An Alaska House committee has advanced a bill to replace Columbus Day with Indigenous People’s Day.
House Bill 78, proposed by Rep. Dean Westlake, D-Kotzebue, and co-sponsored by various House members, advanced from the House State Affairs Committee on Tuesday morning.
The bill now heads to the House Rules Committee and a floor vote.
It states that Indigenous People’s Day would take place on the second Monday in October, which has traditionally been associated with Columbus Day.
Columbus Day would remain a national holiday, and the bill is largely ceremonial.
The text of HB 78 states that “Indigenous Peoples Day may be observed by suitable observances and exercises by civic groups and the public.”
Gov. Bill Walker proclaimed second Monday in October as Indigenous People’s Day in 2015 and 2016, but the Legislature has thus far failed to follow suit.
If it renames the holiday, it would follow North Dakota and Vermont, which have already done so.
In other business Tuesday, the State Affairs Committee advanced House Bill 8 to the House Judiciary Committee. HB 8 allows law enforcement to follow protective orders issued in other states and by tribes, even if they don’t have a physical copy of the order.
Later Tuesday, the House special committee on the military and veterans affairs advanced House Bill 2 to the House Labor and Commerce Committee. HB 2 allows private businesses to discriminate in favor of hiring veterans.
