JUNEAU – Wednesday, on a vote of 35-1, the House passed House Joint Resolution 5 by Representative Himschoot calling on the Federal Government and State of Alaska to continue to defend Alaska’s fisheries, including the Southeast Alaska troll fishery and do everything within their power to keep the fishery open. The Southeast Alaska troll salmon […]
JUNEAU – On Wednesday, Senate President Gary Stevens (R-Kodiak) introduced Senate Bill 89, which seeks to increase the minimum age to buy, sell, and possess tobacco and E-cigarettes from 19 to 21 years old, and also places a point-of-sale (retail sales) tax on electronic smoking products (ESPs). The tax would apply to closed-system ESPs when […]
The Statewide Suicide Prevention Council has released its new 5-year State Suicide Prevention Plan, “Messages of Hope: Promoting Wellness to Prevent Suicide in Alaska, 2023-2027.” The Council is statutorily obligated to release a 5-year plan. The Council decided to build on the benchmarks achieved from the previous plan, “Recasting the Net: Promoting Wellness to Prevent […]
JUNEAU – Wednesday, Senator Cathy Giessel (R-Anchorage) introduced Senate Bill 88 to establish a new retirement system for public employees and teachers. Upon introduction, the bill received 9 co-sponsors. The legislation would create a new defined benefit system for public employees and teachers and provide an option for current Tier IV employees to convert their […]