Alaska House opens legislative day, reads 60+ bills and five joint resolutions; members voice support for keeping 'Denali' name

The Alaska House of Representatives convened in Juneau for the first legislative day, established a quorum with 40 members present, and read into the record more than 60 new House bills and five joint resolutions, many of which were immediately referred to standing committees.

Why it matters: The mass bill introductions set committee agendas for the coming weeks and included measures ranging from appropriations and health-care rules to elections and education. Several members also used the special orders portion of the session to press for resolutions and statements on federal decisions affecting Alaska, most notably calls to retain the name Denali for the state's landmark peak.

The House opened with the clerk certifying the journal for the first legislative day and members granting unanimous consent to spread the invocation across the journal. The clerk then read a long list of new measures and referred each to the committees named at the time of introduction; the record shows both policy bills and multiple administration-request appropriations bills.

Notable joint resolutions read and referred: - House Joint Resolution 1 (Representative Staff): proposes amendments to the Constitution of the State of Alaska relating to an appropriation limit; referred to State Affairs, Judiciary and Finance. - House Joint Resolution 2 (Representative Rauscher): urges Congress and the presidential administration to reverse the outgoing administration’s decision to ban offshore oil and gas leasing; referred to Resources. - House Joint Resolution 3 (Representative Kerrick): opposes efforts to change the name of the tallest mountain in North America from Denali to Mount McKinley and supports recognition of the heritage and continuing importance of Alaska Native peoples; referred to Rules. - House Joint Resolution 4 (Representative Divert): urges the president and U.S. Department of the Interior to maintain Denali as the official name for North America’s tallest peak; referred to Rules. - House Joint Resolution 5 (Representative Bynum): urges Congress and the president to reinstate the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act and make its funding mechanism permanent; referred to Education.

House bills introduced and committee referrals (selection and structure as read into the record): House Bill 1 (McCabe, Underwood) relating to specie as legal tender; State Affairs and Finance; House Bill 2 (Prox) establishing a diversion program for some DWI charges; State Affairs and Judiciary; House Bill 3 (Rauscher, Underwood, Tilton) addressing convening in Anchorage and matters including the Legislative Ethics Act; Community & Regional Affairs, State Affairs, Finance; House Bill 4 (Sadler) relating to write-in presidential candidates; State Affairs and Judiciary; House Bill 5 (McCabe) on insurance decisions based on elected status; State Affairs and Labor and Commerce; House Bill 6 (McCabe) restricting fiduciary actions of state fund fiduciaries; Judiciary and Finance; House Bill 7 (McCabe, Underwood) relating to Port of South…