House suspends almost all nonbudget business

Suspension of the Rules press availability, Feb. 8, 2016.
Alaska House leaders hold an impromptu press availability on Monday. The House had just voted to suspend legislative rules to suspend its nonbudget business so legislators can focus on the state’s budget crisis. Facing the press from left to right: House Majority Leader Charisse Millett, R- Anchorage, House Rules Chairman Craig Johnson, R- Anchorage, and House Speaker Mike Chenault, R- Nikiski. (Photo by Skip Gray/360 North)

Legislators have talked about focusing on the state budget since their session began three weeks ago. But today, they took action to make it official.

The House passed House Concurrent Resolution 23 that limits committees to working on bills that raise or spend state revenue. This new rule will remain in place until the House passes a budget.

House Speaker Mike Chenault, a Nikiski Republican, said putting a focus on the budget will allow legislators to be better informed about its details.

“My hope is that our members have times to actually going into the budget and actually look at programs that work, those that may not work,” Chenault said, adding that this would give legislators “more time to talk with people in the departments to find out … more about that budget and be able to make better decisions based on the information that they have, versus what they think they might have.”

House Democrats raised concerns that the rule change would reduce transparency. HCR 23 lowers the minimum advance public notice to 24 hours, down from several days.

But only one House member, Anchorage Democratic Rep. Andy Josephson, voted against the resolution.

The Senate is unlikely to make a similar change, according to Senate President Kevin Meyer, an Anchorage Republican. Meyer noted that it’s a small chamber with only 20 members instead of 40. He added the House will pass the budget first, giving the Senate time to consider other legislation.

In addition to the rule changes, there was another proposal to revise how the legislature functions this session.

Democratic members from both houses proposed that all legislators meet as a “Caucus of the Whole.” They said this would allow them to provide input before the Republicans in the majority advance the budget.

Members of the Alaska House and Senate minorities propose a single caucus system for the legislature, Feb. 8, 2016. They hope the change would overcome the divisiveness of the current two-caucus system made up of the majority and the minority and smooth efforts to deal with the state’s budget woes. From left to right: Rep. Chris Tuck, D- Anchorage, Sen. Berta Gardner, D-Anchorage, Rep. David Guttenberg, D- Fairbanks, Rep. Geran Tarr, D-Anchorage, Rep. Sam Kito III, D-Juneau, and Rep. Scott Kawasaki, D-Fairbanks. (Photo by Skip Gray/360 North)
Members of the Alaska House and Senate minorities propose a single caucus system for the legislature on Monday. They hope the change would overcome the divisiveness of the two-caucus system and smooth efforts to deal with the state’s budget woes.
From left to right: Rep. Chris Tuck, D- Anchorage, Sen. Berta Gardner, D-Anchorage, Rep. David Guttenberg, D- Fairbanks, Rep. Geran Tarr, D-Anchorage, Rep. Sam Kito III, D-Juneau, and Rep. Scott Kawasaki, D-Fairbanks. (Photo by Skip Gray/360 North)

Senate Minority Leader Berta Gardner, an Anchorage Democrat, said the change would encourage all legislators to work together.

“When the chips are down and the situation is urgent, we’ve always come through, shedding our identities as Republicans or Democrats, and remembering in our core, we are Alaskans first, we are Alaskans together,” she said.

Meyer said he’d consider the proposal, but wants more details about what the Democrats are looking for.

“We are going to need bipartisan support on passing any tax bills, and that’s true, but also we are going to need their help on budget reductions,” Meyer said, adding that budget cuts haven’t come up in discussions with Democrats.

The House canceled hearings on bills that weren’t related to the budget today. There was one exception for a bill that would make it easier for an antidote to opioid overdoses to be given to overdose victims.

Andrew Kitchenman

State Government Reporter, Alaska Public Media & KTOO

State government plays an outsized role in the life of Alaskans. As the state continues to go through the painful process of deciding what its priorities are, I bring Alaskans to the scene of a government in transition.

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