A legislature consists of two regular sessions which convene annually on the second Monday in January, or on the third Tuesday in January following the election of a governor. The duration of each regular session is slightly complicated by a difference between the State Constitution and the Alaska Statutes (laws of the state). Under the constitution, a regular session is limited to 121 consecutive calendar days, except the regular session may be extended once for up to ten days by a two-thirds vote of each chamber.
AK Const. Art II, § 8
The legislature shall convene in regular session each year on the fourth Monday in January, but the month and day may be changed by law. The legislature shall adjourn from regular session no later than one hundred twenty consecutive calendar days from the date it convenes except that a regular session may be extended once for up to ten consecutive calendar days. An extension of the regular session requires the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of the membership of each house of the legislature. The legislature shall adopt as part of the uniform rules of procedure deadlines for scheduling session work not inconsistent with provisions controlling the length of the session
Under the statute, a regular session is limited to 90 consecutive days. This law was created after a ballot measure was passed by Alaska voters on a 2006 ballot by nearly 4,000 votes. The disparity between constitutional provisions and statutes complicates things, but there is a mechanism in place to settle the dispute.
AS 24.05.150 (adjournment)
(b) The legislature shall adjourn from a regular session within 90 consecutive calendar days, including the day the legislature first convenes in that regular session.
The legislature of the State of Alaska is also required by the Constitution of the State of Alaska (sec. 12, art. II) to adopt ‘uniform rules of procedure’ which govern many of the proceedings. According to Mason’s Manual, the rulebook identified by the Legislature in these uniform rules, “when statutes differ from the constitution, constitutional provisions prevail.” While all of this is confusing, I wanted to try my best to explain it as these are important dates for when we can conduct all of our business.
Unfortunately, sometimes all of the business of the legislature cannot be completed in the 121 calendar days of the regular session. In these cases, there are two ways to proceed. As mentioned previously, the legislature may extend the regular session by up to ten days with a two-thirds vote of each chamber. If this is unsuccessful or those 10 days pass, then there are also events termed as special sessions. These special sessions can be called by the Governor or by two-thirds of the Legislature, are limited to 30 calendar days, and are limited in scope to defined subjects. These may be used due to an inability to complete business or as a method to respond to true emergencies.
AK Const. Art II, § 9
Special sessions may be called by the governor or by vote of two-thirds of the legislators. The vote may be conducted by the legislative council or as prescribed by law. At special sessions called by the governor, legislation shall be limited to subjects designated in his proclamation calling the session, to subjects presented by him, and the reconsideration of bills vetoed by him after adjournment of the last regular session. Special sessions are limited to thirty days.
