Alaska State Legislature · Photo source · US government work
Scott Kawasaki
Senator · Alaska State Senate · District P
49 articles · 20 transcripts · 1 clips
Affiliations
Acting attorney general asks Legislature to clarify suppressor law after federal ruling
“Under current statute, possessing or manufacturing a suppressor is technically a Class C felony in Alaska, unless the device was registered in accordance with federal law”
Federal judge strikes down DOJ voter-list program that took Alaska's full voter rolls
A federal judge struck down the Justice Department program that took every registered Alaska voter's personal data last December, ruling it broke federal law.
Scott Robb won the state fair cabbage title with 122.7 pounds
“the current Guinness World Record for the largest cabbage ever grown belongs to a 138¼-pound giant cabbage grown in Palmer”
Alaska lawmakers order audit of Board of Fisheries process
“I feel like given the breadth of stakeholders' concerns and with current litigation, the AG overturning several proposals, and the amount of concern as Fisheries Chair that Representative Stutes has heard, it felt like it was appropriate to have an objective and independent look at the board's processes and procedures.”
Alaska legislative auditor resigns after 34 years, replacement process underway
Alaska's legislative auditor Chris Curtis is resigning after 34 years, effective Aug. 30. The Legislature is hiring her replacement through a process that aims to seat a new auditor by August.
Alaska Senate advances sweeping public safety bill with AI child abuse provisions
Alaska Senate unanimously approved an 80-page public safety bill that criminalizes AI child abuse material and raises age of consent to 18. • The bill expands the parole board from five to seven members and creates new crimes including mail theft and airbag fraud. • It costs $413,400 in startup and ongoing funding and now returns to the House for final approval.
House Finance Committee advances PFD restoration for wrongfully convicted
“this bill would reinstate the permanent fund dividend for the folks who may have been wrongfully convicted. And so we call this the Wrongful Conviction Compensation Bill. One of the things that a person is deprived of if they are wrongfully convicted and then incarcerated is a permanent fund dividend.”
Alaska Senate Passes Statewide Styrofoam Ban for Restaurants
“Polystyrene further will leach into food that is in food containers, and these containers will end up becoming friable. They end up floating in water, and then they end up disintegrating into the water table and eaten by other animals. Diseases associated with polystyrene include many cancers like leukemia, lymphoma.”
House panel hears bill to restore PFDs for wrongfully convicted Alaskans
“the state has a fundamental responsibility to ensure that every prosecution is fair and every conviction is just. And if the system were to fail, and sometimes it does, such as when an Alaskan has been wrongfully convicted and then later has had their judgment vacated, reversed, then the state must go beyond merely unlocking the cell. We have a duty to make amends.”
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.
Senate Passes Insurance Gap Fix for Gig Economy Drivers
Alaska Senate passed a bill requiring delivery app companies to provide insurance coverage for injured gig workers, closing a gap that left drivers with no protection after accidents.
Gas line tax break delivers 20% savings, far less than competing states
Alaska's gas line tax break gives developers a 20% savings, far less than the 65% savings they'd get under a 10-year tax holiday like Texas and Louisiana offer, a consultant told lawmakers Saturday.
Alaska Senate advances university regents reform bill with 2027 start date
Alaska Senate advanced a bill to restructure the University of Alaska Board of Regents, setting it to take effect Feb. 1, 2027, with a sunset review date six years later.
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
“Around 20 years ago, the FAA put in a rule that said that any drones had to stay within line of sight of their operator. And after 15 or so years of, of, of testing and a lot of regulatory review, about 2022, and a lot of that testing happening here in Alaska, about 2022, the FAA modified— started modifying their rules and giving permission for drones to start flying out of the line of sight of the, of the operator”
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.
Point Thomson Gas Blowdown Could Cost Alaska 65M Barrels of Condensate
Switching Point Thomson from gas cycling to blowdown for the proposed gas pipeline would sacrifice roughly 65 million barrels of condensate, state regulators told lawmakers Wednesday.
Senate passes cryptocurrency kiosk consumer protection bill unanimously
Alaska Senate unanimously passed a bill requiring cryptocurrency kiosk operators to verify identity and limit transactions to $1,500 daily, after Alaskans lost $26 million to online fraud last year.
Alaska Senate passes bill to expand early intervention for delayed children
Alaska Senate unanimously passed a bill lowering early intervention eligibility for young children from 50 percent to 25 percent developmental delay, potentially saving $38.9 million annually.
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.
Senate panel advances bill barring felons from school boards
Alaska Senate panel unanimously advanced a bill Tuesday that would ban convicted felons from school boards statewide, prompted by a 2022 Tok election that left students concerned about safety.
Navy eyes return to Adak amid Arctic security concerns
The Navy is assessing whether to reestablish operations on Adak Island as China and Russia increase military activity near Alaska, with no formal decision yet made.
Alaska Senate Advances Right-to-Repair Bill for Consumer Electronics
Alaska Senate advanced a right-to-repair bill Friday requiring electronics makers to provide repair tools and manuals to independent shops, effective Jan. 1, 2027.
Industry groups oppose Dalton Highway toll targeting oil and gas traffic
“The Department of Transportation does invest approximately $17 million— these are a little bit outdated numbers, I think this is 2020— $17 million— I'm sorry, $17 million in maintenance and operations on the Dalton Highway each year, $10.5 million of which comes from state funding, the other $6 million is federal.”
Alaska LNG Tax Bill Stalls as Lawmakers Demand Project Cost Data
“I mean, we just saw the press conference yesterday. We are in day 108, 109 of a 120-day session. So we as resources are sort of— I mean, I will speak for myself, a little stressed that I don't have this information yet, but I am supposed to make these multibillion-dollar decisions with a 30-year horizon, time horizon, within the next week”
Alaska House bill to ban polystyrene food containers moves to Senate
Alaska House Bill 25, which would ban polystyrene foam food containers statewide, advanced to the Senate after testimony Tuesday on cost versus pollution concerns.
House committee advances resolution backing military infrastructure push
Alaska House committee advanced a resolution supporting military infrastructure development, with $23 billion in federal funding expected if the state shows it's a collaborative partner.
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.
Alaska Senate panel hears proposal for immigrant integration office
Alaska Senate panel heard testimony on a bill to create a Welcoming Alaska Office to help immigrants and foreign-born teachers settle in state communities and schools.
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.
Senate panel advances U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade resolution with border changes
Alaska Senate panel approved a resolution backing the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade deal and calling for easier border crossings for travelers and pets.
Alaska Senate passes wildfire evacuation color-code system
Alaska Senate unanimously passed a bill establishing a statewide color-coded wildfire evacuation system, green for ready, yellow for set, red for go, to replace confusing local variations.
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.
House Judiciary Advances Bill Restoring PFDs for Wrongfully Convicted
House Judiciary advanced a bill Wednesday allowing Alaskans whose convictions were overturned to claim missed Permanent Fund Dividends, including the Fairbanks Four.
Senate panel holds Alaska state seal redesign resolution
Alaska Senate panel heard testimony on a proposal to create a commission that would redesign the state seal, unchanged since 1913, to better represent Alaska Native people and modern values.
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.
Senate Resources advances three bills on agriculture, evacuations, invasive species
Senate Resources advanced three bills Friday: one speeds up agricultural land leases for farmers, one standardizes evacuation color codes statewide, and one creates an invasive species council to coordinate control efforts. • All three passed without objection.
Senate panel approves $485 million Department of Revenue budget
Senate Finance Subcommittee approved a $485.1 million Department of Revenue budget for fiscal year 2027, rejecting a proposal to consolidate Permanent Fund Corporation spending into a single account.
Senate panel advances $535 million corrections budget with jail funding cut
Alaska Senate panel approved a $535 million corrections budget Wednesday but cut jail funding in half and ordered a study on housing inmates out of state.
Senate panel cuts jail funding in half, seeks out-of-state inmate housing
Alaska Senate panel cut jail funding in half to $2.8 million and ordered the state to explore housing inmates out of state, signaling a major shift in corrections policy.
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.
Senate panel examines LNG project economics, megaproject risks
Senate Resources Committee heard Alaska LNG faces typical megaproject cost and schedule risks. • A proposed 6-cent volumetric tax would generate roughly $2 billion for the state over 35 years but raise the project's effective tax rate to 33 percent, above competing Canadian projects. • Phased construction reduces upfront costs but introduces financing risk if later phases are delayed.
Senate cuts House domestic violence funding additions in half
Alaska Senate cut domestic violence funding additions in half Tuesday, reducing House support for survivors by $1.45 million total and setting up a budget fight before final passage.
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 Resources hears LNG tax framework comparison, transparency concerns
Alaska Senate Resources Committee heard a consultant compare LNG tax frameworks and flag that lack of clarity on property taxes may be blocking project talks with stakeholders.
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.
Senate Panel Questions DNR Commissioner Nominee on Gas Development
Senate committee pressed DNR nominee John Crowther on Cook Inlet gas supply and oil royalty disputes as he seeks confirmation to lead Alaska's resource department.