Juneau watch

With the election behind us, leadership is taking shape for the 34th Alaska Legislature set to begin in mid-January.

It looks like Rep. Bryce Edgmon, independent from Dillingham, will serve as speaker of the House.

Rep. Louise Stutes, R-Kodiak, will chair the House Special Committee on Fisheries. She previously held the gavel from 2015-20, and will take over for Rep. Sarah Vance, R-Homer.

Sen. Gary Stevens, R-Kodiak, will serve again as Senate president.

For more on the legislative leadership, here are press releases from the House Majority Coalition and the Alaska Senate Majority.

Juneau watch

Rep. Geran Tarr, D-Anchorage, has been named chair of the House Special Committee on Fisheries.

She takes the gavel from Rep. Louise Stutes, R-Kodiak, who is now speaker of the House.

Hearing set on 'dude fishing' license bill

The House Special Committee on Fisheries is scheduled to hold a hearing at 10 a.m. tomorrow, in part on House Bill 143.

This bill would increase the fee for a seven-day, so-called "dude fishing" crew license from $30 to $60.

We now have a sponsor statement from the committee chairman, Rep. Paul Seaton, R-Homer, explaining the problem he sees with people buying multiple seven-day licenses.

We also have a fiscal note from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, which says that last year, 443 resident and 2,317 nonresident seven-day commercial crew licenses were sold.

The note further says that 136 nonresident fishermen purchased four or more seven-day licenses in 2012.

Passing the gavel

State Rep. Paul Seaton, R-Homer, will chair the House Special Committee on Fisheries when the Alaska Legislature convenes on Jan. 15.

Seaton takes over for Rep. Steve Thompson, R-Fairbanks, who chaired the committee the past two years.

It's a post Seaton has held previously in his legislative career.