Anchorage officials to lead new Alaska legislative coalitions

Anchorage state legislators will take the top leadership roles in both chambers of the Alaska Legislature when the new session begins. Sen. Cathy Giessel, a Republican from Anchorage, will serve as Senate president, while Rep. Calvin Schrage, an independent from Anchorage, will serve as House speaker. Both leaders announced their positions this week as ballots from Tuesday’s election remain to be counted.

The bipartisan coalitions in both chambers have declared they have enough members to hold a majority. The Senate coalition requires at least 11 members, while the House coalition requires 21. Tens of thousands of votes are still being tallied across the state. Final certification of election results is scheduled for Nov. 25.

The Senate majority caucus is currently composed of 14 members. Three Republican senators, including Sen. Jesse Bjorkman of Nikiski, are in talks to leave the coalition and join the all-Republican minority. This would reduce the majority to a one-vote margin of 11 members. Bjorkman said he disagrees with the majority on the implementation of new taxes. He stated that many of these taxes will raise costs for Alaska families.

Giessel responded that the majority does not plan to pass new revenue measures that have not already been discussed or passed by the Legislature. She cited support for applying the corporate income tax to oil and gas companies and updating the tax to apply to online commerce. The state faces a structural deficit and relies on Permanent Fund draws and oil revenues to balance its budget.

In the House, the coalition expects to grow its majority margin. Current results show Democrats ahead in two Anchorage districts held by Republican minority members. Former Rep. Cliff Groh leads a race in a district covering Government Hill and Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson with 62.5% of the vote. Rep. Denny Wells leads a race in the Sand Lake and Campbell Lake neighborhoods with 52.4% of the vote.

Schrage said he is confident the new coalition will have well above 21 members. He noted that the coalitions are unique across the country and are good for the state’s democracy. The House coalition aims to pass fiscally responsible budgets and invest in public school facilities.

Other leadership changes are set for the new session. Rep. Louise Stutes of Kodiak will serve as Senate majority leader, succeeding Giessel. Sen. Bill Wielechowski of Anchorage will again chair the Rules Committee. Sen. Jesse Kiehl of Juneau and Rep. Bryce Edgmon will co-chair the Senate Finance Committee.

In the House, Rep. Chuck Kopp of Anchorage will continue as majority leader. Rep. Rebecca Himschoot of Sitka will chair the House Rules Committee. The House Finance Committee will have three co-chairs: Rep. Sara Hannan of Juneau, Rep. Ashley Carrick of Fairbanks, and Rep. Neal Foster of Nome.

Ranked choice tabulation for some legislative races is scheduled for Nov. 18. Neither coalition has announced its full membership yet. Both leaders said the door remains open for legislators interested in joining the bipartisan groups.