Session Information

Senate Members

House Members

Lawmakers navigated declining revenues, education funding battles, and major policy inaction

Members of the 33rd Legislature were the first cohort to be elected by Alaska’s new ranked choice voting system. The Senate returned to a bipartisan majority, consisting of nine Democrats and 11 Republicans; the House was initially dead locked, but a predominantly republican majority emerged after the four members of the Bush caucus (two Democrats and two Independents) agreed to join.

After oil prices initially spiked in 2022, when Russia invaded Ukraine, failing oil prices meant that state revenue declined sharply. Combined with the end of federal funding to alleviate the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic, state finances continued to get tighter. The legislature, however, failed to implement any of the changes recommended by the Fiscal Policy Working Group in 2022. These included changes to the Permanent Fund dividend formula, a revised state spending cap, implementing new taxes, and constitutional changes seeking to guarantee the dividend and limit spending from the Permanent Fund.

Education funding was a central topic of focus during the 33rd Legislature. After years of flat-funding and spending outside the K-12 foundation formula, the legislature passed a multipart education bill that, prominently, would have permanently increased the base student allocation. The governor vetoed it. Although the legislature had passed the bill with bipartisan, bicameral support, House Republicans declined to vote in favor of a veto override. Ultimately, the legislature passed another one-time funding boost in the state budget. The legislature approved several carbon-related measures. The carbon offset program authorized the Department of Natural Resources to use the state’s surface resources, such as forests, for tradable carbon offset credits. The legislature also authorized the department to set up an exploration program to identify areas suitable for underground carbon storage, as regulated by the Oil and Gas Conservation Commission.

After some complicated maneuvering, which included a wholesale replacement of the State Officials Compensation Commission by the governor and legislative leadership, legislators received a salary boost of 67%. Salaries of top executive branch agency officials also increased.

Juneteenth was declared a state holiday, and several ceremonial holidays were established, including Don Young Day (June 9), Community Health Aide Appreciation Day (September 10), and Filipino-American History Month (October).

Election reforms and efforts to revise the state’s pension program failed to garner the support needed to pass. And, in a notable finish, five bills passed by the legislature after midnight on the final day of session were subsequently vetoed by Governor Dunleavy.

Beyond the Legislature

Volatility was a recurring theme both nationally and globally. Climate change continued to bring higher global temperatures and deadly weather events, including wildfires in Maui and Greece, as well as landslides, floods, and hurricanes.

In May 2023, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 was no longer a global health emergency, although the disease continues to permeate society.

In terms of global conflict, the war following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine continued into its third year with no end in sight. And, in October 2023, Hamas attacked Israel which led to protracted fighting, mass casualties and starvation, leading to accusations of genocide.

Former President Trump faced multiple court cases in the wake of his presidency, becoming the first president to face criminal charges. In May 2024, he was convicted of multiple felonies for falsifying business records, stemming from efforts to influence the 2016 election. Significantly, however, after Trump won a second term the court sentenced him to an unconditional discharge, meaning that he faced no prison time, probation, or fines.

In technological and pop culture news, 2023 saw the explosion of artificial intelligence beginning with the launch of ChatGPT, Barbie was the highest grossing movie of the year, and Taylor Swift ended her revenue record-breaking Eras tour in December 2024 in Vancouver, B.C.