Protecting Your Rights: Serving West Anchorage

July 31, 2025

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

I hope everyone is enjoying the long summer days. Our summer has been filled with biking around Alaska, catching salmon, and spending time with friends and loved ones.

This weekend, the Legislature will meet in special session to consider overriding the Governor's vetoes. In July, the Governor vetoed additional bills and allowed others to become law.

And finally, this year's WWAMI medical class of 30 students is the largest ever. Read on for more information.

Special Session

This Saturday, August 2, the Legislature is scheduled to meet in special session to consider education reform and the creation of a Department of Agriculture by executive order. Earlier this year, the Legislature rejected several of the Governor's education reforms and his executive order to create a Department of Agriculture. It is likely that the Legislature will resolve these issues during the special session.

Special Session is scheduled to start at 10:00 AM on August 2nd. You can follow along live on the Alaska Legislature's website or on KTOO Gavel.

During the special session, the Alaska Constitution, Article II, Section 16, requires that we reconsider bills the Governor has vetoed. The Governor has vetoed seven bills so far this year. The Legislature has already considered overriding two of those bills - HB 69 and HB 57, which both increased funding for schools. We did not override the veto of HB 69 and we overrode the veto of HB 57, which increased the Base Student Allocation by $700 per student. The five additional vetoed bills are:

House Bill 70, Emergency Medical Services and Operational Canines (by Rep. Schrage). Passed 29-8 in the House and 20-0 in the Senate.

House Bill 174, REAA Fund, Mt. Edgecumbe (by Rep. Burke). Passed 34-5 in the House and 20-0 in the Senate.

Senate Bill 39, Loans under $25,000, Payday Loans (by Sen. Dunbar). Passed 24-16 in the House and 14-6 in the Senate.

Senate Bill 156, Commercial fishing and Agriculture Bank, Loans (by the Joint Legislative Task Force Evaluating Alaska's Seafood Industry): Passed 40-0 in the House and 19-0 in the Senate

Senate Bill 183, Powers of the Legislative Budget and Audit Committee (by Senate Rules): Passed 31-7 in the House and 19-0.

In addition to these bills, the Legislature may choose to vote to override any of the Governor's budget line-item vetoes, including his veto of over $50 million in education funding--which decreased the Base Student Allocation increase from $700 per student to $500 per student, and his veto of $6 million in transportation funding that will jeopardize up to $600 million in federal funding. You can find a full list of the Governor's line-item vetoes here.

Article II, Section 16 of Alaska's Constitution states:

"Bills vetoed after adjournment of the first regular session of the legislature shall be reconsidered by the legislature sitting as one body no later than the fifth day of the next regular or special session of that legislature."

Under Article II, Section 16 of the Constitution, bills to raise revenue and appropriations bills or items require a three-fourths vote of the Legislature to override a veto (45 out of 60). Other vetoed bills need a two-thirds vote (40 out of 60).

Governor's Vetoes Continue

Since our last e-newsletter, Governor Dunleavy has vetoed two more bills. He has now vetoed seven bills this year. Below we discuss the two bills most recently vetoed.

Senate Bill 156 by the Joint Legislative Task Force Evaluating Alaska's Seafood Industry, was introduced to help small Alaska fishing businesses by transferring a one-time fund of $3.69 million to the Alaska Commercial Fishing and Agriculture Bank. SB 156 passed the Legislature 59-0.

House Bill 70 allowed paramedics and other licensed emergency responders to provide treatment to injured police and rescue dogs. Under current state law, non-licensed people are able to treat injured operational canines, but licensed professionals are prohibited because it would be considered a violation of their license. HB 70 passed the Legislature 52-8.

For a full list of legislation the Governor has vetoed, click here.

Passed Legislation

This month, four bills became law without signature:

House Bill 123 requires vehicle rental platform companies, such as Turo and Getaround, to collect the existing state vehicle rental tax and remit the tax to the Department of Revenue on behalf of the vehicle owners. Sponsored by my office (Senate Bill 138) and Representative McCabe, HB 123 lowers the vehicle rental tax from 10% to 9% for traditional vehicle rental transactions and 7% for peer-to-peer transactions. That tax differential sunsets in three years, in 2028, when the tax for all vehicle rental transactions will be a flat 9%. The bill also prevents retroactive tax collection from rental platform vehicle owners and protects countless small Alaskan businesses. House Bill 123 provides clarity on the responsibilities of vehicle rental platforms, eases the tax impact on small Alaskan businesses, and ensures fair collection of Alaska’s existing taxes.

House Bill 121 eliminates barriers for entering the accounting profession in Alaska. HB 121 removed the requirement that students practicing accounting in Alaska must complete an extra year of college and the requirement that certified professional accountants (CPA) maintain a guardianship certificate in addition to their CPA license. HB 121 also allows for Alaskan businesses to receive accounting services from out-of-state providers.

House Bill 31 exempts active commercial fishing vessels from having to register with the Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) every three years. This was a duplicative process as commercial vessel owners must annually register with the Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission (CFEC). Now vessel owners can annually register with either the DMV or CFEC. HB 31 also eliminates the outdated Derelict Vessel Prevention Program Fund, which will return $1.4 million to the state's general fund.

HB 116 allows for member-owned commercial fishing insurance cooperatives based in Alaska to form without being considered an insurer. Rising costs and availability of insurance serve as a barrier to operating for Alaska’s aging commercial fishing fleet. Insurance pooling can provide a more attractive, lower risk alternative for underwriters as well as lower costs for our fishermen.

WWAMI Program Success

This month, thirty Alaskans started medical school in Anchorage through the Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho (WWAMI) program. This class is the largest cohort of WWAMI students in the history of the program, which dates back to 1971.

At the University of Alaska Anchorage, WWAMI offers a Doctor of Medicine program in partnership with the University of Washington and a Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Pre-Medical Studies to prepare students for medical school. By allowing Alaskan students to begin their medical school journey in-state at UAA, WWAMI helps us retain young professionals in Alaska. WWAMI also increases the number of physicians practicing in rural and underserved populations. Students study for two to four years in Alaska, then continue to medical residency, either in- or out-of-state.

In 2015, some legislators sought to eliminate funding and end Alaska's participation in the WWAMI program. In response, I worked together with WWAMI students and a bipartisan group of legislators to save the program. And in 2019, when Governor Dunleavy considered eliminating the program, we worked with the administration and a diverse group of supporters to move forward and keep the program intact. Finally, in 2023, with Governor Dunleavy's support, the Legislature increased funding to grow the cohort from 20 to 25 students and, this year, to 30 students.

The entering 30 UAA WWAMI students, photo provided by the University of Washington.

Community Information

→ Anchorage School District: Free and Reduced-Price Meals

The Anchorage School District (ASD) has opened their application portal for the Free and Reduced-Price Meals Program.

Students approved for free and reduced-priced meals may be eligible to receive reduced fees for the following programs:

Sports Fees
Pre-College Exams (PSAT/SAT/ACT)
College Application Fees

You should fill out an application if:

There is a student in your household attending a Pricing School. Click Here to View Pricing Schools
Your household income is the SAME or LESS than the amount in the Income Chart below.
Your student(s) receive benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
You receive Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF).
You are applying for a Foster Child.

To learn more about the program and eligibility requirements, please visit ASD's Student Nutrition Services webpage.

ASD Online Application

Community Events

First Friday

When: Friday, August 1st from 6:00 to 9:00 PM

Where: Anchorage Museum and other locations

Bring the whole family to enjoy free museum admission. Stop by Muse x Crush Bistro for snacks, or view rapid space shorts in the planetarium.

Thomas Planetarium - Rapid Space Shorts 6:30, 7, 7:30, 8 & 8:30 p.m.

These quick planetarium experiences range from constellation tours of the night sky and cruising around the solar system to learning about light and the aurora borealis. Free; ticket required and available at the front desk after 6 p.m.

For the full list of First Friday events, click here.

Alaska Neighborhood Health Center Open House

When: Tuesday, August 5th 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM

Where: Alaska Neighborhood Health Center (4951 Business Park Blvd)

Alaska Neighborhood Health Center (ANHC) is excited to invite you to our upcoming National Health Center Week (NHCW) Open House event on Tuesday, August 5, from 10 AM to 3 PM! This is a great opportunity to explore how ANHC supports the health and well-being of Alaskans across all ages and stages of life. Whether you’re a current patient, a potential new one, or a community partner, we welcome you to join us for an afternoon of connection and celebration.

The event will feature guided tours of our facility, free blood pressure screenings, door prizes, snacks and light refreshments, and family-friendly activities. Come learn more about the wide range of care ANHC offers and how we’re working to make high-quality, affordable health care accessible to everyone in our community. We hope to see you there!

This is a free event. For more information or to RSVP, please click here.

Wild Salmon Day

When: Thursday August 7th from 6:00 to 8:00 PM

Where: Anchorage Museum (625 C St.)

Celebrate 10 years of Wild Salmon Day! Join us for a fun and fishy evening as we celebrate a decade of honoring Alaska's wild salmon and the communities that protect them! This year marks the 10th anniversary of Wild Salmon Day, a state-recognized holiday dedicated to the power, culture, and sustainability of wild salmon in Alaska.

For more information, click here.

Anchorage Weed Smackdown

When: Saturday, August 16th from 10:00 AM to 1:30 PM

Where: Chanshtnu Muldoon Park (1301 Muldoon Rd)

It’s almost time for the annual Anchorage Weed Smackdown! Join for a fun day volunteering to remove invasive European Bird Cherry trees at Chanshtnu Muldoon Park. Anchorage Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area will provide all the tools necessary, just bring work gloves if you have them, a water bottle, and wear appropriate clothing for the weather. A free lunch will be provided plus raffles with a wide array of prizes from local businesses including Wild Scoops, Moose’s Tooth, Hoarding Marmot, and more!

For more information and to RSVP, click here.