Legislature(2025 - 2026)

2025-04-14 House Journal

Full Journal pdf

2025-04-14                     House Journal                      Page 0738
HB 53                                                                                                                         
The following was before the House in second reading:                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
     CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 53(FIN) am                                                                                           
     "An Act making appropriations for the operating and loan                                                                   
     program expenses of state government and for certain programs;                                                             
     capitalizing funds; amending appropriations; making                                                                        
     supplemental appropriations; making appropriations under art. IX,                                                          
     sec. 17(c), Constitution of the State of Alaska, from the                                                                  
     constitutional budget reserve fund; and providing for an effective                                                         
     date."                                                                                                                     

2025-04-14                     House Journal                      Page 0739
The Speaker stated that, without objection, Amendment No. 21 would                                                              
be moved to the bottom of the amendments.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Amendment No. 22 was offered  by Representative Costello:                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Page 10, following line 29:                                                                                                     
     Insert new material to read:                                                                                               
"It is the intent of the legislature that the Department of Education and                                                       
Early Development shall, after reviewing each district's annual audit as                                                        
required by AS 14.14.050, submit a report to the co-chairs of the                                                               
finance committee of each house of the legislature and the legislative                                                          
finance division not later than December 20, 2025, that provides each                                                           
district's year-end operating fund balance, the amount by which the                                                             
unreserved portion of that balance exceeds the amount permitted in                                                              
AS 14.17.505(a), and the amount that the Department of Education                                                                
and Early Development will be deducting from the state aid that would                                                           
otherwise be paid to the district as required by AS 14.17.505(b)."                                                              
                                                                                                                                
Representative Costello moved and asked unanimous consent that                                                                  
Amendment No. 22 be adopted.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
There was objection.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
The question being:  "Shall Amendment No. 22 be adopted?"  The roll                                                             
was taken with the following result:                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
CSHB 53(FIN) am                                                                                                                 
Second Reading                                                                                                                  
Amendment No. 22                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
YEAS:  19   NAYS:  20   EXCUSED:  0   ABSENT:  1                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
Yeas:  Allard, Bynum, Costello, Coulombe, Elam, Johnson, Kopp,                                                                  
McCabe, Moore, Nelson, Prax, Rauscher, Saddler, Schwanke, Stapp,                                                                
Tilton, Tomaszewski, Underwood, Vance                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Nays:  Burke, Carrick, Dibert, Edgmon, Eischeid, Fields, Foster,                                                                
Galvin, Gray, Hall, Hannan, Himschoot, Holland, Jimmie, Josephson,                                                              
Mears, Mina, Schrage, Story, Stutes                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
Absent:  Ruffridge                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
And so, Amendment No. 22 was not adopted.                                                                                       

2025-04-14                     House Journal                      Page 0740
Representative Costello rose to a point of order regarding voiding the                                                          
roll when a vote is interrupted.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
The Speaker advised members to refrain from speaking while the roll                                                             
was open.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Amendment No. 23 was offered  by Representative McCabe:                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Page 31, line 23:                                                                                                               
     Delete "216,017,300"                                                                                                     
     Insert "216,332,200"                                                                                                     
     Delete "196,340,300"                                                                                                     
     Insert "196,655,200"                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Page 32, line 4:                                                                                                                
     Delete "97,617,000"                                                                                                        
     Insert "97,931,900"                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Adjust fund sources and totals accordingly.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Representative McCabe moved and asked unanimous consent that                                                                    
Amendment No. 23 be adopted.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Representative Mears objected.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
The question being:  "Shall Amendment No. 23 be adopted?"  The roll                                                             
was taken with the following result:                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
CSHB 53(FIN) am                                                                                                                 
Second Reading                                                                                                                  
Amendment No. 23                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
YEAS:  24   NAYS:  16   EXCUSED:  0   ABSENT:  0                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
Yeas:  Allard, Burke, Bynum, Carrick, Costello, Coulombe, Dibert,                                                               
Elam, Johnson, Josephson, Kopp, McCabe, Moore, Nelson, Prax,                                                                    
Rauscher, Ruffridge, Saddler, Schwanke, Stapp, Tilton, Tomaszewski,                                                             
Underwood, Vance                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Nays:  Edgmon, Eischeid, Fields, Foster, Galvin, Gray, Hall, Hannan,                                                            
Himschoot, Holland, Jimmie, Mears, Mina, Schrage, Story, Stutes                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
Josephson changed from "NAY" to "YEA"                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                

2025-04-14                     House Journal                      Page 0741
And so, Amendment No. 23 was adopted.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Amendment No. 24 was not offered.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Amendment No. 25 was offered  by Representatives Schwanke and                                                                    
Prax:                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Page 21, line 17:                                                                                                               
     Delete "321,386,500"                                                                                                     
     Insert "304,673,100"                                                                                                     
     Delete "128,364,700"                                                                                                     
     Insert "111,651,300"                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Page 21, line 18:                                                                                                               
     Delete "21,866,900"                                                                                                        
     Insert "19,680,200"                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Page 21, line 20:                                                                                                               
     Delete "63,786,900"                                                                                                        
     Insert "57,408,200"                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Page 21, line 21:                                                                                                               
     Delete "67,244,900"                                                                                                        
     Insert "60,520,400"                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Page 21, line 26:                                                                                                               
     Delete "14,234,600"                                                                                                        
     Insert "12,811,100"                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Adjust fund sources and totals accordingly.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Representative Schwanke moved and asked unanimous consent that                                                                  
Amendment No. 25 be adopted.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Representative Mina objected.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Representative Saddler moved and asked unanimous consent to                                                                     
abstain from voting because of a conflict of interest.  Objection was                                                           
heard, and he was required to vote.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                

2025-04-14                     House Journal                      Page 0742
The question being:  "Shall Amendment No. 25 be adopted?"  The roll                                                             
was taken with the following result:                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
CSHB 53(FIN) am                                                                                                                 
Second Reading                                                                                                                  
Amendment No. 25                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
YEAS:  17   NAYS:  23   EXCUSED:  0   ABSENT:  0                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
Yeas:  Allard, Bynum, Costello, Elam, Johnson, McCabe, Nelson,                                                                  
Prax, Rauscher, Ruffridge, Saddler, Schwanke, Stapp, Tilton,                                                                    
Tomaszewski, Underwood, Vance                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Nays:  Burke, Carrick, Coulombe, Dibert, Edgmon, Eischeid, Fields,                                                              
Foster, Galvin, Gray, Hall, Hannan, Himschoot, Holland, Jimmie,                                                                 
Josephson, Kopp, Mears, Mina, Moore, Schrage, Story, Stutes                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
And so, Amendment No. 25 was not adopted.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Amendment No. 26 was offered  by Representatives Schwanke and                                                                    
Prax:                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Page 22, line 9:                                                                                                                
     Delete "144,460,800"                                                                                                     
     Insert "137,483,600"                                                                                                     
     Delete "65,428,000"                                                                                                      
     Insert "58,450,800"                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Page 22, line 16:                                                                                                               
     Delete "27,908,600"                                                                                                        
     Insert "20,931,400"                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Adjust fund sources and totals accordingly.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Representative Schwanke moved and asked unanimous consent that                                                                  
Amendment No. 26 be adopted.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Representative Gray objected.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
The question being:  "Shall Amendment No. 26 be adopted?"  The roll                                                             
was taken with the following result:                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                

2025-04-14                     House Journal                      Page 0743
CSHB 53(FIN) am                                                                                                                 
Second Reading                                                                                                                  
Amendment No. 26                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
YEAS:  17   NAYS:  23   EXCUSED:  0   ABSENT:  0                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
Yeas:  Allard, Costello, Coulombe, Elam, Johnson, McCabe, Moore,                                                                
Nelson, Prax, Rauscher, Saddler, Schwanke, Stapp, Tilton,                                                                       
Tomaszewski, Underwood, Vance                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Nays:  Burke, Bynum, Carrick, Dibert, Edgmon, Eischeid, Fields,                                                                 
Foster, Galvin, Gray, Hall, Hannan, Himschoot, Holland, Jimmie,                                                                 
Josephson, Kopp, Mears, Mina, Ruffridge, Schrage, Story, Stutes                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
And so, Amendment No. 26 was not adopted.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Amendment No. 27 was offered  by Representative McCabe:                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Page 4, lines 7 - 9:                                                                                                            
     Delete all material.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Page 45, line 7:                                                                                                                
     Delete "92,369,500"                                                                                                        
     Insert "91,263,500"                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Page 45, line 8:                                                                                                                
     Delete "34,367,800"                                                                                                        
     Insert "34,201,300"                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Adjust fund sources and totals accordingly.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Representative McCabe moved and asked unanimous consent that                                                                    
Amendment No. 27 be adopted.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Representative Hannan objected.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
The question being:  "Shall Amendment No. 27 be adopted?"  The roll                                                             
was taken with the following result:                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
CSHB 53(FIN) am                                                                                                                 
Second Reading                                                                                                                  
Amendment No. 27                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                

2025-04-14                     House Journal                      Page 0744
YEAS:  11   NAYS:  29   EXCUSED:  0   ABSENT:  0                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
Yeas:  Allard, Coulombe, Elam, McCabe, Prax, Rauscher, Schwanke,                                                                
Tilton, Tomaszewski, Underwood, Vance                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Nays:  Burke, Bynum, Carrick, Costello, Dibert, Edgmon, Eischeid,                                                               
Fields, Foster, Galvin, Gray, Hall, Hannan, Himschoot, Holland,                                                                 
Jimmie, Johnson, Josephson, Kopp, Mears, Mina, Moore, Nelson,                                                                   
Ruffridge, Saddler, Schrage, Stapp, Story, Stutes                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
And so, Amendment No. 27 was not adopted.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Amendment No. 28 was offered  by Representative Stapp:                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Page 65, following line 28:                                                                                                     
     Insert a new subsection to read:                                                                                           
         "(k)  The amount calculated under AS 37.14.620(a), estimated                                                           
     to be $10,000, is appropriated from the Arctic Winter Games                                                                
     Team Alaska trust fund (AS 37.14.600) to the Department of                                                                 
     Commerce, Community, and Economic Development for payment                                                                  
     as a grant under AS 37.05.316 to Arctic Winter Games Team                                                                  
     Alaska for Arctic Winter Games events for the fiscal year ending                                                           
     June 30, 2026."                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
Representative Stapp moved and asked unanimous consent that                                                                     
Amendment No. 28 be adopted.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Representative Schrage objected and moved and asked unanimous                                                                   
consent to table Amendment No. 28.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
There was objection.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
The question being:  "Shall Amendment No. 28 be tabled?"  The roll                                                              
was taken with the following result:                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
CSHB 53(FIN) am                                                                                                                 
Second Reading                                                                                                                  
Amendment No. 28/Table                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
YEAS:  22   NAYS:  17   EXCUSED:  0   ABSENT:  1                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
Yeas:  Burke, Carrick, Dibert, Edgmon, Fields, Foster, Galvin, Gray,                                                            
Hall, Hannan, Himschoot, Holland, Jimmie, Josephson, Kopp, Mears,                                                               
Mina, Prax, Rauscher, Schrage, Story, Stutes                                                                                    

2025-04-14                     House Journal                      Page 0745
Nays:  Allard, Bynum, Costello, Coulombe, Elam, Johnson, McCabe,                                                                
Moore, Nelson, Ruffridge, Saddler, Schwanke, Stapp, Tilton,                                                                     
Tomaszewski, Underwood, Vance                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Absent:  Eischeid                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
And so, Amendment No. 28 was tabled.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
Amendment No. 29 was offered  by Representative Stapp:                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Page 30, line 7:                                                                                                                
     Delete "94,090,800"                                                                                                      
     Insert "94,321,000"                                                                                                      
     Delete "71,211,200"                                                                                                      
     Insert "71,416,400"                                                                                                      
     Delete "22,879,600"                                                                                                      
     Insert "22,904,600"                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
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     Delete "30,543,500"                                                                                                        
     Insert "30,773,700"                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
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     Delete "17,592,900"                                                                                                        
     Insert "17,602,100"                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
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     Delete "68,653,100"                                                                                                        
     Insert "68,858,300"                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Page 50, line 19:                                                                                                               
     Delete "16,270,200"                                                                                                        
     Insert "16,276,600"                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Page 50, line 23:                                                                                                               
     Delete "8,383,900"                                                                                                         
     Insert "8,393,300"                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Adjust fund sources and totals accordingly.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                

2025-04-14                     House Journal                      Page 0746
Representative Stapp moved and asked unanimous consent that                                                                     
Amendment No. 29 be adopted.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Objection was heard and withdrawn.  There being no further objection,                                                           
Amendment No. 29 was adopted.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Amendment No. 30 was offered  by Representative Bynum:                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Page 70, line 11:                                                                                                               
     Delete "$5,000,000"                                                                                                        
     Insert "$10,000,000"                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Representative Bynum moved and asked unanimous consent that                                                                     
Amendment No. 30 be adopted.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Representative Stapp objected.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
The question being:  "Shall Amendment No. 30 be adopted?"  The roll                                                             
was taken with the following result:                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
CSHB 53(FIN) am                                                                                                                 
Second Reading                                                                                                                  
Amendment No. 30                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
YEAS:  26   NAYS:  12   EXCUSED:  0   ABSENT:  2                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
Yeas:  Bynum, Carrick, Costello, Dibert, Edgmon, Eischeid, Elam,                                                                
Fields, Foster, Galvin, Gray, Hall, Hannan, Himschoot, Holland,                                                                 
Josephson, Kopp, Mears, Mina, Nelson, Schrage, Stapp, Story, Stutes,                                                            
Underwood, Vance                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Nays:  Allard, Coulombe, Jimmie, Johnson, Moore, Prax, Rauscher,                                                                
Ruffridge, Saddler, Schwanke, Tilton, Tomaszewski                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Absent:  Burke, McCabe                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
And so, Amendment No. 30 was adopted.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
The Speaker stated that, without objection, Amendment No. 31 would                                                              
be moved to the bottom of the amendments.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Amendment No. 32 was offered  by Representative Bynum:                                                                           
                                                                                                                                

2025-04-14                     House Journal                      Page 0747
Page 3, line 22:                                                                                                                
     Delete all material and insert:                                                                                            
   "APPROPRIATION   GENERAL  OTHER                                                                                              
      ITEMS   FUND   FUNDS                                                                                                      
Office of Information Technology                                                                                              
     65,335,500   732,700       64,602,800"                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Page 3, line 27:                                                                                                                
     Delete "44,088,300"                                                                                                        
     Insert "44,821,000"                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Adjust fund sources and totals accordingly.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Representative Bynum moved and asked unanimous consent that                                                                     
Amendment No. 32 be adopted.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
There was objection.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
The question being:  "Shall Amendment No. 32 be adopted?"  The roll                                                             
was taken with the following result:                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
CSHB 53(FIN) am                                                                                                                 
Second Reading                                                                                                                  
Amendment No. 32                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
YEAS:  10   NAYS:  30   EXCUSED:  0   ABSENT:  0                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
Yeas:  Bynum, Costello, Coulombe, Elam, Johnson, Ruffridge,                                                                     
Saddler, Stapp, Underwood, Vance                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Nays:  Allard, Burke, Carrick, Dibert, Edgmon, Eischeid, Fields,                                                                
Foster, Galvin, Gray, Hall, Hannan, Himschoot, Holland, Jimmie,                                                                 
Josephson, Kopp, McCabe, Mears, Mina, Moore, Nelson, Prax,                                                                      
Rauscher, Schrage, Schwanke, Story, Stutes, Tilton, Tomaszewski                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
And so, Amendment No. 32 was not adopted.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Amendment No. 33 was offered  by Representative Bynum:                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Page 70, following line 13:                                                                                                     
     Insert a new subsection to read:                                                                                           
     "(e)  It is the intent of the legislature that the Department of                                                           

2025-04-14                     House Journal                      Page 0748
Transportation and Public Facilities shall                                                                                      
         (1)  submit a report to the co-chairs of the finance committee                                                         
of each house of the legislature and to the legislative finance division                                                        
by December 20, 2025, with a list of all federal funds received or                                                              
applied for after the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (P.L. 117-                                                         
58) was enacted in 2021 for use to repair or improve a ferry terminal,                                                          
repair or improve an existing ferry, or build a new ferry;                                                                      
         (2)  provide notice to the operator of the state-owned shipyard                                                        
in Ketchikan of opportunities to perform work or part of the work                                                               
needed for projects identified in (1) of this subsection, if providing                                                          
notice to the operator of the shipyard is allowed under AS 36.30 (State                                                         
Procurement Code); and                                                                                                          
         (3)  ensure that shipyard repair and other work on vessels of                                                          
the Alaska marine highway system is done at the state-owned shipyard                                                            
in Ketchikan to the extent allowed under existing contracts and                                                                 
contracts subject to extension and as reasonable and fiscally prudent."                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Representative Bynum moved and asked unanimous consent that                                                                     
Amendment No. 33 be adopted.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
There was objection.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
Amendment No. 1 to Amendment No. 33 was offered  by                                                                              
Representative Stutes:                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Page 1, line 10 of the amendment, following "Ketchikan":                                                                        
 Insert "and JAG Alaska's Seward Shipyard"                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Page 1, line 15 of the amendment, following "Ketchikan":                                                                        
 Insert "or JAG Alaska's Seward Shipyard"                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Representative Stutes moved and asked unanimous consent that                                                                    
Amendment No. 1 to Amendment No. 33 be adopted.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
Representative Costello objected and withdrew her objection.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
There being no further objection, Amendment No. 1 to Amendment                                                                  
No. 33 was adopted.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
Representative Bynum moved and asked unanimous consent that                                                                     
Amendment No. 33 as amended be tabled.                                                                                          

2025-04-14                     House Journal                      Page 0749
There was objection.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
The question being:  "Shall Amendment No. 33 as amended be                                                                      
tabled?"  The roll was taken with the following result:                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
CSHB 53(FIN) am                                                                                                                 
Second Reading                                                                                                                  
Amendment No. 33 as amended/Table                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
YEAS:  36   NAYS:  4   EXCUSED:  0   ABSENT:  0                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Yeas:  Allard, Burke, Bynum, Carrick, Costello, Coulombe, Dibert,                                                               
Edgmon, Eischeid, Elam, Fields, Foster, Galvin, Gray, Hall, Hannan,                                                             
Himschoot, Holland, Johnson, Josephson, Kopp, McCabe, Mears,                                                                    
Mina, Moore, Nelson, Prax, Rauscher, Saddler, Schrage, Story, Stutes,                                                           
Tilton, Tomaszewski, Underwood, Vance                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Nays:  Jimmie, Ruffridge, Schwanke, Stapp                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
And so, Amendment No. 33 as amended was tabled.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
The Speaker stated that, without objection, CSHB 53(FIN) am would                                                               
be held in second reading to the April 15 calendar.