24-05-2025
Recidivism, Chugach park access and school maintenance: Here are some of the issues lawmakers addressed in the final days of the session
May 23—Alaska lawmakers devoted much of their attention during the legislative session that ended Tuesday to the budget, education funding and policy and revenue measures. Some other priorities stalled in the final days of the session — like public pension and election reforms.
But the 33 bills adopted by lawmakers in the 120-day session covered a wide range of topics, including updates to Alaska's insurance laws, establishing Women's History Month and extending certain boards and commissions.
Here are three other bills worth noting that passed in the final days of the session.
Giving prisoners access to tablets
Lawmakers adopted a bill meant to reduce Alaska's recidivism rate, which is the highest in the nation, by giving prisoners access to technology while they are incarcerated.
Alaska is one of the only states that does not have an established law giving prisoners access to tablets, which can enable inmates to further their education while they are behind bars, and access other services such as telemedicine.
The Alaska Department of Corrections has for several years wanted to give prisoners access to tablets. Previous efforts to pass similar legislation have failed.
"One of the main struggles that inmates can face is with accessing education as they are trying to get out of prison," said Sen. Robert Myers, a North Pole Republican. Providing inmates with access to tablets and the rehabilitative services they facilitate, he added, "is a proactive attempt to make our communities safer."
"These tablets are not intended to be a luxury for prisoners. They facilitate connection to essential services and resources," Myers said.
House Bill 35 passed the House with support from 28 representatives. Twelve House Republicans opposed the bill in its final form. It passed the Senate unanimously.
Improving a road into Chugach State Park
Lawmakers adopted a bill that will allow Anchorage to make improvements to Upper Canyon Road, which leads to Chugach State Park — the most visited park in Alaska. The road provides access to popular trails such as the Flattop Sunny Side Trail and the Rabbit Lake Trail.
Currently, Upper Canyon Road jurisdiction is split between the local Anchorage service area and the park, making it difficult to maintain the route, which is often crammed with vehicles belonging to hikers or skiers.
The bill would allow the Alaska Department of Natural Resources, which oversees state parks, to convey the land to Anchorage, giving the city the authority it needs to better maintain the road.
"It's a wonderful opportunity to build on the resources and assets in the community," said Rep. Ky Holland, an independent lawmaker who represents an Anchorage Hillside district.
Rep. Julie Coulombe, a Republican who represents another Hillside district, was also in support of the bill. She said roads leading to Chugach State Park trailheads were being "destroyed by a lot of traffic."
"This situation is a win-win for the state. The municipality is taking over a section of road and the municipality is wanting to maintain that road," said Coulombe, calling the route in its current condition "super-super dangerous."
The bill passed with support from 35 House members and 18 Senate members. Four House Republicans and one Senate Republican voted against it. The bill has been transmitted to Dunleavy, who must sign it, veto it or allow it to become law without his signature by June 7.
Putting Mt. Edgecumbe High School on 'a level playing field'
Lawmakers adopted a bill that would allow Mt. Edgecumbe High School — the only educational facility directly owned and operated by the state — to directly compete with other school facilities across Alaska for maintenance funding.
The state education department every year releases a ranked list of maintenance projects after school districts across Alaska submit their desired projects for review. The list covers schools in urban and rural parts of the state but has historically excluded Mt. Edgecumbe High School, instead relegating responsibility for the school's campus — located in Sitka — to the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities, where it competes for funding against roads and bridges.
The bill adopted by lawmakers would allow Mt. Edgecumbe High School to be ranked in the list against other schools instead.
"A lot of our leaders and future leaders of the state are coming out and have come out of Mt. Edgecumbe, so what we're trying to do here is put Mt. Edgecumbe on a level playing field," said Sitka Republican Sen. Bert Stedman. "So when we at the Finance Table look at infrastructure improvements ... it would make it a fairer process."
Sen. Lyman Hoffman, a Bethel Democrat, said that the transportation department project list — which includes a vast array of projects — is the wrong mechanism for a school to request funding.
"This school doesn't belong on this list. It belongs on the list of the Regional Educational Attendance Areas," said Hoffman. "It's virtually impossible for them to rise to the top of the list of DOT."
The bill passed the Senate unanimously and passed the House with support from 34 out of 40 lawmakers. Five House Republicans opposed the change.
Alaska lawmakers this year showed renewed interest in funding maintenance of school buildings. But a structural deficit for years has prevented the state from addressing the full list of school maintenance projects.
This year, lawmakers approved $38 million in school maintenance funding, enough to cover the top nine projects on the state's ranked maintenance list. Separately, lawmakers approved $2.7 million to replace dorm windows at Mt. Edgecumbe High School.
The governor has yet to comment on the bill adopted by lawmakers, or about whether he will support the school maintenance funding approved by the Legislature this year.
Dunleavy has vetoed tens of millions of dollars in school maintenance funding during his tenure, including more than $17 million intended for Mt. Edgecumbe School.
