About Gavel to Gavel Alaska

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2 About Gavel to Gavel Alaska Gavel to Gavel Alaska provides coverage of all three branches of state government on a full-time statewide public affairs television channel and online. The service reaches almost every Alaskan on broadcast TV channels in Anchorage (KAKM), Juneau (KTOO) and Bethel (KYUK) and most of the cable television systems in Alaska, including every GCI Cable market in the state. Gavel Alaska is also seen on Dish Network and DirecTV, and streamed live on the web. Gavel to Gavel Alaska has been televising the meetings of the Alaska Legislature since Both the House and Senate were reluctant to grant permission the leaders were worried that live TV coverage would lead to grandstanding and disrupt the Legislative process. But ultimately, with strong editorial support from all of the state s major newspapers, Gavel to Gavel Alaska went on the air from 9:30 am on April 3, And as soon as it started, the Legislature promptly called for a 5-day recess. Gavel to Gavel Alaska has been televising the meetings of the Alaska Legislature since Undaunted, and with [ great response from the viewing public, we laid plans for full session coverage starting in January The model we developed in 1996 is still in place today: we provide live, unedited, start-to-finish coverage of House and Senate floor sessions, committee meetings and major public policy events. In 2001 we started live web streaming of the Gavel to Gavel television channel and began offering live audio streams of committee meetings. The online service has expanded to include live video streams and on demand video of almost every Legislative meeting. In 2007, we expanded from session-only coverage to a year-round public affairs channel, called 360 North. When the Legislature isn t in session, the channel airs Alaska public affairs programs. Gavel Alaska is a project of KTOO, the public media organization in Juneau. KTOO as an institution dates back to January of 1974, when KTOO-FM signed on the air at 10 watts from a small room in the local high school. As public broadcasting started to grow in Alaska in the 1970s, the organization expanded into television in 1978, with the launch of daily Legislative coverage and KTOO-TV. Since 2012, Gavel Alaska has received a grant of $98,800 from the Alaska Public Broadcasting Commission, a State of Alaska board appointed by the Governor to administer state funding for Alaska s public radio and television stations. KTOO also receives other state grants from the APBC to support Juneau s local public broadcasting services.

3 Look forward to new events and productions in our new multmedia We ve created this unique, high tech studio space for the community, for civic events, arts, cultural and music performances, town hall meetings, training classes, conferences, screenings, exhibitions, special events and more. We ve named the to connect with our statewide public affairs channel, 360 North, and our Juneau street address, 360 Egan Drive. The venue is a fully-equipped digital audio and high definition television studio, with state-ofthe-art video equipment, live web streaming capabilities and a high-end digital audio system, so it is ideal for video shoots, audio recordings and photo shoots. We expect will be home to a variety of public media projects which you will hear on KTOO, KRNN and KXLL and see on 360 North and online. We welcome creative ideas The venue is available for rent, with special discounts for Juneau s non-profit organizations. Find out more >

4 Gavel Alaska Credits Producers Jeremy Hsieh Lisa Phu Capitol Crew Skip Gray Bruck Bruckman Erin Burkert Darryl Tseu Kyle Schmitz Control Room David Waters John Kelly Tifany Nelson Aaron Russell Dian Martin Technical Support Jim Mahan Mikko Wilson Kevin Hurtley David Jackson Lance Hankins Management & Underwriting Bill Legere Tim Olson John Beiler Christy Ciambor 2014 Legislative Guide Jeremy Hsieh Sarah Yu Heather Bryant

5 How to Testify [ If you want to weigh in on legislation, there are several ways to get your opinion and comments directly to lawmakers and recorded for posterity. First, identify the specific legislation. Then find out where it is in the legislative process. You can look up bills, schedules, committee information and more on the web through BASIS, the legislature s Bill Action Status Inquiry System, or through the Legislative Affairs Agency s free ios and Android apps for smartphones and tablets. and text alerts for custom bill lists are available via the legislature s Bill Tracking Management Facility. The House Speaker and Senate President refer each bill to one or more committees, where public comment can be made. Committee schedules and bill details on BASIS usually note hearings for public testimony at least a few days in advance. Once you know where and when to testify, you can participate in three ways: continued >

6 3 ways to put in your 2 cents 1. Testify in person. Just show up, sign in and wait for your name to be called. You may need to wait several hours, depending on the agenda and how many people are signed up to testify. Specific practices for testimony vary from committee to committee and chair to chair. Time limits are common. Dialogue is usually discouraged. Legislators listen especially for whether a speaker is for or against the bill at hand, and for suggested changes. 2. Testify remotely. If you can t physically get to a committee hearing but want to testify live, go to your nearest Legislative Information Office. If you can t get to one, call your local LIO and join a live teleconference. 3. Testify in writing. See map of LIO locations. > It s important to address your written testimony to the committee as well as individual legislators, because the legislature s records policy makes a distinction between what s public and private. Individual legislators records are private according to the policy, and may be excluded from official public records. Written testimony submitted to a committee is public. Further, under Uniform Rule 23, committees must deliver written testimony to the legislative reference library for recordkeeping. Written testimony can be submitted via , LIO, or the Public Opinion Message system. Committee rosters, addresses and other contact information are available on the legislature s website. [ In all forms of testimony, identify yourself and who you are representing, such as a business, other organization or yourself. Live testimony is recorded and archived in official meeting minutes and state audio archives. Live testimony may also likely be in unofficial archives through Gavel Alaska and the Legislative Affairs Agency s webstreams.

7 How to use Gavel to Gavel Alaska You can find live webcasts, archived video, news updates and more at [ In addition to live TV broadcasts of legislative events, you can also find multiple live video streams on the Gavel Alaska website covering meetings as they happen on the hill. The schedule of Gavel coverage is available on the site in addition to access to all archived session content. Archived video is viewable online and is also embeddable for use on your website. Here s an example of the interface of archived video.

8 Legislative Information Offices There are 23 Legislative Information Offices spread around the state. To testify or participate in conference calls, contact your nearest LIO for more information. [

9 Legislator Alaska House of Representatives There are 40 members of the Alaska House of Representatives. Here s a rundown of each legislator s duties and professional background. [

10 Select a name to view the profile or swipe to flip through all of them. Alaska House of Representatives Doug Isaacson Tammie Wilson Steve Thompson Scott Kawasaki Pete Higgins Eric Feige Wes Keller Shelley Hughes Lynn Gattis Mark Neuman Bill Stoltze Dan Saddler Gabrielle LeDoux Max Gruenberg Andy Josephson Harriet Drummond Geran Tarr Les Gara Lindsey Holmes Mia Costello Craig Johnson Chris Tuck Bob Lynn Charisse Millett Lance Pruitt Lora Reinbold Mike Hawker Mike Chenault Kurt Olsen Paul Seaton Cathy Munoz Beth Kerttula Peggy Wilson Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins Alan Austerman Bryce Edgmon Bob Herron David Guttenberg Neal Foster Benjamin Nageak

11 Rep. Doug Isaacson District 1 North Pole House Energy Committee, co-chair House Transportation Committee, vice chair House State Affairs Committee, member Joint Armed Services Committee, member House Finance: Corrections Subcommittee, member House Finance: Transportation & Public Facilities Subcommittee, member House Finance: Military and Veterans Affairs Subcommittee, member State Capitol Room 13 Municipal government, mortgage finance House member since 2013 Mayor of North Pole, North Pole City Councilman, Former President of the Alaska Association of Mortgage Brokers Former Director-at-Large of the Alaska Municipal League Juneau North Pole Rep. Tammie Wilson District 2 North Pole House Finance: Education & Early Development Subcommittee, chair House Finance: Labor & Workforce Development Subcommittee, chair House Task Force on Sustainable Education, co-chair House Finance Committee, member House Finance: Health & Social Services Subcommittee, member Municipal government, volunteer work House member since 2009 Fairbanks North Star Borough Assembly Member, Love In the Name of Christ of the Tanana Valley, former board member and manager State Capitol Room Juneau Fairbanks

12 Rep. Steve Thompson District 3 Fairbanks House Finance Committee, member House Finance: Military & Veterans Affairs Subcommittee, chair House Finance: Revenue Subcommittee, chair House Finance: Health & Social Services Subcommittee, member House Finance: Fiscal Policy Subcommittee, member Representative.Steve.Thompson@akleg.gov Municipal government, business House member since 2011 Mayor of Fairbanks, M&O Auto Parts employee/partner, Retired U.S. Army sergeant, State Capitol Room Juneau Fairbanks Rep. Scott Kawasaki Democrat District 4 Fairbanks Legislative Budget & Audit Committee, member House Finance Committee, member House Finance: Public Safety Subcommittee, member House Finance: Health & Social Services Subcommittee, member House Finance: Environmental Conservation Subcommittee, member House Finance: Corrections Subcommittee, member House Finance: Military & Veterans Affairs Subcommittee, member Representative.Scott.Kawasaki@ Municipal government, hospital patient relations House member since 2007 Fairbanks Memorial Hospital patient representative Fairbanks City Council, State Capitol Room Juneau Fairbanks

13 Rep. Pete Higgins District 5 Fairbanks House Health & Social Services Committee, chair House Economic Development, Trade & Tourism Committee, member House Energy Committee, member House Finance: Environmental Conservation Subcommittee, member House Finance: Revenue Subcommittee, member House Finance: Court System Subcommittee, member House Military & Veterans Affairs Committee, member Representative.Pete.Higgins@akleg.gov State Capitol Room 424 Dentistry, Alaska Party, drywall House member since 2013 Four Corners Dental Group, owner 2012 Romney campaign Alaska Steering Committee, member Alaska Party, former district chairman Juneau Fairbanks Rep. Eric Feige District 6 Chickaloon House Resources Committee, co-chair House Fisheries Committee, member House Transportation Committee, member Joint Armed Services Committee, member House Finance: Natural Resources Subcommittee, member House Finance: Public Safety Subcommittee, member House Finance: University of Alaska Subcommittee, member Representative.Eric.Feige@akleg.gov State Capitol Room Juneau Aviation, small business House member since 2011 The Castle Mountain Group, Inc., co-owner Chickaloon Fire Service, chief Northwest Technical Services, Inc., pilot Alaska Trophy Hunting and Fishing LLC, pilot Northern Air Cargo pilot and flight engineer, Inland Aviation Services owner, Retired U.S. Army captain,

14 Rep. Wes Keller House Judiciary Committee, chair House State Affairs Committee, chair House Health & Social Committee, vice-chair House Rules Committee, member House Finance: Court System Subcommittee, member House Finance: Law Subcommittee, member House Finance: Revenue Subcommittee, member District 7 Wasilla Representative.Wes.Keller@akleg.gov State Capitol Room Juneau Wasilla Building maintenance and construction, legislative staffer House member since 2007 Chief of Staff to Sen. Fred Dyson, Self-employed homebuilder, Schlumberger Oilfield Services, oilfield hand, Alaska Teamsters Training Center, administrator, Alaska Air National Guard, Rep. ShelleyHughes District 8 Palmer House Economic Development, Trade & Tourism Committee, chair Unmanned Aircraft Systems Task Force, co-chair House Energy Committee, member House State Affairs Committee, member House Military & Veterans Affairs Committee, member House Finance: Fish & Game Subcommittee, member House Finance: University of Alaska Subcommittee, member State Capitol Room Juneau Wasilla Government relations, volunteer work, education House member since 2012 Alaska Primary Care Association, government affairs director, Legislative aide to Rep. Carl Gatto, Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District, substitute teacher, Stay-at-home mom,

15 @LynnGattisAK State Capitol Room Juneau Wasilla Rep. Lynn Gattis House Education Committee, chair House Task Force on Sustainable Education Committee, co-chair House Transportation Committee, member House Fisheries Committee, member House Economic Development, Trade & Tourism Committee, member House State Affairs Committee, member House Finance: Revenue Subcommittee, member House Finance: Labor & Workforce Development Subcommittee, member House Finance: Education & Early Development Subcommittee, member Aircraft sales and leasing, real estate, farming House member since 2013 Gattis Aircraft, owner, 1983-present Rental properties Gattis Farms (hay sales) Matanuska-Susitna Borough School Board, Northern Air Cargo sales manager, Flying Tiger Lines sales manager, Kodiak Western Alaska Airlines area manager, District 9 Wasilla Rep. Mark Neuman District 10 Big Lake House Finance Committee, vice-chair House Finance: Health & Social Services Subcommittee, chair House Finance: Transportation & Public Facilities Subcommittee, chair Alaska Arctic Policy Commission, member Representative.Mark.Neuman@akleg.gov Small business, woodworking House member since 2005 Heirloom Wood Crafters, owner Conference of Alaskans delegate, 2004 State Capitol Room Juneau Wasilla

16 State Capitol Room Juneau Wasilla Rep. Bill Stoltze District 11 Chugiak House Finance Committee, co-chair Legislative Budget & Audit Committee, member Legislative Council, member House Committee on Committees, member House Finance: Court System Subcommittee, chair House Finance: Fish & Game Subcommittee, chair House Finance: Health & Social Services Subcommittee, member House Finance: Fiscal Policy Subcommittee, member House Finance: Governor Subcommittee, member House Finance: Law Subcommittee, member House Finance: Legislature Subcommittee, member Legislative staffer House member since 2003 Legislative aide, Former Chugiak Senior Housing, Inc., secretary/director Rep. Dan Saddler District 12 Eagle River Joint Armed Services Committee, co-chair Autism Early Diagnosis and Treatment Task Force, co-chair House Education Committee, member House Labor & Workforce Development Committee, member House Military & Veterans Affairs Committee, member House Finance: Commerce, Community & Economic Development Subcommittee, member House Finance: Natural Resources Subcommittee, member House Finance: Military & Veterans Affairs Subcommittee, member State Capitol Room Juneau Eagle River State government, journalism House member since 2011 Former legislative aide Former House Majority press secretary Former deputy press secretary to the governor Former Department of Natural Resources special assistant Former deputy director of the Governor s Office of Boards and Commissions

17 Rep. Gabrielle LeDoux District 13 Anchorage House Community & Regional Affairs Committee, co-chair House Military & Veterans Affairs Committee, co-chair House Education Committee, member House Judiciary Committee, member House Finance: Commerce, Community & Economic Development Subcommittee, member House Finance: Law Subcommittee, member House Finance: Military & Veterans Affairs Subcommittee, State Capitol Room Juneau Maritime law, municipal government, real estate House member (representing Anchorage) since 2013 House member (representing Kodiak), Mayor of Kodiak, Residential rentals Former private practice lawyer Rep. Max Gruenberg Democrat District 14 Anchorage House Minority floor leader House Judiciary Committee, member House Rules Committee, member Legislative Council, member House Military & Veterans Affairs Committee, member House Finance: Military & Veterans Afffairs Subcommittee, member House Finance: Law Subcommittee, member House Finance: Court System Subcommittee, member State Capitol Room Juneau Anchorage Family law, state government House member since 2003 House member, Former partner in Gruenberg, Clover & Holland law firm Retired U.S. Navy lieutenant, Vietnam veteran Rental properties

18 @RepAndyJ State Capitol Room Juneau Anchorage Rep. Andy Josephson Democrat District 15 Anchorage Legislative Budget & Audit Committee, member House Energy Committee, member House Labor & Commerce Committee, member Select Committee on Legislative Ethics, alternate House Finance: Commerce, Community & Economic Development Subcommittee, member House Finance: Education & Early Development Subcommittee, member House Finance: Law Subcommittee, member House Finance: University of Alaska Subcommittee, member Criminal and family law, education House member since 2013 Associate Attorney, Law Offices of G.R. Eschbacher, Anchorage Planning and Zoning Commission, Associate Attorney, Law Offices of Dan Allan & Associates, UAA Constitutional law adjunct instructor, Assistant District Attorney, Kuspuk School District teacher Rep. Harriet Drummond Democrat District 16 Anchorage House Education Committee, member House Community & Regional Affairs Committee, member House Economic Development, Trade & Tourism Committee, member House Finance: Administration Subcommittee, member House Finance: Commerce, Community & Economic Development Subcommittee, member House Finance: Transportation & Public Facilities Subcommittee, member House Finance: Education & Early Development Subcommittee, member State Capitol Room Juneau Anchorage Graphic design, municipal government House member since 2013 Anchorage Assembly, Anchorage School Board, Drummond Design, self-employed graphic designer

19 Rep. Geran Tarr Democrat District 17 Anchorage House Resources Committee, member House Health & Social Services Committee, member House Economic Development, Trade & Tourism Committee, member Administrative Regulation Review Committee, member Joint Armed Services Committee, member House Finance: Environmental Conservation Subcommittee, member House Finance: Public Safety Subcommittee, member House Finance: Labor & Workforce Development Subcommittee, State Capitol Room Juneau Anchorage Biology, education, nonprofits, volunteer work House member since 2013 UAA Biology Department adjunct, 1999-present Anchorage Park Foundation, accounting and grants management Director of Alliance for Reproductive Justice Former Chief of Staff to Sen. Johnny Ellis Rep. Les Gara Democrat District 18 Anchorage House Finance Committee, member House Finance: Health & Social Services Subcommittee, member House Finance: Fiscal Policy Subcommittee, Consumer protection law, freelance writing House member since 2003 Snow City Cafe part-owner Freelance fishing writer Former private practice lawyer Former Assistant Attorney General Former AkPIRG board member State Capitol Room Juneau Anchorage

20 Rep. Lindsey Holmes District 19 Anchorage House Finance Committee, member House Finance: Administration Subcommittee, chair House Finance: Law Subcommittee, chair House Finance: Health & Social Services, member House Finance: Fiscal Policy Subcommittee, Corporate law, real estate law House member since 2007 Corporate and regulatory lawyer for GCI, 2008-present RISE Alaska project manager, Heller Ehrman White & McAuliffe lawyer, State Capitol Room Juneau Anchorage Rep. Mia Costello District 20 Anchorage House Finance Committee, member House Finance: Commerce, Community & Economic Development Subcommittee, chair House Finance: Natural Resources Subcommittee, chair House Finance: Fiscal Policy Subcommittee, chair House Finance: Health & Social Services Subcommittee, State Capitol Room Juneau Anchorage State government, education House member since 2011 Former tutor with Nine Star Education & Employment Services Rental properties Former deputy director of communications for Gov. Frank Murkowski Former legislative aide to Rep. Norm Rokeberg Former public information officer to Gov. Wally Hickel Former high school teacher in Juneau and Anchorage

21 State Capitol Room Juneau Anchorage Rep. Craig Johnson District 21 Anchorage House Rules Committee, chair House Committee on Committees, member Legislative Council, member House Resources Committee, member House Fisheries Committee, member House Economic Development, Trade & Tourism Committee, member House Transportation Committee, member Select Committee on Legislative Ethics, alternate House Finance: Legislature Subcommittee, member House Finance: Governor Subcommittee, member House Finance: Administration Subcommittee, member House Finance: Court System Subcommittee, member Business management, legislative staffer House member since 2007 Former legislative aide to Rep. Lesil McGuire Former chief of staff to Sen. Jerry Ward Former general manager of Alaska Publications Former general manager of the Alaska Journal of Commerce, Alaska Military Weekly Rep. Chris Tuck House Minority whip House Resources Committee, member Select Committee on Legislative Ethics, member House Finance: Administration Subcommittee, member House Finance: Fish & Game Subcommittee, member House Finance: Governor Subcommittee, member House Finance: Legislature, member House Finance: Revenue Subcommittee, member Democrat District 22 State Capitol Room 422 Electrician, union business, municipal government House member since 2010 Organizer/business representative with International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1547 since 2001 Anchorage School Board, Juneau Anchorage

22 Rep. Bob Lynn District 23 Anchorage House State Affairs Committee, chair House Judiciary Committee, vice-chair House Transportation Committee, member Joint Armed Services Committee, member House Finance: Administration Subcommittee, member House Finance: Corrections Subcommittee, member House Finance: Military & Veterans Affairs Subcommittee, member State Capitol Room Juneau Anchorage Military, education, municipal government, real estate House member since 2003 Former president of Alaska Right to Life Associate real estate broker with Prudential Vista/Century 21 in Anchorage, Moreno Valley (Calif.) City Council, Teacher in California schools, Retired U.S. Air Force major, Vietnam State Capitol Room Juneau Anchorage Rep. Charisse Millet House Energy Committee, co-chair Select Committee on Legislative Ethics, member House State Affairs Committee, member House Judiciary Committee, member House Labor & Commerce Committee, member House Task Force on Sustainable Education, member House Finance: Administration Subcommittee, member House Finance: Commerce, Community & Economic Development Subcommittee, member House Finance: Labor & Workforce Development Subcommittee, member Small airlines, state government, commercial fishing House member since 2009 Legislative staff to Reps. Vic Kohring and John Harris Legislative liaison to Gov. Frank Murkowski Commercial fishing Reeve Aleutian Airlines and Era Aviation, District 24 Anchorage

23 @Rep_LancePruitt State Capitol Room Juneau Anchorage Rep. Lance Pruitt District 25 Anchorage House Majority leader Legislative Council, member House Committee on Committees, member House Health & Social Services Committee, member House Judiciary Committee, member House Economic Development, Trade & Tourism Committee, member House Finance: Subcommittee on Environmental Conservation, member House Finance: Subcommittee on Natural Resources, member House Finance: Governor Subcommittee, member House Finance: Law Subcommittee, member House Finance: Legislature Subcommittee, member Logistics, business management, small business House member since 2011 Sears Logistics general manager Partner in Pruitt International Enterprises (snack and beverage sales) Former FedEx Ground service manager Former North Slope oilfield worker for NANA Rep. Lora Reinbold District 26 Eagle River Administrative Regulation Review, chair House Education Committee, vice-chair House Labor & Commerce, vice-chair House Community & Regional Affairs Committee, member House Health & Social Services Committee, member House Military & Veterans Affairs Committee, member House Finance: Education & Early Development Subcommittee, member House Finance: Labor & Workforce Development Subcommittee, member House Finance: University of Alaska Subcommittee, State Capitol Room 432 Health care marketing, business management, education House member since 2013 Substitute teacher for Anchorage School District, , Alaska district manager for Bristol-Meyers Squibb, Juneau Eagle River

24 State Capitol Room Juneau Anchorage Rep. Mike Hawker District 27 Anchorage Legislative Council, chair Legislative Budget & Audit Committee, vice-chair Administrative Regulation Review Committee, member House Finance Committee, member House Rules Committee, member House Resources Committee, member House Finance: Corrections Subcommittee, member House Finance: Health & Social Services Subcommittee, member House Finance: Public Safety Subcommittee, member House Finance: Revenue Subcommittee, member Accounting House member since 2003 Self-employed business and accounting consultant, Partner in Hawker and Raleigh accounting firm, Financial accounting and reporting consultant for Price Waterhouse, Former president of Alaska Gun Collectors Association, Alaska Machine Gun Association Rep. Mike Chenault Speaker of the House House Committee on Committees, chair House Rules Committee, member Legislative Council, member House Labor & Commerce Committee House Finance: Governor Subcommittee, member House Finance: Legislature Subcommittee, member District 28 Nikiski State Capitol Room 208 Oilfield construction, school board House member since 2001 Kenai Peninsula Borough School Board, Partner in Qwick Construction Company, Inc Juneau Kenai

25 State Capitol Room Juneau Kenai Rep. Kurt Olsen District 29 Soldotna House Labor & Commerce Committee, chair House Rules Committee, vice-chair Legislative Budget & Audit Committee, member House Resources Committee, member House Fisheries Committee, member House Community & Regional Affairs Committee, member House Economic Development, Trade & Tourism Committee, member House Finance: Administration Subcommittee, member House Finance: Fish & Game Subcommittee, member House Finance: Labor & Workforce Development Subcommittee, member Legislative staffer, commercial insurance, municipal government House member since 2005 Legislative staff to Sen. Tom Wagoner, Legislative staff to Sen. John Torgerson, 2002 Soldotna City Council, Rep. Paul Seaton District 30 Homer House Fisheries Committee, chair House Resources Committee, member House Education Committee, member House Health & Social Services Committee, member House Finance: Environmental Conservation Subcommittee, member House Finance: Fish & Game Subcommittee, member House Finance: Transportation & Public Facilities, member State Capitol Room Juneau Homer Commercial fishing, real estate, education, marine biology House member since 2003 Commercial fisherman, 1966-present Owner of KNS Marine Rental properties Founding member of the Alaska Marine Conservation Council

26 Rep. Cathy Munoz District 31 Juneau House Finance Committee, member House Finance: Environmental Conservation Subcommittee, chair House Finance: University of Alaska Subcommittee, chair House Finance: Health & Social Services Subcommittee, Municipal government, small business House member since 2009 Rental properties Juneau Assembly, Owner of Ad Lib gallery and gift shop, State Capitol Room Juneau Rep. Beth Kurttula House Minority leader Alaska Arctic Policy Commission, member House Committee on Committees, member House Finance: Governor Subcommittee, member House Finance: Legislature Subcommittee, member House Finance: Revenue Subcommittee, member House Finance: Fish & Game Subcommittee, member House Finance: Corrections Subcommittee, member Democrat District 32 Juneau State Capitol Room Juneau Natural resource and environmental law House member since 1999? Kerttula Law Office, Assistant attorney general, Private practice lawyer, Assistant public defender,

27 @RepPeggyWilson State Capitol Room Juneau Wrangell Rep. Peggy Wilson House Majority whip House Transportation Committee, chair House Resources Committee, vice-chair House Committee on Committees, member Legislative Council, member House Education Committee, member House Finance: Education & Early Development Subcommittee, member House Finance: Commerce, Community & Economic Development Subcommittee, member House Finance: Environmental Conservation Subcommittee, member Emergency medical care, nursing, real estate House member since 2001 North Carolina House of Representatives, Rental properties Former emergency room nurse Former school nurse Former emergency medical technician District 33 Wrangell Rep. Jonathan Kreiss-Tompkins Democrat District 34 Sitka House Transportation Committee, member House Fisheries Committee, member House State Affairs Committee, member House Finance: Transportation & Public Facilities Subcommittee, member House Finance: Natural Resources Subcommittee, member House Finance: Court System Subcommittee, member House Finance: Labor & Workforce Development Subcommittee, member State Capitol Room Juneau Sitka Student, mountaineering, community projects House member since 2013 Founder and coordinator of TEDx Sitka Founder and coordinator of Sitka Fellows program 2004 Howard Dean presidential campaign volunteer

28 @RepAusterman State Capitol Room Juneau Kodiak Rep. Alan Austerman District 35 Kodiak House Finance Committee, co-chair House Committee on Committees, member Legislative Budget & Audit Committee, member Legislative Council Alaska Arctic Policy Commission, member House Finance: Governor Subcommittee, chair House Finance: Legislature Subcommittee, chair House Finance: Fish & Game Subcommittee, member House Finance: Health & Social Services Subcommittee, member House Finance: Fiscal Policy Subcommittee, member State government, business management, commercial fishing, municipal government House member since 2009 Fisheries policy advisor to Gov. Frank Murkowski, Senator, House member, Kodiak Island Convention & Visitors Bureau executive director, Kodiak Island Borough Assembly, , Austerman s Office Supply owner, Commercial fisherman Kadiak Times owner, Alaska National Guard sergeant, Rep. Bryce Edgmon Democrat District 36 Dillingham House Finance: Corrections Subcommittee, chair House Finance: Public Safety Subcommittee, chair Alaska Arctic Policy Commission, member House Finance Committee, member House Finance: Health & Social Services Subcommittee, member Representative.Bryce.Edgmon@akleg.gov State Capitol Room Juneau Anchorage State government, commercial fishing House member since 2007 Choggiung Limited village corporation board president Rental properties Commercial fisherman Former chief operating officer of Bristol Bay Economic Development Corp. Former legislative aide to Rep. Carl Moses Legislative aide to Sen. George Jacko, 1990s

29 State Capitol Room Juneau Bethel Rep. Bob Herron Democrat District 37 Bethel Alaska Arctic Policy Commission, co-chair House Rules Committee, member Legislative Budget & Audit Committee, member House Fisheries Committee, member House Economic Development, Trade & Tourism Committee, member House Community & Regional Affairs Committee, member House Labor & Commerce Committee, member House Finance: Corrections Subcommittee, member House Finance: Transportation & Public Facilities Subcommittee, member House Finance: Public Safety Subcommittee, member State government, business management, municipal government House member since 2009 VFW Post manager Golden Eagle Unlimited, Inc. (bus company) Alaska Congressional Delegation, Bethel office, Bethel city manager, Lower Kuskokwim School Board, Legislative aide, Former owner/general manager of Bethel Cablevision Former owner of North Star Gas Retired U.S. Marine Corps sergeant, Rep. David Guttenberg Democrat District 38 Fairbanks House Finance Committee, member House Finance: Health & Social Services Subcommittee, member House Finance: Natural Resources Subcommittee, member House Finance: University of Alaska Subcommittee, State Capitol Room 418 Union business, construction, Alaska Democratic Party House member since 2003 Owner of Murphy Dome Gardens (peony farming) Alaska Civil Air Patrol major Legislative staff to Rep. John Davies, Former chairman of the Alaska Democratic Party Legislative staff to Rep. Tom Moyer, Juneau Fairbanks

30 Rep. Neal Foster Democrat District 39 Nome House Military & Veterans Affairs Committee, co-chair House Community & Regional Affairs Committee, member House Energy Committee, member House Judiciary Committee, member House Finance: Natural Resources Subcommittee, member House Finance: Transportation & Public Facilities Subcommittee, member House Finance: Public Safety Subcommittee, member State Capitol Room Juneau Nome Real estate, corporate boards, municipal government House member since 2009 Nome City Council, Rental properties Siu Alaska Corp. board member since 2008 Sitnasuak Native Corp. board member since 2003 Bering Straits Regional Native Corp. board member since 2006 Rep. Benjamin Nageak Democrat District 40 Barrow House Community & Regional Affairs Committee, co-chair House Energy Committee, member House Health & Social Services Committee, member House Finance: University of Alaska Subcommittee, member House Finance: Court System Subcommittee, member House Finance: Education & Early Development Subcommittee State Capitol Room Juneau Municipal government, wildlife management House member since 2013 Assistant to North Slope Borough Planning Department Special assistant to North Slope Borough mayor Former natural resources program coordinator for Bureau of Land Management, Arctic Field Office North Slope Borough mayor, Former North Slope Borough wildlife management director Former executive vice president of Ilisagvik College Former Alaska Board of Game member Former chairman of the Eskimo Walrus Commission U.S. Army

31 Alaska Senate There are 20 members of the Alaska Senate. Here s a rundown of each legislator s duties and professional background. [

32 Select a name to view the profile or swipe to flip through all of them. Alaska Senate John Coghill Pete Kelly Click Bishop Mike Dunleavy Charlie Huggins Fred Dyson Bill Wielechowski Berta Gardner Johnny Ellis Hollis French Lesil McGuire Kevin Meyer Anna Fairclough Cathy Giessel Peter Micciche Dennis Egan Bert Stedman Gary Stevens Lyman Hoffman Donny Olson

33 @SenatorCoghill State Capitol Room Juneau North Pole Sen. John Coghill District A North Pole Senate Majority Leader Senate Judiciary Committee, chair Senate Special Committee on In-State Energy, co-chair Senate Rules Committee, vice-chair Legislative Council, member Senate Committee on Committees, member Senate State Affairs, member Joint Armed Services Committee, member Senate Finance: Administration Subcommittee, member Senate Finance: Health & Social Services Subcommittee, member Senate Finance: Public Safety Subcommittee, member Small business, church work, Party Senator since 2009 House member, U.S. Air Force staff sergeant, Sen. Pete Kelly District B Fairbanks Senate Finance Committee, co-chair Joint Armed Services Committee, co-chair Senate Finance: Governor Subcommittee, co-chair Senate Finance: Legislature Subcommittee, co-chair Senate Finance: Court System Subcommittee, chair Senate Finance: Law Subcommittee, chair Senate Finance: University of Alaska Subcommittee, member Senate Health & Social Services, member Sen.Pete.Kelly@akleg.gov State Capitol Room Juneau Fairbanks State government, University of Alaska Senator since 2013 Senator, House member, University of Alaska, director of state relations

34 @CLICK_BISHOP State Capitol Room Juneau Fairbanks Sen. Click Bishop District C Fairbanks Senate Finance Committee, member Senate Resources Committee, member Legislative Budget & Audit Committee, member Senate Committee on In-State Energy, co-chair Senate Finance: Corrections Subcommittee, chair Senate Finance: Natural Resources Subcommittee, chair Senate Finance: Labor & Workforce Development Subcommittee, chair Senate Finance: Military & Veterans Affairs Subcommittee, chair Senate Transportation Committee, member Senate Community & Regional Affairs Committee, member State government, union business, operating engineer, placer mining Senator since 2013 Rampart Exploration LLC placer mining Department of Labor & Workforce Development commissioner, International Union of Operating Engineers Local 302 administrator, Operating engineer, State Capitol Room Juneau Wasilla Sen. Mike Dunleavy Senate Labor & Commerce Committee, chair Senate Special Committee on TAPS Throughput, co-chair Senate Finance: Environmental Conservation Subcommittee, chair Senate Finance: Fish & Game, chair Senate Education Committee, vice-chair Senate Finance: Education & Early Development Subcommittee, chair Legislative Budget & Audit Committee, member Senate Finance Committee, member Legislative Council, member Senate World Trade Committee, member Education Senator since 2013 Mat-Su Borough School Board, UAF director of K-12 outreach, 2011 Dunleavy Educational Services (education consulting) Former teacher, principal and superintendent District D Wasilla

35 Sen. Charlie Huggins Senate President Senate Committee on Committees, chair Legislative Council, member Senate Education Committee, member Senate Finance: Governor Subcommittee, member Senate Finance: Legislature Subcommittee, member Senate Rules Committee, member Senate World Trade Committee, member District E Wasilla Sen.Charlie.Huggins@akleg.gov State Capitol Room 111 Military Senator since 2004 Retired U.S. Army colonel, Juneau Wasilla Sen. Fred Dyson District F Eagle River Senate State Affairs Committee, chair Senate Resources Committee, vice-chair Senate Transportation Committee, vice-chair Senate Judiciary Committee, member Joint Armed Services Committee, member Senate Finance: Corrections Subcommittee, member Senate Finance: Transportation & Public Facilities Subcommittee, member Senate Finance: Public Safety Subcommittee, member Sen.Fred.Dyson@akleg.gov State Capitol Room Juneau Eagle River Commercial fishing, municipal government, oil industry Senator since 2003 House member, Owner/captain of marine charter service, Commercial fisherman, Anchorage Municipal Assembly Maintenance engineer for British Petroleum,

36 Sen. Bill Wielechowski Democrat District G Anchorage Joint Armed Services Committee, member Senate Special Committee on In-State Energy, member Senate Judiciary Committee, member Senate State Affairs Committee, member Senate Finance: Natural Resources Subcommittee, member Senate Finance: Military & Veterans Affairs Subcommittee, member Senate Finance: Revenue Subcommittee, member State Capitol Room Juneau Anchorage Labor law, state and municipal boards Senator since 2007 IBEW 1547 lawyer Anchorage Planning and Zoning Commission, Alaska Workers Compensation Board, Department of Labor & Workforce Development hearing officer, State Capitol Room Juneau Anchorage Sen. Berta Gardner Democrat District H Anchorage Senate Education Committee, member Select Committee on Legislative Ethics, member Senate World Trade Committee, member Senate Special Committee on TAPS Throughput, member Senate Finance: Health & Social Services Subcommittee, member Senate Finance: Education & Early Development Subcommittee, member Senate Finance: Labor & Workforce Development Subcommittee, member Senate Finance: University of Alaska Subcommittee, member Small business, community councils Senator since 2013 House member, Owner/Manager of Brown Bear Software, Inc.

37 @SenJohnnyEllis State Capitol Room Juneau Anchorage Sen. Johnny Ellis Democrat District I Anchorage Senate minority leader Autism Early Diagnosis and Treatment Task Force, co-chair Senate Committee on Committees, member Senate Rules Committee, member Senate Labor & Commerce Committee, member Senate Health & Social Services Committee, member Senate Finance: Administration Subcommittee, member Senate Finance: Corrections Subcommittee, member Senate Finance: Environmental Conservation Subcommittee, member State government, real estate, small business Senator since 1993 House member, Rental properties Alaska Political Insights (consulting) Partner in Ellis Brothers (properties and investments) Former partner of Macuir Company, Former owner of Alaska Natural (wholesale gifts), Legislative aide to Rep. Don Clocksin, 1980s Sen. Hollis French Administrative Regulation Review Committee, member Senate Resources Committee, member Senate Transportation Committee, member Senate Finance: Court System Subcommittee, member Senate Finance: Public Safety Subcommittee, member Senate Finance: Law Subcommittee, member Select Committee on Legislative Ethics, alternate Democrat District J State Capitol Room 504 Criminal law, real estate, oil industry Senator since 2003 Co-owner of French Apartments, 1989-present Assistant District Attorney, Production operator for ARCO, Production operator for Shell Oil Co., U.S. Marine Corps Reserve,

38 @lesilmcguire State Capitol Room Juneau Anchorage Sen. Lesil McGuire Alaska Arctic Policy Commission, co-chair Senate Rules Committee, chair Senate Judiciary Committee, vice-chair Senate World Trade Committee, vice-chair Senate Committee on Committees, member Senate Resources Committee, member Senate Special Committee on TAPS Throughput, member Senate Finance: Commerce, Community & Economic Development Subcommittee, member Senate Finance: Health & Social Services Subcommittee, member Senate Finance: Revenue Subcommittee, member Politics Senator since 2007 House member House Judiciary Committee aide, 2000 Oregon Department of Justice law clerk, Legislative intern for U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens, District K Anchorage State Capitol Room Juneau Anchorage Sen. Kevin Meyer District L Anchorage Senate Finance Committee, co-chair Senate Finance: Commerce, Community & Economic Development Subcommittee, chair Senate Finance: Transportation & Public Facilities Subcommittee, chair Senate Finance: Governor Subcommittee, co-chair Senate Finance: Legislature Subcommittee, co-chair Senate Rules Committee, member Senate Committee on Committees, member Legislative Council, member Legislative Budget & Audit Committee, member Senate Health & Social Services Committee, member Business administration, oil industry, municipal government Senator since 2009* House member, Anchorage Assembly, Investment recovery coordinator for ConocoPhillips Alaska, 2008-present Purchasing representative for ConocoPhillips Alaska, Director of administration services for ARCO Alaska, Rental properties

39 @lesilmcguire State Capitol Room Juneau Anchorage Sen. Anna Fairclough Senate Finance: Administration Subcommittee, chair Legislative Budget & Audit Committee, chair Senate Finance Committee, vice-chair Senate Finance: Revenue Subcommittee, chair Senate Finance: University of Alaska Subcommittee, chair Senate Resources Committee, member Senate Special Committee on TAPS Throughput, member Senate Transportation Committee, member Joint Armed Services Committee, member Senate Finance: Governor Subcommittee, member Senate Finance: Legislature Subcommittee, member Select Committee on Legislative Ethics, alternate District M Eagle River Nonprofit administration, municipal government, union business Senator since 2013 House member, Anchorage Assembly, Hospice of Anchorage development director, 2007-present Former executive director of Standing Together Against Rape Membership services, United Food & Commercial Workers Local 1496 Sen. Cathy Giessel District N Anchorage State Capitol Room Juneau Anchorage Administrative Regulation Review, vice-chair Senate Community & Regional Affairs, vice-chair Senate Resources Committee, chair Senate State Affairs Committee, vice-chair Alaska Arctic Policy Commission, member Legislative Budget & Audit Committee, member Select Committee on Legislative Ethics, member Senate Finance: Environmental Conservation Subcommittee, member Senate Finance: Natural Resources Subcommittee, member Senate Finance: Labor & Workforce Development Subcommittee, member Nursing, health care boards and commissions, Party Senator since 2011 Registered nurse, advanced nurse practitioner Alaska Board of Nursing, Anchorage Health and Human Services Commission, Former president of the Anchorage Women s Club Former vice-chair of the Alaska Party

40 @lesilmcguire State Capitol Room Juneau Anchorage Sen. Peter Micciche District O Soldotna Senate Community & Regional Affairs Committee, chair Senate Health & Social Services Committee, vice-chair Senate Labor & Commerce Committee, vice-chair Legislative Council, vice-chair Senate Special Committee on TAPS Throughput, co-chair Senate Finance: Natural Resources Subcommittee, member Senate Finance: Transportation & Public Facilities Subcommittee, member Senate Special Committee on In-State Energy, member Senate Finance: Military & Veterans Affairs Subcommittee, member Senate Resources Committee, member Senate World Trade Committee, member Natural gas industry, municipal government, commercial fishing, real estate Senator since 2013 Mayor of Soldotna, Soldotna City Council, Kenai LNG facility superintendent for ConocoPhillips Alaska, 2002-present Various natural gas positions with Phillips Petroleum and ConocoPhillips, Commercial fisherman, 1994-present Rental properties Sen. Dennis Egan Democrat District P Juneau Sen.Dennis.Egan@akleg.gov State Capitol Room Juneau Senate Transportation Committee, chair Legislative Council, member Senate Community & Regional Affairs Committee, member Senate Special Committee on In-State Energy, member Senate Finance: Commerce, Community & Economic Development Subcommittee, member Senate Finance: Court System Subcommittee, member Senate Finance: Fish & Game Subcommittee, member Radio broadcasting, municipal government Senator since 2009 Host of KINY-AM s Problem Corner since 1986 President and general manager of Alaska-Juneau Communications, Inc., Mayor of Juneau, Juneau Assembly, Alaska Army National Guard,

41 Sen. Bert Stedman Senate Health & Social Services Committee, chair Senate Education Committee, member Senate State Affairs Committee, member Senate Labor & Commerce Committee, member Senate Finance: Administration Subcommittee, member Senate Finance: Law Subcommittee, member Senate Finance: Revenue Subcommittee, member District Q Sitka State Capitol Room Juneau Ketchikan Finance, commercial fishing, municipal government Senator since 2003 Self-employed as Pioneer Capital Management since 1986 Rental properties Former Sitka Assembly member Former commercial fisherman Former heavy construction tradesman Sen. Gary Stevens District R Kodiak Sen.Gary.Stevens@akleg.gov State Capitol Room Juneau Kodiak Senate Education Committee, chair Senate World Trade Committee, chair Alaska Arctic Policy Commission, member Legislative Council, member Administrative Regulation Review Committee, member Senate Finance: Fish & Game Subcommittee, member Senate Finance: Education & Early Development Subcommittee, member Senate Finance: University of Alaska Subcommittee, member Higher education, history, municipal government Senator since 2003 House member, Former mayor of Kodiak Island Borough Former mayor of the City of Kodiak University of Alaska, Kodiak College professor, General manager of Northern Processors, Retired U.S. Army 1st Lieutenant,

42 Sen. Lyman Hoffman Democrat District S Bethel Senate Finance Committee, member Alaska Arctic Policy Commission, member Senate World Trade Committee, member Senate Community & Regional Affairs Committee, member Senate Finance: Commerce, Community, & Economic Development Subcommittee, member Senate Finance: Fish & Game Subcommittee, member Senate Finance: Transportation & Public Facilities, member Senate Finance: Governor Subcommittee, member Senate Finance: Legislature Subcommittee, member Legislative Council, alternate State Capitol Room Juneau Business management, municipal government, real estate, commercial fishing Senator since 1995, House member, , Bethel Native Corp. board chairman Bethel city manager, Owner of Hoffman Rentals, Blue Sky Estates, Kisarelik Unlimited (residential leases), Golden Eagle Unlimited (school buses), Bethel Drilling & Welding, New York Creek and Associates (mining) Former owner of North Star Gas Sen. Donny Olson Democrat District T Golvin Sen.Donald.Olson@akleg.gov State Capitol Room Juneau Anchorage Senate Finance: Health & Social Services Subcommittee, chair Senate Finance: Public Safety Subcommittee, chair Unmanned Aircraft Systems Task Force, co-chair Senate Finance Committee, member Senate Judiciary Committee, member Senate Labor & Commerce Committee, member Legislative Budget & Audit Committee, member Alaska Arctic Policy Commission, alternate Aviation, real estate, medicine, international & maritime law Senator since 2001 Pilot for North Slope Borough Search and Rescue Owner/operator of Donald Olson Enterprises, Olson Ventures and Polar Express Airways, Inc. (airport facilities and aviation) Alaska State Medical Board, Medical doctor, 1980s-1990s Former president/ceo of Olson Air Service, Inc.

43 What School House Rock Didn t Teach Us The public education system and mass media have covered the constitutional basics of the legislative process for decades. But they rarely delve into the legislature s long-standing political power structure and internal rules that profoundly shape the lawmaking process. Take our five question quiz to see if you re a layman or a wonk when it comes to Alaska s legislative process, then read on for an explanation on each point.

44 Legislators are required to hold all meetings in public.

45 Legislators are required to hold all meetings in public. False. Only official legislative actions must happen in public meetings. Holding substantive debate in public is optional. It often happens behind closed doors. Alaska lawmakers routinely violate the Legislature s Uniform Rule 22, which states, All meetings of a legislative body are open to all legislators and to the general public except for executive sessions. Sometimes the violation is blatant, like during this 2011 Senate Finance Committee meeting on the state budget. In 1986, the League of Women Voters, Anchorage Daily News, and others sued the Legislature over its use of closed door meetings to privately debate the state budget. The case was appealed to the Alaska Supreme Court and decided in The case boiled down to two questions. First, is the case justiciable? That is, does the court even have the authority to rule on these violations? Then-Chief Justice Warren Matthews wrote the court s opinion. To hold that these claims are justiciable places the judiciary in direct conflict with the legislature s constitutionally authorized rulemaking prerogative. It is the legislature s prerogative to make, interpret and enforce its own procedural rules and the judiciary cannot compel the legislature to exercise a purely legislative prerogative. Abood v. League of Women Voters of Alaska, 743 P. 2d 333 (Alaska 1987) Or, as Matthews wrote in a 1982 opinion related to rules violations in the legislature, It is not the function of the judiciary to require that the legislature follow its own rules. Malone v. Meekins, 650 P. 2d 351 (Alaska 1982) Thus, state laws concerning legislative procedure, such as the Open Meetings Act, cannot apply to the Legislature without usurping the Legislature s constitutional authority to make and break its own rules. Matthews concludes that breaking legislative rules is only justiciable when a third party s constitutional rights have been violated. In 1994, the 18th Legislature passed HB254, a rewrite of the Open Meetings Act that included an explicit exemption for the Legislature. The Legislature holds itself to a lower standard of transparency than it requires of hundreds of state, borough and municipal government bodies covered by the act, such as the state Board of Barbers and Hairdressers, the Anchorage Animal Control Advisory Board and the Pelican City Council.

46 The legislature and its committees are required to give advance public notice of official meetings.

47 The legislature and its committees are required to give advance public notice of official meetings. False. The Legislature has a rule that requires advance notice of committee meetings. Some committee chairs frequently break it with impunity. Again, it s only a legislative rule and not a constitutional mandate (see No. 1 for more about this distinction). During regular legislative sessions, committees are supposed to announce where, when and what they ll be considering by the Friday before meeting. For several weeks of the session, the minimum notice drops to 24 hours. Legislators can also skirt noticing requirements without technically breaking the rules, such as by recessing overnight. House Finance Committee Co-Chairmain Bill Stoltze has repeatedly used this practice to fast track certain legislation. Committee agendas don t have to be precise, and frequently include the vague line bills previously heard/scheduled. Toward the end of the session, meetings are often delayed by hours, delayed indefinitely, or altogether cancelled without advance notice. For an interested citizen or professional observers like members of the capitol press corps, following public meetings on specific legislation often turns into hours and days of waiting that culminates in perfunctory committee action that legitimizes a deal struck behind closed doors.

48 Each representative has equal power, and each senator has equal power.

49 Each representative has equal power, and each senator has equal power. False. The legislature s internal rules are built around a two-caucus, majority/minority system that distorts the power structure. Minority caucus members are nearly powerless, while majority members are disproportionately powerful. Here s why: When a bill is introduced, its title is read on the House or Senate floor and the House Speaker or Senate President refers it to one or more committees. Committee chairs act as gatekeepers who can effectively kill any bill that comes to them without a vote or discussion. The majority assigns its own members leadership roles. The makeup of committees is proportionate to the overall majority/minority split. Unless majority members defect, a committee chair has the discretion to hear or ignore any bill referred to the committee. Finance committee chairmen are particularly powerful, because all bills with a financial impact on the state are referred to their committee. The finance committee is typically a bill s last public stop before reaching the House or Senate floor. The majority/minority caucuses of the 28th Alaska Legislature are split in the House, and 15-5 in the Senate. The caucuses don t quite follow party lines. Most urban Democrats are in the minority caucuses. A few Democrats off the road system, aka bush Democrats, caucus with the majorities.

50 The House and Senate use floor sessions to vote bills up or down.

51 The House and Senate use floor sessions to vote bills up or down. False. If you follow municipal government or school board meetings, you ve probably seen measures get voted down. In the state legislature, it s an anomaly if a bill publicly fails. Of the 235 unpassed bills in the current legislature as of Jan. 6, not one has failed outright in a floor vote. In the 27th Alaska Legislature, 596 bills were introduced and 481 ultimately failed. Of the failing bills, only two died outright in floor votes. In the 26th Legislature, 737 bills were introduced, 554 bills failed and only one died outright in a floor vote. Figures were drawn from the legislature s bill tracking system and an exhaustive search of the last five years of House and Senate journal records. A bill that clears the committee process and reaches the floor for its third reading is almost destined to pass; bills are almost never voted down during floor sessions for a number of reasons. First, the majority caucus in each respective house controls the agenda for floor sessions, also known as the calendar. The majority can selectively choose which bills to hear and which to ignore. Second, since open meeting laws don t apply to the legislature, the majority caucus can and does meet behind closed doors. There, leaders can privately poll their members and determine whether or not a bill has the minimum votes to pass. They can privately debate and strike deals to build consensus within the majority caucus to ensure a bill will pass. By definition, the majority caucus controls the requisite floor votes to pass a bill they don t need minority members support or input to pass legislation. Procedural motions can be used on the floor to force agenda changes or to overrule the leadership. But majority caucus members would have to defect for those motions to pass. Without consensus, the majority has little to gain from formally voting on a bill they know will fail. Salvageable legislation can be delayed so there s more time for amendments and deal-making. Doomed legislation gets killed quietly for example, by sending it to a committee whose chair has no intention of hearing it. Hundreds of bills die in committee at the end of the each two-year legislative cycle, when the slate is cleared and elections shuffle in new members.

52 Legislators can trade votes with each other on separate pieces of legislation.

53 Legislators can trade votes with each other on separate pieces of legislation. True. The governing documents of the legislature push the House, the Senate, and individual committees to consider bills one at a time and without external influence. But deals struck behind closed doors can weave unrelated bills together and be influenced by the governor. A bill s individual merit or shortcomings may be only one of many factors contributing to its advancement or failure. As a legislator, if your bill isn t earning the requisite votes on its merits, there s basically two ways to compromise: Amend your bill to more legislators liking, or amend your position on an opponent s bill. That is, trade votes. Committee chairs have a lot of leverage in this respect because they can hold other legislators bills hostage. Legislators rarely discuss vote trading openly. It s often euphemized as compromise and consensus building. One notable exception was a page one story in the May 19, 1991, Anchorage Daily News that laid bare a complicated back room deal tying confirmation votes on multiple unrelated board and commission appointees together. The deal fell apart in open session. Reporters George Frost and David Postman detailed the deal s inception from multiple legislators accounts of closed door caucus meetings. They reference how Sen. Jay Kerttula extracted Gov. Wally Hickel s cooperation on an appointment in exchange for the senator s support on another. They spell out how Senate President Dick Eliason laid out a road map of the carefully crafted deal for his members in a closed door meeting that included sinking two appointees for political reasons. Eliason encouraged members who couldn t stomach the deal to deliberately avoid voting by not showing up. And, the reporters note that during the floor session, Rep. David Finkelstein attacked the governor s motives, accused him of arranging vote trades, and consequently endured catcalls, mumbles from the body, a counter-attack by a veteran legislator and the presiding officer s gavel. Private vote trading is a consequence of being exempt from the Open Meetings Act. State law doesn t explicitly forbid vote trading in other state, borough and municipal government bodies, it s just impractical because meeting privately and unannounced to discuss substantive policy matters is illegal if at least three members or a majority of the body are together.

54 What is vote trading? Legislators rarely discuss vote trading openly. It s often euphemized as compromise and consensus building. One notable exception was a page one story in the May 19, 1991, Anchorage Daily News that laid bare a complicated back room deal tying confirmation votes on multiple unrelated board and commission appointees together. The deal fell apart in open session. This article from the Anchorage Daily News encapsulates the process that happens in the closed door legislative caucus and illustrates the practice of vote trading. Reporters George Frost and David Postman detailed the deal s inception from multiple legislators accounts of closed door caucus meetings. Deal Falls Apart As Some Lawmakers Depart From Script Anchorage Daily News George Frost and David Postman Original Publish Date: May 19, 1991 The deal cut Saturday to get a few of Gov. Wally Hickel s commission appointments confirmed was so transparent that lawmakers might as well have been wearing buttons that said, We ve cut a deal. It was supposed to work like this: Rural Democrats would vote with s so the Bush would get its way on the Board of Fisheries, and the GOP and Hickel would get who they wanted on the Alaska Public Utilities Commission and the state Personnel Board. When the voting began in joint session, the lights lit up just that way. This article may not be reproduced without the express written permission of the Anchorage Daily News. But then the deal collapsed hard. Amid the political rubble was a furious Senate President Dick Eliason and charges of lies, back-stabbing, double- and triple-dealing, racism and a play for rookie of the year from freshman Rep. Bettye Davis, D-Anchorage. In the end, Hickel got most of what he wanted but failed to keep Eleanor Andrews off the state Personnel Board, which is soon to hear an ethics complaint against him. And that made Eliason mad. He was confident he had the votes to dump Andrews. Three senators broke their word, said Eliason, red-faced with anger, as he barreled through a crowd of reporters.

55 A little later, calmer but still grim, Eliason said, The legislature has changed in the last 22 years. We used to be honorable. According to Eliason, the commitments came Saturday morning when the entire Senate minus the ill Fairbanks Democrat, Bettye Fahrenkamp met behind closed doors. It was there that Eliason laid out the deal that had been carefully put together the past two days. He didn t order anyone to follow the road map. He couldn t do that if he wanted to. But Eliason said he asked senators in a nice way to go along with him and Majority Leader Rick Halford, R-Chugiak. If they didn t think they could swallow the deal, Eliason asked the senators to leave the chambers and miss the vote. That was one of the options, he said. Just don t show up. Eliason made it clear that he and the governor wanted to make sure that Andrews, a former Democratic administration official, would not be confirmed to the personnel board. He said he hoped people would find it in their power to tube Eleanor Andrews, said Sen. Drue Pearce, R-Anchorage. Eliason asked the senators to raise their hands if they planned to vote for Andrews, according to Sen. Virginia Collins, R-Anchorage, who said she raised her hand and then voted for Andrews on the floor. The legislature is not allowed to take votes in closed session, and senators said what they did was only an informal poll. The House seemed less worried about any specific deal. The Democrats who control the lower chamber were most concerned about the process that would be followed. They wanted to make sure they would at least get the chance to vote for some appointments that had been made by former Gov. Steve Cowper, but which had not yet been confirmed. The first of those was a slate of nominees to the Professional Teaching Practices Commission. Hickel had said he didn t want the Cowper appointees confirmed. But in the deal with the Senate and the Bush, Hickel agreed to having the Cowper appointees approved. That s the price Sen. Jay Kerttula said he extracted in exchange for supporting Don Schroer, Hickel s nominee for the utilities commission, and the legislature approved them unanimously. Then came a move to confirm Peter Sokolov, the Cowper appointee to the APUC. According to plan he was rejected, with the Bush and the s voting against the urban Democrats.

56 Then Schroer, who had been rejected in joint session Thursday, came up for reconsideration. The deal, as outlined by Eliason and Sen. Al Adams, D-Kotzebue, called for Schroer to be approved. And he was. But not without dissent by Rep. David Finkelstein, D-Anchorage, who held his own Saturday despite catcalls, mumbles from the body, a counter-attack by veteran Anchorage Rep. Ramona Barnes, and the fast gavel of Eliason, who ran the session. Finkelstein said the Hickel administration had been trying to trade votes for the Schroer confirmation. I think something really insidious is going on here, he said. I get very suspicious as to what this administration s motive is. That brought Barnes to her feet. She said House rules barred Finkelstein from impugning the motives of the administration. Finkelstein kept on. Regardless of whether this administration is or is not doing that, it raises the question of why they might be doing that, if they were doing that, he said, the chamber breaking into laughter at his attempt to skirt a direct attack on Hickel. But Finkelstein wasn t done. He said he thought Hickel was trying so hard to get his guy in as APUC commissioner because the commission will have authority over the gas pipeline that Hickel wants to build, and in which he has a financial interest. The legislature then agreed to move Schroer to a consumer position and put a sitting APUC member in the engineering slot that Schroer had originally been nominated for. That took care of the concerns of Finkelstein and others, and Schroer was approved. Retired Judge Seaborn Buckalew, as planned, was confirmed unanimously to the Personnel Board. But the deal also called for Andrews to be rejected, and that fell apart after a passionate floor speech by Rep. Bettye Davis, a freshman Democrat from Anchorage. She said that Andrews is qualified for the job and that state law prohibits the removal of Personnel Board members unless they have done something wrong. This lady is quite qualified, Davis told her colleagues. And all the time that we are trying to get minorities on these boards, the answers that I get when I ask why you didn t put somebody on the board, is because they re not qualified... And if you do not confirm her to the board, it leads me to believe that there are people here with hidden agendas, and I don t like that. So I encourage all of you to vote for Eleanor Andrews, a black woman who has proven herself and should be on this board.

57 After many legislators stopped pounding their desks in approval, Rep. Terry Martin stood to protest to he didn t know that Andrews who served in the administration while Martin was in the House was black, and that his no-vote would have nothing to do with race. Later, Martin said he didn t even know who he was voting for and thought the nominee was Judge Elaine Andrews. Eleanor Andrews won 34-25, three votes more than the 31 needed to confirm an appointment. Lawmakers congratulated Davis, with Rep. Tom Moyer, D-Fairbanks, patting her on the back and saying, Bettye, you made the difference. Eliason, though, accused Davis of injecting the spectre of racism in the debate just to change a few votes. Davis said she only speculated that the other side might have a hidden agenda, not that the agenda was necessarily racism. If they have a guilty conscience, they ll have to deal with that, she said. In the end, Hickel s people declared victory. We were after Schroer, said Don Tanner, Hickel s director of boards and commissions. Hickel press secretary Eric Rehmann said it was Lt. Gov. Jack Coghill, not Hickel, who really wanted to get rid of Andrews. House Speaker Ben Grussendorf said he thought everything turned out pretty well. Adams said he got what he wanted. And, after a cooling-off period in the private legislative lounge, even Eliason was able to be a little philosophical about the day. We got our ass kicked, he said, walking down the stairs with his arm around Attorney General Charlie Cole. This article may not be reproduced without the express written permission of the Anchorage Daily News.

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