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 Central Alaska; Transportation and Finance; House Bill 8 (Sadler) relating to legal holidays; Community & Regional Affairs and State Affairs; House Bill 9 (Kerrick) relating to charter schools and services for children with disabilities; Education and Finance; House Bill 10 (Kerrick) relating to the Board of Regents of the University of Alaska; State Affairs and Finance; House Bill 11 (Prox) relating to contributions and donations from permanent fund dividends; State Affairs and Finance; House Bill 12 (Divert) relating to free school breakfasts and lunches; Education and Finance; House Bill 13 (Gray) municipal property tax exemptions for certain long-term rentals; Community & Regional Affairs and Finance; House Bill 14 (Staff) repealing certain medical assistance programs; Health & Social Services and Finance; House Bill 15 (Rauscher) relating to royalty rates for oil and gas; Resources and Finance; House Bill 16 (Shrage) amending campaign contribution limits; State Affairs and Finance; House Bill 17 (Rauscher) relating to retirement benefits and military service; Special Committee on Military and Veterans Affairs and Finance; House Bill 18 (Rauscher) relating to transfer of title on death; Transportation or State Affairs; House Bill 19 (Rauscher) relating to elections; State Affairs and Judiciary; House Bill 20 (Sadler) relating to fees for paper documents; Labor & Commerce and Judiciary; House Bill 21 (Story) relating to voter preregistration for 16- and 17-year-olds; State Affairs and Judiciary; House Bill 22 (Staff) relating to general relief and burial assistance; Health & Social Services and Finance; House Bill 23 (Josephson) defining employer for State Commission for Human Rights; Labor & Commerce and Finance; House Bill 24 (Josephson) relating to aggravating factors at sentencing; State Affairs and Judiciary; House Bill 25 (Josephson) relating to disposable food service ware; State Affairs and Labor & Commerce; House Bill 26 (Mena) duties of DOT&PF and statewide transit plan; Community & Regional Affairs and Transportation; House Bill 27 (Mina) relating to medical care for major emergencies; Health & Social Services and Finance; House Bill 28 (Story) establishing a student loan repayment pilot; Education and Finance; House Bill 29 (Vance, Underwood) relating to group insurance for school district and state employees; Education and Labor & Commerce; House Bill 30 (Holland) establishing an office of entrepreneurship; State Affairs and Labor & Commerce; House Bill 31 (Stutes) relating to commercial vessel registration and derelict vessel prevention fund; Special Committee on Fisheries and Finance; House Bill 32 (not introduced); House Bill 33 (Stutes) participation in board of fisheries and board of game matters; Special Committee on Fisheries and Resources; House Bill 34 (Holland) establishing the Alaska Innovation Council and related disclosures; Labor & Commerce and Finance; House Bill 35 (Henshoot) relating to prisoner electronic device use; Community & Regional Affairs and State Affairs; House Bill 36 (Grama) placement of foster children in psychiatric hospitals and rules amendments; Health & Social Services and Finance; House Bill 37 (Gray) posting warning signs for alcoholic beverages; Labor & Commerce and Finance; House Bill 38 (Sadler) eligibility in the teacher's retirement system for supplemental benefits; Labor & Commerce and Finance; House Bill 39 (Allard, Underwood) relating to students who are deaf or hard of hearing; Education and Finance; House Bill 40 (Allard, Underwood) relating to school athletics and sports; Judiciary and Education; House Bill 41 (Allard, by request) relating to daylight saving time; State Affairs and Finance; House Bill 42 (Allard) relating to funding for school construction and maintenance; Education and Finance; House Bill 43 (Shrage) relating to elections and unlawful interference with voting; State Affairs and Finance; House Bill 44 (Josephson) relating to workers' compensation death benefits; Labor & Commerce and Finance; House Bill 45 (Allard) relating to the display of flags by governmental entities; Community & Regional Affairs and Judiciary; House Bill 46 (Vance, Underwood) relating to minors and electronic applications; Labor, Commerce and Judiciary; House Bill 47 (Vance, Underwood) relating to generated obscene child material and related matters; Community & Regional Affairs and Judiciary; House Bill 48 (Hannan) relating to appropriations to the legal services bond; Finance; House Bill 49 (Hannon) relating to tobacco and nicotine product age limits and taxation; Labor & Commerce and Finance; House Bill 50 (Hannon) relating to snow classics; Community & Regional Affairs and Labor & Commerce; House Bill 51 (Staff) relating to an appropriation limit and governor budget responsibilities; Judiciary and Finance; House Bill 52 (Divert) on rights of minors in psychiatric hospitals and inspections; Health & Social Services and Labor & Commerce; House Bill 53 (House Rules, by request of governor) appropriations for operating and loan programs and fund capitalizations; Finance; House Bill 54 (House Rules, by request of governor) general appropriations including capital; Finance; House Bill 55 (House Rules, by request of governor) appropriations for integrated comprehensive mental health program; Finance; House Bill 56 (House Rules, by request of governor) supplemental appropriations and capitalizations; Finance; House Bill 57 (Fields) relating to wireless telecommunications devices in public schools; Labor & Commerce and Education; House Bill 58 (Fields) relating to the Office of Public Advocacy and the public advocate; Community & Regional Affairs and State Affairs; House Bill 59 (House Rules, by request of governor) relating to demonstration state tribal education compacts; Special Committee on Tribal Affairs and Education; House Bill 60 (House Rules, by request of governor) municipal and state procurement preferences for in-state agricultural and fisheries products; Special Committee on Fisheries and Labor & Commerce; House Bill 61 (House Rules, by request of governor) relating to employment and flexible work hours and minors; State Affairs and Labor & Commerce; House Bill 62 (House Rules, by request of governor) relating to sexual assault examination kits and tracking; Judiciary and Finance; House Bill 63 (House Rules, by request of governor) relating to regional education attendance area elections and many election administration items; State Affairs and Finance.

Procedural actions recorded on the floor: - Clerk certified the journal for the first legislative day as correct. - The House granted unanimous consent to spread the invocation across the journal after Representative Story asked the body to do so. - Multiple measures were read into the record and each was referred to the committees specified during the reading. - The Majority Leader moved unanimous consent to adjourn the House until Friday, Jan. 24, at 10:30 a.m.; the motion was agreed to without objection and the House stood adjourned.

Members used the special orders and announcements portions of the day to preview committee work and register policy positions. Representative Gray announced the Judiciary Committee would meet Jan. 24 from 1 to 3 p.m. in the Gruenberg Room for a presentation from the Alaska Court System; Representative Story said the Education Committee’s first meeting will be Friday at 8 a.m.; Representative Josephson announced the Finance Committee’s first meeting at 1:30 p.m. in the Al Adams Room. Several other committees scheduled initial meetings for the coming day(s).

On the name of Alaska’s highest peak: multiple members spoke in favor of retaining Denali. Representative Deibert urged the House to “respectfully urge our leadership, our administration, [and] secretary of the interior to rethink the idea of renaming this great landmark,” and said, “Denali is a great American name, and is a great American mountain.” Representative Stapp and Representative Galvin also made remarks calling attention to the issue; Representative Stapp noted there were two joint resolutions on the floor addressing the same subject and said members were preparing further action.

Other member remarks: Representative Galvin offered public thanks to the Juneau community for hosting the legislature’s welcome events; Representative Holland and others thanked Legislative Affairs and staff for conducting orientation and training for new legislators; Representative Vance described a community self-defense program by the Homer Police Department and encouraged other departments to consider similar classes.

What’s next: Committees will begin meeting to consider the newly introduced measures and to set hearing schedules. The House’s referrals determine which committees will take primary action; sponsors and committee chairs will set hearings and work sessions in the days ahead.

Ending note: The day set the procedural groundwork for the session — dozens of bills were placed into the committee pipeline and members signaled priorities ranging from state budgeting and education to elections and the ongoing debate over the name of the state’s tallest mountain.