Alaska Senate Judiciary Committee holds first hearing on SJR 6 calling for D.C. statehood; no vote taken

The Alaska Senate Judiciary Committee held the first hearing on Senate Joint Resolution 6 on March 10, 2025, with sponsor Senator Lukey Gail Tobin presenting a resolution that calls on Congress and the president to admit the nonfederal portion of the District of Columbia as a state. Testimony came from two elected shadow senators from the District of Columbia — Ankit Jain and Paul Strauss — and one member of the public. The committee did not vote; members may submit amendments by 5 p.m. Thursday, March 13.

The resolution, SJR 6, asks Congress to shrink the federal district to a core area that would retain federal buildings and monuments while admitting the remainder of the city as a state. "Residents of D.C. bear the responsibilities of citizenship, but do not enjoy the full rights and privileges of that citizenship," said Ankit Jain, a shadow senator for the District of Columbia, during his testimony. Jain and other witnesses said the change would preserve a federal enclave around the Capitol complex and White House while giving voting representation in Congress to D.C. residents.

Why it matters: Supporters framed the resolution as an equality and representation issue, likening D.C.'s path to statehood to Alaska's own history. Sponsor Senator Lukey Gail Tobin said Alaska's statehood struggle informed her support for D.C. statehood. Opponents raised constitutional and regional-balance concerns during public testimony and committee questions.

Details of testimony and committee discussion

- Sponsor and staff: Senator Lukey Gail Tobin (District I) presented SJR 6 and was assisted by Maggie Grenier, staff to Senator Tobin. Grenier summarized the plan to reduce the federal district to the core federal land that contains the National Mall, the Capitol, the Supreme Court and the White House, and said the portion proposed for statehood would include roughly "712,000" residents, a population she characterized as larger than some states.

- Shadow senators: Ankit Jain and Paul Strauss, both identified as shadow senators elected by D.C. voters to advocate for statehood, testified in support. Jain warned of an immediate fiscal consequence he described as a congressional budgeting action that could force D.C. to cut roughly "$1,000,000,000" midyear, which he said is possible because Congress retains final control over the District's budget. Jain also addressed the electoral-college issue, referencing the 23rd Amendment and saying the statehood bills propose mechanisms to avoid giving residual electoral votes to a tiny federal enclave.

- Paul Strauss said the core constitutional question — that the Constitution permits a federal district of up to 10 miles square but does not prescribe a minimum size — has historical precedent for shrinking the district, citing the 1846 retrocession of land to Virginia. Strauss said D.C. residents seek "self-determination" and compared D.C.'s governmental functions to state and local functions in other jurisdictions.

- Committee questions: Alaska senators pressed witnesses on details. Senator Myers asked whether the resolution should explicitly define the proposed federal enclave; Tobin said staff worked with partners on language and would accept committee input. Questions also focused on which federal buildings would remain under exclusive federal control and on whether the resolution should specify enclave boundaries.

- Public testimony: Barbara Haney of North Pole, Alaska, testified in opposition, saying she believes the proposal is unconstitutional and would shift political balance. "If you go for D.C. statehood, what you are doing is you are deleting the influence of not just Alaska, but of the whole Western Half of the United States," she said.

Procedure and next steps

The committee did not take a vote. The chair instructed members that if they consider amendments to SJR 6 they should submit them electronically to the committee office by 5 p.m. Thursday, March 13. The hearing concluded with no formal action on the resolution.

Ending note

The committee's next scheduled meeting is Wednesday, March 12 at 1:30 p.m.; SJR 6 remains at the hearing stage pending any amendments and later committee action.