03/18/2025 03:30 PM Senate STATE AFFAIRS

               SB  34-REPEAL 90 DAY SESSION LIMIT                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
4:23:58 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR KAWASAKI announced the consideration of SENATE BILL NO. 34                                                                
"An Act relating to the duration of a regular session of the                                                                    
legislature."                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
4:24:27 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  CATHY GIESSEL,  District  E,  Alaska State  Legislature,                                                               
Juneau, Alaska, sponsor of SB 34.  She noted that SB 34 repeals a                                                               
citizens initiative  passed in 2006  and discussed  the following                                                               
points regarding the 90 day session limit:                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
[Original punctuation provided.]                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
        • Passed to  limit legislative  sessions to  90 days                                                                    
          to promote efficiency and cost savings.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
        • Intended  to  streamline the  legislative  process                                                                    
          and reduce extended sessions.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
        • Legislature has  only met  the 90-day  limit three                                                                    
          times since its passage.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
        • Two  of these  instances were  in the  early years                                                                    
          after adoption.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
        • The  third   was  during  the   COVID-19  pandemic                                                                    
          (2020)an exceptional circumstance.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
        • The Legislature  has frequently  extended sessions                                                                    
          beyond the 121-day constitutional limit.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
        • More  extended and  special  sessions raise  costs                                                                    
          rather than reducing them.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
        • Managing natural  resources, budgeting,  and major                                                                    
          policies demand thorough discussion and debate.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
        • As budget challenges grow  with inflation and lack                                                                    
          of revenue, more discussion is needed for                                                                             
          balancing the budget                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
4:26:10 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR GIESSEL continued:                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
        • In 2020,  the Legislature met  for 69 days  due to                                                                    
          pandemic restrictions.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
        • However, in  2021, the Legislature was  in session                                                                    
          for 217 days to compensate for lost time.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
        • Demonstrates that  artificial time  constraints do                                                                    
          not eliminate legislative needs.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
        • The public expects sessions  to conclude within 90                                                                    
          days.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
        • The reality  of extended sessions leads  to public                                                                    
          frustration.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
        • The 90-day  rule has  created more  confusion than                                                                    
          efficiency.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
        • Fails  to ensure  efficiency  or  cost savings  as                                                                    
          originally intended.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
        • Forces unnecessary special  sessions that increase                                                                    
          legislative workload.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
        • Complex   governance  requires   flexibility,  not                                                                    
          rigid time constraints.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
4:28:09 PM                                                                                                                    
PAIGE BROWN, Staff, Senator Cathy Giessel, Alaska State                                                                         
Legislature, Juneau, Alaska, provided the sectional analysis for                                                                
SB 34:                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
[Original punctuation provided.]                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
                       Sectional Analysis                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
     "An Act relating to the duration of a regular session                                                                      
                      of the legislature."                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
     Section  1.  Repeals  AS  24.05.150(b).  This  sections                                                                    
     repeals  the  statute   requiring  the  legislature  to                                                                    
     adjourn from  a regular  session within  90 consecutive                                                                    
     calendar days, including the  day the legislature first                                                                    
     convenes in that regular session.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
4:28:47 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR KAWASAKI opened public testimony on SB 34.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
4:29:03 PM                                                                                                                    
ED  MARTIN,  representing  self,   Kenai,  Alaska,  testified  in                                                               
opposition to  SB 34 and  stated that the main  flaw in SB  34 is                                                               
ignoring art. III,  sec. 2, Constitution of the  State of Alaska,                                                               
"all  political power  is inherent  in the  people.  He  said the                                                               
people  voted for  a  90-day session,  and  everything should  be                                                               
accomplished  in  that  time  period,  if  the  focus  stayed  on                                                               
legislative  priorities like  budgets, appointments,  and judges,                                                               
not symbolic bills.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
4:31:49 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR KAWASAKI closed public testimony on SB 34.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
4:32:29 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR KAWASAKI held SB 34 in committee.