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ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – The fourth day of the 2024 Alaska Legislature session could feature debate on proposals dealing with how the state would tax marijuana, marijuana conviction records, Alaska’s Permanent Fund dividend, and more. It is expected.
The House Labor and Commerce Department will debate HB119 on Friday, which would reform how marijuana is taxed in Alaska.
Under the latest iteration of the proposed bill, the state-imposed excise tax on the sale or transfer of cannabis from stores would be reduced from $50 per ounce to $12.50 per ounce.
In addition, a 6% sales tax is imposed on those who purchase products from marijuana dispensaries known as “cultivation facilities.”
The House Rules Committee said in a statement that the rationale behind the bill is that the state’s tax system is among the highest in the nation.
The commission also said the tax system creates an avenue for black market competition.
The Senate Judiciary Committee will discuss HB 28, which deals with access to marijuana conviction records.
The bill’s sponsor, U.S. Rep. Stanley Wright, said in a statement that even though Alaskans voted to legalize marijuana in 2014, some Alaskans “have no interest in past actions that are now recognized as non-criminal.” “Marijuana possession convictions continue to prevent them from employment, housing, and other opportunities.”
The proposal would make the records of individuals convicted of low-level marijuana offenses confidential. Those convicted of these misdemeanors must be 21 years of age or older at the time of the crime and cannot be charged with other crimes in the same incident.
At the request of a convicted individual, records will be automatically removed from publicly accessible online court records and from some background checks administered by the Department of Public Safety.
The House Judiciary Committee will also hold a hearing Friday on House Joint Resolution 7, a proposed constitutional amendment to the Permanent Fund Dividend.
This resolution would amend Article IX, Section 15 of the Alaska Constitution to require the state to pay permanent fund dividends as provided by law.
Sponsoring the resolution, Representative Ben Carpenter, said in a statement that the resolution stems from how to handle Permanent Fund dividends, which are subject to the budget process and are subject to “deficit reduction solutions.” “It competes with government spending,” he said.
The proposal requires states to pay annual PFDs according to a statutory formula rather than through an annual appropriations process.
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