Alaska Legislature: Special Coverage - September 10, 2026 10:00am

I'm going to call this meeting of the Legislative Council to order. Today is September 10th. It is 10:03 a.m. Ms. Truitt, can you please call the roll?

Representative Carrick.

Speaker Edgeman. Representative Johnson. Representative Kopp.

Here. Representative Schragg. Here.

Representative Stutes.

Representative Mears. Here.

Senator Giesel.

Senator Gray Jackson. Honored to be here. Senator Hoffman. Here. Senator Keele.

Here. Senator Steadman.

Senator Tobin. Here.

Representative Johnson.

Representative Stutes.

Here.

Vice Chair Stevens.

Chair Hannon. Here.

10 Members present. With 10 members present, we have a quorum to conduct business. I'm going to call for a motion to approve our agenda. Senator Gray Jackson. Thank you, Madam Chair.

I move and ask unanimous consent that the Legislative Council approve the agenda as presented. Are there any objections to the approval of the agenda?

Hearing none, I am going to remind members we have limited time this morning. We have couple members who have an 11:00 a.m. commitment and we have only one item on our agenda. We are going to go into an executive session to discuss an amicus brief in the Juppie versus State case. And I'm going to ask Senator Gray Jackson for the motion for executive session. Thank you, Madam Chair.

I move that Legislative Council go into executive session under Uniform Rule 22. Discussion of matters, the immediate knowledge of which would be— which would adversely affect the finances of a government unit. And 22, discussion of a matter that may by law be required to be confidential. The following people may remain in the room or online for the executive session: Jessica Geary, Sabrina Javier, Tim Powers, Emily Nauman, Megan Wallace, any legislators not on legislative council, and any staff of legislative council members. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Senator. We are going to take a roll call vote on that motion to go into executive session. Ms. Truitt, if you would please call the roll on that motion.

Representative Johnson.

Representative Kopp.

Yes. Yes. Representative Schrag. Yes. Representative Stutes.

Yes. Representative Mears. Yes.

Senator Gray Jackson. Yes. Senator Hoffman. Yes. Senator Keele.

Yes. Senator Tobin.

Yes. Chair Hannon. Yes. 10 Yays, 0 nays. So with 10 yays and 0 nays, we are going to go into executive session.

We will take a very brief, brief at ease to set the executive session parameters.

I'm going to call the legislative council meeting back to order at 10:34. Ms. Truitt, please call the roll to reestablish the quorum.

Representative Carrick. Speaker Edgeman.

Representative Johnson. Here. Representative Kopp.

Representative Schraggy.

Representative Stutes. Here. Representative Mears.

Senator Giesel. Senator Gray Jackson. Honored to be here. Senator Hoffman.

Senator Keele. Here.

Senator Steadman. Senator Tobin. Here.

Representative Kopp. Here. Representative Schragg. Here.

Representative Mears. Here. Senator Hoffman. Here.

Vice Chair Stevens. Chair Hannan. Here. 10 Members present. With 10 members present, we still have a quorum.

I'm going to turn once again to an amicus brief in the Juby versus State and ask Senator Gray Jackson for a motion. Thank you, Madam Chair. I move that under the authority of AS 2420-0604F, Legislative Council authorize a contract for legal services not to exceed $50,000 to file an amicus brief on behalf of the Alaska State Legislature in the Jopie— Jopie versus State of Alaska, currently pending in the U.S. Supreme Court, in support of a decision issued by the Alaska Supreme Court. And I further move that Legislative Council authorize the chair to give direction to Legislative Legal Services and outside counsel regarding the filing of the brief. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you. And I'm going to object for purposes of discussion and ask Ms. Now— or Ms. Wallace to provide us very briefly information on the case.

Yes, this is Megan Wallace, Chief Counsel of Legal Services. As Senator Gray Jackson just stated the issue before the council is whether or not to authorize the filing of an amicus brief in the Jopee versus State of Alaska case, which is pending before the United States Supreme Court. The United States Supreme Court granted cert, agreeing to take on this case this term. The case involves an Alaska Supreme Court decision holding that it was not unconstitutionally excessive punishment to confiscate the airplane of a pilot whose cargo for a flight to a dry village included alcohol. Central to the Alaska Supreme Court's decision was an emphasis on the legislature's responsibility in setting penalties and giving deference, uh, oh, and for courts to give deference to legislative determinations, um, so long as those penalties are not grossly disproportional.

And therefore, if the council approves this we will work with outside counsel for a brief to be prepared on behalf of the legislature and filed in the United States Supreme Court. And with that, I am available if there are any questions. Are there members with questions or comments on the record?

Hearing none, I'm going to remove my objection and ask Ms. Truitt for a roll call vote on the motion. Members are prepared to vote. Ms. Truitt, please call the roll on the motion.

Representative Johnson. Representative Kopp. Yes. Representative Schrag. Yes.

Representative Stutes. Yes. Representative Mears. Yes.

Senator Gray Jackson. Yes. Senator Hoffman. Yes. Senator Keele.

Yes.

Senator Tobin. Yes. Representative Johnson.

Yes. Chair Hannon. Yes. 10 Yeas, 0 nays. With 10 yeas and 0 nays, the motion has been approved.

I have no other items before us on the agenda, so we are adjourned at 10:40 AM.