[{"_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",6058502,"mediaKeyId","3297102-0d2f9b8b4c05b65863d1dd453e0876fe","parentId",3297102,"title","House Finance advances SB 97 to create a big‑game guide concession program; some resident hunters oppose measure","audioSeconds",202,"startMs",7661000,"endMs",7863000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3297102-0d2f9b8b4c05b65863d1dd453e0876fe&start=7661&end=7863","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3297102-0d2f9b8b4c05b65863d1dd453e0876fe/thumbnail_7661000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6058502/Alaska/House-Finance-advances-SB-97-to-create-a-biggame-guide-concession-program-some-resident-hunters-oppose-measure","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6058502-9bff4b17e2f0f02a4b21a1fe7143e026/orig.mp4?Expires=1771161528&Signature=JcC10jcK3NAmpQOl2zIxXmZkF0FUR5yrE6eKuKXLJ6L9hQ0HKTTK6bhpiDhhEg1XB9TLQkxbBIgoaobh-OXnNdnt-Nj5SBE9~3RVKBRoj~01rXh7c5uXN16BGqmdV0qMAa54W23IUi7jfnIzTbzmrtNqZIj6s3d9OUhK2Ozg8d3Kvw~6y5WIm-Y6F7JZfUFtCl1l2hYpxFLtfZ6iI7kH9MMJEG8lrcS02qT61v9CYKS71nPS1N5Jrn8~flRcPwUU2o3Y~LJ1Of3S9uWrfnshBPKX-BkqgUIPdJVJeOrF3GwMZj66jdEXT6wwFBagevZeC7MSE478-ZMLCDcLnwuT0Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Alaska Legislature","date","2025-05-13T00:00:00Z","article","Inti Harbison, staff to Senator Giesele (sponsor), told the House Finance Committee on May 13 that SB 97 seeks to implement a constitutionally sound concession program limiting the number of commercial big‑game guide operations on state land. \"SB 97 seeks to solve the issues surrounding overcrowding, over utilization on state lands,\" Harbison said, and described the bill as the product of a work group including guides, stakeholders, and state agencies.

Committee staff presented fiscal notes from multiple departments. Brody Anderson summarized three fiscal notes: a small Department of Fish and Game operations item ($14,400) for regulation work; a Fish and Game Wildlife Conservation fiscal note showing $112,300 in personal services to add a wildlife biologist position for standing up the program; and a Department of Natural Resources fiscal note showing $341,600 with two new positions (natural resource manager and natural resource specialist) to implement and administer the concession program. All three fiscal notes identified unrestricted general funds (UGF) as the source and anticipated regulation changes to implement the program.

Representative Allard asked whether the committee had engaged resident hunters whose written letters oppose the bill; Harbison said the bill’s sponsor did not originate the legislation in the Senate Resources Committee and that the workgroup process had included stakeholder consultation. Several lawmakers asked to hold the bill if they wanted to consult additional stakeholders; Representative Ballard requested time to make phone calls and gather more information.

Representative Schrage moved SB 97, work order 34‑LS0445\\A, out of committee with individual recommendations and attached fiscal notes. The motion carried with no objections. Committee staff instructed members to sign the committee report. The committee recessed and adjourned later after a short additional meeting; the chair noted further hearings scheduled the next day.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","05/13/2025 01:30 PM House FINANCE","oneSentenceSummary","SB 97 would establish a statewide concession program to limit commercial guide numbers on state land, modeled on federal concession systems; the committee moved the bill out with attached fiscal notes after hearing sponsor staff and reviewing agency costs and staffing needs.","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},6058507,"House Finance pauses SB 96 after fiscal and sunset concerns; members debate short sunset vs. curing litigation",444,2646000,3090000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3297102-0d2f9b8b4c05b65863d1dd453e0876fe&start=2646&end=3090","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3297102-0d2f9b8b4c05b65863d1dd453e0876fe/thumbnail_2646000.jpg","/articles/6058507/Alaska/House-Finance-pauses-SB-96-after-fiscal-and-sunset-concerns-members-debate-short-sunset-vs-curing-litigation","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6058507-69968a84d244755e00afd803682c4030/orig.mp4?Expires=1771161528&Signature=FG1vyzOq7cBJtC~4KIfdhZI8lv2Tm6cwSVfVAj14JsMZSvdKK32zlisFW21qenbZF9-hVIfg~gfPN9OEpHMxKMF0EEL3T-VR6WMsh~oVHSvQusEUDeXvkKB8dcpaI1qPwDY8p9RYtfqyRot6J6dsjwHQwoeF6OnwuAfHYyhhh-x1G4KRmEOefOH1R7xguCt-x2CNeb7BViIncwLf63hDOKmZOKMvxdDK7Z~cM3Qye4ZAk9aKzEax2O8SOnAIp6UXA37VIIFyRY3iIQEQUOtETuFBKSKEcUW4eBst6lG7IP6dDv4sDFNvJnjYgfQ7IZzOSlD~MDIzVLLCHHdMoG3rpQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Senator Bill Wielekowski introduced Senate Bill 96 to the House Finance Committee as a provision that expands an employer‑oriented child care tax credit and was carried as part of SB 189 last session. \"This bill expands the current education tax credit ... by creating a child tax credit for employers who incur child care expenditures,\" Wielekowski said, and he cautioned the program could be costly if many large employers claimed the credit.

Committee members and counsel discussed whether shortening the bill's sunset would mitigate fiscal risk or, conversely, undermine the bill's purpose as a curative reenactment of SB 189. Sonia Kawasaki, Senate majority legal counsel, noted the bill as drafted makes the tax credits retroactive to July 23, 2024, and that the enacted language in SB 189 used a 2028 sunset; drafting choices reflected an attempt to recreate SB 189's text.

Legal counsel advised caution. Megan Wallace reiterated that if the legislature's principal goal is to have courts find the new measures curative, \"the less they are amended, the more likely, in my opinion, the court is to find them to be curative and potentially, able to moot the pending litigation.\" At the same time, Emily Nauman of Legislative Legal Services explained that practical tax‑administration realities mean a full fiscal year is usually needed to assess credit usage because corporations have varying tax years and many file on extension.

Several members expressed fiscal concern. Senator Wielekowski and Representative(s) voiced that the credit could allow affiliated taxpayers to claim up to a $3 million cap per affiliated group and that if a small number of large employers claimed maximum credits the revenue impact could be substantial. Department of Revenue staff (Deputy Director Brandon Spanos) explained that initial returns had just become due (April 15) and that most corporate filings are on extension until October 15, so the department would not have a full picture of credit uptake until later in the year.

Committee members offered three policy options in the discussion: (1) reenact the tax credits exactly to maximize curative effect, (2) shorten the sunset to limit state fiscal exposure while accepting some legal risk, or (3) hold the bill and gather more fiscal data before acting. Representative Ben Josephson and others favored minimal amendment to preserve curative posture; Representative(s) worried that the state's current budget deficit made an open‑ended tax credit risky. No final motion was adopted; the committee recessed and later returned and set SB 96 aside for further consideration, with members indicating they wanted more time to consult and possibly to consider amendments.","Committee discussed SB 96, a childcare employer tax credit expansion carried in SB 189; lawmakers debated whether to shorten the bill's sunset to limit fiscal exposure, but many members favored leaving reenactment intact to cure the pending single‑subject litigation.",{"_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},6058511,"Committee advances SB 95 to expand childcare assistance and grants; advocates say it would serve about 18,000 children",408,2502000,2910000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3297102-0d2f9b8b4c05b65863d1dd453e0876fe&start=2502&end=2910","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3297102-0d2f9b8b4c05b65863d1dd453e0876fe/thumbnail_2502000.jpg","/articles/6058511/Alaska/Committee-advances-SB-95-to-expand-childcare-assistance-and-grants-advocates-say-it-would-serve-about-18000-children","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6058511-ccfc953e5ec220e2cde092b5b01f674b/orig.mp4?Expires=1771161528&Signature=gcFgDif6~hlC0GAv~DNntNAWkzojJ9sKnvTHS44vDXuWreQTi7rpnRw~rEwvaffg3kYpV4TjZPoVdu6Vch-VTaXdJrTsT7W1RhcCZko6O4Hz9MmnrS6SDTGRU-qcO-FlxLxelr2~USQd~WENOphEnS9NMy2LDJxF86oQlxGA3glzc0Owo-UB~7xZ1awO4CazxfmVicjUP4bBPw-DeDR4vbNTVL1K6PYJXfuI8oJmBRAkX~OLPOrBc5NMjCMNdJkoIIJVTSN4ImIJWQ~kY97IOYqtNOBBO4hGWedsWkn3NuuXkQRAKDk7x7wCwesySm5Ec1H4Fgo8vtzDfKkOscCJNQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Senator Forrest Dunbar, chair of the Senate Health and Social Services Committee, introduced Senate Bill 95 to the House Finance Committee on May 13 and described it as a reenactment of provisions already enacted in SB 189. \"The underlying substance of this bill is that it expands childcare to about 18,000 kids,\" Dunbar said.

Stephanie Berglund, chief executive officer of THRED (a statewide child care resource and referral nonprofit), gave the invited testimony and urged passage. \"When Alaskans can't work, they don't have the financial security to support their families,\" Berglund said, and she described workforce and program metrics to justify the proposal.

Berglund told the committee that since 2020 more than 25% of licensed child care programs in Alaska have closed and that staff shortages and low wages limit capacity in remaining programs. She cited a 2023 family survey in which 51% of responding families reported household members' ability to be employed or work more hours was affected by child care availability, up from 22% in 2019.

SB 95 would change eligibility thresholds for child care assistance (raising income eligibility toward the 105th percentile of median household income, per testimony) and would cap co‑payments to make assistance more accessible, Berglund said. The bill would also create a program to partner with employers to incentivize on‑site or near‑site child care and would allow use of a cost‑of‑care methodology alongside market rates when setting reimbursement levels to better reflect the true cost of providing quality care.

Brody (Bridal) Anderson, staff to Representative Neil Foster, presented the Department of Health fiscal note for SB 95. The fiscal note shown to the committee lists line items including $203,800 for personal services, $28,000 for services, $2,000 for commodities, and a grants-and-benefits figure reported in the briefing as \"5,000,858,400.0\" (committee staff read this amount during the hearing). The total appropriation presented was stated as $6,092,000.2, with $225,100 identified as federal receipts and $225,100 as UGF match; the remainder was described as unrestricted general funds. The Department of Health said the bill would create two new positions and would require regulation changes.

Committee members asked departmental staff about salary ranges for the new positions. Leah Van Kirk, health care policy adviser for the Department of Health, said the hourly rates presented for the two ranges were $24.15 (range 12) and $36.30 (range 18). Van Kirk confirmed the $83,700 figure referenced by a member incorporated wages and benefits for a range‑12 position.

Representative Tom Shefsky, Representative Bynum and others asked questions about program funding history and federal support; Berglund confirmed that prior federal pandemic relief investments that had supported child care have been exhausted. Representative Schrage moved SB 95, work order 34‑LS0446\\A, out of committee with individual recommendations and attached fiscal notes. The motion carried with no objections.

The committee closed public testimony for SB 95 after Berglund's invited testimony; staff invited written comments by email. The bill will appear on further legislative calendars and carries the fiscal note and positions described by department staff.","Sen. Forrest Dunbar and invited witness Stephanie Berglund described SB 95 as expanding childcare assistance to roughly 18,000 children; the committee moved SB 95 out with individual recommendations and attached fiscal notes after a single invited testimony and review of a fiscal note from the Department of Health.",{"_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},6058516,"House Finance hears legal briefing on single‑subject challenge to SB 189 and legislative strategy to reenact provisions",120,1152000,1272000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3297102-0d2f9b8b4c05b65863d1dd453e0876fe&start=1152&end=1272","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3297102-0d2f9b8b4c05b65863d1dd453e0876fe/thumbnail_1152000.jpg","/articles/6058516/Alaska/House-Finance-hears-legal-briefing-on-singlesubject-challenge-to-SB-189-and-legislative-strategy-to-reenact-provisions","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6058516-21548639f06812016947c9066d31b47d/orig.mp4?Expires=1771161528&Signature=HyhlcYBzBaQNBzcrpt-wmrtCiga93vOzXGP8i6i6QMIkdLV6kDzLg063lHAGqkUnQd7LhUUDXXcl00LtoITyD9~laSTsE-Sp5lbp2XjdAp9lsq1kf6oKUWzaWn1x2J9JatJlOfnubFeULbfzaK8JtK3yKj4U44o2z02Y1hSjJ7eEQph6SH7nTeqZEL~nIlH-8rOOaUdCcyRsuRRio98r-iP87JnJxkmI0O9m~Z00Fd~bFZIHhAkxvBKQ25vze~LxJpjYsWxgNaA1RSvoyJ-6DYlHP~KZCA4SMwMJzCv4lo2VzDAkYx~wKf5noIbY5Ij5c39BeJPjPJW4qolc6zDWLA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Megan Wallace, chief counsel with Legal Services, told the Alaska House Finance Committee on May 13 that a lawsuit filed last fall by former Representative David Eastman alleges SB 189 violated the single‑subject rule in Article 2, Section 13 of the Alaska Constitution. \"The lawsuit alleges that passage of SB 189 violated the single subject rule under Article 2, Section 13 of the Alaska Constitution,\" Wallace said on the record.

Wallace said the Alaska Supreme Court has generally required that matters in a bill fall under some general idea and be \"germane to 1 single subject,\" and that the litigation argues the contents of SB 189 do not meet that standard. She explained the legislature is considering passage of separate bills that would re‑enact provisions from SB 189 so those measures would remain law if the court invalidates SB 189.

\"The passage of these bills also may have the possibility of being construed ... as curative legislation,\" Wallace said, adding that curative legislation has been upheld by the Alaska Supreme Court in other contexts. She described two possible outcomes if the legislature reenacts the provisions: first, reenactment could prevent a lapse in law if the court strikes down SB 189; second, reenactment might allow the state to argue the lawsuit is moot and ask the court to dismiss the case.

Committee members pressed Wallace on how much the legislature can amend reenactments without risking that courts treat the new measures as \"new\" rather than curative. Representative Ben Josephson asked whether changes could undermine the cure; Wallace answered the question by explaining there is no definitive Alaska Supreme Court guidance on the precise line. \"If the legislature's goal ... is to hopefully get a ruling that the lawsuit is moot because we've simply reenacted and cured the alleged violation, then my advice would be that the bills largely go unamended and true to the provisions that were in SB 189,\" Wallace said.

Lawmakers also asked about collateral consequences if the court were to invalidate SB 189. Wallace said the immediate legal consequence would be invalidation of the act's provisions, and she noted potential additional effects including the possibility of attorney's fees under court rules if plaintiffs prevail.

Committee members discussed practical responses. Some members urged minimal amendments to the reenactment bills to maximize the chance a court would treat them as curative; others said the legislature retains authority to make policy changes and could choose to change provisions as a political matter even if it carries some legal risk.

The committee proceeded to hear three separate bills described as partial reenactments of SB 189 (SB 95, SB 96, SB 97). Counsel and staff repeatedly framed those bills as both substantive policy measures (already reflected in budgets or other statutes) and as a legal strategy to protect the underlying policies in the event the court strikes SB 189.","Legal counsel told the House Finance Committee a lawsuit alleges SB 189 violated the single‑subject rule; lawmakers are considering reenacting portions as separate bills to ‘cure’ the challenge and possibly moot the litigation.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

House Finance advances SB 97 to create a big‑game guide concession program; some resident hunters oppose measure

House Finance pauses SB 96 after fiscal and sunset concerns; members debate short sunset vs. curing litigation

Committee advances SB 95 to expand childcare assistance and grants; advocates say it would serve about 18,000 children

House Finance hears legal briefing on single‑subject challenge to SB 189 and legislative strategy to reenact provisions