Assembly Rules Committee Meeting - March 12, 2026

The Assembly Rules Committee met on Thursday, March 12, 2026, from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. The meeting was chaired by Evan (substituting for Chair Constant). Members present included Aaron Baldwin Day, Chair Gerger, Keith McCormick, Anna Brawley, and on phone: Yarrow, Zach, and George. Staff from the Assembly Council, Legislative Services, Clerk's Office, Ombudsman, and Mayor's Office were also present.

Consent Calendar

• No consent calendar items were noted.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Jamie Lopez (East Acres, formerly homeless) testified on several issues. He characterized the Quality of Life Task Force as a symptom of economic struggles, arguing that people steal for food due to poverty, and urged against creating more criminals. He criticized a reduction in curfew at the Alex Out Hotel, suggesting it creates barriers to shelter. He also mentioned reported stop-and-frisk incidents in Mountain View and raised concerns about election security, advocating for air-gapped systems not connected to the internet.

Mayor's Report

• Eva Gardner (Municipal Attorney) reported that Title 8 penal code changes went into effect last week. APD supervisor training began March 12, with a target date of March 16 for full officer training, pending court system processing.
• Suzanne Green (Chief of Staff) announced the Quality of Life Task Force, a joint state-municipal effort to aggressively prosecute retail theft. The MOU runs for one year and is terminable on 14-day notice.
• A bond fair will be held March 19 at Lusac Library to educate the public on ballot initiatives (bonds and education levy).
• Port Director Terry Umatum testified in Juneau on the port modernization project and a $200 million state funding request.
• A delegation from the Port of Tacoma will visit the Port of Alaska at the end of April; federal MARAD officials may also attend.
• The administration is monitoring the state operating supplemental; transportation funding for Anchorage was not included but is being pursued.
• A letter of interest for the Rural Health Transformation Project (federal funding) was submitted; a follow-up meeting with the commissioner of health is pending.

Clerk's Office Report

• Jamie reported that the elections team is monitoring cybersecurity issues related to the Iran conflict, targeting local/state/tribal websites and data centers.
• Senate Bill 64, which includes assembly legislative package amendments, was in finance committee and continued to the next day.

Council Update

• Dean reported that the council is identifying members not returning after the election and working to ensure their projects are introduced before the last meeting (April 28).

Legislative Services Report

• Claire announced the new "Civic Anchor" civic engagement program, including a physical space at Lusac Library and resources for youth engagement.
• The first pre-approved ADU design was released; more to follow.
• A new constituent services aide, Noah Warnock, was introduced. He will assist with communications and research.
• The newsletter themed around gardening achieved the highest click rates of the year so far.
• Claire clarified the program name is "Civic Anchor" (not "Civic Anger").

Ombudsman Report

• Daryl reported that the office is approaching its 300th case entry for the year, with numbers up from last year.
• An investigative report by Drew was issued and will be on the consent agenda.
• The office hosted an open house for its 49th anniversary with over 100 attendees.
• A difficult dialogues workshop with Libby Roderick is planned for late April.

Unfinished Business: Assembly Email Routing

• Jamie presented two options for routing constituent emails to appropriate district members: FormStack with district selection or distribution groups by district.
• Members discussed the challenge of identifying constituent emails. Aaron initiated the conversation to prioritize constituent responses.
• Keith supports keeping the mass email option but restricts replies to his district.
• Claire offered that legislative services could help with general responses, and new aide Noah could request district information.
• No decision was made; the topic will be revisited with visual examples.

New Business: Committee Meeting Schedule

• Evan opened a discussion on meeting structure, suggesting options like one-hour meetings, less frequent committees, or more work through committees.
• Jared prefers longer committee meetings to reduce the number of work sessions.
• Aaron supports flexibility and adjusting meeting frequency based on workload.
• Daniel emphasized the need to preserve the ability for members with other jobs and suggested streamlining or moving some committees to bi-monthly/quarterly.
• Keith agreed, preferring scheduled meetings over ad hoc work sessions.
• Zach stressed the importance of preserving deliberative process through work sessions.
• No formal action; discussion to continue.

Assembly Member Updates on Pending Business

• Aaron provided an update on the Transit Supportive Development Overlay (formerly TISDO). She plans public meetings in March, April, and May to discuss housing supply. The ordinance will be introduced with minor changes and a name change, with a public hearing in the fall.
• Jared announced a veteran preference ordinance for city contracts (Title 7) nearing introduction.
• Evan reported that the federal "21st Century Road to Housing" bill passed the Senate 89-10; a letter of support was sent with the chair and mayor. It will be discussed in the legislative committee on March 25.
• Evan noted S versions for the ASD budget (allowing adjustment if Proposition 9 passes) and data centers (tweaking definitions).
• Evan mentioned the Sunset of Urban Design Commission is still moving through the process.
• A potential special meeting on April 22 was proposed to clear agenda items before new members are seated.

Key Outcomes

• Reports from the Mayor's Office, Clerk, Council, Legislative Services, and Ombudsman were received.
• No votes were taken; decisions on email routing and committee schedule are deferred for further discussion.
• The next regular assembly meeting is April 14, with a potential special meeting on April 22.