10:45 a.m.
Well, well, well. It appears the Senate will not vote on SB 103 today. It was referred back to the Rules Committee for a closer look. That was set to be the highlight of the day.
— Alex McCarthy
10:30 a.m.
That bill is approved, 19-0. Sen. Natasha von Imhof is absent today.
— Alex McCarthy
10:20 a.m.
We’re rolling on the Senate floor. The first bill is Senate Bill 10, which extends the Suicide Prevention Council. There’s broad support for this one.
“I think you’re going to see 20 people in support of it,” Sen. Peter Micciche, R-Soldotna, says.
— Alex McCarthy
9:12 a.m.
After yesterday’s excitement, today should be a little quieter. Still, there’s a lot going on. The Senate will be back on the floor in about an hour, delving into how to split the annual draw from the Earnings Reserve of the Permanent Fund.
Senate Bill 26, passed last year, limited the amount the Legislature can pull from the Permanent Fund’s earnings reserve to prevent the government from taking too much from the fund. That bill did not clear up how much of that draw (which is 5.25 percent of the fund’s market value) could go to expenses and how much goes to dividends.
The bill on the floor today, Senate Bill 103, seeks to clarify how much of that 5.25 percent can go to state services and how much can go to dividends, so that future dividends are more consistent.
— Alex McCarthy
