Day 116 of 121 Constitutional Legislative Days – As the legislative session marches on, here’s a quick update of what’s ahead and a few big thank yous to important leaders in our community.
With just five days left before we hit the May 17 endpoint of the Constitutionally authorized 121-day legislative session, and with several major pieces of legislation still the subject of hearings or conference committee negotiations, it is clear that work in Juneau will continue into another stage of overtime.
Juneau – Today, the Alaska State Senate joined the Alaska House of Representatives in approving legislation to update state statutes and standards for optometrists and ophthalmologists. House Bill 103, sponsored by Representative Ivy Spohnholz (D-Anchorage), allows the Board of Examiners of Optometry to use their professional expertise to regulate their profession in Alaska similar to how other professions are regulated. Additionally, the bill allows the board to set continuing education requirements for licensees in Alaska.
The 121-day Constitutional end-of-session deadline is fast-approaching and progress has slowed dramatically. We are starting to hear of some movement in the Senate, but actions on HB115, the Education Funding Act, have become a challenge.
Juneau – Representative Bryce Edgmon (D-Dillingham) has released the following statement in response to the settlement of a lawsuit between the Environmental Protection Agency and the developer of the proposed Pebble Mine. The settlement forces the EPA to back off from its finding under the Clean Water act that a mine would do severe damage to the Bristol Bay watershed, fish, and wildlife. The settlement also sets a deadline for the Pebble Limited Partnership to apply for permits to develop a large gold, copper, and molybdenum mine on state owned land north of Lake Iliamna in the Bristol Bay region.
