Alaska State Legislature · Photo source · US government work
Rebecca Himschoot
Representative · Alaska State House · District 2
41 articles · 20 transcripts
Affiliations
Alaska House members ask FCC to preserve E-Rate school internet discounts
Twenty-one Alaska House members asked the FCC to preserve E-Rate, which discounts school internet. Alaska's own school broadband grant depends on it.
Montana man charged with 37 counts in Bethel hunting residency case
“You have to maintain a domicile in the state for 12 consecutive months, and you cannot claim residency anywhere else.”
Wasilla man fined $320 for false residency claim on a fishing and hunting license
“to tighten up how we define residency for hunting and fishing in-state”
Dunleavy vetoes hunting residency bill and university fee bill
“I don't think anyone is more invested in Alaska's in the conservation of Alaska's Fish and Game resources than our Board of Fisheries and our Board of Game. And those folks also support the bill.”
Alaska's best shot at a new federal fertilizer grant is an idle Nikiski plant — if it can get the gas
“as the cost of goods goes up around us weekly, locally grown food could very well become cheaper than food shipped to Alaska”
Daniel J. Sullivan sued the state today over a denied Senate ballot spot
Denied a Senate ballot spot, Daniel J. Sullivan sued today. Lawmakers held a hearing on the same question the same afternoon.
Alaska House passes tobacco age increase, vape tax, cigar lounge exemption
Alaska House passed bill raising tobacco and vape purchase age from 19 to 21, matching federal law. • New statewide tax on vaping products will fund smoking education programs. • Bill includes exemption for premium cigar lounges meeting strict requirements. • Penalties for underage possession lowered to $100 with no court appearance required.
House approves stricter hunting residency rules in divided vote
Alaska House approved stricter hunting and fishing residency rules in a 24-16 vote, requiring 180 days per year in state instead of just maintaining a domicile, effective January 2028.
Alaska House panel expands farm tax breaks to flowers, hay
Alaska House panel voted to restore farm tax breaks for flowers and hay production, reversing a 2024 limit that cut non-food crops from the program.
Senate Panel Advances Bill Tying Hunting Rights to 180-Day Residency
Alaska Senate panel advanced a bill tying resident hunting licenses to a 180-day residency standard, matching Permanent Fund Dividend rules to stop non-residents from claiming cheaper resident tags.
Alaska House panel advances penny-rounding bill to standardize cash transactions
Alaska House panel advanced a bill requiring retailers to round cash transactions symmetrically to the nearest five cents, standardizing rules as the U.S. stops making pennies.
House panel adopts fiscal note for Alaska Native languages task force bill
Alaska House Education Committee approved funding details for a bill creating a task force to assess how the state supports its 23 Alaska Native languages.
Alaska House passes education funding reform despite split votes on transparency
House passed education funding reform using three-year enrollment averaging to stabilize school budgets and reduce teacher layoffs, 31-9. • House split 20-20 on requiring public review of mental health curriculum, defeating both transparency amendments.
Alaska lawmakers debate farm tax break for horses, flowers
“The operation here is that we have a system right now that is very difficult to manage because it requires separate appropriation and attribution of the farm tax deferment based on very small divisions of ground that grow peonies versus vegetables and hay that feeds horses versus hay that feeds sheep”
Alaska bill would penalize state for late payments to contractors
“The state's partners sometimes cannot make payroll, or they may have to take out a line of credit, draw on very limited reserves, and at times they even have to stop providing services.”
House panel advances bill to fast-track utility easements in state parks
Alaska House panel advanced a bill to let utilities replace aging power lines in state parks, but lawmakers worry the law could open parks to large new projects.
Alaska House bill would tighten hunting, fishing residency to 180 days
“some of the question residency investigations can take as long— because of our, our complicated definitions— can take as long as a homicide investigation”
House panel advances Alaska Native languages task force bill after rejecting university, state agency seats
House panel advanced a bill creating a legislative task force to review Alaska Native language programs, rejecting proposals to add university and state education officials.
House panel advances daylight saving time bill with Western Alaska carve-out
Alaska House panel advanced a bill to stop clock changes starting March 2028, but would split Western Alaska into a separate time zone if the state moves to Pacific Standard Time.
House panel advances Alaska Native language task force bill
“When this was written in whatever, 70— no, I'm sorry, 52 years ago or whatever, nobody knew that Zoom was coming.”
Alaska House passes dementia training bill for nursing aides
Alaska House unanimously passed a bill requiring nursing aides to receive dementia and behavioral health training as the state's senior population grows rapidly.
Alaska House panel advances penny rounding bill amid federal mint halt
Alaska House panel advanced a bill Thursday requiring businesses to round cash transactions to the nearest nickel, responding to the federal government's halt of penny production in 2025.
House panel advances statewide evacuation alert system
“we did not receive any amendments by the deadline”
Galena School District Shows Early Learning Drives Math, Reading Gains
Galena School District's early learning programs show students performing above national math and reading norms, but most programs depend on grants that may not be sustainable long-term.
House committee advances Local Boundary Commission expansion bill
House committee advanced a bill to add one seat to Alaska's Local Boundary Commission and guarantee representation from the unorganized borough.
House committee advances bill adding unorganized borough seat to boundary panel
House committee advanced a bill to add an unorganized borough seat to Alaska's Local Boundary Commission, giving 74,448 residents a voice in decisions about city and borough incorporation.
Residential Schools Seek Doubled Funding Tied to Base Allocation
Alaska's seven residential boarding schools want legislation to double their per-student funding to $25,700 and tie future increases to the base student allocation.
Alaska House panel hears bill to overhaul school funding timelines
House Bill 261 would let Alaska school districts budget using enrollment numbers from July instead of October, letting them offer teacher contracts months earlier when more candidates are available.
House Passes Polystyrene Ban for Restaurants Despite Business Concerns
Alaska House passed a statewide ban on polystyrene foam food containers in restaurants, taking effect in over two years, despite business groups warning of higher costs.
Alaska's Right-to-Repair Bill Navigates National Debate on Consumer Access
Alaska House committee advanced a right-to-repair bill requiring manufacturers to provide repair parts and documentation, pushing the effective date to 2029.
House advances bill requiring 30-day state payments after heated debate
“This bill has had a long path. So the basic changes are to standardize the payment timelines to make it 30 days for everyone.”
House Education Committee advances CPR training bill with rural flexibility
House Education Committee advanced a CPR training bill Monday with amendments letting rural schools skip hands-on practice and delaying the requirement to July 2027 to pursue grant funding.
Kenai Peninsula CTE students achieve 97% graduation rate
Kenai Peninsula students in career and technical programs reached a 97 percent graduation rate while earning industry certifications.
House Education Committee advances CPR training bill with rural flexibility
House Education Committee approved CPR training for Alaska schools with rural flexibility, delaying the requirement to July 2027 to pursue a state grant.
Alaska lawmakers hear testimony on four ballot initiatives
Alaska lawmakers heard testimony Thursday on three November ballot initiatives covering citizenship voting requirements, campaign finance limits, and ranked choice voting repeal, with no votes taken.
Alaska right-to-repair bill draws fire over broad scope and safety concerns
Alaska lawmakers raised safety concerns Thursday about a right-to-repair bill that would let consumers fix everything from iPhones to aircraft, warning it could endanger remote communities.
House panel advances Local Boundary Commission expansion bill
A House committee advanced a bill to add a sixth seat to the Local Boundary Commission. The new seat would represent the unorganized borough in future boundary and incorporation decisions.
Task Force Hears Federal Assessment Rules, NAEP Context, and AKSTAR Demo
Task force learned federal law sets testing minimums but states choose how to assess and support schools. • NAEP proficiency scores are aspirational targets, not typical performance, and poverty matters more than school reforms alone. • Alaska's AKSTAR combines interim and spring tests to predict student achievement within 24 to 72 hours.
Alaska House Panel Advances Bill to Speed Up State Contract Payments
Alaska House panel voted to require state agencies to pay contractors as fast as private companies do, adding seven state jobs at over $1 million in costs but delaying implementation until 2027.
Alaska House panel advances free school meals for reduced-price students
Alaska House panel advanced a bill to provide free school meals to 3,326 students who qualify for reduced-price programs, at an estimated cost of $200,000 to $430,000 annually.
House Finance weighs bill to standardize state payment timelines
House Finance examined a bill requiring Alaska to pay nonprofits and tribal groups within 30 days, matching private contractor timelines, with interest penalties for delays.