Alaska State Legislature · Photo source · US government work
Robert Myers
Senator · Alaska State Senate · District Q
45 articles · 20 transcripts · 4 clips
North Pole , Alaska 99705
Affiliations
State runs new disability law mostly by hand, with a $790,000 estimate to fix its system
A new law nearly doubled PERS disability pay for workers hurt on the job. The state runs it mostly by hand, and the computer fix could cost up to $790,000.
Alaska's new judicial ethics code changes reporting of incapacity and misconduct
Alaska's revised judicial ethics code takes effect Oct. 15 and clarifies when assistance-program confidentiality yields to reporting duties.
GVEA's fuel charge drops 12.6%, reversing about a third of June's increase
“Fairbanks is already living South Central's future. We're paying almost 40 cents a kilowatt hour for electricity.”
Alaska's EMS compact takes effect Sept. 20, but isn't usable yet
Alaska's EMS compact takes legal effect Sept. 20, but out-of-state paramedics and EMTs still can't work under it yet — the office says wait to pay fees.
Alaska Senate passes S-corp LNG tax with 2028 effective date
“When you take our state corporate rate of 9.4%, which is what this amendment is proposing, add it in with our federal corporate rate of 21%— 21%. You end up with a corporate rate that is higher than the corporate rate being charged in Canada to a similar project. And that's with Canada already having a lower property tax than what we are proposing in the underlying bill. So what we're doing with this amendment is we're taking one of the few places that we're actually a little more competitive than Canada and we're getting rid of it.”
Alaska Senate minority demands clean floor vote on LNG tax bill
“passing this bill does not guarantee us a gas line, but not passing this bill guarantees we don't get a gas line.”
Alaska EMS Compact Folded Into Omnibus Bill, Passes Senate 13-7
Alaska Senate passed SB 256 on May 20, joining an interstate compact that lets EMTs and paramedics work across state lines without separate licenses in each state, while Alaska keeps full authority over discipline and scope of practice.
Alaska Senate adds telehealth parity and disability coverage to benefits bill
“the underlying bill is in Title 47, which is having to do with welfare benefits, whereas this amendment is in Title— Titles 23 and 29— or excuse me, 23 and 39, having to do with— and it's the amendment is having to do with employee benefits.”
Alaska Senate passes bill letting pharmacists treat minor illnesses without a doctor's call
Alaska Senate passed bill letting pharmacists treat strep throat, bladder infections, and manage diabetes without doctor approval first. • Pharmacists cannot prescribe opioids or high-risk drugs but can give naloxone. • Rural areas and emergencies benefit most, with pharmacist visits costing $277 less than clinic visits.
Alaska House Passes Baby Box Bill 35-5
Alaska House passed SB 9 on May 19 with a 35-to-5 vote, authorizing baby boxes at hospitals and fire stations where parents can anonymously surrender infants 21 days or younger without legal penalty.
Senate panel reviews oil tax floor increase projecting $132M annual gain
Senate panel reviewed modeling showing a higher oil tax floor would generate $132 million annually on average, though some years could see revenue decline.
Alaska Legislature Passes Bill Requiring Itemized Student Fee Statements
Alaska Senate passed a bill requiring the University of Alaska to send students itemized fee statements showing exactly what they pay for, heading to the governor.
Alaska News Roundup: Gas pipeline tax fight, Point Thomson trade-off, and McNeil River access debate
Senate passed gas pipeline tax bill raising oil production tax floor to six percent, drawing industry criticism. • Point Thomson regulators warn blowdown for pipeline risks sixty-five million barrels of condensate. • Mount Edgecumbe enrollment dropped a quarter to three hundred eleven students amid facility and health concerns. • Fish and Game reviews wheeled plane landings at McNeil River bear sanctuary despite conservation objections.
Gas pipeline bill adds oil tax increase, industry calls process rushed
Alaska Senate passed a gas pipeline bill raising the oil tax floor to six percent starting in 2027, even without the pipeline, over industry objections.
Alaska Senate tightens hunting residency rules to match PFD standards
Alaska Senate voted to require hunters and anglers to spend at least 180 days in state per year to qualify for cheaper resident licenses, using the same residency test as the Permanent Fund Dividend.
Senate cuts community impact fees for gas pipeline by half
Alaska Senate cut community impact fees for the Alaska LNG pipeline to $500,000 per mile, halving projected municipal payments from $740 million to $370 million during construction.
Autonomous vehicle bill advances despite state warnings on outdated standards
A bill requiring human drivers in autonomous vehicles stalled in the Alaska Senate after state officials warned it uses outdated standards and could block innovation.
Senate panel advances gas pipeline bill with oil tax floor increase
“the oil companies are going to get stuck with this change in the tax structure regardless of whether or not the pipeline actually moves forward. Why didn't we make this— if the point here is to capture the changes up there because of gas now becoming produced and sold rather than just produced and then shoved back in the ground, why aren't we making this portion conditional on the pipeline starting construction as well?”
Oil industry opposes gas pipeline tax bill over bundled oil tax increases
Oil industry opposes gas pipeline tax bill over bundled oil tax increases it says lack economic analysis and could deter future investment.
Alaska House passes bill requiring human operators in commercial autonomous vehicles
“Alaska presents conditions that are very different from the environments where most autonomous vehicles are currently being tested”
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.
Industry groups oppose Dalton Highway toll targeting oil and gas traffic
Industry groups warned that a toll on the Dalton Highway near Deadhorse could cost Alaska millions in federal funding and unfairly target oil and gas companies.
Alaska Senate Passes Operating Budget With Energy Relief
Alaska Senate passed a $70 per barrel operating budget with $150 energy relief payments, avoiding a major Constitutional Budget Reserve draw that the House budget requires.
Alaska LNG Tax Bill Stalls as Lawmakers Demand Project Cost Data
Alaska lawmakers lack confidential cost data to set taxes on the proposed Alaska LNG project with only days left in the session.
Senate panel debates $1B tax break for Alaska LNG amid cost secrecy
Alaska Senate panel split on tax breaks for $46 billion LNG project, with one lawmaker refusing to vote without cost details and warning the state could lose $1 billion annually in taxes.
Senate panel doubles oil surcharge for Dalton Highway maintenance in gas pipeline bill
Alaska Senate panel doubled the oil surcharge for Dalton Highway maintenance to 30 cents per barrel, generating roughly $50 million yearly, while cutting local government tax revenue by 90 percent.
Alaska Senate Panel Advances Youth Suicide Prevention Bill
Alaska Senate panel advanced a bill to fund voluntary firearm safe storage devices for families and create school guidelines for notifying parents of suicidal thoughts or bullying.
Alaska Senate passes bill to ease classic car import registration
Alaska Senate unanimously passed a bill Wednesday letting collectors register legally imported classic cars 25 years or older, aligning state law with federal rules.
Alaska LNG Consultant Flags Potential 50% Return for Developers vs. $1B State Revenue
A consultant warned lawmakers that Alaska LNG developers could net $8 billion annually by 2050. He cautioned his preliminary model may contain errors that require further review.
Alaska LNG tax bill could swing state revenue by hundreds of millions
Alaska's proposed LNG tax bill could swing state revenue by hundreds of millions depending on how regulators interpret rules for separating oil and gas costs, the Department of Revenue warned Monday.
House Judiciary rejects consumer data privacy bill after 3-3 vote
The House Judiciary Committee deadlocked 3-3 on the Alaska Data Privacy Act. The bill would have let Alaskans control how companies collect and sell their personal data.
Senate panel advances fishing co-op bill with electronic monitoring
The Senate Resources Committee advanced a bill to legalize set gillnet cooperatives and mandate electronic monitoring on trawl vessels.
Senate panel advances fishing cooperative bill with electronic monitoring
Alaska Senate panel unanimously advanced a bill legalizing fishing cooperatives for set gillnet permit holders, with a five-permit cap and electronic monitoring for trawl vessels.
Alaska Senate panel hears bill requiring human operators in commercial autonomous vehicles
Alaska Senate panel heard a bill requiring human operators in commercial trucks and buses with self-driving technology, citing harsh winter conditions as reason for caution.
Senate panel hears autonomous vehicle bill requiring human operators
Senate panel heard testimony Tuesday on a bill requiring human operators in commercial autonomous vehicles on Alaska roads, citing snow and ice as untested variables for self-driving systems.
Oil industry opposes tax provisions in Alaska gas pipeline bill
Alaska's oil and gas industry opposes tax provisions in SB 280, warning they could make some wells uneconomic and create antitrust risks, even if the gas pipeline project never happens.
Senate Passes Alaska Work and Save Retirement Program 15-4
“I've been conflicted about this bill the last few days as I saw it coming to the floor. It is a form of portable benefits, which I think is good, which is spreading throughout the country as something absolutely necessary. But I've also been a little concerned. We've got a mandate for business in here.”
Senate panel hears refuse utility rate reform bill
A Senate panel heard a bill that would let trash haulers use faster rate-setting procedures, cutting delays from three years to months and reducing the large rate increases customers now face.
Senate Passes $2.47B Capital Budget Focused on School Repairs
Alaska Senate passed a $2.47 billion capital budget Tuesday that directs $88.7 million to fix deteriorating K-12 schools, including a fire suppression system waiting 20 years for repair.
Senate panel hears setnet cooperative bill, sets aside land transfer
Senate panel advanced a bill allowing setnet fishermen to work cooperatively, addressing enforcement conflicts, while postponing a land transfer proposal pending more details.
House Judiciary adopts committee substitute for infant safety device bill
House Judiciary advanced a bill to let hospitals and fire stations install anonymous infant safety boxes, after two infants died abandoned in Anchorage since 2013.
Senate passes capital budget focused on school maintenance
Alaska Senate passed a capital budget prioritizing school maintenance over new construction, targeting roughly 15 projects from a $401 million statewide list.
Senate minority outlines pension reform, gas line concerns at press conference
Alaska Senate minority members outlined concerns about pension reform, the Alaska LNG project's economic viability, and several judiciary bills at a Thursday press conference.
Senate panel approves $163.8 million judiciary budget with lease, staff additions
Alaska's Senate Finance Subcommittee approved a $163.8 million judiciary budget on April 15, adding $722,000 in lease, staff, and travel costs the courts had requested.
Senate panel approves $139.2 million budget for Department of Law
Alaska Senate panel approved a $139.2 million operating budget for the Department of Law for fiscal year 2027, a modest increase from the prior year's $136.8 million.