JUNEAU – Today, House Republicans expressed a desire to legislate in the Alaska House of Representatives without arbitrary amendment deadlines for bills that reach the floor. House Republicans opposed the decision to impose an amendment deadline on House Bill 69 because the ability to offer amendments is essential to crafting sound policy, and restrictions on that process undermine the integrity of legislative debate.
While amendment deadlines have occasionally been set in recent years, arbitrary deadlines can have significant negative consequences, including:
- Reduced Flexibility – Bills often evolve during debate, and restricting amendments prevents legislators from responding to new concerns or unintended consequences.
- Weakened Responsiveness – As issues arise in real time, legislators should have the ability to propose changes to ensure the best possible policy outcomes.
- Increased Risk of Flawed Legislation – Without the ability to make necessary fixes on the floor, lawmakers may be forced to pass imperfect legislation or reject a bill entirely.
- Suppressed Debate – Amendment deadlines limit opportunities for all voices to be heard, restricting discussion on issues that impact Alaskans.
- Unnecessary Partisan Barriers – Effective policymaking requires collaboration. Arbitrary deadlines create unnecessary obstacles instead of fostering bipartisan solutions.
“While amendment deadlines are commonplace in committees a floor debate is considered a committee of the whole and deserves an environment of freedom for members to determine during debate if the measure should be amended,” said House Republican Caucus Leader Representative Mia Costello (R-Anchorage).
Originally set to be scheduled for 9 AM on Monday the 10th, the amendment deadline has now been extended to 12 PM on Monday the 10th, announced via email following today’s floor session.