Alaska Legislature: Senate Floor Session - June 19, 2026 9:45am

Will the Senate please come to order and will members please signify your presence by voting.

The roll shows 19 members present. Thank you. With 19 members shown as present, we have a quorum to conduct business. As a reminder to the members and for the public's information, This is the last legislative day of the second special session of the 34th Legislature, and therefore, in accordance with Uniform Rule 30(c), 30(c), no notice of reconsideration may be given today. Furthermore, under Uniform Rule 43, I am waiving engrossment of House Bill 381.

The invocation this morning will be given by Senator Bjorkman. Members, please rise. [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] With the deepest respect for all religious beliefs, please join me in prayer. Dear God, thank you for this day. Thank you for allowing us to gather here and do the work of the people of Alaska.

Please give us wisdom, patience, and the perseverance to do your will. You told us in all things to give thanks, and on this glorious June day here in our great state, We are grateful. Lord, we thank you for the endless summer sunlight, for the mountains still capped with snow, for the salmon returning to our rivers, and for the opportunity to gather once again to do the people's work. Father, grant us the wisdom for every senator and representative as we debate the bills before us and answer difficult questions surrounding Alaska's future. Help us see beyond today's headlines and tomorrow's elections Give us the discernment to know when to say yes and when to say no.

Lord, as we meet today, please remind us that reasonable people can disagree without being disagreeable. Grant us conviction where conviction is needed, humility and patience when floor speeches take longer than expected. God bless the governor. God bless this legislature. Bless the staff who track all of our amendments.

Bless the sergeant-at-arms and the pages. And Lord, give special strength to Legislative Legal Services. May our debates be vigorous and our motives honorable. And when this day is done, may we leave this chamber knowing that we acted not out of fear, politics, or pride, but out of sincere desire to serve Alaska well. In your name we pray.

Amen. Amen. Thank you, Senator. Senator Steadman, would you please lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance? 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 Steadman.

Madam Secretary, would you please brief our aides here?

Please come back to order. And will the Secretary please certify the journal? I certify as to the correctness of the journals for the 26th through 29th legislative days of the 2nd Special Session. Thank you. Madam Majority Leader.

Mr. President, I move and ask unanimous consent that the journals be approved as certified by the Senate Secretary. Hearing no objection, the journal has been approved. Senator Hoffman. Mr. President, I move and ask unanimous consent that the prayer be spread on the journal. Thank you.

Seeing no objection, the prayer has been spread upon the journal. At this time, are there guests for introduction? Seeing none, Madam Secretary, are there messages from the Governor? Message dated June 18th stating, under the authority of Article II, Section 17 of the Alaska Constitution, I have let the following bill become law without Senate CS for CS for House Bill 117, Resources; Electronic Monitoring, Trawl Fishery Setnet Permit, Chapter 7, SLA 2026. Senate Committee Substitute for Committee Substitute for House Bill 184, Finance; ADA Workforce Housing Developments Municipal Taxes, Chapter 8, SLA 2026.

Senate Committee Substitute for Committee Substitute for House Bill 239, Finance; Crime; Controlled Substances; Address Confidentiality; Chapter 9; SLA 2026. Committee substitute for House Bill 27; Health and Social Services; Amended Senate; Effective Date Added Senate; Major Medical Emergencies; CPR Curriculum; Chapter 10; SLA 2026. Committee substitute for House Bill 363; Military and Veterans Affairs; Alcohol; Patriotic Organizations; Organizations, Club Licenses, Chapter 11, SLA 2026. Committee substitute for Senate Bill 104, Finance, Vehicles, Boats, Transfer on Death Title, Chapter 12, 2026. House Committee Substitute for Senate Bill 146, Finance, REAA and Small Municipal Fund, Mount Edgecomb, Chapter 13, SLA 2026.

Committee substitute for Senate Bill 164, 4, Labor and Commerce, eliminate tax discounts, Chapter 14, SLA 2026. House Committee Substitute for Committee Substitute for Senate Bill 167, Finance, PFD eligibility, PFD for overturned conviction, Chapter 15, SLA 2026. Committee Substitute for Senate Bill 178, Finance, expand early intervention services, Chapter 16, SLA 2026. Committee substitute for Senate Bill 187, Education, School Nutrition Meal, Prohibit Food Dyes, Chapter 17, SLA 2026. House Committee substitute for Committee substitute for Senate Bill 23, Education, Civics Education, Chapter 18, 2026.

House Committee substitute for Senate Bill 272, Health and Social Services, Health Information Exchange, Chapter 19, 2026. House committee substitute for Senate Bill 79, Finance, Payment of Wages Payroll Card Account, Chapter 20, SLA 2026. House committee substitute for committee substitute for Senate Bill 89, Health and Social Services, Physician Assistant Scope of Practice, Chapter 21, SLA 2026. Senate committee substitute for committee substitute for House Bill 28, Finance, amended Senate, Schools, Teachers, School Board Loan Program, Chapter 22, SLA 2026. All those bills have become law without signature.

Message dated June 17th stating, I have noted the following resolution passed by the second session of the 34th Alaska State Legislature, and I am transmitting the engrossed and enrolled copies to the Lieutenant Governor's office for permanent filing. Senate Joint Resolution Number 20, Clean Up Marine Debris. Legislative Resolve Number 31, Message stated June 17th, stated— stating, I have noted the following resolution passed by the second session of the 34th Alaska State Legislature, and I am transmitting the engrossed and enrolled copies to the Lieutenant Governor's office for permanent filing. Senate Resolution Number 4, 250th Anniversary of the United States. Senate Resolve Number 4.

Message dated June 18th, stating, under the authority vested in me by Article 2, Section 15 of the Alaska Constitution, I have vetoed the following bill: House Committee Substitute for Committee Substitute for Senate Bill Number 21, Labor and Commerce, Alaska Work and Save Program, PFD Investment Account. Message dated June 18th stating, under the authority vested in me by Article II, Section 15 of the Alaska Constitution, I have vetoed the following bill: House Committee Substitute for Committee Substitute for Senate Bill 24, Finance, Amended House, Tobacco, Nicotine, E-cigarette Age, E-cigarette Tax, Tax. Message dated June 18th stating under the authority vested in me by Article 2, Section 15 of the Alaska Constitution, I have vetoed the following bill. Senate Bill 41, amended House Public Schools Mental Health Education. Message dated June 18th stating under the authority vested in me by Article 2, Section 15 of the Alaska Constitution, I have vetoed the following bill.

House Committee Substitute for Senate Bill 258, Labor and Commerce Contract Licensing software applications. Message dated June 18th stating, under the authority vested in me by Article 2, Section 15 of the Alaska Constitution, I have vetoed the following bill. Senate committee substitute for committee substitute for House Bill number 23, Finance, effective date added Senate State Commission for Civil Rights. Message dated June 18th stating, under the authority vested in me by Article 2, Section 15 of the Alaska Constitution, I have vetoed the following bill. Senate Committee Substitute for Committee Substitute for House Bill Number 52, Finance, Minors and Psychiatric Hospitals.

Message dated June 18th, stating under the authority vested in me by Article II, Section 15 of the Alaska Constitution, I have vetoed the following bill. Committee Substitute for House Bill Number 195, Finance, Physician Assistant Scope of Practice. Message dated June 18th, stating under the authority vested vested in me by Article 2, Section 15 of the Alaska Constitution, I have vetoed the following bill: House Bill Number 314, amended Senate, Architects, Engineers, Surveyors Register Interior Design. Those are all the messages from the Governor this morning, Mr. President. Pardon me, there's one more message from the Governor.

Yes. And it states, June 18, 2026, under the authority vested in me by Article 2, Section 15 of the Alaska Constitution, Constitution, I have vetoed the following bill: Senate Committee Substitute for Committee Substitute for House Bill 280, Finance, Apportion Taxable Income. Those are all the messages from the Governor this afternoon, Mr. President. Thank you, Madam Secretary. Are there messages from the House?

A message dated June 19 stating the Senate is invited to meet with the House for a joint session today, subject to the call of the Chair, for the purpose of voting to override the Governor's Veto to the following bills. Senate Bill Number 21, Alaska Work and Save Program, PFD Investment Account. House Bill Number 195, Pharmacists, Physician Associates. House Bill Number 52, Minors in Psychiatric Hospitals. Senate Bill Number 41, Public Schools, Mental Health Education.

House Bill Number 314, Architects, Engineers, Land Surveyors, Register, Interior Design. Thank you.

Thank you. Madam Majority Leader. Mr. President, I move and ask unanimous consent that the Senate accept the House's invitation to meet in joint session today, subject to call of the Chair, to consider the Governor's vetoes. Thank you. Hearing no objection, the invitation by the House has been accepted.

Madam Secretary, are there communications? I have no communications today. Thank you. Are there reports of standing committees?

The Finance Committee considered CS for House Bill 381, Finance Amended Oil and Gas Property Tax Municipal Tax, and recommended it be replaced with a Finance Senate Committee Substitute. New title with SCR 203. New fiscal notes. Signing do pass: Senators Steadman, Hoffman, co-chairs. Signing amend: Senator Olson, co-chair, Senators Kaufmann, Kronk, Merrick, Kiel.

Those are all the standing committee reports this morning, Mr. President. Thank you, Madam Secretary. Are there special committee reports? I have no special committee reports today. Thank you.

And are there Senate resolutions for introduction? Are there no Senate resolutions for introduction today? Thank you. Are there Senate bills for introduction? I have no Senate bills for introduction today.

Madam Majority Leader. Mr. President, I move that the Senate stand in recess to call of the chair. Thank you. We are in recess.