Bills That Become Laws, and More!

Dear Neighbors,

Over the weekend, I drove home from Juneau after the completion of the 2nd Special Session called by Governor Dunleavy. The AKLNG project, which took up two months of the regular session, has entered its final stages and the legislature has been called in for a 3rd Special Session. Continue reading for additional information about the recently adjourned special session, the ongoing special session and bills that the Governor has vetoed in recent days.

Third Special Session Called by Governor

On Friday, the second special session of the 34th Alaska State Legislature adjourned and the Legislature was immediately called into another special session. The Senate passed its version of the gas line bill (HB 381) but the House did not approve the Senate changes. The adjournment and new special session triggered the creation of a Conference Committee of three Senators and three Representatives to undertake final negotiations on the bill. Members of the conference committee include Senators Lyman Hoffman (D – Bethel), Bert Stedman (R – Sitka), Mike Cronk (R – Tok), Representative Calvin Schrage (I – Anchorage), Bryce Edgmon (I – Dillingham) and Justin Ruffridge (R – Kenai).

The Senate version of the gas line bill sought to more strongly fulfill our constitutional obligation that Alaskans receive the maximum benefit from resource development. Changes made to the bill in the Senate include:

• A Final Investment Decision (FID) deadline before 2028.
• Construction deadline of 2032 for Phase 1 (pipeline) and 2036 for Phase 2 (LNG export).
• Taxation of oil and gas S-Corps, including Glenfarne/8 Star.
• Union contracts honored through project labor agreements.
• Prohibiting Taxpayers from paying Glenfarne back for failure to complete the project.
• Stronger requirements for the construction of a spur line to Fairbanks.

The six members of the conference committee will be tasked with reconciling the differences between the House and Senate versions of HB 381. Having worked extensively on this bill in the Senate Resources Committee, I will be watching these final negotiations very closely and will advocate for a workable version of this bill that protects Alaskan interests. Stay tuned for more information as the final negotiations are underway.

During the second regular session of the 34th Alaska State Legislature, the Legislature passed 82 bills. Since the adjournment of the regular session in May, the Legislature has been transmitting dozens of bills to the Governor for his consideration to become law or to be vetoed. Since the end of the regular session, the Governor has vetoed 10 bills and allowed 27 bills to become law. Here is the list of bills that have been vetoed since the end of the regular session as of June 24, 2026:

• HB 23: State Commission for Civil Rights by Rep. Andy Josephson (D – Anchorage). This was the companion bill to SB 117, which I introduced through the Senate State Affairs Committee, which I chair.
• HB 26: State Public and Community Transit Plan by Representative Genevieve Mina (D – Anchorage)
• HB 52: Minors and Psychiatric Hospitals by Representative Maxine Dibert (D – Fairbanks). The Legislature fell four votes short of overriding this veto.
• HB 195: Pharmacist Direct Care by Representative Genevieve Mina (D – Anchorage). This veto was overridden by the Legislature.
• HB 280: Apportion Taxable Income by the House Rules Committee
• HB 314: Register Interior Designers, Extend Architect, Engineers, Land Surveyors Board by Representative Mike Prax (R – North Pole). This veto was overridden by the Legislature.
• SB 21: Alaska Work and Save Program by Senator Bill Wielechowski (D – Anchorage). The Legislature fell one vote short of overriding this bill veto.
• SB 24: Vape and E-Cigarette Tax by Senate President Gary Stevens (R – Kodiak).
• SB 41: Public School Mental Health Curriculum by Senator Elvi Gray-Jackson (D – Anchorage).
• SB 258: Licensing Software Applications by Senator Jesse Kiehl (D – Juneau).

Here is the list of bills that the Governor has allowed to become law since the end of the regular session as of June 24, 2026:

• SB 192: Evacuation Designation Levels by Senator Jesse Bjorkman (R – Nikiski)
• HB 1: Gold and Silver Specie as Legal Tender by Representative Kevin McCabe (R – Big Lake)
• HB 117: Set Net Permit and Electronic Monitoring for Trawlers by the House Fisheries Committee. In the Senate Resources Committee, we added electronic monitoring requirements for trawlers as a step toward reducing bycatch.
• HB 184: AIDEA Workforce Housing by Representative Andi Story (D – Juneau) and Senator Forrest Dunbar (D – Anchorage).
• HB 239: Public Safety Omnibus by Representative Chuck Kopp (R – Anchorage) and Senator Matt Claman (D – Anchorage).
• HB 27: Medical Major Emergencies and CPR Curriculum by Rep. Genevieve Mina (D – Anchorage). The sections requiring CPR Curriculum in schools originated as SB 20 from Senator Elvi Gray-Jackson (D – Anchorage) and were incorporated into HB 27 as an amendment on the Senate Floor.
• HB 363: Alcohol: Patriotic Organizations and Club Licenses by Representative Louise Stutes (R – Kodiak).
• SB 146: REAA and Small Muni Fund: Mount Edgecumbe Housing by the Senate Finance Committee. This bill passed the Legislature last year as HB 174 from Representative Robyn Frier (D – Utqiagvik) but that bill was vetoed. SB 146 was then reworked and was able to pass this session.
• SB 164: Eliminate Tax Discounts by Senator Kelly Merrick (R – Eagle River).
• SB 178: Expanding Early Intervention Services by the Senate Health and Social Services Committee, which is Chaired by Senator Forrest Dunbar (D – Anchorage).
• SB 187: Prohibiting Food Dies in School Lunches by Senator Bill Wielechowski (D – Anchorage).
• SB 23: Civics Education Curriculum by Senate President Gary Stevens (R – Kodiak).
• SB 272: Health Information Exchanges by the Senate Health and Social Services Committee, which is Chaired by Senator Forrest Dunbar (D – Anchorage).
• SB 79: Payment of Wages with Payroll Cards by the Senate Labor and Commerce Committee, which is Chaired by Senator Jesse Bjorkman (R – Nikiski).
• SB 89: Physician Assistant Scope of Practice Reforms by Senator Löki Tobin (D – Anchorage).
• HB 28: Mini Education Omnibus that included cost of energy grants to schools by Representative Andi Story (D – Juneau) and Senator Löki Tobin (D – Anchorage).
• HB 13: Municipal Property Tax Exemptions by Representative Andrew Gray (D – Anchorage). The Senate State Affairs Committee – which I chair – incorporated the language from HB 286 into HB 13. This added an optional municipal property tax exemption for hazardous materials workers.
• HB 36: Forster Children Psychiatric Treatment and Homes by Representative Andrew Gray (D – Anchorage).
• HB 39: Education for Deaf and Hard of Hearing by Representative Jamie Allard (R – Eagle River) and Senator Elvi Gray-Jackson (D – Anchorage).
• HB 110: Healthcare Licensing Compacts by Representative Andrew Gray (D – Anchorage).
• HB 298: Legislative Ethics by Representative Alyse Galvin (I – Anchorage).
• HB 50: Snow Classics by Representative Sara Hannan (D – Juneau).
• SB 29: Big Game Commercial Services Board by Senator Jesse Bjorkman (R – Nikiski).
• SB 130: Fisheries Production Development Tax Credit by request of the Alaska Seafood Industry Taskforce.
• SB 200: Municipal Assessments for Agricultural Land by Senator Jesse Bjorkman. This bill was amended on the House Floor to include HB 379 relating to Road Service Areas by the House State Affairs Committee, which is chaired by Rep. Ashley Carrick (D – West Fairbanks). HB 379 was introduced at the request of Fairbanks North Star Borough Mayor Grier Hopkins (D – Fairbanks) and does not impact existing road service areas.

If you have any questions about any of these bills, please feel free to contact my office, and we are happy to help as best we can! There are still 38 bills for the Governor to consider either vetoing or allowing to become law. Stay tuned for those vetoes as they are announced!

The Governor's Budget Vetoes

On Wednesday, June 24, the Governor signed his final budget into law. While he ultimately cut nearly $90 million, it is important to recognize that these budget cuts are a far cry from his first budget that nearly destroyed the University, the Senior Benefits Program and many more critical programs. The one sore spot in this budget is the Permanent Fund Dividend, which is only $1000 per Alaskan – far below the $3800 in law. With the Governor failing to develop real budgetary solutions to pay our obligations for state services and Alaskans individually through the PFD, the Legislature has continued to cut the PFD which is the most regressive form of taxation. Despite this setback, there are still important investments that were preserved in this budget including:

• $148 million one-time funding for Education
• Over $100 million in deferred maintenance funding for schools
• $60.6 million to recapitalize the Fire Suppression Fund
• $48 million to recapitalize the Disaster Relief Fund
• A fully funded University Budget
• $5.3 million for Pioneer Home payment assistance

While it is nice to see the governor finally support education funding overall and other critical state investments, there are some troubling vetoes, including:

• $4.9 million in targeted education investments – something the Governor claims to support.
• $6.4 million in childcare funding for working families
• $11.5 million in Medicaid funding
• $49.6 million to forward fund the Alaska Marine Highway
• $4 million for the Fairbanks Pipeline Training Center and an additional $5.3 million for the Alaska Vocational Technical Center in Seward. If we are to build this pipeline, we need workers and need to support workforce development programs to support our workforce.
• Special session funding for the Legislature. While we can all agree that special sessions are not ideal, it is odd for the governor to veto special session funding when we are in a special session he called for his priority bill.

You can read the final budget documents on the Office of Management and Budget website here. Next year's budget will be released on December 15, nine days after our next Governor is sworn in. If you have any questions about the enacted budget, please feel free to reach out to my office.

Two Personal Bills Become Law

In addition to the 25 bills listed in the previous section that have become law since the end of the regular session, I am pleased to announce that two bills I introduced have also become law. Here is a synopsis of each bill: Those include SB 104: Vehicles/Boats Transfer Title on Death, and SB 167 PFD Eligibility for Overturned Convictions.

SB 104 allows the title for a boat or vehicle to be transferred on the death of the owner to the next of kin or beneficiaries more easily. This bill was a collaborative process between me and Senator George Rauscher, who introduced HB18 during the 2025 session before he was appointed to the Senate.

SB 167 is a bill that I first introduced in 2016 as a member of the House and over the years this bill has become known as the Fairbanks Four Bill. In short, the bill establishes a process for someone for wrongful conviction compensation through the PFD. While it has become known as the Fairbanks Four Bill, this bill does not directly reimburse the Fairbanks Four for their lost PFD’s as they received their dividends as part of their settlement.

In addition to these two bills, the Senate State Affairs Committee – which I chair – passed two bills and one resolution. The two bills are awaiting action from the Governor, and I will provide more information on those bills as the governor acts upon them. In the final days of session, the Legislature passed SJR 30 which expresses the Legislature’s support for our military and infrastructure development in Alaska.

Celebrating America's 250th Birthday!

July 4, 2026, is the 250th Anniversary of the United States. During the legislative session, there were several efforts to honor this milestone. Specifically, the Legislature passed two resolutions to honor the semiquincentennial: House Concurrent Resolution 9 by Representative Ashley Carrick (D – West Fairbanks), and Senate Resolution 4 by Senator Cathy Tilton (R – Wasilla). In addition to co-sponsoring both these resolutions, both passed through the Senate State Affairs Committee, which I chair. America’s 250th birthday is a non-partisan celebration and opportunity to reflect on the progress that our country has made over the past two-and-a-half centuries – and a reminder that we still have a long way to grow and advance.

In addition to the usual fourth of July celebrations around town, there will be several events hosted by America 250 – the non-profit and non-partisan organization that supports the U.S. semi- quincentennial Commission. Here is a list of events going on around town leading up to and during July 4.

• Meet the Goldpanners: Thursday, July 2, from 10:00 a.m. to noon on the ground floor of the Global Credit Union Building at 1292 Sadler Way across from Home Depot. This is in the same building as the Fairbanks Legislative Information Office and our legislative offices. This event is being hosted by America 250 and you can learn more about this event here.

• A Celebration of Goldpanners History: Thursday, July 2, from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at the Morris Thompson Center. This event is being hosted by America 250 and you can learn more about this event here.

• MLB Play Ball Youth Clinic: Friday, July 3, from 10:00 a.m. to noon at Groden Memorial Park. This event is being hosted by America 250 and you can learn more about this event here.

• Freedom 250 North Pole 4th of July Festival: July 4, 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the North Pole Grange Hall. You can learn more here.

• North Pole July 4th Parade: July 4, 10:00 a.m. to noon and starts at 667 St. Nicholas Dr. You can learn more here.

• Pioneer Park 4th of July Celebration at Pioneer Park: July 4 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Pioneer Park. You can learn more here.

• Ester 4th of July Parade: July 4 starting at noon in Ester. You can learn more here.

Hearings and Public Testimony



The Legislature publishes the next week hearing schedule on Thursdays and one can find them at the Alaska Legislature website HERE. There are also a couple of hearings that directly impact the interior and Fairbanks that are highlighted below.


Legislative Teleconference Phone Numbers


All other Callers (844) 586 - 9085
From JNU 586- 9085
From ANC 563 - 9085

My Staff and I are Here for You



During the interim, my staff and I work from our office in the Fairbanks Legislative Information Office. If you have any questions about anything going on in the Capitol or at home, feel free to give me a call or shoot me an email – as always, my staff and I are working for you. We will assist you with the issues important to you and your family.

Working Hard for Fairbanks Families,

Senator Scott Kawasaki

Alaska State Senator

Serving the City of Fairbanks, Ft. Wainwright & Badger Road