Alaska lawmakers have released over 80 proposals for new laws and constitutional amendments ahead of the 34th Alaska Legislature, which starts on Jan. 21. The proposals cover topics like elections, education, health care, energy, and artificial intelligence.
One of the most significant proposals is a campaign to bring back a pension system for state and local government employees. Senate Majority Leader Cathy Giessel has prefiled a bill to replace the current 401(k)-style plan for new employees and let current workers switch. The proposal revives Senate Bill 88, which passed the Senate last year but failed in the Republican-led House due to cost concerns.
“This bill is not your grandfather’s pension,” Giessel said, noting the proposal’s “shared-risk” model that adjusts contributions if the pension fund underperforms. Advocates say a better pension system could fill state job vacancies, which were at 14% last year. Rep.-elect Chuck Kopp, R-Anchorage, a former police officer and pension advocate, expects the House Finance Committee to closely review this proposal. Sen.
Jesse Kiehl, D-Juneau, is also sponsoring a bill to let new hires choose between a pension or a defined contribution plan.
Proposing pension system changes
Other notable proposals include:
Sen.
Bill Wielechowski, D-Anchorage, has proposed a bill telling school districts to stop students from using personal cell phones during school hours. Rep. Andy Josephson, D-Anchorage, wants to ban restaurants from using foam plastic containers and require compostable serviceware instead.
Sen. Shelley Hughes, R-Palmer, is pushing for legislation to set policies for AI use by state agencies, especially to address political deepfakes. Rep.
George Rauscher, R-Sutton, has prefiled a bill to repeal ranked choice voting and open primaries, which voters narrowly rejected in November. Sen. James Kaufman, R-Anchorage, proposed a constitutional amendment to modify the Alaska Permanent Fund, including limiting the state’s annual drawdown and requiring an annual dividend distribution.
Prefiling bills lets lawmakers highlight important issues, but only about 13% of proposed bills passed in the last Legislature made it through both chambers and were signed into law.