Juneau – Today, the Alaska Legislature unanimously passed legislation to increase patient rights in Alaska. House Bill 43, also known as the “Right to Try” bill, was sponsored by Representative Jason Grenn (I-Anchorage). It allows terminally ill patients who have exhausted all FDA-approved treatment options and do not qualify for clinical trials to gain faster access to safe but experimental drugs in an effort to save or extend their own lives.
News and Press
Juneau – Today, the Alaska Legislature passed a resolution calling for action to ensure the survival of Alaska Native Languages. House Concurrent Resolution 19, sponsored by Representative Dan Ortiz (I-Ketchikan) passed the Alaska House of Representatives last month, and today the Alaska State Senate passed the resolution by a vote of 20-0.
Juneau – Speaker of the House Rep. Bryce Edgmon (D-Dillingham) has issued the following statement to respond to recent media reports documenting an allegation of sexual harassment against Representative Justin Parish (D-Juneau).
“Our caucus takes allegations of this nature very seriously. However, I wanted to provide some clarifying comments following yesterday’s report.
Juneau – Today, the Alaska Legislature passed a resolution urging cooperation among state departments to protect the health of wild and domestic animals. House Concurrent Resolution 23 calls for increased data collection on diseases and foreign pathogens to better facilitate science-based management decisions. The resolution is a call to action for the Departments of Fish and Game, Natural Resources, and Environmental Conservation to cooperate on measures to prevent the spread of diseases and pathogens among Alaska’s wildlife and domestic animals.
Latest Newsletters
Springtime greetings from Juneau. I hope I’m able to make it back home before the snow melts. The Alaska Legislature is starting its 15th week in session, and we’re making progress on the budget and legislation important to our district. The House and Senate each passed their version of the state operating budget to fund schools, public safety and other essential services, and talks are underway to resolve the differences between the two versions to reach a compromise that is good for Alaskans.
Day 90 of the legislative session came and went this past Sunday. And while I wish I was reporting to you that the Legislature had adjourned, I'm truly optimistic the session will be wrapping up soon.
Greetings from Juneau on this 98th day of the session. The conference committees for both the operating budget HB 286, and SB 26 Approp Limit & Permanent Fund Earnings have been meeting and I feel optimistic that we will finish our work soon. You can read more under the Budget section.
Today marks day 95 of session and we are getting closer to adjourning. The State Operating Budget Conference Committee started to meet this week. This is where the House and Senate negotiate the differences in our respective budgets. They have been meeting every day and will continue working until we have a fully funded budget that satisfies both bodies.