Rep Ky Holland, May 16, 2026
As we enter the final four days of the second session of the 34th Alaska Legislature, I’ve been reflecting on the work we’ve done, the work still ahead, and the people who make this service possible.
Before anything else, I want to acknowledge the toll this work takes on families. Every legislator who comes to Juneau leaves behind routines, responsibilities, and the people who support them most. Some move families here temporarily. Others spend months away from home while spouses, partners, parents, and friends carry extra burdens back home. In my case, Sharon has been continuing her work in the classroom and the library while I’ve been gone, holding down so much of our day-to-day life while supporting me through this experience. Like many legislators, I could not do this work without that support, patience, and sacrifice from family and friends. We all owe them an enormous debt of gratitude.
And despite the long hours, the stress, and the difficulty of the work, I remain deeply honored to have had the opportunity to serve House District 9 during this legislature.
There are still four very busy days left in session. A tremendous amount of work remains unfinished. Bills are still moving, negotiations are ongoing, and many of the most important decisions happen in these final days. While there will be time later for broader reflections about Alaska’s future and the next election cycle, right now my focus remains on finishing the session as strongly and responsibly as possible for the communities I represent, for Anchorage, and for our state.
When I came to Juneau, I arrived with several core priorities that have remained consistent throughout session: supporting education, addressing Alaska’s energy challenges, strengthening our economy, and advocating for the local needs of communities throughout House District 9.
Education has remained central to nearly every conversation this session. Over the last decade, Alaska has placed enormous strain on schools, educators, and public institutions through instability, underfunding, and uncertainty. We see the impacts everywhere: staffing shortages, burnout, turnover, and increasing difficulty attracting and retaining professionals, and the exodus of 34,000 working age Alaskans and their families. I’ve worked to support responsible education funding and budgets, but I know we weren’t able to do enough. If we want strong communities and a strong economy, we must continue investing in the people who teach, serve, and build Alaska every day.
One of the issues I’ve cared deeply about this session has been the effort to restore a defined benefits retirement option in Alaska. I believe Alaska must become competitive again in attracting and retaining public employees, whether teachers, public safety professionals, or other essential workers. We cannot continue expecting people to build long-term careers in Alaska while offering less stability than competing states.
Energy has also been a major focus of my work, particularly concerns around Cook Inlet gas supply, energy affordability in the Railbelt, and broader questions about Alaska’s long-term energy future. Through work on the House Special Committee on Energy and with my staff on issues involving diversified energy portfolios, net metering, and emerging technologies, I’ve continued to push for a practical conversation about reliability, affordability, and resilience. Alaska’s energy policy affects nearly every aspect of life here — household costs, economic opportunity, community stability, and future development.
At the same time, I’ve tried to keep a strong focus on the local issues that directly affect our district communities.
Today, we passed the Whittier land transfer legislation out of the legislature, sending it to the Governor. That has been a long and important effort supporting the city and the Alaska Railroad.
In Girdwood, I’ve worked with residents concerned about how DOT has managed airport land and buffering near residential areas. Across the district, I’ve also spent time looking at infrastructure and maintenance concerns affecting residential areas in areas with high exposure to wildfires, and helped pass legislation improving the use of Ready, Set, Go emergency evacuation preparation standards.
One of the most rewarding parts of serving this district has simply been sharing what makes it such a special place. Whether recognizing local leaders and students through citations, highlighting the history of our communities, or talking about the glaciers, travel routes, and geography that make House District 9 unique, I’ve enjoyed every opportunity to celebrate the people and places that make this district extraordinary.
This session has also been an incredible learning experience.
In many ways, I probably learned more through work on the daylight savings and time zone bills than almost anything else this year. HB 229, my Alaska Standard Time bill, and Senator Merrick’s SB 26 both shared a similar goal: ending the disruption of changing clocks twice each year. But even with broad agreement that the current system frustrates people, there remained significant disagreement about what the better alternative should be.
That debate became a reminder of something much larger about Alaska. Often, we know change is needed. We know the current system is not working as well as it should. Yet competing perspectives about what comes next can leave us stuck in systems nobody is fully satisfied with. I saw that dynamic repeatedly this session — not only with time policy, but also in discussions around fiscal policy, education, economic development, and energy.
The work has reinforced for me just how complex policymaking really is and how important it is to approach problems thoughtfully, collaboratively, and with humility.
I’ve also gained an even greater appreciation for how much happens behind the scenes through staff work, relationships, and collaboration.
I want to especially thank Ayden Nichol, Tim Treuer, and Mark Lambert for the extraordinary work they’ve done during their first session in my office. From wildfire policy to energy issues, finance work, time zone legislation, and the Whittier land transfer, they accomplished an incredible amount in a very demanding environment. I’m deeply grateful for their work and for the many staff members throughout the Capitol, Legislative Affairs Agency, Legislative Finance, Legislative Legal, agency liaisons and offices, and partner organizations who help keep this institution functioning.
Some of the most meaningful work this session didn’t involve bills with my name on them at all. It involved helping connect people, coordinating across offices and agencies, supporting local communities, and helping move ideas forward collaboratively. That’s one of the lessons I’ll carry with me from this experience: public service is often most effective when it helps build relationships and create opportunities for others to succeed.
There is still important work left to do over these next four days. Major bills are still moving. Budget decisions are still being finalized. Negotiations continue. Some legislation may still make it across the finish line, while other ideas will need to wait for another session. That uncertainty is part of the legislative process.
As we wrap up, I’m proud of the work we’ve done and grateful for what I’ve learned. This job is challenging in ways that are difficult to fully explain until you experience it firsthand. It demands long hours, difficult decisions, and constant balancing between competing needs and priorities. But it is also a privilege to represent the people of House District 9 and to have the opportunity to help shape policy for Alaska.
And once again, none of this happens without the support systems behind every legislator. The spouses, partners, children, friends, coworkers, and communities that carry additional burdens while we spend months in Juneau deserve recognition too. Sharon’s support throughout this session has meant more than I can adequately express, and I know many other legislators feel the same gratitude toward the people supporting them back home.
For now, though, the work continues. Four more days remain, and there is still a great deal left to accomplish, including an incredibly challenging gas pipeline tax and incentive policy decision. I’ll keep working to do everything I can for the district I represent, for Anchorage, and for Alaska’s future.
Ky