Gov. Mike Dunleavy said he is issuing a second disaster emergency declaration to take effect as soon as the current one ends on Nov. 15.<\/p>\n
The declaration will last for 30-days during which time a vaccine may be made available, Dunleavy said, and the extension would give state lawmakers time to call themselves into special session and extend the deadline.<\/p>\n
The in-effect disaster declaration gives health care providers increased funding and flexibility that has allowed them to better address patient needs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Losing those provisions would make providing health care in the state more difficult even as coronavirus cases are expected to rise in the coming weeks, Jared Kosin, president and CEO of the Alaska State Hospital & Nursing Home Association told reporters Friday.<\/p>\n
Dunleavy said in a news conference Friday evening he wanted state lawmakers to have the discussion to call themselves into session to extend the declaration. The governor issued the initial declaration in March, but a governor’s declaration lasts only for 30 days. Lawmakers voted to extend the declaration to Nov. 15 in Senate Bill 241 before adjourning the regular session early due to the pandemic.<\/p>\n
Dunleavy’s chief of staff sent Senate President Cathy Giessel, R-Anchorage, and Speaker of the House of Representatives Bryce Edgmon, I-Dillingham, a letter on Oct. 30, asking to poll legislators about their willingness to call themselves into a special session. Giessel and Edgmon replied in a letter stating there was interest in extending the declaration but not the 40 votes necessary for the Legislature to call itself into session. The letter noted the governor had the ability to call a special session on his own and suggested he do so or find other ways to work with the Legislature to extend the declaration.<\/p>\n
[Lawmakers, governor express interest in extending disaster declaration<\/a>]<\/ins><\/p>\n Legislative leaders met with the governor Friday to discuss extending the declaration, and in a letter released that afternoon, Giessel, Edgmon and Senate Minority Leader Tom Begich, D-Anchorage, said they were encouraged by the conversation.<\/p>\n The statement said House Minority Leader Lance Pruitt, R-Anchorage, was also present at the meeting but was not party to the statement.<\/p>\n However after Dunleavy’s evening news conference announcing his decision to issue a second declaration, Alaska Senate Democrats issued a statement again calling for the governor to call a special session saying his decision to issue a second declaration violated state law.<\/p>\n According to a memo from the Legislative Affairs Agency to lawmakers, the governor cannot declare an emergency for the same disaster twice and the Legislature must meet in order to legally extend the deadline.<\/p>\n