Alaska State Legislature · Photo source · US government work
Sara Hannan
Representative · Alaska State House · District 3
50 articles · 20 transcripts · 10 clips
Affiliations
Legislative Council urges U.S. Supreme Court to uphold plane forfeiture over beer
Alaska's top court upheld forfeiting a pilot's plane over beer bound for dry Beaver. He calls it an excessive fine. Legislative leaders told SCOTUS it isn't.
Legislative Council approves up to $66,000 for new Alaska House SUV
The House's 15-year-old ride is wearing out, so legislative leaders OK'd up to $66,000 for a new SUV. Staff's pick is a Jeep Wagoneer, the cheapest quote.
Legislature raises Juneau lodging stipend for session staff to $50 a day
Legislative staff who move to Juneau for session will get $50 a day for lodging instead of $37.50. Sixteen donated apartments should be ready, too.
Legislative Council delays extra $8,580 for managing lawmakers' Juneau apartments
Rep. Louise Stutes, who has owned apartments herself, balked at $8,580 more for managing lawmakers' Juneau units, so the Legislative Council punted to December.
Legislature seeks bids for Mat-Su office space as Wasilla lease runs out of renewals
The Legislature is taking bids for a Mat-Su office for nine local lawmakers. The Wasilla lease runs out of renewals in 2027, and there's no set budget.
The Legislature will spend $50,000 defending the seizure of a pilot's plane
“10 Yeas, 0 nays. With 10 yeas and 0 nays, the motion has been approved.”
The Legislature will spend $675,000 to renovate its own Capitol parking garage
The Alaska Legislature is spending $675,000 to renovate its own parking garage at the Capitol — though the winning bid came in under the engineer's estimate.
The Alaska Legislature weighs new rules on animals in the Capitol
The Alaska Legislature is weighing new rules on animals in its buildings, banning most pets but keeping ADA protections for service dogs.
Alaska Legislative Council approves $851,400 for KTOO's Gavel Alaska coverage
“Hearing and seeing no questions, I'm going to remove my objection.”
Alaskans can call 988, but in many places no team can respond
“the downside of our 988 care line is we don't have resources to respond in many locations in Alaska. When the Care Line gets someone, there are a few communities that have crisis services able to, you know, be drawn in and meet that. But for many of our callers, there isn't a service available.”
Dunleavy vetoes six bills, including invasive species and polystyrene measures
“What the council provides is the opportunity for the disparate agencies at the state, the federal, the groups that are working on it to coordinate and say, "Legislature, we need authority for some invasive plant policies statewide, and we think it's got a budget ticket item of X."”
Juneau donors are giving the Legislature 16 more apartments for lawmakers
Juneau donors are giving the Alaska Legislature 16 more apartments for lawmakers to live in during session, in a capital where housing is scarce and costly.
Same committee, same day, two close votes on Alaska LNG ratepayer protection — and they didn't go the same way
House Finance can't quite decide how much to protect Alaska ratepayers from LNG cost overruns — Tuesday's two votes split, with the same person providing the swing both times.
House Finance writes a $16 gas-price cap into Alaska LNG bill — even if Enstar's contract isn't signed
Alaska House Finance voted 6-5 Monday to write a $16-per-MMBtu price cap for natural gas into the state's Alaska LNG tax bill, protecting consumers even if Enstar's contract with the developer remains unsigned.
House Finance amendment lets pipeline-route municipalities bill Alaska LNG directly — skipping the state appropriation step
House Finance approved an amendment allowing pipeline-route municipalities to bill the Alaska LNG operator directly for their tax share instead of waiting for state appropriation.
North Slope, Kenai mayors negotiate gas line property tax as House Finance delays bill deadline
North Slope Borough Mayor Patkotak and Kenai Peninsula Borough Mayor Micciche negotiated property tax terms for the Alaska LNG project as the House Finance Committee delayed its amendment deadline to allow talks to continue.
Alaska House examines $4 billion LNG equity option, Fairbanks spur-line tax break
Alaska House Finance Committee examined a plan letting the state buy 5 to 25 percent equity stakes in Alaska LNG for up to $4 billion total, while conditioning a tax break for the pipeline on building a 30-mile spur line to Fairbanks.
AGDC tells House Finance that Alaska property tax is 10 times higher than competing LNG projects
More conversations about the Governor's plan to make the AK LNG project more profitable to investors.
Energy consultant tells House Finance that property tax makes Alaska LNG unfinanceable
Energy consultant says property tax costs $600 million yearly, making Alaska LNG unfinanceable.
Alaska gas line faces economic challenge even with tax breaks
Alaska LNG needs $8.48 to $9.07 per thousand cubic feet to break even, but global prices are $8 to $9. • Governor's tax plan cuts state revenue from $29.7 billion to $22.5 billion over the project's life. • Capital cost overruns and producer gas prices pose bigger risks than tax relief can fix. • State could invest $4.4 billion for a 25 percent equity stake.
House Resources gas line bill would cost municipalities $13B under governor's plan
Governor's plan cuts municipal revenue by $13 billion, House Resources version cuts only $2 billion • Governor replaces property tax with volumetric tax statewide, House Resources keeps property tax on facilities • Both versions reduce state revenue, project remains economically challenged at current market prices
Alaska House raises unemployment benefits, expands telehealth coverage
Alaska House raised maximum weekly unemployment benefits from $370 to $470, first increase since 2009. • Expanded telehealth coverage and raised disability pay for firefighters and police from 40 percent to 75 percent. • Updated insurance laws to clarify rebates and ban misleading advertising.
House votes to eliminate tax filing discounts worth $500,000 annually
“from a report that's called the Indirect Expenditure Report, Legislative Finance reviewed 136 programs and recommended 45 of them for cleanup. This bill includes 4 of them.”
Alaska Passes Age of Consent Bill After Weeks-Long Senate Delay
Alaska raised age of consent from 16 to 18 after Senate delay sparked public outcry. • Omnibus crime bill also criminalizes AI-generated child abuse images and requires sex offender registration. • New rules make sexual assault by healthcare workers a standalone crime and expand parole board. • Lawmakers worried about compressed timeline but voted yes anyway.
Alaska House passes tobacco age increase, vape tax, cigar lounge exemption
“Nicotine and tobacco is a leading cause for preventable health diseases, for issues like cancer, heart disease, and stroke. Senate Bill 24 has two central policies. First, it raises the minimum age to purchase tobacco products and electronic smoking products from 19 to 21 to bring Alaska into alignment with the federal law that passed in December of 2019.”
House Finance Committee advances PFD restoration for wrongfully convicted
House Finance Committee advanced a bill to restore Permanent Fund Dividends to Alaskans whose convictions were wrongfully vacated, with a two-year deadline to apply after exoneration.
House panel hears bill to restore PFDs for wrongfully convicted Alaskans
“The Tanana Chiefs Conference letter actually says that we are one of only 12 states that do not have compensation statutes for people that have been wrongly convicted.”
House Finance Committee advances auto-IRA bill for Alaska workers
House Finance Committee advanced a bill creating an automatic IRA program for Alaska workers at businesses without retirement plans, with employees able to opt out.
House panel cuts youth tobacco fines, advances Tobacco 21 bill
“I just urge your support. It still keeps it an offense that requires some accountability, that being a $100 fine, up to a $100 fine, but isn't so substantial.”
Alaska House panel hears testimony on statewide spay-neuter program, no vote taken
The House Finance Committee heard testimony on a statewide spay and neuter program to address rural animal overpopulation.
House Finance approves pharmacist prescription bill after rejecting nurse compact
“My concern primarily about this amendment is killing the underlying bill.”
House panel hears gas line tax bill with 15-cent volumetric fee
“It is my understanding that at one point in the Resources Committee that Glen Farn discussed as 12 cents being where they were comfortable”
House panel advances retirement savings program for private workers
Alaska House panel advanced a bill to create a state-run retirement savings program for private workers at small businesses, with automatic enrollment at 5 percent of pay and no cost to employers.
House Finance advances fire station grant program after rejecting rural aid amendments
“I think there's sort of two or three streams of ways we should be addressing fire safety. And a grant program, I think, by its design and nature of this grant program, is for communities where you say you got to have a local buy-in to both the funding and then the ongoing maintenance.”
House panel sets amendment deadline for civics education bill
“I'm trying to figure out if every registrar at every school district is going to now have an additional task to say this student has mastered this and they get the Civic Seal.”
House Finance Advances Paid Parental Leave Bill
“I want to go to the legal memo that came back with the draft and to the potential of creating two separate classes of employees with our creation of the exemption for employers with fewer than 25 employees and seasonal employees as an exemption.”
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.
Legislature advances $347M fire station grant program
Alaska House Finance Committee advanced a bill creating a $347 million matching grant program to help communities rebuild aging fire stations that no longer meet modern safety standards.
Alaska House Panel Hears Push to Raise Tobacco Age to 21
A House panel is considering raising the tobacco age to 21. The change would align state law with federal standards and unlock millions in prevention funding.
House Finance Advances Education Funding Bill Despite Fiscal Concerns
The House Finance Committee advanced a school funding bill costing $130 million annually to stabilize district budgets.
House advances expanded disability benefits for all public workers
Alaska House advanced a bill raising occupational disability benefits to 75 percent of salary and adding healthcare coverage for all public employees and teachers.
Alaska House panel considers doubling bulk fuel loan cap amid price crisis
Alaska House panel is considering doubling the maximum bulk fuel loan for rural communities to $1.5 million as fuel prices surge up to 100 percent and western Alaska faces potential supply shortages.
House Finance advances education fund amendment, rejects gas pipeline revenue tie
“I want to make sure that when voters are talking and thinking about voting on a constitutional amendment, that it's not tied to another thing being the critical feature.”
House Finance cuts West Susitna road funding from capital budget
House Finance cut $95 million for the West Susitna Access Road from the capital budget. Lawmakers fear the project will drain federal funds from other state needs.
Housing agency buys 600+ acres statewide to spur development
Alaska Housing Finance Corporation bought 600+ acres statewide with $12.5 million to spur single-family housing development, with developer proposals due in June and construction expected summer 2027.
Senate Finance advances $2.8B operating budget to Rules Committee
Alaska Senate Finance advanced the $2.8 billion operating budget to the Rules Committee on Thursday, moving it closer to final passage after a contentious House debate marked by close votes.
Alaska lawmakers explore data center development as economic opportunity
Alaska lawmakers heard Tuesday that the state's cold climate and natural gas could attract data centers, which cost over $1 billion to build but create few permanent jobs once running.
Alaska House passes home care advisory board for Medicaid workers
Alaska House passed a bill 35-5 to create an advisory board that will recommend Medicaid payment rates for home care workers, aiming to keep elders in their homes instead of nursing facilities and reduce state costs.
House Finance hears $8.4M in governor's budget amendments
House Finance heard $8.4 million in budget amendments, including salary increases for public safety workers and a reversal of pay raises for newly unionized University of Alaska employees.
House panel debates $113M education funding formula shift
House panel heard testimony on a bill that would shift school funding to a three-year enrollment average, costing $113 million annually but giving districts budget certainty earlier in the year.
