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SB160 • 2026

MEMBERS LEG COUNCIL; LEG BUDGET & AUDIT

An Act relating to the membership of the legislative council; and relating to the membership of the Legislative Budget and Audit Committee.

Budget
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
SENATORS SHOWER, Myers, Hughes, Cronk, Yundt, Kawasaki, Gray-Jackson, Kiehl, Wielechowski
Last action
2025-05-16
Official status
(S) FIN
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details on the implementation or timing of these changes.

Changes to Legislative Council and Budget Audit Committee Membership

This act modifies the rules for selecting members of the legislative council and the Legislative Budget and Audit Committee, requiring that each group includes at least one member from a minority party in each house.

What This Bill Does

  • It updates the membership requirements for the legislative council to include at least one person from the minority group in each house.
  • It changes how members are selected for the Legislative Budget and Audit Committee to ensure there is at least one member from the minority group in each house.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Members of the legislative council
  • Members of the Legislative Budget and Audit Committee

Terms To Know

minority
A group within a legislature that has organized and elected a leader, making up at least 25% of total membership.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify how the minority members are chosen or what happens if no one volunteers to be from the minority.
  • It is unclear how this change will affect the balance of power within these committees.
  • There is no information on when exactly these changes would take effect.

Bill History

  1. 2025-05-16 1299

    (S) REFERRED TO FINANCE

  2. 2025-05-16 1299

    (S) FN1: ZERO(LEG)

  3. 2025-05-16 1299

    (S) NR: BJORKMAN

  4. 2025-05-16 1299

    (S) DP: KAWASAKI, GRAY-JACKSON, YUNDT

  5. 2025-05-16 1299

    (S) STA RPT 3DP 1NR

  6. 2025-05-15 Min

    (S) Minutes (SSTA)

  7. 2025-05-15 Text

    (S) Moved SB 160 Out of Committee

  8. 2025-05-15 Text

    (S) STATE AFFAIRS at 03:30 PM BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)

  9. 2025-05-05 1132

    (S) COSPONSOR(S): KIEHL, WIELECHOWSKI

  10. 2025-05-02 1103

    (S) COSPONSOR(S): GRAY-JACKSON

  11. 2025-05-01 Min

    (S) Minutes (SSTA)

  12. 2025-05-01 Text

    (S) Heard & Held

  13. 2025-05-01 Text

    (S) STATE AFFAIRS at 03:30 PM BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)

  14. 2025-04-09 750

    (S) COSPONSOR(S): MYERS, HUGHES, CRONK, YUNDT, KAWASAKI

  15. 2025-04-09 744

    (S) STA, FIN

  16. 2025-04-09 744

    (S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS

Official Summary Text

MEMBERS LEG COUNCIL; LEG BUDGET & AUDIT
An Act relating to the membership of the legislative council; and relating to the membership of the Legislative Budget and Audit Committee.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
SB0160A -1- SB 160
New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]

s34-LS0751\A

SENATE BILL NO. 160

IN THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA

THIRTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE - FIRST SESSION

BY SENATORS SHOWER, Myers, Hughes, Cronk, Yundt, Kawasaki, Gray-Jackson, Kiehl, Wielechowski

Introduced: 4/9/25
Referred: State Affairs, Finance

A BILL

FOR AN ACT ENTITLED

"An Act relating to the membership of the legislative council; and relating to the 1
membership of the Legislative Budget and Audit Committee." 2
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 3
* Section 1. AS 24.20.020 is amended to read: 4
Sec. 24.20.020. Membership. The legislative council is composed of the 5
president of the senate and six other senators appointed by the president, and the 6
speaker of the house of representatives and six other represent atives appointed by the 7
speaker. The membership from each house shall include at least one member from the 8
minority [EACH OF THE TWO MAJOR POLITICAL PARTIES]. The appointing 9
authority in each house shall make and announce the appointment or reappointment of 10
members of the council within 15 days after the convening of th e first regular session 11
of each legislature. 12
* Sec. 2. AS 24.20.161 is amended to read: 13
Sec. 24.20.161. Membership. The Legislative Budget and Audit Committee is 14
34-LS0751\A
SB 160 -2- SB0160A
New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]

composed of 10 members: the chairs [CHAIRMEN] of the senate and house finance 1
committees, [;] one member selected from each of the senate and house fina nce 2
committees and appointed by the president of the senate and the speaker of the house, 3
respectively, [;] and three members appointed from each house by the respect ive 4
presiding officer. The chair [CHAIRMAN] of the finance committee may choose not 5
to serve on the committee. If this occurs, the presiding office r of the appropriate house 6
shall appoint a replacement from the finance committee. The mem bership from each 7
house shall include at least one member from the minority [EACH OF THE TWO 8
MAJOR POLITICAL PARTIES]. The committee shall select its own chair 9
[CHAIRMAN]. 10
* Sec. 3. AS 24.20 is amended by adding a new section to read: 11
Article 4. General Provisions. 12
Sec. 24.20.700. Definition. In this chapter, "minority" means a group of 13
members who have organized and elected a minority leader and who constitute at least 14
25 percent of the total house membership. 15