NFIB/Alaska State Director Denny DeWitt reports from the State Capitol on the legislative week ending March 4, 2016
This week the legislative process looked much like a duck swimming, calm on the surface and paddling like crazy under water.
- The House Finance Committee held public hearings on its budget and its subcommittees were hearing testimony on the various tax proposals from the administration. House floor action was very limited.
- The Senate spent the week closing out budget subcommittees. The Senate Finance Committee is hearing its Medicaid reform measure, Senate Bill 74, and working through proposed amendments.
- The Senate State Affairs adopted a committee substitute for Senate Bill 91, the crime bill that, among many other things, increases the felony crime threshold from $750 to $2,000. We are continuing to advocate that the threshold should not be increased.
- Rep. Lance Pruitt introduced House Bill 351 to limit new regulations by requiring that existing regulations costing the same be repealed. NFIB’s letter of support can be read here.
Next week there will be several hearings on the use of Permanent Fund earnings to support state services.
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(Tile photo of Reps. Kurt Olson and Sam Kito courtesy of the The Alaska State Legislature website.)
