By SUZANNE DOWNING
Aug. 21, 2026 – The Alaska Legislature’s fourth special session of the year is coming to an end, although it was never much of a beginning.
Gov. Mike Dunleavy called lawmakers back to Juneau on July 27 to address legislation intended to advance the Alaska LNG project and help secure a long-term supply of affordable natural gas for Southcentral Alaska.
Instead of a gasline session, Alaskans got a month of gaslighting.
The Democrat-led House and Senate majorities refused to convene for substantive work, leaving the Capitol largely empty while the constitutional clock continued to run. The Legislature held only brief technical sessions, which are procedural meetings during which no real legislative business was conducted.
Both chambers are now scheduled to meet Monday, Aug. 24, most likely for another technical session before adjourning.
The Senate is scheduled to convene at 11 am Monday, while the House is scheduled for 10:30 am. Neither chamber has legislation listed for action.
Under Article II, Section 9 of the Alaska Constitution and AS 24.05.100, a special legislative session may last no more than 30 calendar days. The current session began July 27, making Tuesday, Aug. 25, the final possible day.
Unless legislative leaders abruptly reverse course, the special session will expire without lawmakers taking action on the gasline legislation they were called to consider.
At issue is a proposal to provide predictable property-tax treatment during construction of the Alaska LNG pipeline. Project developer Glenfarne has said the legislation is needed to reduce uncertainty and help keep the project moving toward financing and construction.
The House passed a clean version of the legislation during an earlier special session, but the Senate added several unrelated provisions, including a new tax on certain businesses organized as S corporations and a project labor agreement mandate.
A conference committee later developed a compromise that included the corporation tax, but it failed on a 19-19 House vote July 16.
Dunleavy subsequently offered another compromise that retained much of the conference committee version while reducing the proposed S-corporation tax to 2% and delaying its effective date until 2030 or until commercial gas begins flowing through the pipeline. His proposal also removed a provision that would have reduced education funding to some boroughs.
The inaction came despite warnings from utilities, municipal leaders and the project developer that Cook Inlet’s declining natural-gas supply poses an increasingly serious threat to Southcentral Alaska. Glenfarne said this week that the Legislature’s failure to act will increase costs and delay the project.
The company said it remains committed to Alaska LNG and is evaluating alternative paths forward while continuing its commercial, engineering and financing work. But it warned that the Legislature’s refusal to complete the property-tax legislation will slow efforts to deliver North Slope gas to Alaskans.
The leaders of the Legislature have decided to run out the clock, in the hope they’ll have a Democrat in the Executive Branch by the time the Legislature starts its new session in January. That way, all the taxes that Democrats want can sail through under the new management.
4 thoughts on “Alaska’s gasline special session nears its end after lawmakers gaslighted Alaskans for a month”
Meanwhile, we are trucking LNG from Alberta to keep Whittier operating. Very ironic.
Every one of the legislators need to be replaced they are so much thinking of there selves and not the people of Alaska. People should start calling your so called reps. and give them what you are thinking if your house runs out of natural gas this winter. VOTE THEM ALL OUT. They have what 36 meetings and 3 special sessions to get this right and they did nothing .
Outrageous. And they won’t get their tax largess, either. Everybody got exactly nothing, and most of our nothing means no gas to heat and generate electricity.
Stupidity and greed have huge consequences.
Look at the time and Money they waste. Plenty of money for themselves, bureaucracy, wasted special sessions to sit around, do nothing and get paid for, special interests. But Not for your PFD. Never any money for your full PFD, Too broke, not enough to go around, need income tax, etc.
Look at primary results. STOP voting for these people.
They do Not care about you or your best interests. Vote Them Out.