Alaska House of Representatives - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The Alaska House of Representatives is the lower house

Lower house

A lower house is one of two chambers of a bicameral legislature, the other chamber being the upper house.Despite its official position "below" the upper house, in many legislatures worldwide the lower house has come to wield more power...

in the Alaska Legislature

Alaska Legislature

The Alaska Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Alaska. It is a bicameral institution, consisting of the lower Alaska House of Representatives, with 40 members, and the upper house Alaska Senate, with 20 members...

, the state legislature of the U.S. state

U.S. state

A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...

of Alaska

Alaska

Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...

. The House is composed of 40 members, each of whom represents a district of about 15,673 people (2000 figures). Members serve two-year terms without term limits

Term limits in the United States

Term limits in the United States apply to many offices at both the federal and state level, and date back to the American Revolution.-Pre-constitution:...

. With 40 Representatives, the Alaskan House is the smallest state legislative lower house in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

.

The House convenes at the State Capitol

Alaska State Capitol

The Alaska State Capitol is the state capital of Alaska. Located in the state capital of Juneau at the corner of East 4th Street and Main Street, it houses the Alaska Legislature and the offices for the governor of Alaska and lieutenant governor of Alaska....

in Juneau

Juneau, Alaska

The City and Borough of Juneau is a unified municipality located on the Gastineau Channel in the panhandle of the U.S. state of Alaska. It has been the capital of Alaska since 1906, when the government of the then-District of Alaska was moved from Sitka as dictated by the U.S. Congress in 1900...

Current composition

Affiliation	Party			Total

	Republican	Democratic Alaska Democratic Party -Introduction:The Alaska Democratic Party is the primary Democratic Party political organization in the state of Alaska, headquartered in Anchorage....			Vacant
End of previous legislature	21	3	15	39	1

Begin	24	4	12	40	0
Latest voting share	70%		30%

Leadership

The Speaker of the House presides over the House of Representatives. The Speaker is elected by the majority party caucus followed by confirmation of the full House through the passage of a House Resolution. In addition to presiding over the body, the Speaker is also the chief leadership position, and controls the flow of legislation and committee assignments. Other House leaders, such as the majority

Majority leader

In U.S. politics, the majority floor leader is a partisan position in a legislative body.In the federal Congress, the role differs slightly in the two houses. In the House of Representatives, which chooses its own presiding officer, the leader of the majority party is elected the Speaker of the...

and minority leader

Minority leader

In U.S. politics, the minority leader is the floor leader of the second largest caucus in a legislative body. Given the two-party nature of the U.S. system, the minority leader is almost inevitably either a Republican or a Democrat, with their counterpart being of the opposite party. The position...

s, are elected by their respective party caucuses relative to their party's strength in the chamber.

The current Speaker is Republican Mike Chenault

Mike Chenault

Charles Michael "Mike" Chenault is the Republican Speaker of the Alaska House of Representatives for the 26th Alaska State Legislature. He currently represents Alaska's 34th District, which encompasses most of the central Kenai Peninsula, exclusive of the cities of Kenai and Soldotna and the area...

of Nikiski

Nikiski, Alaska

Nikiski is a census-designated place in Kenai Peninsula Borough, Alaska, United States. The population was 4,327 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Nikiski is located at ....

, who represents District 34 . The Majority Leader is Alan Austerman

Alan Austerman

Alan David Austerman is a Republican member of the Alaska House of Representatives, representing the 36th District since 2009. He is cuurently the Majority Leader of the House of Representatives. He also serves on the Fisheries, Military and Veterans Affairs, and Community and Regional Affairs...

of Kodiak

Kodiak, Alaska

Kodiak is one of 7 communities and the main city on Kodiak Island, Kodiak Island Borough, in the U.S. state of Alaska. All commercial transportation between the entire island and the outside world goes through this city either via ferryboat or airline...

, who represents District 36 . The Minority Leader

Minority leader

is Democrat Beth Kerttula

Beth Kerttula

Elizabeth J. "Beth" Kerttula is a Democratic member of the Alaska House of Representatives, representing the 3rd District since 1998. She has served as the House Minority Leader since 2006. She is the daughter of Jalmar M...

of Juneau

Juneau, Alaska

, who represents District 3 .

Position	Name	Party	Residence	District
Speaker Speaker (politics) The term speaker is a title often given to the presiding officer of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body. The speaker's official role is to moderate debate, make rulings on procedure, announce the results of votes, and the like. The speaker decides who may speak and has the...	Mike Chenault Mike Chenault Charles Michael "Mike" Chenault is the Republican Speaker of the Alaska House of Representatives for the 26th Alaska State Legislature. He currently represents Alaska's 34th District, which encompasses most of the central Kenai Peninsula, exclusive of the cities of Kenai and Soldotna and the area...	Republican	Nikiski	34
Majority Leader Majority leader In U.S. politics, the majority floor leader is a partisan position in a legislative body.In the federal Congress, the role differs slightly in the two houses. In the House of Representatives, which chooses its own presiding officer, the leader of the majority party is elected the Speaker of the...	Alan Austerman Alan Austerman Alan David Austerman is a Republican member of the Alaska House of Representatives, representing the 36th District since 2009. He is cuurently the Majority Leader of the House of Representatives. He also serves on the Fisheries, Military and Veterans Affairs, and Community and Regional Affairs...	Republican	Kodiak Kodiak, Alaska Kodiak is one of 7 communities and the main city on Kodiak Island, Kodiak Island Borough, in the U.S. state of Alaska. All commercial transportation between the entire island and the outside world goes through this city either via ferryboat or airline...	36
Minority Leader Minority leader In U.S. politics, the minority leader is the floor leader of the second largest caucus in a legislative body. Given the two-party nature of the U.S. system, the minority leader is almost inevitably either a Republican or a Democrat, with their counterpart being of the opposite party. The position...	Beth Kerttula Beth Kerttula Elizabeth J. "Beth" Kerttula is a Democratic member of the Alaska House of Representatives, representing the 3rd District since 1998. She has served as the House Minority Leader since 2006. She is the daughter of Jalmar M...	Democratic	Juneau Juneau, Alaska The City and Borough of Juneau is a unified municipality located on the Gastineau Channel in the panhandle of the U.S. state of Alaska. It has been the capital of Alaska since 1906, when the government of the then-District of Alaska was moved from Sitka as dictated by the U.S. Congress in 1900...	3

Membership (27th Alaska State Legislature)

Alaska State House of Representatives
27th Alaska Legislature, 2011-2012
District	Party	Residence	First elected
1	Republican	Ketchikan Ketchikan, Alaska Ketchikan is a city in Ketchikan Gateway Borough, Alaska, United States, the southeasternmost sizable city in that state. With an estimated population of 7,368 in 2010 within the city limits, it is the fifth most populous city in the state....	2006
2	Republican	Wrangell Wrangell, Alaska Wrangell is a city and borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. At the 2000 census the population was 2,308.Its Tlingit name is Ḵaachx̱aana.áakʼw . The Tlingit people residing in the Wrangell area, who were there centuries before Europeans, call themselves the Shtaxʼhéen Ḵwáan after the nearby Stikine...	2000
3	Democratic	Juneau Juneau, Alaska The City and Borough of Juneau is a unified municipality located on the Gastineau Channel in the panhandle of the U.S. state of Alaska. It has been the capital of Alaska since 1906, when the government of the then-District of Alaska was moved from Sitka as dictated by the U.S. Congress in 1900...	1998
4	Republican	Juneau	2008
5	Republican	Haines Haines, Alaska Haines is a census-designated place in Haines Borough, Alaska, United States. As of the 2000 census, the population of the area was 1,811. Haines was formerly a city but no longer has a municipal government...	2004
6	Republican	Stony River Stony River, Alaska Stony River is a census-designated place in Bethel Census Area, Alaska, United States. The population was 61 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Stony River is located at ....	2010
7	Democratic	Fairbanks Fairbanks, Alaska Fairbanks is a home rule city in and the borough seat of the Fairbanks North Star Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska.Fairbanks is the largest city in the Interior region of Alaska, and second largest in the state behind Anchorage...	2010
8	Democratic	Fairbanks	2002
9	Democratic	Fairbanks	2006
10	Republican	Fairbanks	2010
11	Republican	North Pole North Pole, Alaska North Pole is a small city in the Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska, United States. It is part of the Fairbanks, Alaska metropolitan statistical area. The U.S. Census Bureau estimated its population as of July 1, 2009 at 2,226. The name "North Pole" is often applied to the entire area covered...	2010
12	Republican	Chickaloon Chickaloon, Alaska Chickaloon is a census-designated place in Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska, United States. It is part of the Anchorage, Alaska Metropolitan Statistical Area...	2010
13	Republican	Palmer Palmer, Alaska Palmer is the borough seat of the Matanuska-Susitna Borough in the state of Alaska, USA. It is part of the Anchorage Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 census, the population of the city is 5,937....	2002
14	Republican	Wasilla Wasilla, Alaska Wasilla is a city in Matanuska-Susitna Borough, United States and the sixth-largest city in Alaska. It is located on the northern point of Cook Inlet in the Matanuska-Susitna Valley of the southcentral part of the state. The city's population was 7,831 at the 2010 census...	2008
15	Republican	Big Lake Big Lake, Alaska Big Lake is a census-designated place in Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska, United States. It is part of the Anchorage, Alaska Metropolitan Statistical Area...	2004
16	Republican	Chugiak Chugiak, Alaska Chugiak is an unincorporated community in the Municipality of Anchorage in the U.S. state of Alaska, situated approximately 20 miles northeast of downtown Anchorage. It is located between Eagle River to the south, and Eklutna to the north, and between Knik Arm to the west and the Chugach...	2002
17	Republican	Eagle River Eagle River, Alaska Eagle River is a community within the Municipality of Anchorage situated on the Eagle River for which it is named, between Fort Richardson and Chugach State Park in the Chugach Mountains. Its ZIP code is 99577...	2006
18	Republican	Eagle River	2010
19	Democratic	Anchorage Anchorage, Alaska Anchorage is a unified home rule municipality in the southcentral part of the U.S. state of Alaska. It is the northernmost major city in the United States...	2008
20	Democratic	Anchorage	2002
21	Republican	Anchorage	2010
22	Democratic	Anchorage	1998
23	Democratic	Anchorage	2002
24	Democratic	Anchorage	2004
25	Democratic	Anchorage	2006
26	Democratic	Anchorage	2006
27	Republican	Anchorage	2010
28	Republican	Anchorage	2006
29	Democratic	Anchorage	2008
30	Republican	Anchorage	2008
31	Republican	Anchorage	2002
32	Republican	Anchorage	2002
33	Republican	Kenai Kenai, Alaska Kenai is a city in Kenai Peninsula Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 7,464...	2004
34	Republican	Nikiski Nikiski, Alaska Nikiski is a census-designated place in Kenai Peninsula Borough, Alaska, United States. The population was 4,327 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Nikiski is located at ....	2000
35	Republican	Homer Homer, Alaska Homer is a city located in Kenai Peninsula Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population was 5,364. One of Homer's nicknames is "the cosmic hamlet by the sea"; another is "the end of the road"...	2002
36	Republican	Kodiak Kodiak, Alaska Kodiak is one of 7 communities and the main city on Kodiak Island, Kodiak Island Borough, in the U.S. state of Alaska. All commercial transportation between the entire island and the outside world goes through this city either via ferryboat or airline...	2008
37	Democratic	Dillingham Dillingham, Alaska - Natural resources :Dillingham was once known as the Pacific salmon capital of the world and commercial fishing remains an important part of the local economy...	2006
38	Democratic	Bethel Bethel, Alaska Bethel is a city located near the west coast of the U.S. state of Alaska, west of Anchorage. Accessible only by air and river, Bethel is the main port on the Kuskokwim River and is an administrative and transportation hub for the 56 villages in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta.Bethel is the largest...	2008
39	Democratic	Nome Nome, Alaska Nome is a city in the Nome Census Area in the Unorganized Borough of the U.S. state of Alaska, located on the southern Seward Peninsula coast on Norton Sound of the Bering Sea. According to the 2010 Census, the city population was 3,598. Nome was incorporated on April 9, 1901, and was once the...	2010
40	Democratic	Kotzebue Kotzebue, Alaska As of the census of 2000, there were 3,082 people, 889 households, and 656 families residing in the city. The population density was 114.1 people per square mile . There were 1,007 housing units at an average density of 37.3 per square mile...	1996

External links

Alaska Legislature
The House Majority House Majority Caucus website (coalition of Republicans and Democrats)
House Democratic Legislators House Democratic Caucus website

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.

Current composition

Leadership

Membership (27th Alaska State Legislature)

See also

External links