Mat-Su’s first-term legislators learn fast in Juneau

Two first-term Mat-Su legislators are learning the ropes on getting things done in Juneau.

House Bill 244, by Rep. Jubilee Underwood, R-Wasilla, which updates training requirements for Certified Nursing Assistants in Alaska, passed the state House unanimously on March 30 and in now in the State Senate.

House Bill 249, by Reps. Elexie Moore, R-Wasilla, which streamlines transfer of vehicle titles, passed the House April 27, also without opposition, and is now in the Senate. The bill was scheduled for a hearing in the Senate Labor and Commerce Committee Monday, May 4. Both bills are given a good chance for final approval by the Legislature’s adjournment May 20.

It’s considered unusual for first-term legislators to get bills approved in even one body of the Legislature, and almost unheard of for members of the Minority. Majority leaders in the House and Senate, no matter of what party, often ignore bills introduced by a Minority member, particularly a first-term lawmaker.

Underwood and Moore are in the conservative Republican Minority in a state House led by a coalition of Democrats and moderate Republicans. But the advancement of both bills show that the two are learning their first-term lessons.

The trick for a Minority member is to team up with one or more members of the Majority as cosponsors as well as with more experienced members of the Majority, creating bipartisan support. Cosponsors broaden the backing for a bill to get support from leaders in the Majority for moving a bill.

For example, on HB 244 Underwood was able to get a broad, bipartisan group of cosponsors interested in health issues including Rep. Andy Josephson, D-Anch., cochair of the House Finance Committee, as well as Rep. Zack Fields, D-Anch., chair of the House Labor and Commerce Committee; Rep. Robyn Frier, D-Utqiagvik; Rep. Genevieve Mina, D-Anch. and Rep. Andi Story, D-Juneau.

Cosponsors among fellow Republicans include Rep. Kevin McCabe, R-Big Lake; Rep. Mina Costello, R-Anch., a former senator and House Minority Leader, and Rep. Frank Tomaszewski, R-Fairbanks.

Underwood said House Bill 244 focuses on implementing regulatory changes that mandate more extensive Alzheimer's and dementia training as a prerequisite for CNA licensing. With an estimated 12,000 Alaskans currently living with some form of dementia, the need for specialized care is urgent, she said.

“HB 244 seeks to ensure that those on the front lines of caregiving are equipped with the specific skills necessary to support patients who may no longer understand the world around them or possess the ability to speak for themselves,” Underwood said. “The training provided by HB 244 will help CNAs manage challenging behaviors, including instances where patients may be frightened or combative, without becoming flustered.”

HB 244 updates regulatory requirements to reflect the medical reality of Alaska’s aging population and implements a more ethical approach to the daily management of memory care patients.

While Underwood’s bill deals with issue of elder care of broad concern, Moore’s HB 249 would ease a bureaucratic on vehicle title transfers that irriatates Alaskans.

Currently, state law requires a physical notary to authorize a title transfer after an insurance company ‘totals out’ a vehicle. This requirement often creates significant barriers for residents in rural areas where notaries may be unavailable, as well as for individuals with mobility or access issues who find it difficult to travel to a notary in person.

"This legislation would maintain the integrity of the title transfer process while also improving efficiency and accessibility," Rep. Moore said. “The change aligns Alaska with modern business practices.”

Industry leaders expressed strong support for the measure. Mark Binder, director of government affairs for Copart, a national vehicle auction service with a hub in Anchorage, emphasized the practical benefits of HB 249. The current process of mailing physical documents back and forth can delay settlements by a week or more.

"If this bill passes, the entire process could be reduced to one phone call, and the settlement would be completed," Binder said in a letter supporting the bill. The bill especially helps single-car families who need to get back on the road quickly.

HB 249 aligns Alaska with 40 other states that already allow these industry-specific efficiencies. It brings state statutes in line with 2019 NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) regulations and AAMVA (American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators) guidelines.

“HB 249 offers a business-friendly update that reduces unnecessary delays on title transactions while significantly decreasing the disruption a total loss event causes in people’s lives,” Rep. Moore said. Moore was able to build a bipartisan support for his bill by enlisting former House Speaker Louise Stutes, R-Kodiak, as well as Rep. Andi Story, D-Juneau, as cosponsors. Both are influential members of the House Majority.

Meanwhile, another new Mat-Su legislator, Rep. Garrett Nelson, R-Sutton, has played a role in advancing a bill that resolves a boundary issue for the Jonesville Public Use area in Sutton, north of Palmer. Nelson, who was appointed to fill a vacancy by Gov. Mike Dunleavy on Dec. 24.

Nelson introduced his bill on the Jonesville Public Use Area as HB 309. The Community and Regional Affairs Committee held hearings on HB 309 that when a version on the bill that passed the Senate, SB 230, by Sen. George Rasucher, R-Sutton, came to the House in April it went straight to the House Resources Committee because the Community and Regional Affairs Committee had already held hearings on what was essentiallu the same bill.

These are procedural legislative mechanics but they are important. Coordination between House and Senate members are essential for speeding bills along for a particular region like Mat-Su, because regionally-focused bills often get swamped in the press of other legislation as the Legislature approaches its May 20 adjournment.

Meanwhile, SB 230 was reported out of the House Resources Committee on May 1, which puts the bill at an advanced stage for passage for the May 20 adjournment.

In this case, Rauscher’s name will be on the senate bill that passes but Nelson will have pu his fingerprints on the bill through work on the House bill.