SFLR-20260511-1100

Will the Senate please come to order, and will members please signify your presence by voting.

The roll shows 20 members present. Thank you. With 20 members shown as present, we have a quorum to conduct business. The invocation this morning will be given by Major Peter Janosik with the Salvation Army. Members, please rise.

In deepest respect for the religious beliefs of each person here, I invite you into a time of prayer and reflection. Let us pray. Gracious God, thank you for your wisdom you are giving us in your word. In Psalm 133 is written: How good and pleasant it is when God's people live together in unity. It's like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron's beard, down on the collar of his robe.

It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion, for there the Lord bestows his blessings, even life forevermore. I understand, Lord, that we might have different opinions, perspectives, or goals, and so I pray for mutual respect, listening and understanding heart, and patience with each other so that your blessing may flow through this amazing state of Alaska. In the name of Jesus I pray. Amen. Amen.

Thank you, Major. Senator Yandt, would you please lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance? I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Thank you, Senator Yandt. Will the Secretary please certify the journals?

I certify as to the correctness of the journal for the 109th through 111th legislative day. Thank you, Madam Majority Leader.

Mr. President, I move and ask unanimous consent that the journals be approved as certified by the Senate Secretary. Thank you. Hearing no objection, the journals have been approved. Senator Hoffman. Good morning, Mr. President.

I move and ask unanimous consent that the prayer be spread on the journal. Thank you. Seeing no objection, the prayer has been spread upon the journal. At this time, are there guests for introduction?

Seeing none, Madam Secretary, are there messages from the Governor? A message dated May 8th stating, I have signed the following bill and I am transmitting the engrossed and enrolled copies to the Lieutenant Governor's Office for permanent filing. Senate Bill 40, Hispanic Heritage Month, Chapter 3, SLA 2026. The bill has been referred for enrollment. A message dated May 8th stating, in accordance with AS3905080, I submit the following list of appointees for confirmation.

Alaska Judicial Council, Mike Miller, North Pole. To the Judiciary Committee. Board of Massage Therapists, Carone Cobden, Fairbanks. Referred to House Health and Social Services and Labor and Commerce. Real Estate Commission, Elise Buckholz, Wasilla.

Labor and Commerce. Board of Social Work Examiners, Judy Kendall, Anchorage. HESS and Labor and Commerce. Those are all the messages from the Governor this morning, Mr. President. Thank you, Madam Secretary.

Are there messages from the House? A message dated May 11 stating the Senate is invited to meet with the House for a joint session on Thursday, May 14 at 11:00 a.m. to consider confirmation of the Governor's appointments to boards and commissions. Thank you. Madam Majority Leader. Mr. President, I move and ask unanimous consent that the Senate accept the invitation from the House to meet in joint session.

Hearing no objection, the invitation by the House has been accepted. Madam Secretary. Received message dated May 8th stating the House failed to concur in the Senate amendments to CS for House Bill number 263 Finance amended, namely Senate CS for CS for House Bill number 263 House Bill 263 Finance amended Senate appropriation operating budget funds supplemental and respectfully request the Senate to recede from its amendments. Thank you. Madam Majority Leader.

Mr. President, I move and ask unanimous consent that the Senate recede from the Senate's amendments to House Bill 263 and recommend the Senate vote no. Thank you. Is there discussion?

If you are ready for the question. The question being, shall the Senate recede from its amendments to CS for House Bill 263 Finance amended? Senators may proceed to vote.

The Secretary will now lock the roll. Do any Senators wish to change their vote? The Secretary will announce the vote. Zero yeas, 20 nays. And so by a vote of 0 yeas to 20 nays, the Senate has failed to recede from its amendment to CS for House Bill 263 Finance amended.

At this time I'm appointing the following members to a conference committee to meet with like members from the House to consider House Bill 263. Senator Hoffman chair. Senator Steadman and Senator Cronk. Madam Secretary, received message dated May 8th stating the House failed to concur in the Senate amendment to CS for House Bill number 265 Finance amended, namely Senate CS for CS for House Bill number 265 Finance mental health budget, and respectfully requests the Senate to recede from its amendment. Thank you, Madam Majority Leader.

Mr. President, I move and ask unanimous consent that the Senate recede from the Senate's amendments to House Bill 265 and recommend the Senate vote no. Thank you. Is there discussion?

If you are ready for the question, the question being: Shall the Senate recede from its amendments to CS for House Bill 265 Finance amended? Senators may proceed to vote.

Do any senators wish to change their vote? The Secretary will lock the vote. The Secretary will now announce the vote. Zero yeas, 20 nays. And so by a vote of zero yeas to 20 nays, the Senate has failed to recede from its amendments to CS for House Bill 265 Finance as amended.

At this time, I'm appointing the following members to a conference committee to meet with a like committee from the House consider House Bill 265. Senator Hoffman chair, Senator Steadman, and Senator Cronk.

I have no further messages from the House this morning, Mr. President. Thank you, Madam Secretary. Are there communications? The following is on file from the Department of Public Safety: Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant application for fiscal— federal fiscal year 2025 in accordance with 34 U.S.C. 10151.

Those are all the communications reports this morning, Mr. President. Thank you, Madam Secretary. Are there reports of standing committees? Report dated May 8th stating, in accordance with AS3905080, the Resources Committee held a hearing on the following appointees. A signature on this report does not reflect intent by any of the members to vote for or against the confirmation of the individuals during any further sessions.

Board of Fisheries: Mike Wood, Blair Hickson, Paul Sear. Board of Games: Stanley Hoffman Jr., Jacob Fletcher, David Loring. Alaska Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission, Tracy Welch. Big Game Commercial Services Board, Rudy Martinez. State Assessment Review Board, Jana Wiltson.

Signing the report, Senator Giesel, Chair Senators Clayman, Dunbar, Rauscher, Kawasaki, Myers. The Finance Committee considered Senate Bill 178, Expand Early Intervention Services, and recommended it be replaced with a Finance Committee substitute. Substitute. New fiscal note. Signing do pass: Senators Olson, Hoffman, Co-Chairs, Senator Keel.

Signing no recommendation: Senator Steadman, Co-Chair, Senators Kaufman, Cronk, Merrick. The bill has no further referral. It is in the Rules Committee. The Community and Regional Affairs Committee considered Senate Bill 268, Sick Leave Exemption Fish Processors, and recommended it be replaced with a Community and Regional Affairs Committee substitute. New zero fiscal note.

Signing no recommendation, Senator Merrick, Chair, Senators Olson, Yunt. Signing do pass, Senators Dunbar, Gray Jackson. The bill has a further referral to the Labor and Commerce Committee. The State Affairs Committee considered CS for House Bill number 214, State Affairs, Motor Vehicles, Proof of Insurance, previous zero fiscal note. Signing do pass, Senator Kawasaki, Chair, Senators Bjorkman, Gray Jackson, Tilton.

The bill has no further referral. It is in the Rules Committee. The State Affairs Committee considered CS for House Bill 221, State Affairs Arts and Culture Day. Previous zero fiscal note. Signing do pass, Senator Kawasaki.

Chair, Senator Gray Jackson. Signing no recommendation, Senators Tilton, Bjorkman. The bill has no further referral. It is in the Rules Committee. The Labor and Commerce Committee considered House Bill 243, Barbers and Hairdressers Board Licensing.

Previous zero fiscal note. Signing do pass, Senator Bjorkman. Yorkman, Chair, Senator Gray Jackson, signing no recommendation. Senator Dunbar. The bill has no further referral.

It is in the Rules Committee. The Judiciary Committee considered House Bill 298, Legislative Ethics Committee and Proceedings, and recommended it be replaced with a Judiciary Senate Committee substitute. Previous zero fiscal notes. Signing do pass. Senator Clayman, Chair, Senators Kiel, Tobin, signing no recommendation.

Senator Tilton. The bill has no further referral. It is in Rules Committee. The Labor and Commerce Committee considered House Joint Resolution number 20, Hiring of Apprentices, Veterans, Previous Zero Fiscal Notes, signing do pass. Senator Bjorkman, Chair, Senators Dunbar, Gray-Jackson.

The resolution has no further referral. It is in the Rules Committee. The State Affairs Committee considered CS for House Bill number 278, State Affairs, Economic Development, Alaska Ireland Trade Commission, and recommended it be replaced with Senate Committee Substitute, Previous Indeterminate Fiscal Note. Signing amend, Senator Kawasaki, Chair. Signing do pass, Senators Tilton, Bjorkman, Gray-Jackson.

Signing no recommendation, Senator Wilkowski. The bill has no further referral. It is in the Rules Committee. The State Affairs Committee considered Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 11, Legislative Commission on State Seal, Previous Fiscal Note.

Signing amend, Senator Senator Kawasaki, chair. Signing do pass, Senator Gray Jackson. Signing no recommendation, Senator Tilton. The resolution has no further referral. It is in the Rules Committee.

Thank you, Madam Secretary. I'm adding a finance referral to both House Bill 278 and Senate Concurrent Resolution 11 for having picked up an indeterminate fiscal notes. Brief at ease. Senator Hoffmann.

Will the Senate come back to order, please? Under reports of special committees, I have no— are there reports of special committees? I have no special committee reports this morning, Mr. President. Thank you, Madam Secretary. Senate resolutions for introduction?

I have no Senate resolutions for introduction today. Thank you. And Senate bills for introduction? There are no Senate bills for introduction today. Thank you, Madam Secretary.

Please read the first item on today's calendar. Senate Bill 282 by the Senate State Affairs Committee, an act relating to the Joint Armed Services Committee and providing for an effective date. The State Affairs Committee considered the bill and recommended it be replaced with a State Affairs Committee substitute. New fiscal notes, signing do pass, Senator Kawasaki. Chair, Senator Bjorkman.

Signing no recommendation, Senators Wilkowski, Gray Jackson, Tilton. There is a State Affairs Committee substitute. Thank you. Senator Carlos Harkin. Oh, can we take a brief at ease?

A brief at ease, yeah.

Will the Senate come back to order, please? Senator Kawasaki. Mr. President, I move and ask unanimous consent that the Senate State Affairs Committee version of Senate Bill 282 be used in lieu of the original bill. Thank you. Senator Kawasaki, would you please explain the changes?

Thank you, Mr. President. One change we made in page 3, line 21 was to add state or local government organizations and community groups, meaning a group like the Alaska Municipal League. Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you, Senator Kawasaki. Hearing no objection, the Senate State Affairs Committee substitute has been adopted.

This bill will advance to third reading on our next legislative calendar. Madam Secretary, please read the next item on today's calendar.

Senate Bill 249 by Senators Tilton, Cronk, Myers, Dunbar. An act relating to virtual currency kiosks, relating to transactions involving virtual currency, and relating to unfair trade or deceptive acts or practices. The Labor and Commerce Committee considered the bill, recommended it be replaced with the Labor and Commerce substitute. New zero fiscal note. Signing do pass, Senator Bjorkman, chair.

Signing no recommendation, Senators Yunt, Gray Jackson. Signing amend, Senators Dunbar, Merrick. The Judiciary Committee considered the bill and recommended it be replaced with the Judiciary Committee substitute. Previous zero fiscal note. Signing do pass, Senator Clayman, chair.

Senators Tilton, Keel, Stevens. Signing no recommendation, Senator Tobin. There are two committee substitutes. Thank you. Senator Clayman.

Thank you, Mr. President. I move and ask unanimous consent that the Judiciary Committee substitute for Senate Bill 249 be adopted in lieu of the original bill. Thank you. Would you please explain the changes? Thank you, Mr. President.

The Senate Judiciary Committee made major changes, including setting a daily transaction limit of $1,500 for virtual currency kiosks, setting a monthly 30-day transaction limit of $10,000 of $500 for virtual currency kiosks, setting a 10% cap for transaction fees for virtual currency kiosk operators, defining the term virtual currency kiosk, defining fraud under AS06.55.990, and setting an effective date of October 1st, 2026. There were also minor changes including renumbering sections, and that concludes the changes in the Judiciary Judiciary Committee substitute. Thank you, Senator Clayman. Hearing no objection, the Senate Judiciary Committee substitute has been adopted, and this bill will advance to third reading on our next legislative calendar. Madam Secretary, please read the next item on today's calendar.

CS for House Bill Number 1, State Affairs, by the House State Affairs Committee, an act relating to specie as legal tender in the state and relating to borough and city sales and use taxes on specie. The finance referral was waived on the bill. I have no amendments. And thank you. This bill will advance to third reading on our next legislative calendar.

Madam Secretary, please read the next item on today's calendar.

CS for Senate Bill Number 111, Labor and Commerce, an act relating to the diagnosis, maintenance, and repair of consumer products that use digital electronics to operate, adding an unlawful act to the Alaska Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Act, and providing for an effective date before the Senate in third reading on final passage. There is an amendment number 1 by Senator Cronk on members' desks. Thank you, Senator Cronk. Thank you, Mr. President. I move and ask unanimous consent to roll back the calendar to second reading for the purpose of considering amendments.

Hearing no objection. The bill, SB 111, is back in second reading and will remain in second reading until all amendments have been considered. Senator Cronk. Thank you, Mr. President. I move Amendment 1.

Objection. There has been an objection. Please speak to your objection.

Brief at ease.

Senate, come back to order, please. Uh, Senator Cronk to speak to your amendment. Uh, thank you, Mr. President. Uh, this amendment is pretty straightforward and reasonable. What it does is it exempts fire alarms, life safety systems, intrusion detection systems, and physical access control equipment from the bill.

These are not ordinary consumer products. These are systems people rely on to protect homes, businesses, schools, public buildings, and critical facilities. They are specifically designed around security, restricted access, and system integrity. I think most Alaskans would agree that we should be very cautious, uh, before requiring broad access to software systems, diagnostic tools, or protected security functions tied to these kind of systems. When we're talking about alarms, access controls, and monitor security systems, the consequences of unauthorized access or compromised systems can be really serious.

This amendment creates a reasonable boundary and helps ensure that the bill does not unintentionally weaken protections that exist to keep people safe. So I urge your support for this amendment. Thank you, Senator Cronk. Uh, Senator Dunbar, to your objection. Thank you, Mr. President, and, and I'm going to use this opportunity to try to build the legislative record here, and I'm going to ask the mover of the amendment to please help, uh, sort of answer some questions.

You know, the bill already exempts sort of the large business-to-business and industrial security systems. This is only for consumer electronics, this bill. And so what this would potentially do is exempt, you know, even the smallest little fire alarm, uh, that you might put in your own house. I want to make sure that's not the intent here. I'll say also these kind of exemptions have been used in other parts of the country to rope in a bunch of other kind of consumer goods.

So, they'll make the argument that a life-saving system could be a camera, all cameras, or a baby monitor, for example, that you yourself own and control. In Oregon, there's an example using a similar exemption where they exempted electronic toothbrushes. Who knows why, but when you put these kind of exemptions in, you cause a lot of litigation, and a lot of companies try to argue that their products are life safety systems or physical access control equipment. I don't think that's the intent of this amendment. I think this amendment is intended to be very specifically externally facing security systems that require ongoing software to sort of do the monitoring.

They don't— not just the typical smoke alarm, for example, or things like all cameras. So I guess I would ask the maker of the amendment that that is actually the case. And if this is ever litigated in the future, that that was the intent, that we are not creating a broad broad exemption here. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Senator Dunbar. And the response, Senator Croc. Um, thank you, Mr. President. Uh, the senator from Anchorage is correct. Thank you.

Thank you, Senator Croc. Is the objection maintained? The objection is not maintained. Then, um, is there further objection? Seeing none, If you are ready for the question, the question— brief at ease.

I'm going to come back to order, please. As Senator Giesel pointed out, the objection was removed, so the amendment has been adopted. Madam Secretary. There is an Amendment Number 2 by Senator Cronk on members' desks. Thank you, Senator Cronk.

Um, thank you, Mr. President. I move Amendment Number 2. Objection to Amendment Number 2. Would you please explain the amendment, Senator Cronk? Um, thank you, Mr. President.

This amendment is intended to keep the bill focused on its original purpose, giving consumers and independent repair shops reasonable access to parts, tools, and repair information. The underlying bill already accomplishes that goal and significant way. What this amendment does is remove language that goes beyond repair access and starts interfering with legitimate device security, anti-theft protections, and consumer safety systems. We can support the right to repair without requiring companies to weaken the cybersecurity and integrity protections of modern-day devices that each of us rely on every day. Um, this amendment keeps the core repair provisions in the bill.

It removes a section that interferes with device security systems. Alaskans should be able to repair their devices without weakening cybersecurity, anti-theft protections, or consumer safety features. The bill already gives independent repair shops broad access to parts, tools, manuals, and repair information. We do not need to outlaw manufacturer security systems to accomplish right to repair. This amendment strikes a reasonable middle ground.

It protects repair access, protects consumer privacy, protects device security, and and it avoids unnecessary litigation. Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you, Senator Cronkite. And Senator Dunbar, to speak to your objection. Thank you, Mr. President.

Unfortunately, I cannot support this amendment like I could the previous one. The previous one was very narrow and targeted. This basically guts the bill. And broad exemptions like this have been used to undermine these attempts in other parts of the country. Again, things like electronic toothbrushes, toaster ovens, you name it.

These kind of exemptions have been used to say that the companies, the manufacturers, should be able to use digital locks and other kinds of methods to prevent a right to repair. So I'll speak more to it when we get to the underlying bill. This amendment essentially kills the bill, and I would urge members to vote no. Thank you. Thank you.

Senator Dunbar, response. Senator Cronk. Um, thank you, Mr. President. Um, this bill does go too far by regulating how companies secure their devices. Modern phones and electronics contain sensitive financial, personal, and biometric information.

I think each and every one of us has a phone that, you know, we'd be probably pretty scared if other people were into that. Security systems exist for a reason, to protect consumers from theft, fraud, hacking, and unsafe components. The current language could punish manufacturers for using legitimate safety and security protections. This bill creates legal uncertainty and invites lawsuits over vague terms like reduced functionality and misleading warnings. Alaskans can support repair access without forcing companies to weaken device security.

This amendment keeps the good parts of the bill and removes the risky parts that have unintended consequences. Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you, Senator Croc. Is the objection maintained? Thank you.

If you are then ready for the question, the question being, shall the Senate adopt Amendment Number 2 to CS for Senate Bill 111, Labor and Commerce, as amended? Senators may proceed to vote.

The Secretary will lock the roll.

And do any Senators wish to change their vote? The secretary will announce the vote. 8 Yeas, 12 nays. With 8 yeas to 12 nays, Amendment Number 2 has failed to pass the Senate. Madam Secretary, I have no further amendments.

That brings the bill as amended back before the Senate in third reading on final passage. Thank you. Thank you, Madam Secretary. We are back in third reading on Senate Bill 111. Senator Dunbar to carry the bill.

Thank you, Mr. President. Um, you know, in some ways SB 111, an act relating to the diagnosis, maintenance, and repair of consumer electronics, is a complicated piece of legislation, but at bottom it's a simple idea: when you buy something, you should own it and have the right to repair it. This bill is unfortunately necessary because this idea, this principle, which was once accepted as common sense, has been increasingly violated by certain out-of-state state consumer technology and manufacturing companies. SB 111 protects the right of Alaskans to maintain and repair their consumer electronic devices. Digital products are convenient and sometimes essential, but manufacturers can exercise a tremendous level of control.

Software and always-on internet connectivity let them restrict how devices can be used, charge subscription fees to access hardware that the owner has already paid for, prevent owners and technicians from replacing parts and even disable devices when they decide it's time for you to buy the newest model. Uh, Mr. President, we had an example, uh, in public testimony from a repair shop in Eagle River where just a few weeks ago, customer after customer were coming in and saying, "My Amazon Kindle stopped working." And I— not to pick on Amazon, uh, but it happened to be the case that they decided that basically all products made before 2012, all Kindles, would be turned off using software. There was nothing mechanically wrong with that Kindle, but there was nothing that the repair shop could do. And this also gets to the previous conversation we had about the broad amendment on digital locks and supposed digital security systems. They unfortunately can be abused to prevent the functioning of otherwise functioning devices.

Now, it is important to understand that declining repairability is not caused by alleged technical problems inherent to modern products. It is a choice made by some manufacturers to exert control and extract profits beyond the initial sale. Now, every manufacturer engages— not, excuse me, not every manufacturer engages in this anti-consumer behavior. Some see it as their duty to support these products and make parts, tools, and documentation readily available. Valve, Asus, KitchenAid, Sennheiser, Fender, and Framework all have strong reputations for repairability, just to name a few.

Unfortunately, others increasingly obstruct independent repairs to push official repairs or replacement. And this list is expanding. For example, Bosch was well regarded for long-lasting home appliances, but shifted strategies in the last 5 years by implementing repair-hostile components across their product line. Now, as you might expect, Many laws that seek to protect Alaskan consumers are loudly opposed by out-of-state interests affected, and right to repair is no exception. At committee, we heard testimony from trade groups based in California and Washington, D.C. We also had concerns from powersports and equipment dealerships, but the latter concerns were resolved in this focused version of the bill.

Industry groups often make claims about unique safety or security risks associated with repairs of their products. These claims are always full of technical technical-sounding jargon, but vague about how exactly repair materials would put the public at risk. Independent experts in the Federal Trade Commission say there is, quote, scant evidence that the ability to maintain, repair products makes the products less secure. The current version of SB 111 is narrowly targeted, clear, and effective. It applies only to the products that the average person can pick up in a store or order on commonplace e-commerce platforms.

It is supported by an overwhelming majority of Alaskans, including hundreds that sent postcards of support and nearly 1,000 who signed the petition you'll find in your packet. Repair technicians across Alaska and beyond called and wrote letters in support, as did Google, surprisingly. And Google's letter contradicts the claims that right to repair makes consumer electronic devices insecure. SB 111 would provide a robust right to repair consumer electronics that Alaskans use every day. It would keep toxic waste out of the environment, business in the state, and money in Alaskans' pockets.

It is a law that you can be proud of in your district and that we can be proud of as a state. I urge your support for SB 111 and for a right to repair for Alaskans. Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you, Senator Dunbar. Is there a discussion?

Senator Cronk. Um, thank you, Mr. President. I'm obviously standing up because I'm going to oppose this bill. Um, I just want to say, a modern phone today is not like a phone of yesterday. They contain banking information, passwords, tax records, health information, biometric data, private photos.

If those are compromised, it's not just an inconvenience. Those are severe consequences. And I'm gonna give a few real-life examples. Let's say you have a generator and you get a knockoff part or a fixed part and you're out somewhere, per se. Now, I don't know if anybody's bought any new snow machines, but they're all electronic.

They're not going to start without a battery, and that generator throws codes, and it's just not enough to actually help start your snow machine. Well, you're stuck out there. Um, my, my newest snow machine is the same way. It is driven by the battery. And I had a person work on my sled, and he put a different, uh, voltage regulator on there, and I got out about 30 miles, and on the way back snow machine decided to not run anymore.

It threw codes and it went into limp mode, and there I was 14 miles from the road. So that was a long 7 hours of walking back out to the highway to get to my truck. So I just want to say there's unintended consequences with this. Alaska is a relatively drop in the bucket compared to the markets here, and I don't really want to be, you know, punishing the manufacturers for being up here and maybe even removing products from us. So I just want people to consider the unintended consequences.

Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you, Senator Cronk. Is there further discussion?

Please go ahead, Senator Bjorkman.

Thank you very much, Mr. President. I think it's worthwhile continuing this discussion about what right to repair should mean and maybe what it does mean and what it does not mean. Unfortunately, the previous speaker outlined in his, his talk about snow machines a really good case and rationale as to why we should have a right to repair, why products that we buy, why machinery and equipment and other things, they should be fixable by us, especially in rural Alaska. The bill, however, does not contemplate allowing the changes to apply to power sports equipment, snow machines, personal watercraft, other things, because of significant concerns brought by many small businesses across the state that the right to repair, as was constituted within previous versions of this bill, would have significantly impacted their business model. I strongly believe that equipment and machinery should be easy for Alaskans and Americans to fix.

The draconian emission standards that are placed on diesel engines and trucks and other things that require diesel exhaust fluid that really cripple much of our DOT equipment, it's a problem and it's a big one and it's It's one that we need to solve. The best place to solve these things, of course, is on the federal level, Mr. President. So what we did in the Labor and Commerce Committee to focus this bill specifically on consumer electronics is to take a step in the right direction of single— signaling, along with many other states, to the industry that citizens in our state They have a strong interest in being able to fix the things they buy, and it is desirous that they, they do that. However, there is a responsibility if someone does engage in repair of a product that they accept the consequences. If you are, you know, a Tim the Toolman Taylor of home improvement fame and you want to give your saw more power, or your phone, or what have you, There are certain inherent risks, right?

The bill doesn't excuse people from the risks involved in that. But it's— what it seeks to do is it seeks to provide some sideboards that make it illegal, this idea of planned obsolescence, like the bill sponsor talked about, that says you should be able to push a button in corporate America and turn off all of the Kindles, or we now see this type of exact technology being permitted at the federal, federal level for automobiles, perhaps. That's kind of scary. So I, I think although this version of the bill doesn't do everything that the bill sponsor originally had, had intended it do, it's a step in the right direction and a clear signal that Alaskans want to be able to fix the stuff that they buy so that they can have that product for a long time and and not go in the landfill. Thank you, Mr. President.

Thank you, Senator Yorkman. Is there further discussion? And wrap up, Senator Dunbar. Thank you, Mr. President. I'll keep this brief because, uh, the, uh, Senator from Nakiski actually gave the speech I was planning to give, so that's, that's excellent.

Um, this bill doesn't, uh, contemplate, uh, powersports equipment or other heavy equipment. I wish it did, um, but that's a conversation for another This is a narrowly targeted, targeted bill. I will say one thing in response to the comments from the member from Tok. The idea that products will be removed from Alaska, that manufacturers won't sell things here, that has just not been the case in any other state that has enacted these laws. Now, it's true that we are a small market, but it would be an incredible public relations nightmare for a company that did that.

For this reason, given the narrow protections in this bill. And perhaps it would spur the federal change that the senator from Nakiski pointed to, which is the actual solution. Ultimately, we know that we need federal laws on this, but until that federal law comes, we need to try to protect a right to repair for Alaskan consumers so that folks can repair the things that they own. Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you, Senator Dunbar.

If you are ready for the question— question being, shall CS for Senate Bill 111, Labor and Commerce, as amended As amended, pass the Senate. Senators may proceed to vote.

The Secretary will lock the roll. Do any Senators wish to change their vote? The Secretary will announce the vote. 15 Yeas, 5 nays. And so by a vote of 15 yeas to 5 nays, CS for Senate Bill 111, Labor and Commerce as amended, has passed the Senate.

Madam Majority Leader. Mr. President, I move and ask unanimous consent that the vote on the bill be considered the vote on the effective date clause. Thank you. Hearing no objection, the effective date clause has been adopted.

Madam Secretary, please read the next item on today's calendar. CS for Senate Bill Number 170, Finance, an act relating to gaming, relating to gaming activities on Alaska Marine Highway System vessels, relating to bingo, relating to pull tabs and electronic pull tab systems, relating to the powers of the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities, relating to the Alaska Marine Highway System Fund, and providing for an effective date before the Senate's third reading on final passage. Thank you, Senator Bjorkman, to carry the bill.

Thank you very much, Mr. President. Senate Bill 170 solves a very significant problem for charities and nonprofits who are seeing their revenues and their ability to raise money from charitable gaming decline precipitously because of the cost of a paper pull-tab ticket and because of the increased costs that many businesses are facing that are really driving down that ability to make money. Who are these charities and nonprofits that make money from charitable gaming, specifically pull-tabs? Well, they're youth sports. Their Little League teams and girls' volleyball, their senior citizen centers and their veteran service organizations, VFWs and American Legion posts all over the state that provide very, very needful social connection for our veterans.

And they are able to, in my community on the Kenai, provide deliveries of firewood in the winter to folks, making sure that people have the food and the goods and services that they need in order to make it. Our American Legion posts and VFW posts, they are a center of social interaction that is extremely beneficial to the mental health of our veterans and our senior citizen centers alike. Both of those folks, they engage in this type of charitable gaming to provide groceries and other services for the members of those senior citizen centers and veteran service organizations. Also, we see in this bill and benefiting youth sports, as I already mentioned, allowing for them to travel as a team across Alaska and allowing for those charities and nonprofits to continue to make money and overcome their increasing cost is the problem that we're trying to solve within this bill. What the bill does, Mr. President, is it allows for the play of an electronic pull tab within the state of Alaska.

That electronic pull tab can be played on an iPad tablet screen, and it functions much like a paper pull tab does. If a person would like to play an electronic pull tab under this bill, one would go to a place where currently pull tabs are sold now. The bill does not expand that. You would go to a place where pull tabs are sold. You would hand money over the counter to a person and say, "I would like this many tickets." And they would hand you a tablet with that many electronic pull tabs on it.

And you would play that pull tab just like a paper one, using similar motions to reveal the characters or pictures underneath the windows. The process and the protections in this bill are specifically designed to to, number one, make more money for charities and nonprofits, allowing for more money, more oversight, and more accountability for the money raised through charitable gaming to make sure it reaches its end goal and end user of the people that are supposed to benefit— veterans, senior citizens, and youth sports, to name a few. Also, Mr. President, we have in this bill made sure that the Department of Commerce has the ability of enforcement to go out and crack down on illegal gaming operations, which they don't have now. To go out and enforce folks who are scofflaws, if you will, and not following the law. And not only are they endangering legitimate charitable gaming and the ability of those charities to raise money, but they are endangering the people who who patronize those businesses as well.

We've increased enforcement in this bill.

Senate Bill 170 is a balanced reform that simply offers the ability for a person to play a paper pull-tab ticket on a screen. Limiting that electronic pull-tab to a screen keeps social interaction available to folks like you would have a paper pull-tab. People are not sitting in front of a machine that looks like a slot machine and completely zoned into that. They're able to share that across a table or a bar, at a bingo hall or wherever pull tabs are played. And also making sure that the center of this bill is always pointed at making sure our charities and nonprofits are continuing to make the revenue that they need to serve their constituents so that they are not coming to us, the state government, to ask for help to do those things.

So that's the bill before us today, Mr. President. I would appreciate members vote yes. Thank you. Thank you, Senator. Is there further discussion?

Senator, Senator Keele. Thank you, Mr. President, and good morning.

Senate Bill 170 comes from good intentions. Senate Bill 170 is in fact designed to deal in part with the things that the member from Nikiski talked about. But it goes much, much farther than that, Mr. President. Far too far for it to be a responsible piece of legislation. So I rise in opposition today.

Mr. President, Alaska leads the nation in all sorts of categories we would rather not. We talk about them on this floor from time time to time. Different sorts of crime, different sorts of victimization, number of problems we could spend a lot of time on. One of the few places we aren't at the bottom of the heap is in gambling addiction. Best estimates out there are that 2, 2.25% of Alaskans have an actual gambling addiction.

We're not talking about a habit, we're talking about people who can't stop.

Other states, not surprisingly, states with a whole lot more opportunities to gamble, have higher rates. Nevada leads the pack at 15%. New Jersey, 6%. When you look across the upper Midwest, you're seeing 4 to 6%. 2 And 3 times Alaska's rate of gambling addiction.

So Alaska doesn't lead the country in this particular social ill. At least not yet, Mr. President. I'm sorry to say, I think Senate Bill 170 takes a step down that road. It's not the right direction.

Mr. President, it is true that nonprofits in Alaska will bring in more money if this bill passes. That isn't money that necessarily comes from people who can afford to spend it. Harvard School of Medicine estimates that about 7% of college students have problem gambling that is approaching, or at or approaching, the level of addiction. Columbia University research shows that people who are members of minority groups, especially African Americans and indigenous Americans, have the highest rates of gambling addiction. University of Buffalo reports in some of their research that people who are lower income, lower socioeconomic status, are twice as likely to gamble as those with more money.

It's not surprising, Mr. President. But think about where the money comes from.

My primary concern with Senate Bill 170, Mr. President, is the introduction of electronic gambling—e-pull tabs, they're called—to the state of Alaska. E-pull tabs were invented to be more addictive than regular pull tabs. That's the problem.

Had a friend buy a car recently. Friend who doesn't have a smartphone, which blows my mind. It also blew the mind of the salesman, who kept asking question after question about the flip phone. Like, "Really? How does that work?

How do you get through your life?" And this friend bought the car. It took a little longer than maybe they should have with the titling and registration They finally came back to finish the paperwork, and the salesman said, "You changed my life. I got rid of my smartphone. I bought a flip phone. Now when I take my kids to the park, I play with my kids." That, Mr. President, reflects the fact that these little screens can be habit-forming, right?

And that, that action by that salesman is exactly what we'd hope for. Somebody who recognized a bad habit, took a Good action. You turn things around. It's not addiction. But e-pull tabs are designed with addiction in mind.

Chief among them is what they call the flow state. And this is exactly what you see if you walk through the casinos with the slot machines on the walls and the people who sit there hour after hour, coin after coin, pull of the handle after pull of the handle, tuned out to the world. They get into that flow state. There are no pauses. They play every few seconds.

It's a steady pace. There's a rhythm to it. That's how e-pull tabs are designed to work.

And they use the same addictive tools as the Vegas-style machines and games. No, it's not in a cabinet in this case. This bill would limit it to a tablet in front of you. But we've all seen people staring at the tablet, staring at the phone for hours on end. These games are designed— I spent a little time looking around YouTube, looking around the internet because I'm not a gambler myself.

What do they look like? How do they work? They've got all the same flashes, all the same pings, they award the badges, they've got bonuses. They're designed according to the Gateway Foundation to be much more flashy than traditional pull tabs, to have added features. Including additional reels, things that allow the players—cause the players to bet more money with the illusion that it increases the chance of winning.

Now, nobody's cheating. It still has the same mathematical odds as a paper pull tab, but it's designed to give you the impression that the odds have changed. The bill says these tablets, these gaming machines can't look like a slot machine spinning wheels. But they can look like everything else. Lightning bolts can flash across the screen, exploding fruit, Lucky Sevens and bananas can drop into place as long as they're dropping down vertical columns and not on a spinning wheel, it's legal.

It can look like a spinning roulette wheel. It can look like dealing out the blackjack cards.

As long as the math is the same behind it, it's still technically, electronically, a pull tab, but it's got all the hooks of the Vegas casino—everything but the guy in the dapper vest, Mr. President. They are designed to trap players—these elements—who would usually use their better judgment and walk away into keeping going, playing again, playing again, betting more. Research shows that players often overestimate the amount they've won and underestimate the amount they've paid in. Because these machines give the appearance of winning more frequently.

That's why electronic pull tabs can be up to 5 times more profitable than paper tabs. And you see it in the bill. The bill allows a higher ideal payout than we allow for paper pull tabs today. Higher playbacks keep you at it, keep you spinning, keep you pulling the handle. Although in this case it's tapping a screen, but the effect on the brain is the same.

The next tool they use is losses designed as wins. You play a $2 tab, you win a buck. But they use all the same flashes, all the same winner signals and symbols designed from the best psychological research that's out there to appeal not to your conscious mind, not to your rational mind that does the math, But to appeal to that dopamine hit, and the brain registers the lights and the sounds and the visuals as a success. You lost money, but it doesn't look like you lost money, Mr. President. It looks like you won.

And it is every bit as effective as a win at keeping the player gambling more. They use the illusion of control, Mr. President, with rapid-fire buttons, interactive bonus rounds they call them, a bonus game, a free play window. Again, as long as you don't change the math, As long as the algorithm that runs in the background has the same mechanism as a pull-tab, it can look like anything and it can be as exciting as anything in Vegas. That's how they're designed. So you see these winning symbols that just barely miss the payline and it tricks the brain into thinking a big payout is right around the corner.

Mr. President, there was a comment earlier that you have to use the same gestures and motions and mechanisms as a paper pull tab. That's not in the bill. That's not how these things are designed. Mr. President, you can't necessarily see how many tabs are left in a given series without breaking out of that flow state, and they're designed to keep you in the flow state, to go to some other screen. Whereas with paper pull tabs, you can see the box and how much is left in it Or the plastic bin, right?

How full or empty is it? It's a little visual cue. There's something there to give you an opportunity to break out of that constant state of play and replay, bet and re-bet over and over and keep the money flowing out of your pocket. With paper pull tabs, you either have to sell the whole series or you can use the last few if you want as door prizes. But with ETABS, that's not a requirement.

You can pull the game when the big prizes are out and flash splashy messages about it, creating again the illusion of bigger winnings, the illusion of big wins, more artificial excitement. And of course, they're digital. You don't have to hand over cash except at the very beginning. In fact, you can use a debit card. The machine may have a reader on it for a debit card.

It divorces the mind from the money you're spending, the money you're losing, deliberately. It's a design choice to keep you playing, to keep you addicted, to keep you going, to keep the cash flowing out of your pocket. It works like Vegas works.

Paper tabs have pauses. You have to pay the cashier, the bartender, right? You have to actually crack the thing, although some folks do get pretty fast. But there's a, a slowdown in that rate of constant reward and that addictive cycle.

Mr. President, there is a reason that the Institute for Addiction Recovery calls electronic games like these the crack cocaine of gambling. They are built for addiction.

There's another thing that hasn't particularly been discussed with opening up Alaska to electronic gambling machines. Mr. President, it's the implications for other gambling, and I think it will bite Alaska's nonprofits right in the rear end. The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act is a federal law, Mr. President. Gives you 3 classes of gambling. One are sort of traditional games, some raffles.

Two is what we have—bingos, pull tabs. Class 3 is everything else. From the slot machine to the roulette wheel to the baccarat. Is that how you pronounce it? I never know how to pronounce that, Mr. President.

I just know James Bond plays it. Alaska has no Class III gaming. It's not allowed.

And federal law doesn't generally allow classes of gambling in a state that the state doesn't allow otherwise. Here's the bill that does it, Mr. President. Electronic pull-tabs are Class III gaming. This opens the door to everything else if we pass this bill. Now, it's not instantaneous, but it unlocks the gate.

It unlocks the gate to walk down the garden path. You know the origin of that expression, Mr. President, down the garden path? It comes from an old fairy tale where a young man is walked down the garden path he's on his path to meet the bride, and under the veil is someone he doesn't expect. I thought it was apt here, Mr. President. We don't know where we end up if we unlock this particular gate in Alaska.

But I'm here to tell you, when we open the door to Class III gaming, we open the door to casinos. There's a— I know there's a land issue that's under litigation right now.

We don't know how that's going to come out, but we know what becomes legal if we allow electronic pull tabs because they are Class III gaming, Mr. President, and we will not be in control if we do it. Some federal rules, 2024, were tightened down states' ability to negotiate compacts for tribal gambling.

There won't be revenue from this to the state. I can promise you that. The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act does not allow anything except the cost for the state to regulate that gaming or agreed-upon projects with the tribe. Nothing's coming to the general fund if we do this. In fact, when they review these compacts, any other dollar than that, actually any other dollar than a fee to regulate the gambling, is presumed invalid by Uncle Sam.

Mr. President, there are problems that can be solved. We haven't raised the limits on payouts in years and years. That's not a bad part of this bill. The $2 cap on a pull tab, that's in regulation. We can lift that.

If the cost of printing on paper is so high, it's not a terrible idea. It's not a disaster to change that.

But to go to electronic gaming, That's dangerous. That's a bad choice for Alaskans, Mr. President. I told you I went down a little YouTube rabbit hole. I want to quote you, Mr. President, if I may read from an advertisement from an e-pull-tab manufacturer for their systems and their games. Permission to read, Mr. President?

Not objection. So ordered. It begins, "Electronic pull tabs take the same play as traditional pull tabs and enhances it with a visual presentation." go on for a minute about how they work. The quote continues: "Electronic pull-tab games mimic play styles that players are accustomed to seeing in large casinos. Therefore, they attract new and younger players over traditional pull-tabs." Again, Mr. President, this is from the industry.

This is how they're trying to sell their stuff. A little bit about options you have, but here's the end.

Offering an eye-appealing presentation, enhanced animations, and sensational sounds, the outstanding gaming experience keeps players coming back for more. That's what it's about, Mr. President. This is about going from what I think has been called social gaming to the addiction of electronic gambling in Alaska—Class III games that open the doors to casinos Mr. President, we have lower gambling addiction in Alaska than most states, not because we have prohibition— nobody's proposing prohibition— because we have a responsible outlet with some basic rules that benefits nonprofits. Nobody's going to the nonprofit rippy parlor when there's a casino nearby, Mr. President. It's not happening.

There's nothing in this bill that directs any of the added revenue to gambling addictions, Mr. President, but they will come if we pass this. I urge the members to vote no on Senate Bill 170. Thank you, Senator Keele. Is there further discussion? Senator Yunt.

Thank you, Mr. President. I rise today in strong support of this legislation, and I'll keep it brief as to why, but what I want to speak I would like to speak about at first is what it's not doing. We're not here today talking about making something legal that's not already. We're not here extending the hours of operation for places. We're not here taking away these things from nonprofits and handing it over to for-profit businesses.

If we were doing that, I would be a hard no. If we were talking about opening up casinos in Alaska, I would be and will always be a hard no. I am a huge supporter of the system and how it works and how it feeds all the nonprofits in Alaska. Unfortunately, the, the price of print has just become so outrageous. Um, I mean, we're literally filling up landfills with these things, and it's taken away a lot of the profit.

I don't see more money going into this system in the future. What I see is just more profit for the money that's already there for the nonprofit side of this. So simply put, I'm, I'm in strong support. Thank you. Thank you, Senator.

Yeah, is there further discussion? In wrap-up, Senator Bjorkum.

Thank you very much, Mr. President. I appreciate the discussion from the member of Juneau, and I think there's an important distinction to be made here about what it is that the bill does and the limits that are in place in the process by which people play electronic pull tabs that really does in fact short circuit many of the rightful concerns that he shares from full-blown gambling. Charitable gaming, Mr. President, and for those in the public watching, charitable gaming is simply entertainment that allows charities and nonprofits to make money. There are specific limits in prizes that can be won from charitable gaming. No one can win thousands of dollars by drawing the right ticket.

No one's going to get rich quick playing electronic pull tabs because the maximum amount of money that you can win from a ticket is $500. It's relatively low stakes. Tickets cost maybe $1 or $2. And again, you have to hand over money or your debit card. I don't know any organization that would take a debit card because they lose money in deal, so cash, to a person, and in exchange they give you the tablet.

Just the same as a paper pull tab. Cash has to exchange hands when you're done playing. You can cash out just like you would turn in your paper pull tab tickets at the end of playing.

People should have concerns if this bill allowed a freestanding machine for people to put money into. It does not do that. Not at all. Not a bit. The pull-tab ticket gets played on a screen that they have to have a physical interaction with a person to obtain.

And then there are strict limits in place on how much money they can risk at one time. And then those prize limits are in place to mitigate risk and to short-circuit that addictive property or thought that somehow somebody is going to get rich quick on playing a pull tab. It can't happen with paper pull tabs, and it won't happen with electronic pull tabs. Many times folks from around the state, they attend charitable events, dinners, fundraiser galas where there are raffles that happen. Tickets sold, money raised for charities and nonprofits.

But the barrier to entry to those things sometimes is a $100 meal ticket or some fancy clothes to feel like you fit in. This is a way where a common person can go and purchase an electronic pull tab or a regular pull tab, and they can give money and get some entertainment in return to a charity or nonprofit themselves, without that barrier to entry. I want to address the point made by the member from Juneau about this potentially opening the door to full-blown casinos. Well, the Ninth Circuit has a very, very good decision, which we are in, that this bill does not do that. Not at all.

What would happen is having an electronic pull tab On a tablet, legalized in our state law, would mean that organizations that are licensed to perform that kind of gaming, they can also play electronic pull tabs on a tablet. And the Ninth Circuit decision clearly lays that out. As we look at the potential of Indian gaming on, on lands in trust, reservation land in the state. That already is happening, Mr. President. There is a casino people would recognize in Birchwood, in Senate District L, and people can visit it.

And that threat to our charitable gaming and the ability for charities and nonprofits to raise money due to that competition, if it exists, already is real. And it will continue to get worse. Also, people on their phones, they can pull out their phone or get on their tablet and they can gamble as much as they want to, Mr. President. That's an unfortunate thing. This bill won't change that.

Senate Bill 170 merely gives charities and nonprofits the ability to play a paper pull tab on a screen so that they can restore dedicate some of their revenue to serve veterans, making sure that they have groceries and firewood that they need to get through the winter, to make sure that Little League teams and youth hockey teams have equipment and travel money in order to do what they want to do. Many food banks, Mr. President, also use charitable gaming exactly like this to raise money and to feed some of their constituents and their users. Humane societies, animal centers, you name it, charities, nonprofits in Alaska, they rely on charitable gaming just like this in order to do the great things that they do in their community. Electronic pull tabs is low stakes. It's a low cost per ticket.

It's a very low win at relatively $500. No one's going to get rich. No one should think they will. It's entertainment that allows charities and nonprofits to raise money. I urge members to vote yes.

Thank you, Senator Bjorkman. If you are ready for the question, Senator Olson, a brief, brief at ease.

Will the Senate come back to order, please?

We are considering CS for Senate Bill 178 Finance. I'm asking if you are ready for the question. The question being, shall CS for Senate Bill 178 Finance pass the Senate? Senators may proceed to vote.

The secretary— Senator Craig Jackson, thank you. The secretary will lock the roll. Do any senators wish to change their vote? The secretary will announce the vote. 14 Yeas, 6 nays.

And so by a vote of 14 yeas and 6 nays, CS for Senate Bill 170 has passed the Senate. Madam Majority Leader. Mr. President, I move and ask unanimous consent that the vote on the bill be Considered the vote on the effective date clause. Thank you.

Hearing no objection, the effective date clause has been adopted. Madam Secretary, please read the next item on today's calendar. House Joint Resolution Number 44, supporting the ability of Alaska Native corporations and entities owned by federally recognized tribes in the state to participate in the United States Small Business Administration's 8(a) Business Development Program, before the Senate on third reading and final passage. Thank you. Senator Diesel, to carry the resolution.

Thank you, Mr. President. I rise in support of House Joint Resolution 44. This comes from the Resources Committee in the other body and duplicates the Senate Special Committee on Arctic Affairs version of this. As the title indicates, it supports Alaska Native corporations and tribal entities who are participating in the federal Small Business Administration 8(a) Business Development Program. This is an important program for our state, Mr. President.

Under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, the Alaska Native Corporations were created to deliver long-term economic opportunity and stability to Alaska Native shareholders and communities. It is one of— they make up one of the largest private sector economic engines in our state, Mr. President. You can certainly review any Alaska business magazine, uh, identifying the 100 largest corporations in our state, and the Alaska Native Corporations are there. But it's not just about economics, Mr. President. Alaska is the nation's front line in the Arctic, and the Alaska Native Corporations play a direct role in our national security, from supporting missile defense from telecommunications systems at Fort Greely to enabling Arctic logistics and infrastructure.

Mr. President, the 8(a) program is a highly regulated federal contracting program that delivers real results. Right now, this program is under increased scrutiny at the federal level. This— if this program is weakened, the consequences will be real. Fewer jobs, less investment in rural Alaska. HJR 44 sends a clear message.

Alaska stands united in support of this program and the critical role it plays for our state and our nation. I respectfully ask for a yes vote on House Joint Resolution 44. Thank you, Senator Giesel. Is there further discussion?

Seeing none, if you are ready for the question, the question being, shall House Joint Resolution 44 pass the Senate? Senators may proceed to vote.

Senator Gray Jackson. The Secretary will lock the roll. Do any Senators wish to change their vote? The Secretary will announce the vote. 20 Yeas, 0 nays.

And so by a vote of 20 yeas to 0 nays, House Joint Resolution 44 has passed the Senate. Madam Secretary, please read the next item on today's calendar. Chair. CS for House Concurrent Resolution No. 9, State Affairs, amended, by the House State Affairs Committee, honoring the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and celebrating the 250th birthday of the United States of America.

The State Affairs Committee considered the resolution. Previous zero fiscal notes. Signing do pass, Senator Kawasaki. Chair, Senator Gray Jackson. Signing no recommendation, Senators Grossman, Hawskey, Tilton, Bjorkman.

I have no amendments. The resolution is before the Senate on final passage. Thank you. Senator Tilton.

Thank you, Mr. President. It's an honor today to carry HCR 9 for the member of the other body from House District 35. We started our session this year with one of our first pieces of legislation being a resolution supporting the semi-quincentennial, which is the 250th anniversary of our nation. So HCR-9 works to celebrate and recognize the semi-quincentennial anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the foundation of the United States. It does this by recognizing and naming the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence and listing many of the founding rights of individuals upon which the Declaration of Independence was written, as well as the successful efforts and continued work to expand the rights of these individuals.

This piece of legislation came from a collaboration from two members over in the other body and is also based on the resolution SR4 that this body passed at the beginning of the session. It seems right, Mr. Speaker, that we should start our session celebrating the semi- Centennial and looking at the end of session continuing to remember the 250th anniversary of our nation. Thank you, Mr. President. I urge a yes vote. Thank you, Senator Tilton.

Is there further discussion?

Seeing none, if you are ready for the question, the question being, shall CS for House Concurrent Resolution 9, State Affairs, as amended, pass the Senate? Senators may proceed to vote.

The Secretary will lock the roll. Do any Senators wish to change their vote? The Secretary will announce the vote. 20 Yeas, 0 nays. And so by a vote of 20 yeas, 0 nays, CS for House Concurrent Resolution 9, State Affairs Amended, has passed the Senate.

Madam Secretary, please read the next item on today's calendar. Citations honoring Mike Worenda, honoring Fort Yukon Lady Eagles 2026 1A girls basketball state champions, honoring St. Patrick's Day, in memoriam Richard W. Dick Griffith, in memoriam Ronald Ron Alton Murray. Thank you, Madam Majority Leader. Mr. President, I move and ask unanimous consent that the citations on today's calendar be approved. Hearing no objection, the citations are approved.

Madam Secretary, there are no further items for consideration on today's daily calendar. Thank you. Is there unfinished business at this time? Senator Gray Jackson. Thank you, Mr. President.

I move and ask unanimous consent to be shown as a cross-sponsor on two bills, if I may. Start with one, then, uh, first one is House Bill 27 regarding medical care for major emergencies. Without objection. So ordered. Senator Gray Jackson, please go ahead.

Next one is House Bill 244 regarding CNA training. Thank you, Mr. President. Any objection? So ordered. Senator Kaufman.

Thank you, Mr. President. I move and ask unanimous consent to be shown as a cross-sponsor on House Concurrent Resolution 9, Declaration of Independence Anniversary. Without objection, so ordered. Along with Senator Clayman, Senator Steadman, Senator Myers, Senator Rauscher, and over on this side, Senator Cronk, Senator Marich, Senator Yunt, Senator Kawasaki, Senator Dunbar, and Senator Stevens. Thank you.

I'm sorry, Senator Tilton as well. Thank you.

Then I guess we'll go next to Senator Clayman.

Thank you, Mr. President. I provide notice because I believe we are now in the 24-hour rule that on Wednesday the Judiciary Committee will consider the governor's appointee, Mike Miller, to the Alaska Judicial Council on Wednesday. And then I also move and ask unanimous consent to be listed as co-sponsor on Senate Bill 249, regarding virtual currency kiosks. Without objection, so ordered. Along with Senator Mary, Senator Bjorkman, Senator Tobin, let's go ahead to Senator Rauscher.

Thank you, Mr. President. I have two motions. First motion— excuse me— I move and ask unanimous consent to be shown as a co-sponsor on Senate Bill 162, Species as Legal Tender. Without objection, so ordered.

And hedging my bets, thank you, Mr. President, I'd like to move and ask unanimous consent to be shown as co-sponsor on House Bill 1, Species as Legal Tender. Without objection, so ordered. Senator Rauscher. Senator Steadman. Oh, I'm sorry, we'll add Senator Tilton to that.

Yes. Senator Steadman. Thank you, Mr. President. I move and ask unanimous consent that I be excused from the call of the Senate on the 15th, May 15th of this year, PM plane time to the 17th PM plane time for state schmoozing business.

Thank you.

Senator, back to order, please. Uh, Senator Merrick. Thank you, Mr. President. I move and ask unanimous consent to be listed as a cross-sponsor of the Omnibus Crime Bill. House Bill 239, criminally negligent homicide failure to assist.

I think without objection, so ordered. Along with Senator Gray Jackson, Senator Clayman, Senator Kawasaki, Senator Wielechowski, Senator Yunt— is that right?— and Senator Stevens. Senator Keel, are you at a— okay. All right, let's move ahead then. Uh, Senator Well, come back to you, Senator.

I'll go to Senator Yunt first. Thank you. I move and ask unanimous consent to be added as a co-sponsor of Senate Bill 207, Property Possession and Property Crimes. Without objection. So ordered, Senator Yunt.

Uh, Senator Wilkowski? No. Okay, thank you. Um, Senator Keele? Thank you, Mr. President.

I give notice of reconsideration of my vote on Senate Bill 117. Without objection, so ordered. And Senator Rascher. Thank you, Mr. President. I move and ask unanimous consent to be excused from the call of the Senate May 12th, playing time around 2:30, till May 13th, 8:30 AM, around playing time.

Thank you, Senator Rascher. Without objection, so ordered.

Any additional Unfinished business that we have not touched on yet? Okay, thank you. Let's move on to committee announcements. Senator Tobin. Thank you, Mr.

President. Senate Education for today is canceled. Thank you, Senator Tobin.

Senator Clayman. Thank you, Mr. President. Senate Judiciary today is canceled. Wow, both my committees are canceled. Anyone else have, um, committee announcement at this time.

Senator Bjorkman, move and ask unanimous consent to roll back up the calendar to unfinished business. Yes, we are. Um, okay, we'll back up to unfinished business. Please go ahead, Senator Bjorkman. I move and ask unanimous consent that reconsideration on Senate Bill 170 be taken up same day.

A brief, brief addendum.

Will the Senate come back to order, please? We have before us a motion to take up the issue of 170 on the same day. We have an objection.

Under discussion. Would you state your objection and why you want to deal with it? You're back to the same day. Thank you, Mr. President. I gave notice of reconsideration so that the members have an opportunity to consider and reflect.

That's part of our uniform rules. It's part of Mason's Manual. It is an opportunity for everyone to think on it for one day. It doesn't kill any bills, just holds it until our next legislative session. I think that has great value.

Thank you, Senator Keele. Further discussion? Senator Bjorkman. Thank you very much, Mr. President. Yet time is running out.

I think we have 9 days left in the session. This bill had been in rules for some time as I built support and commitments for folks to bring the bill from the floor. I understand that maybe discussions change some people's minds, and that, that is what it is, but the bill passed with a very healthy majority. Concerns brought up by the senator from Juneau were addressed in my closing. There is significant legal precedent to deal with large concerns that, that were addressed.

I think that those are, are facts that are on the record, and we continue to build them through the legislative process as this bill matriculates through the House. And so with 9 days left or so, I urge that we take this up same day. Thank you. Thank you, Senator Beyer, for the discussion. So to be clear, we have a motion to reconsider on the same day.

We have an objection to the motion. We will first vote on that objection. If you are ready for the question— is that clear to everyone? Brief at ease.

Will the Senate come back to order, please? Senator Giesel, could you help us understand what we're voting on here? Thank you, Mr. President. The question before us is whether to take up reconsideration on the same day.

A yes Yes vote means that we will reconsider our vote today. A no vote means we will reconsider tomorrow. Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you, Senator Giesel. Further discussion?

If you are ready for the question, the question being, shall the Senate take up reconsideration on the same day? Senators may proceed to vote. The Secretary will lock the roll. Do any Senators wish to change their vote? The Secretary will announce the vote.

11 Yeas, 9 nays. And so by a vote of 11 yeas to 9 nays, the Senate has failed to take up reconsideration on the same day. It requires 14 votes. I brief at ease.

Will the Senate come back to order, please? We were in unfinished business, additional unfinished business. If not, moving on to committee announcements. Thank you. Are there other announcements?

Senator Hoffman. Thank you, Mr. President. I would like to announce that that there will be a conference committee this afternoon at 4:00 PM to address HB 263 and HB 264, which are the budget bills, and it will be an organizational meeting only. Thank you, Senator Hoffman.

Any other announcements? Are there special orders?

Madam Majority Leader. Mr. President, I move and ask unanimous consent that the Senate stand in adjournment until tomorrow at 11:00 AM. That's Tuesday, May 12th, 2026. Hearing no objection, the Senate is adjourned.