Lawmakers have officially ended the fifth special session of the 29th Alaska Legislature.<\/p>\n
At 11:45 a.m. Monday, Senate President Kevin Meyer, R-Anchorage, dropped the gavel on the Senate\u2019s session, following in the path of the House, which gaveled out on Friday. Under Article II, Section 10 of the Alaska Constitution, if the Senate had not gaveled out, it would have forced the House to return to Juneau for additional work.<\/p>\n
With the House unable to make progress on a fix to the state\u2019s $3 billion budget deficit, that action had been considered unlikely.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is disappointing \u2026 to stand ready to work and have our friends in the other body not be able to move forward,\u201d said Sen. Anna MacKinnon, R-Anchorage.<\/p>\n
MacKinnon\u2019s remarks followed those of Senate Minority Leader Berta Gardner, D-Anchorage: \u201cTo say I\u2019m disappointed feels inadequate.\u201d<\/p>\n
During the 29th Legislature second regular session and the two special sessions that followed \u2500 157 working days in total \u2500 the Senate took the lead on most of the substantive bills passed by lawmakers this year.<\/p>\n
Medicaid reform, criminal justice reform, the state budget, reform of the Power-Cost Equalization program, reform of community revenue sharing and a new military code of justice came from the Senate before advancing to a divided House of Representatives.<\/p>\n
In their valedictory addresses Monday, senators said they accomplished much, even if they didn\u2019t fix the state budget. Sen. Pete Kelly, R-Fairbanks, called that missing action a \u201ccornerstone\u201d piece of legislation.<\/p>\n
Sen. Dennis Egan, D-Juneau, declined to deliver remarks he prepared for the end of the session, but in a copy of the speech he provided to the Empire, he says he wishes \u201cwe\u2019d have stayed to figure out how to pay for the stuff in the budget \u2500 long term. There was room to work on what the (Permanent Fund Dividend) amount should be. There was room to work on what the budget should be.\u201d<\/p>\n
According to Gov. Bill Walker, the Legislature\u2019s inability to pass a budget-balancing bill leaves Alaska, as of July 1, with 36 months of savings.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Contact reporter James Brooks at james.k.brooks@juneauempire.com.<\/p>\n
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House adjourns without deficit fix; 36 months of savings remain<\/a><\/p>\n Walker signs bill in support of Sweetheart Lake dam<\/a><\/p>\n