This morning, Rep. Louise Stutes was elected as Speaker of the House in a close vote by the Alaska House of Representatives.
Stutes’ election was decided on a 21-19 vote, with Rep. Kelly Merrick of Eagle River being the tie-breaking vote. Stutes will also be the first Speaker of the House from the Kodiak district, and only the third woman.
The House has not been able to organize in the opening weeks of the legislative session this year, and this vote comes just in time as the state emergency declaration is due to expire, causing doubts how the COVID-19 pandemic response will continue. Now that the House has elected a leader and organized a majority, the emergency declaration can be continued.
This is a developing story. Stay tune to KMXT for more details.