News from Hughes » May 25, 2021

SB 27 – Industrial Hemp Program; Manufacturing- Many of you are aware that in 2018 I sponsored and the legislature passed SB6 allowing for the legalized growth and production of Industrial Hemp as an agricultural product in the Alaska. In late 2018 the US Congress passed the 2018 Farm Bill which made additional changes to the federal statutes regarding the production of industrial hemp. SB 27 makes a few small changes in Alaska statute in order to conform to those federal changes. This bill was referred to the Senate Labor and Commerce and Resources Committees. On Monday March, 8th, aide Buddy Whitt and Sen. Hughes presented SB 27 in a hearing before Senate Labor and Commerce  Committee. On March, 15, the Senate Labor and Commerce Committee moved SB 27 out of committee and on to its next committee of referral: the Senate Resources Committee. Chief of Staff Buddy Whitt submitted a hearing request last week to the Senator Resources Chair, Sen. Josh Revak. On Friday, April 9th SB 27 was passed out from Senate Resources Committee and sent to its next committee of referral Senate Finance. On Monday, May 10th SB 27 was passed from Senate Finance Committee and sent to the floor the same day. SB 27 was unanimously passed on the Senate floor and has been transmitted to the House. On the last day of the regular session SB 27 was passed on the House floor and transmitted to the Governor for signage.

SB 41 – Health Insurance Info; Incentive Program. Also known as the Alaska Health Care Consumers Right to Shop Act. The goal of this piece of legislation is to bring down the cost of healthcare over time by instituting full cost transparency and an incentive to shop for healthcare services that are below the average cost. This bill was referred to the Senate Labor and Commerce and Finance Committees. Senator Hughes has met with the Director of the Alaska Division of Insurance, Lori Wing-Heier, to discuss possible improvements to the legislation. Meetings with major insurers (who operate in Alaska) and with Wing-Heier, Hughes and staff have taken place the last couple of weeks. We are working with Ms. Wing-Heir on language to improve the bill and look forward to requesting a hearing in Senate Labor & Commerce Committee once we have the new language. On Wednesday, April 7th, aide Lisa Hart and Sen. Hughes presented SB 41 in a hearing before the Senate Labor & Commerce Committee. Work is underway to make changes to the language in the bill to make it less burdensome to providers, yet still effective for consumers. On Friday, May 14 SB 41 will be heard again in the Senate Labor & Commerce committee with public testimony. Much work went into drafting a Committee Substitute but unfortunately, Legislative Legal did not get the final finishing touches complete in time for Friday’s Labor & Commerce’s meeting or Monday’s. Looks like we’ll have to pick this bill up to continue the work in January.

SB 42 – Virtual and Early Education, Reading- The “Education Transformation Act” (now merged into Senate Education Committee SB 111) enables districts to open up slots in classrooms to students in other locations and from other districts via two-way videoconferencing or other distance learning methods via internet. A menu of classes and teachers with video samples would open up a larger variety of course offerings and teaching expertise to students statewide. The bill also requires the state to adjust PRAXIS scores for teacher certification periodically. Districts would be required to post the ratio of administrators to classroom teachers to students each year. Districts could roll forward savings for the next year (up to an amount equal to 15% of current year’s expenditures) without impacting the amount of state funds to be received the next year. High school students could receive course credit for activities outside of school hours that districts determine meet the education or physical activity of a course. The bill establishes a “Read by 9” policy to ensure improved proficiency of students in reading by third grade. It also establishes cooperative agreements are expanded to include efficiency partnerships between districts and businesses, non-profits, and local governments. When between districts, the cooperative agreement is to include at least one rural school district. SB 42 also includes language focused on increasing the number of National Board Certified teachers in Alaska. On Monday February, 15th, aide Dawson Mann and Sen. Hughes presented SB 42 in a hearing before Senate Education Committee. Sen. Hughes then engaged in a discussion with the Education Chair, Senator Roger Holland, regarding the possibility of his using much of the language from SB42 to draft a Senate Education Committee bill. Sen. Hughes believes the importance and scope of SB42 make it an appropriate bill for sponsorship by a committee that serves the entire senate, rather than just by one legislator. The Current Education Committee bill SB 111 also known as the Alaska Academic Improvement and Modernization Act (AIM) is largely based on the contents of SB 42. After adopting a number of amendments, SB 111 was passed from the Senate Education Committee to Senate Finance, its next committee of referral.  HB 164 the House companion bill to SB 111 has had a number of hearings in House Education committee and we hope that it moves through that body with limited detrimental changes. We hope that next year we will be able to finally pass SB 111 and address the issue of the failing education system in our state. I admittedly am disappointed that the Senate Finance Committee chose to set this bill aside until next year. A cohort of children will miss out on its benefits due to the delay. 

SB 43-  Elections, Voting, Campaign Finance- “An Act relating to campaign finance and initiatives; relating to elections and voting; and relating to unlawful interference with voting”. SB 43 is about improving transparency and accountability in Alaska’s campaign finance laws as well as securing the integrity of Alaska’s election process. This bill was referred to the Senate State Affairs and Judiciary Committees. SB 43 received its first hearing February 2 in the State Affairs Committee. The working draft of a committee substitute was adopted to narrow this bill to the subject of campaign financing related to ballot initiatives. The chair explained he planned to merge the section on ballot harvesting with another bill. The bill received its second hearing on February 16, 2021. The committee substitute was adopted and the bill was moved out. SB 43 was given a referral to the Senate Finance Committee due to an added fiscal note on February 22. Stakeholder groups have contacted Senator Hughes’ office regarding the legislation and their input is under consideration. This bill is on hold unless or until we are able to address a few issues.

SJR 4 – Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the State of Alaska relating to abortion. This bill will allow for the question of abortion to be decided through legislation or voter initiative. Each and every time that the legislature has passed legislation attempting to regulate in even the smallest and simplest manner the practice of abortion in the state, the courts in Alaska have stepped in to call any such provisions unconstitutional. Interestingly, the same provisions exist in many other states, including in states considered very progressive. The passage of SJR 4 in the legislature and majority approval by Alaska voters will make it possible for the people to have a voice and express their will as it relates to abortion in our state. This bill was referred to the Senate Health & Social Services, Judiciary, and Finance Committees. The first hearing for SJR 4 was held March 16 before the Senate Health & Social Services Committee and public testimony was taken. On March 24, SJR 4 was passed from Senate Health & Social Services Committee on to its next committee of referral: the Senate Judiciary Committee. On Friday, April 23rd SJR 4 was moved from the Senate Judiciary Committee and sent to its next committee of referral Senate Finance. We look forward to having SJR 4 heard in Senate Finance Committee next session.

SB 102– Extending the Alaska membership in the Compact to advocate for an Article V Constitutional Convention for the purposes of advancing an amendment to the United States Constitution requiring a balanced budget. Alaska’s membership in this compact is set to expire this year, but with the passage of Senate Bill 102, Alaska would remain a member in the compact until 2031. I introduced this legislation on March 10 and requested a hearing before the State Affairs Committee. On Thursday, March 25th, my Chief of Staff Buddy Whitt and Intern Riley Nye did a wonderful job presenting SB 102 before the Senate State Affairs Committee. On Friday, April 9th. SB 102 was passed out from Senate State Affairs and sent to its next committee of referral. We look forward to a future hearing next session in Senate Finance.

SJR 13– Improve Broadband Internet Access by The Senate Community & Regional Affairs Committee. While this resolution is sponsored by the Senate Community & Regional Affairs Committee my office has the responsibility as Chair to carry the bill. It is well known that in many parts of the state, internet access is scarce at best. In regions such as the states unorganized regions, the internet can be extremely limited, slow, and prohibitive in terms of cost. In order for these regions to grow and organize to have greater autonomy, an economic base is fundamental. That is why the Senate Community & Regional Affairs introduced SJR 13. Passage of SJR 13 sends a strong message to Congress and the State Administration to support broadband deployment in the state, recognize the benefits of broadband, urge engagement with stakeholders, and specifically requests the United States Congress to include broadband in the 2021 federal infrastructure legislation. SJR 13 also calls on the Alaska delegation in Congress to advocate for flexible broadband funding parameters for our state. The first hearing on SJR 13 was held on Thursday, April 22nd at 3:30 in Senate Community & Regional Affairs and was passed out of the committee the same day. SJR 13 then had it’s referral to Senate Labor & Commerce committee waved by Chair Senator Mia Costello on the floor. On Monday, May 3rd SJR 13 passed on Senate floor on a 17-0 vote. On Thursday, May 14th SJR 13 will be heard in the House Community & Regional Affairs Committee. On Thursday May 13th, SJR 13 was moved from House Community & Regional Affairs Committee to the Rules Committee and is awaiting calendaring for a House floor vote. SJR13 pertains to language currently being drafted in Washington, D.C. in the infrastructure bill before Congress. Unfortunately, even though the legislation was ready for a floor vote in the House, the Rules Chair decided not to schedule SJR 13 before the end of the regular session. We are currently looking for options on how to move forward. We are in touch with the federal delegation, and if they continue to be concerned about the possibility of the federal bill containing restrictive language that would be detrimental to Alaska, we will urge the House to take up the resolution during the Special Session.

SB 140– An Act relating to school athletics, recreation, athletic teams, and sports. The goal of SB 140 is simply to maintain the rights women fought for and gained in obtaining Title IX status in 1972. Before Title IX, 1 in 27 girls played sports. Today that number is 2 in 5. Schools that receive federal funding are legally required to provide girls and boys with equitable sports opportunities. Girls and women deserve an equitable opportunity to advance and rank at the top of their sport. They deserve a fair and safe playing field. That is all this bill would ensure. Nothing would prohibit a school or a district from designating co-ed teams, and nothing in this bill would prohibit girls/women and transgender girls/women from participating on co-ed teams or on boys’/men’s teams if they chose. We plan to take this bill up first thing next session. We welcome input from Alaskans on SB140 in the meantime. Please send to Sen.Shelley.hughes@akleg.gov.