Alaska Beacon state and legislative daybook for the week of April 27, 2026

Alaska Beacon
2 hours ago
5 min read

Here’s what’s happening in the Alaska Capitol and elsewhere across the state

By Corinne Smith

Alaska Beacon

It’s the final three weeks of the second legislative session of the 34th Legislature. The draft budgets for next fiscal year are taking shape and lawmakers are debating bills — and a lot will happen in the last 23 days.

This is the Alaska Beacon’s list of where we’re putting our attention in the coming week. There’s always more news than there are people to report it.

Every Thursday, the Alaska Legislature publishes its committee schedule for the coming week. Public notices alert us to meetings and events. The governor’s office occasionally lets us know ahead of time that something’s coming down the pike, too.

Here’s what we know about for the coming week. If you know of something that’s coming up that you should think we should pay attention to, email us at info@alaskabeacon.com.

We can’t cover everything on this list, but we’re interested in them and we think you should know about them in case you’re interested in them, too.

This list is ripped from our notebooks, and it is likely to change over the course of the week. We’ll update it when we can.

Are you trying to keep track of when to testify on a bill? The Legislature has a website for that.

Monday, April 27

House and Senate floor sessions in the morning

8 a.m. – House education hears a bill to prohibit certain food dyes in school meals that was passed by the Senate

9 a.m. – House Finance continues consideration of the capital budget

9 a.m. – Senate Finance considers a bill that would establish an Alaska Invasive Species Council

1 p.m. – House Judiciary considers a bill that would expand confidentiality requirements for crime victims

1 p.m. – House Resources continues hearing a bill that would reduce property taxes for the proposed Alaska LNG gas line project

1:30 p.m. – House Finance will take public testimony on a bill that would redefine how school districts calculate student counts for budgeting

1:30 p.m. – Senate Judiciary considers the governor’s appointees to the Violent Crimes Compensation Board: Anna Cometa and Joel Hard

1:30 p.m. – Senate Labor and Commerce considers governor’s appointees to various boards

3:30 p.m. – Senate Education considers a bill that would establish a pilot program for tribally run public schools

3:30 p.m. – Senate Resources continues considering the proposed Alaska LNG gas line project

Tuesday, April 28

9 a.m. – House Finance continues consideration of the capital budget

9 a.m. – Senate Finance continues hearing the operating and mental health budgets

9 a.m. – Senate Resources hears invited testimony on the proposed Alaska LNG gas line project

1:30 p.m. – Senate Finance considers a bill that would establish a Civil Legal Services Fund to support legal aid services for low-income Alaskans, and another bill to establish rights for deaf and hard of hearing students in the education system, both passed by the House

3:15 p.m. – House State Affairs hears a presentation on data centers, and a bill that would enact additional fees for public records

Wednesday, April 29

9 a.m. – Board of marine pilots meeting

9 a.m. – Midwives board meeting

9 a.m. – House Finance considers a bill that would create a seafood production tax credit, passed by the House

9 a.m. – Senate Finance continues considering the operating budget

1 p.m. – House Judiciary considers a governor’s appointee to the Alaska Judicial Council: John Wood

1 p.m. – House Resources continues hearing a bill that would reduce property taxes for the proposed Alaska LNG gas line project

1:30 p.m. – House Finance continues considering the capital budget

1:30 p.m. – Senate Judiciary will continue considering an omnibus crime bill

3:30 p.m. – Senate Resources continues consideration of the proposed Alaska LNG gas line project

3:30 p.m. – Joint Task Force on Education Funding hears a presentation on local municipalities’ contributions and federal funding for public schools

4:30 p.m. – House Finance will hear public testimony on the draft capital budget

Thursday, April 30

9 a.m. – House Finance continues consideration of the capital budget

9 a.m. – Senate Finance hears a bill that would establish a firearm safe storage grant fund to provide free firearm storage devices, as well as educate parents on suicide prevention and safe storage to prevent youth suicides by firearm

9 a.m. – Senate Resources continues consideration of the proposed Alaska LNG gas line project

1:30 p.m. – House Finance considers a bill that would establish paid parental leave program for parental leave up to 26 weeks

3:15 p.m. – House Health and Social Services considers a governor’s appointee to the State Medical Board: Dr. Michael McNamara, followed by another confirmation hearing in Senate Health and Social Services at 3:30 p.m.

3:30 p.m. – Senate State Affairs considers the governor’s nominee and invites public testimony for Attorney General: Stephen Cox

5:30 p.m. – Anchorage Walk for Missing and Murdered Indigenous People, which starts at the ANSEP building on UAA campus

Friday, May 1

8 a.m. – House Education hears an update on the status of the state-run boarding school, Mt. Edgecumbe High School, following a wave of students disenrolling earlier this year and concern about the condition of school facilities

9 a.m. – House Finance hears a presentation on housing and homelessness from the Alaska Housing Finance Corporation, and continues considering the capital budget

1 p.m. – House Judiciary considers a bill that would establish a diversion program for veterans in the criminal justice system, and a resolution that would place a constitutional amendment on the November ballot that would lower the threshold for the Legislature to override governor’s budget vetoes.

1 p.m. – House Resources continues hearing a bill that would reduce property taxes for the proposed Alaska LNG gas line project

1 p.m. – Board of Fisheries special online meeting on proposals concerning Yukon River king salmon and chum salmon, Kenai River salmon and traditional knowledge.

1:30 p.m. – Senate Judiciary considers the governor’s nominee and invites public testimony for Attorney General: Stephen Cox

2 p.m. – Hearing in Alaska Superior Court on Alaska Wildlife Alliance request for injunction against this year’s planned Mulchatna predator control program in Courtroom 503 at Nesbett Courthouse in Anchorage

3:30 p.m. – House Labor and Commerce considers a resolution passed by the Senate asking federal policy makers to protect visa programs

3:30 p.m. – Senate Resources continues consideration of the proposed Alaska LNG gas line project