Alaska’s Legislature adjourned its 2024 session on May 15, although the House ran into overtime and did not adjourn until 1:30 AM on the 16th. The House passed five bills after midnight. These measures may be contested as unconstitutional if they are signed or allowed to become law. One of the late bills allows adults who are not yet 21 to serve alcohol,

Overall Alaska’s 33rd Legislature was an objective win for small business. While there were many unfavorable bills introduced, mostly in the bi-partisan Senate, Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s  lack of appetite for harmful measures to small business and the House’s conservative majority kept all of the worst pieces of legislation from moving.

NFIB helped kill many bills in committee and provided effective and strategic advocacy for small business in Alaska.

Victories

• Legislation creating defined benefits/pensions for state employees failed to pass

• Legislation creating Oil & Gas S. Corp income tax failed

• Legislation mandating private retirement programs for small business failed

• Legislation mandating paid sick leave failed to pass

• Legislation allowing for expedited timber sales passed

• Legislation creating a lease structure for hunting guides on state public land passed

• Legislation allowing for a temporary permit for lapsed nurse license passed

Challenges

Small businesses in Alaska will be challenged by a ballot initiative to raise the minimum wage and efforts to institute paid sick leave and to prohibit employers from compelling their employees to attend employer-sponsored meetings (referred to as captive audience). NFIB will oppose them because of the threats the pose to small business in Alaska. The conservative House majority will struggle to hold their majority in the upcoming election. A ballot measure to repeal ranked choice voting is currently under judicial review and may be struck down.