SFLR-20260521-1000

Will the Senate please come to order.

It's like we were just here. No, we were just here. Members, please signify your presence by voting.

Madam Secretary.

The roll shows 16 members present. Senators Hoffman, Kiel, Merrick, Olson are excused from the call of the Senate today. Thank you. With 16 members shown as present, we have a quorum to conduct business. The invocation this morning will be given by the Reverend Mark Holman, Resurrection Lutheran Church.

Members, please rise.

And let us pray.

Bless all who are gathered in these hallowed halls. Whatever our roles, tasks, duties, grant us wisdom that we might discern your path of selfless service. In today's deliberation, bless senators with your gifts of discernment, patience, and respect for the other. As they work toward sound policy ensuring the common good. And Creator of the earth and skies and all that is, be their compass as they strive always north to the future.

Amen. Let it be so. Thank you, Reverend Holman. Senator Myers, would you please lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance? I pledge allegiance to the United States of America I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Thank you, Senator Myers. Senator Rauscher. Mr. President, I move and ask consent the prayer be spread across the journal. Thank you, Senator Rogers. Seeing no objection, the prayer has been spread upon the journal.

At this time, are there guests for introduction?

Seeing none, are there messages from the Governor? Executive proclamation stating under the authority of Article II, Section 9, and Article III, Section 17, Constitution of the State of Alaska, and in the public interest, I call the 34th Legislature of the State of Alaska into its second special session in Juneau, Alaska, in the legislative chambers on May 21, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. to consider passage of bills on subjects germane to the title of the following bill while the bill was under consideration by the 34th Legislature. HB 381, relating to the taxation of certain natural gas pipeline property, relating to municipal taxation limitations, establishing an alternative volumetric tax on natural gas input and relating to the allocation of revenue from the alternative volumetric tax. Dated May 19th, 2026, 3:51 p.m., signed by Mike Dunleavy, Governor. A message dated May 20th stating, under the authority vested in me by Article II, Section 15 of the Alaska Constitution, I have vetoed the following bill: Senate CS for CS for House Bill 26, Transportation, an act relating to the duties of the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities and relating to a statewide public and community transit plan.

I have no further messages from the governor this morning, Mr. President. Thank you, Madam Secretary. Are there messages from the House? There are no messages from the House to be read this morning, Mr. President. Are there communications?

I have no communications today. Thank you. Reports of standing committees? There are no standing committee reports today. And are there Reports of special committees?

I have no special committee reports today. Thank you. Are there Senate resolutions for introduction? Senate Concurrent Resolution Number 201 by the Senate Rules Committee authorizing the Senate and House of Representatives to recess for a period of more than 3 days. Thank you.

Madam Majority Leader. Mr. President, I move and ask unanimous consent that the Senate take up Senate Concurrent Resolution 201 at this Thank you. Without objection, Senate Concurrent Resolution 201 is before the Senate. Is there discussion?

If there is none, then the question being, shall Senate Concurrent Resolution 201 pass the Senate? Senators may proceed to vote.

The secretary will lock the roll. Do any senators wish to change their vote? The secretary will record the vote. How do we vote? 16 Yeas, 0 nays.

Thank you for tallying the vote. And so by a vote of 16 yeas to 0 nays, Senate Concurrent Resolution Number 201 has passed the Senate. Madam Secretary. Senate Concurrent Resolution Number 202 by the Senate Rules Committee, suspending Rules 47 and 55, Uniform Rules of the Alaska State Legislature, relating to the carryover of bills to a special session. Thank you.

Madam Majority Leader. Mr. President, I move and ask unanimous consent that the Senate take up Senate Concurrent Resolution 202 at this time. Thank you. Without objection, the Senate Concurrent Resolution 202 is before the Senate. Is there discussion?

If you are ready for the question, the question being, shall Senate Concurrent Resolution number 202 pass the Senate? Senators may proceed to vote.

The Secretary will lock the roll. Do any Senators wish to change their vote? The Secretary will record the vote. 16 Yeas, 0 nays. And so by a vote of 16 yeas and 0 nays, Senate Concurrent Resolution 202 has passed the Senate.

I have no further Senate resolutions for introduction this morning, Mr. President. Thank you, Madam Secretary. Are there Senate bills for introduction? Senate Bill Number 2001 by the Senate Rules Committee, by request of the Governor. An act relating to the taxation of certain natural gas property, project property, and related facilities relating to the determination of the value of taxable real and personal property for purposes of calculating local contributions for public school funding relating to municipal property taxes relating to the Alaska Gas Line Development Corporation relating to revenue from a north Slope Natural Gas Project, relating to an alternative volumetric tax on natural gas throughput, relating to agreements and payments related to a natural gas project, relating to community impact grants, relating to the regulation of liquefied natural gas import facilities by the Regulatory Commission of Alaska, relating to an Alaska liquefied natural gas project mitigation fund, and providing for an effective date.

Senate Bill 2001 will be referred to the Finance Committee. I have no further Senate bills for introduction this morning, Mr. President. Thank you, Madam Secretary. Please read the first item on our calendar. There are no items to consider on today's daily calendar.

Thank you. Is there unfinished business at this time? Senator Giesel. Thank you, Mr. President. I move and ask unanimous consent that I be excused and not subject to the call of the Senate from May 27th June 5th for state and personal business, June 8th through 11th for state business, June 17th for personal business, and June 21st to 25th for state business.

Thank you, Senator Giesel. Without objection, so ordered. Additional unfinished business at this time. Moving on to committee announcements.

Senator Steadman. Mr. President, I just had some questions from some of my colleagues here in the room, other folks on the schedule in the upcoming special session dealing with the issue at hand, which is the gas line. Senate Finance is scheduled to start on Wednesday morning at 9:00 a.m. That's Wednesday morning at 9:00 a.m. The staff is already working with the resource staff in preparing documents and some of the reviews that the Resource Committee has worked on. So that will be underway between now and Wednesday.

The actual schedule from Wednesday on is kind of in limbo. We're still working that out at the staff level and also having dialogue with the other body. Can synchronize presentations to make it easier for the presenters in the event that they're going to present in both bodies. So we don't have time overlaps or have somebody come in from out of town and 2 days later the other body wants them back. So we're working out those details.

And I just want everybody to know that we'll be firing up 9:00 AM Wednesday. We are planning on running our— at least today, we'll see how it goes— a normal schedule of 9 to 11. And we're hoping the other body will run their finance schedule as they normally do in the afternoon so the members here, including committee members, could keep an eye on what the other body's presentations are because sometimes those create questions that the observing body may have, you know, generated from the testimony. So we're going to try to synchronize that. We have had initial discussions with the Governor on this issue too.

So we'll be having dialogue with his agencies, Revenue, DNR, Department of Law as we cover numerous related issues. So when we put a package together, we hopefully don't have to suffer from gaposis and find out we missed something of significant— of significance, and that could be very expensive to the state where we can't back up and fix it. I'm very, very easy at all. So I just wanted to let everybody know the upcoming schedule. And we'll fire off at 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday.

Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you, Senator Steadman. Are there additional committee announcements? Seeing none, are there any other announcements? Seeing none, are there special orders?

Senator Dunbar. Thank you, Mr. President. As everyone here knows, next Monday is Memorial Day. As of a few years ago, Alaska also recognizes Veteran Poppy Day, which is tomorrow. Folks are encouraged to find a red poppy or wear a red poppy in remembrance of those who fought and died for our country and those who continue to serve and their families.

Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you, Senator Dunbar. Senator Gray Jackson. Thank you, Mr. Um, Mr. President, I move and ask unanimous consent to speak on amazing staff. Without objection, so ordered.

Thank you, Mr. President. I just want to take a moment to publicly thank my amazing staff. They are really, really great. And I want to thank them by name. Clark Bickford, my Chief of Staff.

Jeff Stepp, my Legislative Budget and Audit Committee staff, along with Chantel and then Jamie Bagley and my amazing intern, Denali Zantop. They are the key to success as a state legislator, and I wanted to just publicly thank them. Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you, Senator Gray Jackson. Are there additional special orders?

Seeing none, Madam Majority Leader. Mr. President, I move and ask unanimous consent that the Senate stand in adjournment until 11:00 a.m. Thursday, June 4th, 2022. 2026. Hearing no objection, the Senate is adjourned.