[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-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",[32,76,88,100],{"_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",6261052,"mediaKeyId","3125053-2e96d37935e2ca238a46958fa7b053e2","parentId",3125053,"title","Committee advances bill allowing local property tax exemptions after contentious amendment votes","audioSeconds",1747,"startMs",6777000,"endMs",8524000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3125053-2e96d37935e2ca238a46958fa7b053e2&start=6777&end=8524","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3125053-2e96d37935e2ca238a46958fa7b053e2/thumbnail_6777000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6261052/Alaska/Committee-advances-bill-allowing-local-property-tax-exemptions-after-contentious-amendment-votes","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6261052-42785bc633577b3cc97c9d4a0a99038c/orig.mp4?Expires=1770688930&Signature=GOmgyra2iVC2L2ecekb8dBJXw9mreH5STzfrpvoAOP0mRDWmUHuLhZTMCFY3Pvurucfc5sleog2Kr~CZGeh63rBBVsya29O-6QOrDlTVg4effTDUVfnC6plgmgyu~NJKstNVlrIxY8C~AEXPabF61nFcpZVQC8u3yxBcCZrTMWBG0tei0I-cSCGhHHbHoPlRGbRfCAYg3XkTwVAIgfCFLPxxPueEBqgaeDgVBMwq2kvvONUi8DY9pYyLoM7iHkvXTYJN9q3o-Lk0oWGIFW40~F2dL6fIRNsoCjjxBsq3BNTzK9be~R5M192XOQNBKEZqPSAUdCmI8U6Dhwje7ggCug__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Alaska Legislature","date","2025-04-24T00:00:00Z","article","House Bill 13, a proposal to authorize municipalities to adopt or expand property‑tax exemptions, advanced from the House Community and Regional Affairs Committee on April 24 after a 4–2 committee vote.

The bill, sponsored in committee by Representative Gray, would give local governments statutory authority to adopt a set of optional property tax exemptions described in draft sections AA through EE. Committee members debated whether some or all of those exemptions should require direct voter approval or fiscal-impact studies before adoption, and whether limits are needed to protect homeowners whose assessed values have risen rapidly.

Amendment votes and debate: Representative Reffridge offered several amendments intended to add fiscal safeguards or voter-approval requirements. The committee considered four numbered amendments; all failed on roll calls.

- Amendment 1 (change the definition of \"long term rental\" to 1 year): defeated, 2 yeas, 4 nays. Recorded roll call: Representative Prox — Yes; Representative Reffridge — Yes; Representatives Hall, Holland, Mears, and Himshoo — No.

- Amendment 2 (require municipalities to conduct a fiscal-impact study before adopting exemptions): defeated, 2 yeas, 4 nays. Recorded roll call: Representative Prox — Yes; Representative Reffridge — Yes; Representatives Hall, Holland, Mears and Himshoo — No.

- Amendment 3 (allow municipalities to cap year‑to‑year assessment increases by ordinance at 5%, with exceptions for new information or property improvements): defeated, 2 yeas, 4 nays. Recorded roll call: Representative Prox — Yes; Representative Reffridge — Yes; Representatives Hall, Holland, Mears and Himshoo — No.

- Amendment 4 (require voter approval before municipalities adopt these exemptions): defeated, 2 yeas, 4 nays. Recorded roll call: Representative Prox — Yes; Representative Reffridge — Yes; Representatives Hall, Holland, Mears and Himshoo — No.

Sponsor and majority position: Representative Gray opposed the amendments and said the bill preserves local control and flexibility. She told the committee that communities differ considerably in size and need — what a long‑term rental means in one borough may differ from another — and that municipal assemblies should retain discretion.

Final committee action: Co‑chair Mears moved to report HB13 from committee with individual recommendations and attached fiscal note. The motion carried on a roll call vote of 4 yeas, 2 nays. Recorded roll-call on final motion: Representatives Hall, Holland, Mears and co‑chair Hemshoo — Yes; Representatives Prox and Reffridge — No. The committee record shows the bill advanced as Work Draft 34‑LS‑0194 with an attached fiscal note.

Context and concerns: Opponents of removing voter-approval requirements argued repeated, discretionary exemptions shift tax burdens and can harm \"vulnerable homeowners\" — households near the edges of affordability — while proponents said elected municipal officials have fiduciary duties and localities need tools to respond to unique local circumstances. Committee members also raised technical concerns about assessment timing and how a cap on year‑to‑year assessment changes might interact with assessment cycles and mill‑rate adjustments.

Ending: HB13 will proceed from committee; members who requested additional analysis said they expect follow-up conversations about implementation and local fiscal impacts.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","04/24/2025 08:00 AM House COMMUNITY & REGIONAL AFFAIRS","oneSentenceSummary","House Bill 13, a proposal to authorize municipalities to adopt or expand property‑tax exemptions, advanced from the House Community and Regional Affairs Committee on April 24 after a 4–2 committee vote.","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},6261057,"House committee hears bill to let AIDEA finance workforce multifamily housing",2113,4331000,6444000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3125053-2e96d37935e2ca238a46958fa7b053e2&start=4331&end=6444","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3125053-2e96d37935e2ca238a46958fa7b053e2/thumbnail_4331000.jpg","/articles/6261057/Alaska/House-committee-hears-bill-to-let-AIDEA-finance-workforce-multifamily-housing","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6261057-fd0510b46a10cd8b47ceacfc295c39b1/orig.mp4?Expires=1770688930&Signature=Ok4qmxcvxQHVnUZhUDMXd0VPVaLWf1AZHDt~uSnz~GlY~RMpe-3LRLWHrcxoLhmc~ncBbkNHD7Tbj3dhFZ2LQBUieb2jJjZe38Puj-jVDpFCtP7T6qJPkfY20FYNzFuhRb0bTyG~XFfd3QXmT5pv3ZSEdlf~cIMkI74lqI63P1sbC4f6M-aXD7e5UIqMoDPI2S3F6JXQjfjc5pnfF~3jF3L1mfdFK0-D7CpRYMkdniMduZy7CMCx8IzJi7DZaU100yrwpe5fkpW9L6FgKt0Dge0PVbl7pcGs86UxoRbD4dVrdaNQuxygWi5Oe8EVbfPZuTCmcPt0Hez56vTq~urTQA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Representative Andy Story, sponsor of House Bill 184, told the House Community and Regional Affairs Committee on April 24 that many Alaska communities face acute shortages of multi‑family and affordable workforce housing and that the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority (AIDEA) could expand financing tools to address that gap.

The bill would amend AIDEA’s statutory loan-participation and development authorities to explicitly allow financing for workforce housing developments with five or more dwelling units. “Workforce housing” in the draft is defined using U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development area median income (AMI) standards: residential housing that costs occupants less than 30% of the income of a household at 120% of AMI.

Why it matters: Committee members and invited testimony framed the bill as a practical step to expand capital sources for developments that “pencil” with tighter margins. Testimony emphasized that many developers have not built mid‑price multifamily housing because available financing and incentives favor higher‑end single‑family or condo construction.

Invited testimony and questions: Honor Miller Austin, staff to Representative Story, walked committee members through sectional changes. Brandon Reshinsky (AIDEA deputy director) said AIDEA already has statutory authority and internal programs that could support commercial housing projects but that the bill adds clarity and statutory direction; he said AIDEA had not yet received formal commercial multifamily applications through banks for such projects but had had preliminary discussions with municipalities.

Stacy Barnes, director of government relations and public affairs for Alaska Housing Finance Corporation (AHFC), told the committee AHFC offers single‑family and multifamily lending programs but that AIDEA involvement could be complementary — AIDEA can engage in early-stage construction or gap financing while AHFC can provide longer-term housing finance.

Christine Wall, a Juneau assembly member testifying in support, said Juneau’s municipal incentives (tax abatements, reduced parking requirements and limited city financing) have helped but were not sufficient to make many multifamily projects financially viable without additional investor-friendly capital. Rochelle Johnson of the University of Alaska Center for Economic Development presented statewide data showing multifamily construction has fallen and rental vacancy rates remain low, arguing additional financing tools can help spur construction.

Concerns and clarifications: Representative Reffridge and others asked whether the bill’s HUD‑based definition — AMI at 120% and 30% income share — could permit units that remain expensive in higher‑cost communities (for example, a $3,000 monthly cost in Juneau under the formula). AIDEA and AHFC staff said AMI is a HUD standard updated annually and that statutory language could be tracked against community AMI tables; AIDEA noted it typically would consider projects under existing commercial loan and loan‑participation mechanisms and that the lack of explicit income limitations could provide flexibility.

Outcome: The committee held a first hearing. Members requested follow-up materials, including AMI tables across communities and AHFC data on current multifamily loan demand. No committee vote was taken; the bill was set aside for further consideration.

Ending: Sponsors said the measure is one of several steps — zoning changes, local incentives and financing — needed to address statewide workforce housing shortages.","Representative Andy Story, sponsor of House Bill 184, told the House Community and Regional Affairs Committee on April 24 that many Alaska communities face acute shortages of multi‑family and affordable workforce housing and that the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority could expand financing tools to address that gap.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6261062,"Alaska Energy Authority details strain on rural power systems, urges funding to stabilize Power Cost Equalization",3420,820000,4240000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3125053-2e96d37935e2ca238a46958fa7b053e2&start=820&end=4240","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3125053-2e96d37935e2ca238a46958fa7b053e2/thumbnail_820000.jpg","/articles/6261062/Alaska/Alaska-Energy-Authority-details-strain-on-rural-power-systems-urges-funding-to-stabilize-Power-Cost-Equalization","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6261062-410594de1eacea9f361010d747004406/orig.mp4?Expires=1770688930&Signature=WjmL39LFy8TbvbKRDyFzvFmZG38HRln~KXCaATTjWUQ0-cbrfUx5QhKhSKK4daR-cLSTgBUqhmxMWkQ1w84p~ccNsCGA0ZJtHOBoT0rG-vTXaeMXfkzI7DmGi6sqz6Gwqz2XaqnnobGPu9iwD3rMDTJqzE7GWj0v-VpH38zIrCd4~mXWArGVsDA9f0PPy4fCINsONf1O2AJZUgO-53s7oLkpPdtNH86TCOCQlakwWrAX~ei-B~8XdD0iMKiZYxh5CD56klRMl0X8zQv2KCFjpa1tRkXIbmZewj7Fa1IkxnwTXRFKpZQxH1OqSsHFJCiMziuuYKSXQUzuh94CLSuL7g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","For the record, Curtis Thayer, executive director of the Alaska Energy Authority, told the Alaska House Community and Regional Affairs Committee on April 24 that the agency’s work focuses on reducing Alaska’s energy costs and diversifying the state’s energy mix.

The presentation centered on the Power Cost Equalization (PCE) program, a long-standing state effort to lower electricity costs in rural communities. Tim Sandstrom, AEA chief operating officer, described the program’s legislative evolution and current structure and said the PCE endowment provides the primary funding flow for payments to eligible customers and related community assistance.

Why it matters: PCE credits and related AEA projects support remote communities where diesel generation and bulk fuel storage remain essential. Committee members pressed AEA officials about whether current funding and program rules — including eligibility, the program’s 3‑year market-value “waterfall” and the endowment’s investment management — will sustain payments and infrastructure work going forward.

Thayer and Sandstrom said the PCE endowment is currently just under $1 billion in principle and that the program budgeted roughly $48 million for PCE disbursements in recent years. They said investments and legislative changes — most notably the 2022 increase in the residential PCE threshold from 500 to 750 kilowatt‑hours — substantially increased program outlays and reduced the funding available for other capital projects that previously benefited from endowment earnings.

AEA described several rural programs that rely on state or partner dollars: bulk fuel upgrades (AEA estimates a replacement bulk fuel facility now averages roughly $11 million), rural power system upgrades (typical new powerhouses cost about $6 million), a circuit rider program that provides emergency technical response and training, and a renewable energy fund that has supported more than 100 projects statewide.

On eligibility and community facilities: Sandstrom said the Regulatory Commission of Alaska (RCA) sets PCE eligibility and rates and that community facilities can be eligible for a PCE credit (currently described as up to 70 kWh per person, per month) if they do not receive federal or state funding for the same energy costs. AEA said it is working to identify community facilities so they can receive credits, and that RCA makes final eligibility determinations.

On capacity and maintenance: AEA staff told the committee that typical powerhouse equipment life has shortened in many communities from about 20 years to closer to 10 years because of deferred maintenance and limited local capacity to keep pace with repairs. AEA highlighted workforce challenges: it has trained roughly 84 Alaskans through bulk fuel and powerplant operations coursework but sees high turnover as trained technicians leave for other opportunities.

Circuit riders and funding risk: AEA said its circuit rider program — three to four specialized technicians who travel to remote systems — is one of the highest-return investments to avert costly emergencies. AEA requested $710,000 in legislative funding to sustain the program as federal grants (including from the Denali Commission) decline. Thayer said some of the circuit rider costs were proposed to be funded from PCE endowment earnings in the governor’s budget.

Environmental and logistical constraints: Committee members asked whether renewable projects reduce the need for bulk fuel storage; AEA responded that storage remains necessary because wind and solar are intermittent and communities require spinning reserve. AEA also said Congress and the Environmental Protection Agency have granted rural Alaska limited exemptions from some emissions rules for standby diesel engines, in recognition of operational constraints and maintenance realities.

Committee next steps: Members requested follow-up information on workforce training numbers, the circuit rider funding request, and how municipal and school facility eligibility for PCE is determined. The committee did not take action on PCE itself; the briefing closed before the meeting moved to the next agenda item.

Ending: AEA staff reiterated that long-term capital needs — bulk fuel facility backlogs, aging powerhouses and distribution systems — exceed current funding and that decisions about adjusting PCE eligibility or benefit levels would be a legislative policy decision with trade-offs for other designated endowment-funded programs.","The Alaska Energy Authority told the House Community and Regional Affairs Committee that the Power Cost Equalization endowment and rural energy infrastructure face funding and maintenance shortfalls, and described programs — including circuit riders and bulk fuel upgrades — used to support 82 utilities and roughly 82,000 Alaskans.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6261047,"Committee adopts substitute for HB47, sets amendment deadline",105,692000,797000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3125053-2e96d37935e2ca238a46958fa7b053e2&start=692&end=797","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3125053-2e96d37935e2ca238a46958fa7b053e2/thumbnail_692000.jpg","/articles/6261047/Alaska/Committee-adopts-substitute-for-HB47-sets-amendment-deadline","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6261047-a32387fcd03184289f7c3c3b17931625/orig.mp4?Expires=1770688930&Signature=GxQw5dZpeUT3D8XP8HJUoSFK5Ebz7--h9RpKyOlvpW8VquBP3BGKIv4t1-E9mtellx2K6bTybvzaDk7pWkrVD18PURY~bjAY6HOa8BwUhO2JG3zW-uIBfdO213eazJoYdbNNpwqEu0dMQn25djM76lDotoUnXdbQSWQP7v7of7mwpVsJK5nTtVCcUDW0vLGBAPc54JWQL7n38AQLqQGmLgvy6YR-dxIcGp9bt1tDMUvTflm2NYpGd8L5urtGVNhuxOgOoeIZgcSBU2u3H0G7SipGYkqnTd4bik1ta5WhlwysWruYKNStcE3-jcx8FLR86QPoiB3dZGpk4-kZ~pI3Gg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The House Community and Regional Affairs Committee adopted a committee substitute for House Bill 47 at its April 24 meeting and set an amendment deadline for noon on Monday, April 28.

Representative Vance appeared in the committee to support the measure. Committee staff described small changes inserted into the committee substitute: language was added to clarify that an \"employee or contractor\" performing work is not liable under the provision (staff identified insertion points on page 3, line 14 and page 4, line 9 of the substitute). After staff explained the edits, committee members removed an earlier objection and the substitute was adopted as the working document (work draft 34‑LS‑0334). The committee then set the amendment deadline and set the bill aside for further consideration.

Ending: No formal floor action was taken; the committee paused the bill pending amendments due April 28.","The House Community and Regional Affairs Committee adopted a committee substitute for House Bill 47 (criminal provision drafting changes) and set an amendment deadline of noon on Monday, April 28; staff described minor wording changes and added a contractor/employee clarification to liability language.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Committee advances bill allowing local property tax exemptions after contentious amendment votes

House committee hears bill to let AIDEA finance workforce multifamily housing

Alaska Energy Authority details strain on rural power systems, urges funding to stabilize Power Cost Equalization

Committee adopts substitute for HB47, sets amendment deadline