Dear Neighbor,

I wanted to give you a quick update on what occurred during the Joint Session yesterday when we took up a vote on all 12 of the Governor's Executive Orders, centered around eliminating and consolidating the powers of boards and commissions. In the end, we passed resolutions to block 8 of these orders, while 4 were allowed to pass.

 

In a Joint Session to reject a Governor's Executive Orders, all 60 members of the Legislature met to vote on what are called "Concurrent Resolutions," which signal the Legislature's approval or disapproval of the Executive Orders. For each of the Governor's EOs, we took a vote on a concurrent resolution to allow it to pass or to reject it. A "yea" vote indicates that you disapprove of the order while a "nay" vote indicates that you wish to let the order enter pass into effect.

 

Below is a brief summary of the executive orders and how we voted.

Governor's Executive Orders

1) EO 124 would transfer the authority to regulate the live capture, possession, transport, or release of native or exotic game or their eggs from the Board of Game to the Commissioner of Fish and Game. The legislature rejected this executive order with a vote of 36 to 24. I voted to reject this order.

 

2) EO 125 would transfer the functions of the Alaska Council on Emergency Medical Services to the Department of Health and eliminates the Alaska Council on Emergency Medical Services. The legislature voted unanimously to let this EO pass.

 

3) EO 126 would transfer the functions of the Wood-Tikchik State Park Management Council to the Department of Natural Resources and would eliminate the council. We received significant pushback from the residents of this area, who are primarily indigenous and have a vested interest in managing their land through the membership of this council. The legislature rejected this executive order with a vote of 38 to 21. I voted to reject this order.

 

4) EO 127 would eliminate the Board of Massage Therapists and transfer their duties to the Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development (DCCED). I heard vociferous opposition to this EO from our state's massage therapists. The legislature rejected this executive order with a vote of 43 to 16. I voted to reject the order.

 

5) EO 128 would separate the membership of the board of directors of the Alaska Energy Authority from the membership of the board of directors of the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority (AIDEA). The legislature rejected this EO with a vote of 36 to 23. I voted to reject this order.

 

6) EO 129 would eliminate the Board of Barbers and Hairdressers and transfer their responsibilities to DCCED. This executive order was rejected with a vote of 34 to 25. I voted to reject this order.

 

7) EO 130 would eliminate the Board of Certified Direct-Entry Midwives and transfer their responsibilities to DCCED. Alaska midwives are well organized, and made their concerns known. EO 130 was rejected with a vote of 58 to 1. I voted to reject this order.

 

8) EO 131 would reorganize the membership the Alaska Marine Highway Operations Board. This EO was rejected with a vote of 33 to 26. I voted to reject this order.

 

9) EO 132 would transfer the responsibility of developing and maintaining the management plan for the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve from a local advisory council to the Department of Natural Resources. It failed by a vote of 33 to 26. I voted to reject this order.

 

10) EO 133 would transfer all of the functions of the Criminal Justice Information Advisory Board to the Department of Public Safety and would eliminate the board. The legislature voted unanimously to let this EO pass.

 

11) EO 134 would end the Recreation Rivers Advisory Board and transfer its duties to the Department of Natural Resources. With a very close vote of 29 to 30, the resolution rejecting this EO failed. I voted to reject this order.

 

12) EO 135 would transfer the functions of the Alaska Safety Advisory Council to the Department of Labor and Workforce Development. With another close vote of 30 to 29, the resolution rejecting this EO failed. I voted to reject this order.

 

With the exception of losing the Alaska Safety Advisory Council, I am satisfied with the outcome of yesterday's Joint Session. We were able to save those boards and commissions that still had high stakeholder engagement while letting go of other boards that were not able to meet on a regular basis or were struggling to perform their work due to scheduling limitations or a difficulty in appointing reliable members.

 

Thank you for taking the time to read my update. If you have any more questions about these executive orders or any other votes that I have taken this session, please don't hesitate to reach out to my office. We would love to connect with you!

 

I'll be sending out a more comprehensive update on what we've been working on in the coming weeks. Talk to you soon!

Honored to serve you,

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Office of Senator Dunbar | Alaska State Capitol, 120 4th St, Room 125, 907-465-6944,
Juneau, AK 99801