Alaska State Legislature

The Alaska State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Alaska. It is a bicameral institution consisting of the 40-member Alaska House of Representatives (lower house) and the 20-member Alaska Senate (upper house). There are 40 House Districts (1–40) and 20 Senate Districts (A–T). With a total of 60 lawmakers, the Alaska State Legislature is the smallest bicameral state legislature in the United States and the second-smallest of all state legislatures (only the 49-member unicameral Nebraska Legislature is smaller). State representatives are elected by ranked-choice voting. There are no term limits for either chamber. The Alaska State Legislature meets in the Alaska State Capitol in Juneau. The current meeting, since January 21, 2025 is the 34th Alaska State Legislature. The previous meeting, 33rd Alaska State Legislature, met from 2023 to 2025. Before that, the 32nd Alaska State Legislature, met from 2021 to 2023.

Organization

Non-professional legislature

Unlike other state legislatures with longer sessions, the Alaska State Legislature's comparatively short session allows many lawmakers to retain outside employment, especially in the state's many seasonal industries, such as fishing and tourism. In this, the Alaska State Legislature retains some of the volunteer nature that characterized most state legislatures until the middle of the 20th century. This has led to recurring but minor controversy around the potential for conflict of interest inherent in legislators' outside employment.

Terms and qualifications

thumb|left|The swearing-in ceremony for the 28th Alaska State Legislature.

A candidate for legislative office must be a qualified voter and resident of Alaska for no less than three years, and a resident of the district from which elected for one year immediately preceding filing for office. A senator must be at least 25 years of age and a representative 21 years of age at the time the oath of office is taken. Representatives have a two-year term, and senators have a four-year term. One-half of the senators shall be elected every two years.

In the 2006 elections, a voter initiative was passed that reduced the statutory length of the session from 121 days to 90 days. The 2008 session was the first 90-day session. Although the session adjourned on time, opponents of the shorter session claimed that legislation was rushed and public input was jeopardized.

Legislative process

Introduction

Legislators introduce a bill by giving it to the Chief Clerk of the Alaska House of Representatives or the Secretary of the Alaska Senate. Bills submitted by the governor are introduced through a Rules Committee in either chamber. The chief clerk of the house or the senate secretary assigns each bill a number.

Caucuses

Unlike many other state legislative chambers in the United States, both houses of the Alaska State Legislature have a longstanding tradition of majority caucuses encompassing members of both major parties (Republican and Democratic). Democrats caucusing with the majority are colloquially known as "Bush Democrats," a reference to the Alaskan bush country from which they typically hail. Members of the minority party caucusing with the majority are treated as members of the majority for purposes of committee assignments and caucus meetings.

References

External links