson, D-Anchorage, establishing Juneteenth, June 19, as an annually observed state holiday. In 1865, Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas, proclaiming the civil war had ended and that any enslaved people were now free. This day became known as Juneteenth, a […]

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NEWS: Alaska Legislature Passes Legislation Allowing Sawmill Operators to Produce Dimensional Lumber for Residential Construction

JUNEAU – Today, the Alaska House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed Senate Bill 87, sponsored by Senator Jesse Bjorkman (R-Nikiski), with a vote of 38 to 1. The bill allows Alaska sawmill operators to become certified to grade and sell certain types of dimensional lumber they produce for residential construction.

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NEWS: Senate Finance Introduces Operating and Capital Budget Substitutes

JUNEAU – The Senate Finance Committee introduced a committee substitute for the state’s operating budget this afternoon. The new committee substitute provides a permanent fund dividend consistent with a 75/25 percent of market value (POMV) split of the annual earnings, translating to an approximate $1,304 dividend. The committee substitute also increases the funds going to

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NEWS: Legislation Creating an Address Confidentiality Program to Protect Survivors of Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Passes Senate

JUNEAU – The Alaska Senate unanimously passed Senate Bill 12, sponsored by Senator Jesse Kiehl (D-Juneau). Senate Bill 12 lets sexual assault and domestic violence survivors, along with peace and correctional officers, keep their address confidential from public records. Currently, forty-one states provide address protection for victims. Senate Bill 12 requires the State of Alaska

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NEWS: Senator Wielechowski Introduces Alaska Work and Save Legislation to Streamline Retirement Savings Benefits for Individuals and Employers

JUNEAU – Senator Bill Wielechowski, D-Anchorage, introduced Senate Bill 135 today establishing the Alaska Work and Save Program to make it easier for small businesses in Alaska to provide Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) to their employees. Senate Bill 135 would also allow all Alaskans to invest their permanent fund dividend in their retirement account during

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NEWS: State Lawmakers Encourage Congressional Delegation to Continue Support for Bipartisan Permitting Reform

(JUNEAU) – A bipartisan group of thirty members of the Alaska State Legislature sent a letter to Alaska’s Congressional Delegation on Friday encouraging their continued support of bipartisan federal permitting reform aimed at reducing burdensome regulations and streamlining the approval process to the benefit of Alaskans, the environment, and the development of meaningful infrastructure projects.

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NEWS: Senate Rules Committee Introduces Legislation to Fix Flaws in Alaska’s Oil Tax Structure

JUNEAU – The Senate Rules Committee introduced legislation today to fix several flaws in Alaska’s oil tax structure. Senate Bill 114 would level the playing field by having all oil producers pay the same corporate income tax rate as corporations at 9.4%. This would only apply after the first $4 million in annual net income. 

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NEWS: Senator Forrest Dunbar Introduces Legislation Establishing a “Right to Repair” for Alaska Consumers

JUNEAU – Today, Senator Forrest Dunbar (D-Anchorage) introduced Senate Bill 112, which seeks to provide Alaskans with access to information and tools to repair digital equipment. Currently, many corporations use proprietary maintenance tools that are not available to the public or independent repair businesses. Repairing electronic and digital equipment can be very costly when only

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NEWS: Senator Wielechowski Introduces Legislation Ensuring Financial Literacy Curriculum is Taught for Alaska High School Students

JUNEAU – Today, Senator Bill Wielechowski(D-Anchorage) introduced Senate Bill 99, which directs school districts to offer a financial literacy course for high school students. School districts will have the flexibility to choose the curriculum approved by the Department of Education and Early Development. Senate Bill 99 requires 14 instructional components, such as budget and money

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