The Latest: Thompson eyes further work on tax bill package

JUNEAU, Alaska – The Latest on issues the Alaska legislature is handling during the final days of the scheduled 90-day session (all times local):

7:40 p.m.

A bill that included versions of three of Gov. Bill Walker’s tax bills is being set aside for further work in the House Finance Committee.

This past week, the committee rolled into one bill proposed increases in motor fuels, mining and fisheries businesses taxes. The bill was noticed for a hearing Saturday but wasn’t heard.

Co-chair Steve Thompson says concerns were raised during public testimony on provisions related to mining and fishing. He says he wants to work with industry and other legislators to try to come up with something that will be acceptable and still meet some of the goals set out by Walker.

Walker proposed tax increases on various industries as part of a plan to address the state’s budget deficit. The committee also has been hearing Walker’s proposal to reinstitute a personal state income tax.

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6:05 p.m.

A bill calling for regional representation on the University of Alaska’s Board of Regents has passed the state Legislature.

HB 107 passed the Senate Friday. Reconsideration notice was served, meaning it could have been voted on again, but the Senate did not take another vote Saturday, sending it instead to Gov. Bill Walker.

Regents currently must be Alaska and U.S. residents. But the bill, from Rep. Lynn Gattis, would require that the board include one resident each from Anchorage; the Kenai Peninsula, Matanuska-Susitna and Fairbanks North Star boroughs; the City and Borough of Juneau; and a community not connected by road or rail to Anchorage or Fairbanks. There would be a student regent and four at-large members.

Gattis, in a release, said the change would reflect the diversity of Alaska’s population.

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1:55 p.m.

A Senate committee has attempted to address concerns with proposed restrictions on who can teach sex education in Alaska public schools. But a critic says it would still “drastically limit” access to sex education and place extra burdens on school districts.

A provision included in a bill on student testing and parental involvement in education sought to limit the teaching of sex education to a licensed teacher conducting the class under contract with a school.

A bill rewrite that advanced from the Senate Finance Committee Saturday would broaden that to also allow for someone supervised by a licensed teacher to teach sex education if they’re approved by the school board and parents can review their credentials.

Jessica Cler with Planned Parenthood Votes Northwest and Hawaii says the bill unfairly targets sex education and would “drastically limit” access to those classes.

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11:20 a.m.

The Alaska House has passed legislation aimed at curbing and containing costs within the state Medicaid program.

Friday’s vote was 33-6. The bill, SB 74, will return to the Senate, which will have to decide whether to accept the House changes.

The sprawling bill includes provisions geared toward ferreting out fraud and waste. It calls for a reform program that includes expanded use of telehealth and requiring recipients to get care in their home community to the extent possible to reduce travel costs. Among other things, it also calls for a primary care case management system to increase use of appropriate primary and preventative care and decrease unnecessary use of specialty care and emergency services

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11 a.m.

With the end of the 90-day session looming and divisions remaining on key issues, legislative leaders are looking at their options for completing their work.

Senate President Kevin Meyer says a lot will depend on how far apart lawmakers are late Sunday, the scheduled end of session.

Voters approved a 90-day session but the Constitution allows lawmakers to meet in regular session for up to 121 days.

Meyer says lawmakers could continue working if it appears a resolution could be reached in the next few days. If that happens, though, the hope would be to narrow the focus to key bills since all bills would be in play.

If the sides appear far apart, he says legislative leaders probably would look at other options, such as going into a special session.