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Legislature’s special session lives in limbo without legislators

Published 9:54 pm Thursday, November 16, 2017

By James Brooks

Speaker of the House Bryce Edgmon, D-Dillingham, center, leaves the House chambers with Rep. Sam Kito, D-Juneau, left, and Rep. Paul Seaton, R-Homer, after holding a short technical session at the Capitol on Monday, Nov. 13, 2017. The Alaska Senate on Friday approved a constitutionally problematic criminal justice reform bill, then adjourned the fourth special session of the 30th Alaska Legislature. (Michael Penn
Speaker of the House Bryce Edgmon, D-Dillingham, center, leaves the House chambers with Rep. Sam Kito, D-Juneau, left, and Rep. Paul Seaton, R-Homer, after holding a short technical session at the Capitol on Monday, Nov. 13, 2017. The Alaska Senate on Friday approved a constitutionally problematic criminal justice reform bill, then adjourned the fourth special session of the 30th Alaska Legislature. (Michael Penn

The Alaska Legislature’s special session will continue — without most legislators.

On Monday, the Alaska House of Representatives failed to adjourn the ongoing fourth special session after the Alaska Senate did so on Friday. With the House refusing to quit, the Senate will be called back to work.

Sort of.

While the Alaska Constitution says both House and Senate must together agree to adjourn a special session (or have the governor chime in), it doesn’t say the two bodies have to work.

“It’s a very confusing mess for members that are in the House side,” said House Minority Leader Charisse Millett, R-Anchorage.

Click here to read the rest of this story by the Juneau Empire.

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