[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6097562,"mediaKeyId","2827979-8c9561cd9d073af765184584feffbc71","parentId",2827979,"title","Committee hears HJR11 recognizing Alaska–Canada relationship; Yukon premier and regional partners offer support and warn of tariff risks","audioSeconds",3992,"startMs",3998000,"endMs",5873,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2827979-8c9561cd9d073af765184584feffbc71&start=3998&end=5","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2827979-8c9561cd9d073af765184584feffbc71/thumbnail_3998000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6097562/Alaska/Committee-hears-HJR11-recognizing-AlaskaCanada-relationship-Yukon-premier-and-regional-partners-offer-support-and-warn-of-tariff-risks","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6097562-4056dfdf358da18597e72f0aff8bfb8c/orig.mp4?Expires=1776275644&Signature=CReEE9VF4rQaEAtYR6FrlSE9dXTE-F0f4~0gfuhx-yPjlRYDCAcrNyf3QVTxqYjvJtErvDOtEsq1-KWXFUlmDHW3gdyGqhkCgY8Hw5iSLv~217C9xjLPKYG7s~1iKpOG2V29ZJCgA4Ce9rX2IVJ-03TyypMyjLOMPKN4oFqq1EAhaM~4xLKxosUj7dEPwwHlfg7HF4ozYi7jNhu75umv4oueQ0QAXshbKHinHEEoflJxxU0bKSqs0RTJAw9JIly92uH2xWpbtgLyyMNcFAhJMdQkcqFzOwyIK9faWHKKUW1pnJpRxW~roqWLSk7d4JA5LpJGh8WCKZ0XxBzh-ZUnhA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Alaska State Legislature","date","2025-03-31T00:00:00Z","article","The Alaska Senate Resources Committee on March 31, 2025 held a hearing on House Joint Resolution 11, a measure recognizing and affirming the historic, economic and cultural relationship between Alaska and Canada. Representative Chuck Kopp (sponsor) said the resolution is intended to “present a unified voice of restoration and reconciliation among old allies and friends” amid recent trade tensions.

Why it matters: Members and witnesses described deep cross‑border ties that support Alaska’s economy, security and way of life. Representative Kopp told the committee that Alaska ships roughly $596 million in exports to Canada and imports about $753 million annually; he also said about 23,000 Alaskans have jobs connected to Canadian trade.

Invited testimony and key points
- Premier Ranj Pillai, Government of Yukon: Calling from Whitehorse, Premier Pillai said Yukon and Alaska share northern challenges and infrastructure, and he warned that tariffs planned by both national governments could disrupt the region’s integrated economy. Pillai described recent federal conversations and noted Canada’s domestic discussions about how to respond. He said, in part, “Canada will never be the 50 first state,” while adding that Canada remains a close ally and that both jurisdictions must protect jobs and supply chains.

- Matt Morrison, executive director, Pacific Northwest Economic Region (PNWER): Morrison urged support for the resolution and highlighted the importance of transportation corridors—land, sea and air—that link Alaska to Canadian ports and markets. He noted regional work to secure grants for the Shakwak (Shakwak/Shakwak Highway) corridor and other infrastructure that keep Alaskan freight and fuel flowing.

- John Rada, president, Arctic Winter Games International Committee, and Sarah Frampton, executive director Team Alaska: Both witnesses described the Arctic Winter Games and other youth exchanges as longstanding avenues of cultural and athletic cooperation. Frampton said Team Alaska plans to send roughly 355 athletes, coaches and staff to the 2026 Games in Whitehorse and urged passage to underscore the partnership’s value for young people across the North.

Public testimony
One caller from Wasilla urged the committee to oppose the resolution and supported the imposition of tariffs in retaliation for Canadian trade measures; the caller said, “Let this resolution die in committee.” The chair closed public testimony after allowing the two‑minute statement.

Discussion and next steps
Committee members and invited witnesses agreed the resolution is largely symbolic but said it signals support for continued cross‑border cooperation across emergency response, transportation, defense (NORAD and Arctic search‑and‑rescue cooperation were discussed) and people‑to‑people ties such as sports and cultural exchanges. The committee set the resolution aside for further consideration and indicated an intent to return to it with an explanation of changes at a near‑term meeting.

Ending
Representative Kopp and witnesses encouraged the committee to pass a bipartisan statement reaffirming the Alaska–Canada relationship. No vote occurred at this hearing; the committee left HJR11 pending while signaling willingness to act quickly if members finalize changes.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","03/31/2025 03:30 PM Senate RESOURCES","oneSentenceSummary","The Alaska Senate Resources Committee on March 31, 2025 heard invited testimony on HJR11, a joint resolution recognizing Alaska’s economic, security and cultural ties to Canada.","taxTitle","2025 Legislature Alaska, Alaska","taxId",78559,"location","Alaska","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6097567,"Senate committee reviews fisheries task force report; first hearings held on SB130 tax credit expansion and SB135 municipal refund",3760,311000,4071000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2827979-8c9561cd9d073af765184584feffbc71&start=311&end=4071","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2827979-8c9561cd9d073af765184584feffbc71/thumbnail_311000.jpg","/articles/6097567/Alaska/Senate-committee-reviews-fisheries-task-force-report-first-hearings-held-on-SB130-tax-credit-expansion-and-SB135-municipal-refund","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6097567-37f571a271bee296a5d52a823cf11f02/orig.mp4?Expires=1776275644&Signature=E1aHaU8pBzzo4kYB-FO55xlqFqDfyqGFwCgeOVvgrOV7fLZ28ABF-igqhT9uDjb7PKW-kz-UCRAL9EBFTeQR5RHSXFDo0s55yQsP1hawRqSCnjv-CpWimpew3L6gpVgHTuHcP4sQQz1zUFr5Q-UD50B7FjwXEKcGh1hB16qtZ8WxnJ~eNX122YjEJB2O7b5kHltl2c0C7E6DBiWLm-UgpBZc-pa7gBMAsfFQ6p-NsamG4-OcDKyGeX4oQQISmCAL8feKxFD3WqS4W5o7nrvAk9ae80gGaXpx4EjFmRsKCjnLK~HCWt-gQbuwHoepvy1g59v2ucrxBEiVCEkbHgTGCw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Alaska Senate Resources Committee on March 31, 2025 received the final report of the Alaska Seafood Industry Task Force and held first hearings on two bills the task force recommended: SB130, which would expand the Fisheries Product Development Tax Credit to additional species and equipment, and SB135, which would increase the share of fisheries business and landing tax revenue distributed to qualified municipalities.

The task force report, prepared after a series of meetings and stakeholder hearings, was presented by Tim Lampkin, staff to Senator Gary Stevens, who sponsored the task force. Senator Stevens told the committee the industry remains Alaska’s largest manufacturing sector, “it employs some 48,000 workers” and “generates about $6,000,000,000 overall,” and that task force recommendations include a mix of near-term policy changes and longer-term budget items.

Why it matters: Committee members and invited witnesses described a wide downturn in market conditions in 2023 that hurt prices and demand across almost all fisheries and put coastal communities and processors at economic risk. The bills aim to encourage private investment in value-added processing and to direct a larger share of fisheries revenues to local governments that operate ports and harbors.

Task force and policy context
Tim Lampkin told the committee the eight-member legislative task force met 12 times and condensed a roughly 20-page report into an action-item spreadsheet; near-term policy items on page 1 included tax and investment incentives and workforce development, while page 2 listed mid- to long-term items that would require budget appropriations. Lampkin said some recommendations are already the subject of legislation or committee work, including insurance/risk-management proposals in Labor and Commerce and proposals tied to energy or Department of Labor workforce initiatives.

SB130: Fisheries product development tax credit (first hearing)
SB130 would broaden the existing Fisheries Product Development Tax Credit so that more equipment types and more species are eligible. Julie Decker, president of the Pacific Seafood Processors Association (PSPA), told the committee PSPA “strongly supports this bill” and said the measure would “provide an incentive for the Alaska seafood processors to invest in new equipment that produces higher quality, value added products within Alaska.” Decker emphasized the bill does not change the current statutory cap on the credit: “The bill does not change the current maximum value of the tax credit, which is capped at 50% of a processing company's Alaska fisheries business tax.”

Department of Revenue staff described the bill’s fiscal note as indeterminate because projected utilization is uncertain. Deputy Director Brandon Spanos said the tax division prepared low/average/high scenarios by scaling existing forecasts to account for expanded species and equipment and by modeling a three‑year carryforward; the department’s scenarios ranged from a modest negative impact in some years to multi‑million‑dollar impacts in later years. Spanos summarized the note as indeterminate and said the department provided example scenarios rather than a single forecast. Lead auditor Chris Becker clarified what tax the credit offsets: “This credit can only be claimed against the fishery business tax.” Becker said total fishery business tax collections before credits were about $35 million in FY2024 and about $51 million in FY2023.

Committee members asked about whether smaller processors routinely reach the existing credit cap and about the rationale for opening the credit to all species rather than a narrower set. Lampkin and Decker said expanding eligibility avoids the need to amend statute each time a new processing sector or species becomes commercially significant and recognizes that many processors operate across multiple fisheries.

SB135: Refund of fisheries business tax to municipalities (first hearing)
SB135 would change how fisheries business and landing taxes are shared between the state and qualifying municipalities. Tim Lampkin summarized the statutory history: sharing began at 10% in earlier territorial statutes, rose over time and settled at a 50/50 split after 1981. The bill as filed would generally shift a larger share to municipalities (commonly described in testimony as a 60/40 direction), though the exact allocation would vary by municipality type and statutory structure.

Spanos described the bill’s fiscal note and explained the department had read the draft language conservatively; because historical statute and the bill’s language interact differently for various community types, the department’s illustrative fiscal note used a 75/25 sharing assumption in its initial scenarios. Under that assumption the note shows multi‑million‑dollar reductions in state unrestricted receipts (for example, a roughly $12.3 million negative impact in the first modeled year and a larger impact in later years). Spanos said the bill’s exact state fiscal impact depends on final language and how the shares are specified for different community classifications.

Nils Andreasen, executive director of the Alaska Municipal League (AML), testified in support of the bill’s intent to increase municipal shares but urged flexibility. AML noted that not all recipients operate harbors, that sharing should be additive rather than replace other forms of state investment, and that new annual reporting requirements could impose an administrative burden on communities that receive very small amounts (AML gave examples of communities receiving only a few hundred dollars). Andreasen said AML’s most recent port-and-harbor survey (2019) identified statewide needs in the hundreds of millions; he said AML will update that survey to help size future proposals.

Discussion highlights and outstanding issues
- Scope and equity: committee members and witnesses debated whether to limit SB130 by species or equipment or to leave it broadly inclusive so processors operating across fisheries are not penalized.
- Fiscal uncertainty: Department of Revenue staff characterized both bills’ fiscal impacts as indeterminate and offered scenario-based numbers; members asked for clearer scoring and for options to refine statutory language to control fiscal exposure.
- Reporting and targeting: AML and other witnesses asked for flexible language so funds meet local needs and do not impose disproportionate reporting burdens on small recipients. Several members noted that targeted capital grants remain the tool to prioritize the highest‑need harbor projects.
- Related policy items: Lampkin summarized additional task force recommendations (insurance/risk management, emergency loan authority tied to AS 44.88, coordination with the University of Alaska and Department of Labor on data and workforce development, and review of CFEC/permit issues), and noted some items are already before other committees or require appropriations.

What the committee did
The committee took testimony and set both SB130 and SB135 aside for further review. Senator Gary Stevens, sponsor of the task force and an author of the bills, urged committee members to work with staff and stakeholders to refine the language and noted the bills reflect a set of near‑term, actionable items from the task force report.

Ending
Committee chair Senator Giesel reminded members of the amendment deadline announced earlier in the hearing for an unrelated bill and said members should expect further work sessions and follow‑up hearings on the fisheries measures. The committee did not vote on either bill at this hearing and left both pending for further drafting and fiscal clarification.","The Alaska Senate Resources Committee on March 31, 2025 received the final report of the Alaska Seafood Industry Task Force and held first hearings on two bills the task force recommended: SB130, expanding the Fisheries Product Development Tax Credit, and SB135, increasing municipal shares of fisheries taxes.","actionData","errors"]

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Committee hears HJR11 recognizing Alaska–Canada relationship; Yukon premier and regional partners offer support and warn of tariff risks

Senate committee reviews fisheries task force report; first hearings held on SB130 tax credit expansion and SB135 municipal refund