Committee hears overview of HB155; amendment deadline set for March 10

On Thursday the House Community and Regional Affairs Committee received a staff-led presentation on House Bill 155, which would add a municipal option to Alaska's local option rules governing sale, importation and possession of alcohol.

Paul Loboll, staff to Representative Foster, walked members through the history and mechanics of Title 4 local options, describing options 1 through 5 (sale bans, license-type selection, municipal operation, importation and possession bans). Loboll said HB155 would create an additional municipal option allowing municipalities to select which license types they operate while leaving existing local option elections and results intact. "If House Bill 155 passes, it just gives municipalities a new option," Loboll said.

Members asked whether the change would undercut municipally operated package stores and how often local option elections occur; Loboll said elections have become rare since the 1980s and that the bill is intended to expand the choices available to communities. No invited testimony appeared and no public commenters were present.

The committee set an amendment deadline for Tuesday, March 10 at 1:00 p.m. and otherwise set the bill aside for further consideration.