Every two years, Celebration brings thousands of visitors to Juneau for a week of Alaska Native festivities. This year, Celebration events are on a collision course with the unusual extension of the Alaska Legislature\u2019s work in Juneau.<\/p>\n
On Thursday, KTVA-TV\u2019s Liz Raines reported that legislators are considering a move of their ongoing special session to Anchorage because many are being evicted from their hotel rooms by Celebration guests.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s just talk right now,\u201d Senate President Kevin Meyer, R-Anchorage, told the Empire of the possibility of a move, but confirmed that talk is taking place.<\/p>\n
He confirmed the reason for the talk is Celebration.<\/p>\n
About 5,000 visitors are expected to visit Juneau during the event that lasts June 8-11. Many have booked hotel rooms long in advance of legislators, none of whom expected to be in Juneau this long.<\/p>\n
Speaker of the House Mike Chenault, R-Nikiski, told Raines that even he is being booted from his hotel room.<\/p>\n
As no decisions have yet been made, it is unclear whether Anchorage\u2019s controversial Legislative Information Office building would be home to the special session while Celebration takes place. Meyer said the key period is Tuesday, June 7, through Monday, June 13.<\/p>\n
Displacing to Anchorage would require several days of tear-down and setup before lawmakers would begin work in the Legislature\u2019s downtown Anchorage office building, but it might mean less lost work than if lawmakers took a \u201clong weekend\u201d during Celebration.<\/p>\n
Meyer said he has talked to Gov. Bill Walker, who expressed concerns about the inability of \u201cGavel to Gavel\u201d to broadcast the session on TV.<\/p>\n
Meyer said he also must talk to the House\u2019s leadership to arrange a plan by Monday.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe can\u2019t adjourn on our own,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Friday is the 12th day of a special session called by Walker to address the state\u2019s fiscal situation. While lawmakers have passed a budget to keep state services running past July 1, the state still faces a multibillion-dollar deficit, and Walker has implied that he will keep lawmakers working until they vote on components of his plan to balance that deficit.<\/p>\n
The last day of the special session is June 21, though lawmakers could gavel themselves out of the session before then.<\/p>\n
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Related stories:<\/p>\n
Walker to lawmakers: “Fix the problem”<\/a><\/p>\n