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Senate bill would repeal Alaskas 90-day legislative session limit
Summary
Sen. Kathy Giesel told the Senate Finance Committee May 7 that Senate Bill 34 would repeal the 90-day session statute enacted by a 2006 citizen initiative; supporters said the limit is unrealistic given fiscal and policy complexity, and the committee set the bill aside after reviewing a fiscal note that showed no cost.
Senator Kathy Giesel, sponsor of Senate Bill 34, told the Alaska Senate Finance Committee on May 7 that the bill would repeal the statute requiring a 90-day legislative session, a requirement created by a citizen initiative in February 2006 and implemented in February 2008. "This bill will repeal the 90 day session statute," Giesel said, adding that she believes repeal would help "voter confidence in the work that we do here in the legislature."
Giesel told the committee the 90-day requirement has been met only twice (2010 and 2013) and said recent years show the statute is unrealistic; she cited a 2020 session of 69 days and said the following year the legislature had to spend additional days in special session to make up time. She also presented a chart linking session length to the volatility of oil prices, saying that complicated fiscal issues have required more time in session. "Because we have complicated issues to deal with," she said.
Senator Keel reviewed the fiscal note prepared by the Legislative Affairs Agency and told the committee the agency found no additional cost, noting the legislature routinely budgets for a 121-day session. Senator Stegman commented during committee discussion that the 90-day provision was originally driven by members who wanted to return to outside business, and that special sessions have often been necessary. The public hearing for the bill was opened and closed with no public testimony recorded.
The committee did not move the bill to a vote at this hearing; the chair set the bill aside and moved to the next agenda item. The transcript shows the bill was discussed during the committee meeting but not advanced beyond being set aside.
Senator Kathy Giesel (Senator) introduced the measure; Senator Keel (Senator) presented the fiscal note; Senator Stegman (Senator) offered a comment during discussion. The Legislative Affairs Agency produced the fiscal note referenced in committee discussion.
