Alaska’s state flags were lowered Thursday for longtime Alaska lawmaker Bill Hudson, who died Oct. 11.
A statement from the governor’s office said Hudson served six terms as a legislator and several administrative positions, including director of the Alaska Marine Highway System.
“Whether he was commanding the Coast Guard, directing the Alaska Marine Highways, or serving as a state legislator, Bill was always passionate about improving Alaska,” Dunleavy said.
Juneau’s delegation —Sen. Jesse Kiehl and Reps. Sara Hannan and Andi Story, all Democrats —issued a joint statement remembering Hudson.
Hudson served under former Gov. Jay Hammond when the Permanent Fund was first created, and he later served on the Alaska Permanent Fund Corp. Board of Trustees after being appointed by former Gov. Frank Murkowski, according to the delegation. Hudson had a long and strong track record as a public servant.
“Hudson left a large legacy to both the State of Alaska and the city of Juneau,” the statement read. “He was a public servant to his core, having first arrived in Alaska as a member of the United States Coast Guard. He took that experience to the legislature, where he served six terms representing Juneau’s Mendenhall Valley district. As a Coast Guardsman, he was passionate about saving lives and considered his boating safety bill one of his most important pieces of legislation.
“Bill called Juneau his home and spent his life giving back to his community,” the statement continued. “He fought off many attempts to move the capital from Juneau during his time as a legislator and was a fierce advocate for the Alaska Marine Highway System. Believing in a better quality of life for all Alaskans, he helped secure the funding to establish the Glory Hall in downtown Juneau and was a lifelong supporter of the Salvation Army.”
Each of Juneau’s state lawmakers expressed admiration for Hudson and unanimously said he worked hard to improve both Juneau and Alaska and will be missed.
• Contact reporter Peter Segall at psegall@juneauempire.com. Follow him on Twitter at @SegallJnuEmpire.
