Letter: Alaska House passes HB93 creating two classes of residents

Really? Yes, unfortunately that is true. I always thought a resident in good standing had equal rights with all other residents — the right to vote, the right to own property, the right to hunt and fish as a resident, etc. That is going to change if the Alaska Senate passes House Bill 93.

If you are a retiree or a person who can work remotely and you like to travel, you will be required to purchase a non-resident hunting/fishing license if you are out of state for over 180 days. If you are a resident and a snowbird, you will also be required to purchase a non-resident license if you are out of state over 180 days. It doesn’t matter if you own property, a business, and were born here — same law will apply.

How did this come to pass? Unfortunately there are a few who exploit loopholes in our current regulations, making it difficult for state troopers to ticket those violators. Does this mean those of us who own property and have lived here for years have to forgo our privileges? Apparently it doesn’t matter.

What’s next? Are our voting privileges next? How about our car license or driver’s license? Surely there must be some abuse there as well.

Come on, we are better than this. Why can’t the state’s computer cross-checks catch these individuals? They have in the past.  

Let’s dump this HB93 and come up with a solution that actually solves this problem without removing hunting/fishing privileges for those of us with absences over 180 days.

Steve Bradford

Juneau