This bill exempts cooperative agreements among commercial fishermen from state insurance regulation when participants pool contributions to pay liability claims or vessel and equipment losses. It removes these cooperative risk-sharing arrangements from the scope of insurance laws and regulatory oversight, provided they meet specified criteria. The bill allows fishermen to structure mutual coverage agreements without triggering full insurance licensure requirements. By carving out a regulatory exemption for voluntary cooperative agreements, the bill reduces government intervention in private commercial risk management arrangements. Support is the Limited Government Position as the bill narrows the reach of state insurance regulation over private cooperative agreements.

This bill reduces the vehicle rental tax rate from 10% to 9% for rentals that do not use a rental platform, and sets a 7% rate for rentals that do use such a platform. It requires rental platforms conducting more than 200 transactions annually in the state to collect and remit taxes, maintain transaction records. By lowering the vehicle rental tax rate on rental companies, the bill helps reduce consumer costs for those transactions. While establishing a vehicle rental tax on rentals through platforms increases consumer costs on those transactions, this helps ensure more fair taxation by reducing the competitive benefit of rental platforms not being subject to vehicle rental taxes. Support is the Limited Government Position as, while the tax rate should apply equally to vehicle rentals regardless of rental method, the bill is a step in the right direction towards more equal taxation of similar rentals.

This bill exempts certain federally documented commercial vessels from state numbering requirements and repeals the derelict vessel prevention program fund, directing the remaining balance to the general fund subject to appropriation. It removes statutory language establishing the dedicated fund and consolidates remaining receipts into general state revenues. The bill simplifies vessel registration requirements and eliminates a separate funding structure for derelict vessel prevention. By consolidating funds and reducing specialized regulatory structures, the bill streamlines state administration and reduces dedicated fiscal silos. Support is the Limited Government Position as the bill removes a dedicated fund and simplifies vessel registration requirements.

This motion overrides the Governor''s line-item veto of language in the budget bill that provides over $1 billion from the state general fund for public school spending. The veto leaves in place over $125 million in other public education appropriations. Oppose is the Limited Government Position as, while it is a necessary role for government to provide quality K-12 education, this line-item veto promotes fiscal responsibility by reducing spending. The state must pursue every available avenue to rein in its out-of-control spending, which, when coupled with the over $200 trillion in federal liabilities, represents the greatest existential threat facing this country.

The Myers amendment #22 to a bill that increases the base student allocation and creates a legislative education funding task force. The amendment establishes a student academic performance incentive funding program requiring the Department of Education and Early Development to provide funding to schools where 70% or more of students score proficient or above on a statewide assessment. It sets the funding amount at $50 multiplied by the school''s average daily membership and authorizes use of the funds for extracurricular activities and secondary vocational and technical instruction. By establishing a new spending program for extracurricular and secondary activities, the amendment increases state education expenditures for non-essential purposes. Oppose is the Limited Government Position as, while it is a necessary role for government to provide quality K-12 education, this amendment increases spending, this amendment increases spending beyond core instructional needs.

This motion overrides the Governor''s veto of a bill that increases the base student allocation, establishes maximum classroom size mandates, redirects new tax revenue to education grants, and creates a legislative education funding task force. Specifically, the bill increases the base student allocation from $5,960 to $6,960 per student, caps average class sizes at 23 students for grades K-6 and 30 students for grades 7-12, establishes reading proficiency incentive grants funded by taxes on highly digitized businesses, requires the Department of Education to track student outcomes for up to 20 years after graduation, and creates a joint legislative task force with authority to evaluate and recommend changes to the foundation funding formula. By increasing recurring per-student funding and expanding centralized oversight authority, the bill significantly enlarges the size and scope of state government in education. Oppose is the Limited Government Position as the bill expands state spending, imposes uniform mandates on local districts, and shifts education authority away from families and communities toward centralized government control.

This bill reforms regulation of insurers, third-party administrators, and pharmacy benefits managers. The bill establishes coverage standardization and cost-sharing protections, including prohibiting cost sharing for certain breast biopsies, and consultations, requiring colorectal cancer screenings consistent with national medical guidelines without cost sharing for individuals at average risk, restricting depreciation of labor in residential property claims, and increasing transparency and oversight of pharmacy benefits managers operating in the state. By strengthening regulatory oversight and standardizing certain coverage protections, the bill seeks to improve accountability in the insurance market and mitigate cost pressures affecting consumers. Support is the Limited Government Position as the nation witnessed first-hand the disastrous consequences and cost of growing government regulatory power in healthcare (i.e. Obamacare). While the bill contains negative provisions related to health insurance co-payments, the bill increases transparency and oversight mechanisms intended to address market distortions and rising health care costs impacting Alaska families.

This bill converts third-party administrators and pharmacy benefits managers from a registration framework to a full licensure system and expands the director of insurance''s authority to examine their affairs, transactions, accounts, records, and assets. It requires detailed organizational disclosures, certified financial statements, designation of compliance officers, quarterly reporting of supervisory personnel and insurer contracts, expanded notification of administrative actions and criminal convictions, biennial renewal fees structured to fund enforcement and technology costs, and authorizes civil penalties for unlicensed activity. The bill also permits multistate examinations and broadens suspension authority under specified conditions. By strengthening licensure requirements and increasing transparency and enforcement tools over entities that play a central role in prescription drug pricing, the bill seeks to improve accountability in the insurance market and address cost pressures affecting consumers. Support is the Limited Government Position as the bill increases oversight and transparency mechanisms aimed at correcting market distortions that contribute to rising health care costs.

This bill directs the Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development, subject to appropriation, to purchase nonvoting preferred shares in the Alaska Commercial Fishing and Agriculture Bank so the bank may provide or refinance commercial fishing industry loans with interest rates capped at the prime rate plus 2%, or 5.25%, whichever is lower. By committing state funds to support below-market loan terms for a defined sector, the bill expands government involvement in private credit markets and targeted economic development financing. Oppose is the Limited Government Position as the bill uses state funds to subsidize private lending and expands government participation in industry-specific financing.

This bill raises the minimum age to purchase or possess tobacco, products containing nicotine, and electronic smoking products to 21, establishes a 25% tax on the retail sales price of closed electronic smoking products and vapor products, and requires retailers of electronic smoking products to obtain an annual $50 license subject to suspension or revocation. It also imposes detailed shipping restrictions, third-party age verification requirements, packaging and labeling mandates, nicotine content limits, marketing restrictions, expanded recordkeeping requirements, and civil penalties of up to $5,000 per violation. The bill further authorizes class A misdemeanor charges for unlawful shipping. By layering new excise taxes, licensing schemes, regulatory mandates, and criminal penalties across tobacco and vapor product markets, the bill substantially expands government control and increases costs for consumers and businesses. Oppose is the Limited Government Position as the bill raises taxes, expands regulatory mandates, and increases criminal penalties in ways that enlarge state authority and burden lawful commerce. Tobacco and nicotine usage is an individual liberty which individuals who have reached the age of majority should be able to exercise without unnecessary government restriction.

The Wielechowski amendment #2 to an election reform bill. The amendment requires a representative requesting a special needs ballot to present valid photo identification and requires election officials to verify the representative''s identity, document the dates the ballot is issued and returned, and provide a printed record that must be completed before the ballot is released. By increasing identification standards, documentation requirements, and accountability measures for representatives handling special needs ballots, the amendment strengthens statutory safeguards designed to protect election integrity. Support is the Limited Government Position as maintaining strong safeguards against voter fraud is a critical aspect of ensuring free and fair elections, an essential component of democracy under our nation''s constitutional republic.

This bill requires health care insurers to reimburse health care providers for services delivered through telehealth, including behavioral health services, at least at the same rate as comparable services provided in person. This applies to private insurers, municipal employee health plans, and state employee health plans, including self-insured plans. By imposing a statewide reimbursement requirement, the bill prohibits insurers from negotiating lower reimbursement rates for telehealth services, expanding government control over private insurance pricing and contract negotiations. Oppose is the Limited Government Position as each and every health insurance mandate or price control on co-payments prevents an individual from selecting a plan with just basic or customized coverages to fit their specific needs. As a result, health insurers are forced to only offer costly plans loaded with coverages that most individuals do not need.

This bill expands multiple education-related tax credit programs to include employer expenditures for operating child care facilities, contributions to nonprofit child care facilities attended by employees'' children, and direct payments to employees to offset child care costs. These credits apply to insurance premium taxes, corporate income taxes, oil and gas production taxes, mining license taxes, fisheries business taxes, and property taxes. The bill also provides for periodic adjustments to credit limits based on inflation, beginning in 2030. By expanding qualifying expenses and applying child care subsidies through multiple tax types, the bill increases foregone state revenue and extends government-directed subsidies through the tax code. Oppose is the Limited Government Position as this measure further grows government dependency and shifts tax burdens onto individuals and businesses not favored by government. Instead of forcing taxpayers to pay for the childcare costs of other individuals, lawmakers should advance de-regulatory policies across the childcare industry to lower costs and expand competition. This free-market approach is the best way to make childcare more affordable.