The education bill compromise (HB 278) and the capital budget (SB 119) are last items of business today. A revamped version of Knik Arm crossing legislation (HB 23) was adopted Friday morning. Knik Arm and educatin were the big stumbling blocks for adjournment, amnd the disagreement over the form of the Knik Arm bridge bill developed just this week. We spelled out major provisions of the SB 278 compromise in our report yesterday, Bulletin No. 9.

The compromise on HB 23, now passed, basically has the Knik Arm Bridge and Toll Authority, or KABATA, left with the authority to operate the bridge and collect tolls but for the state Dept. of Transportation and Public Facilities to build it.

A few bills are still hanging on House and Senate calendars this morning.

One important one that has now passed is SB 99, which makes changes in the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority’s SETS energy loan program, and also gives AIDEA authority to help finance two proposed Southeast underground mining projects, the Niblack multi-metals prospect and the Bokan Mountain rare earths prospect. A late amendment to the bill would also allow further state financing for the Blue Lake hydro expansion project at Sitka.

Here are some actions from Thursday:

Senate backs entrepreneurs’ security exemption, HB 308

HB 308, exempting three categories of securities issuances from state reporting requirements, and a small fee, passed the Senate on an 18-1 vote, Thursday. The bill exempts so-called “friends and family securities” issuances to ten or fewer persons, or 25 or fewer persons in Alaska, or offerings to holders of securities from the same issuer. The bill also allows Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act corporations to treat so-called “after born” stock issuances like original stock offerings in 1971. Sen. Pete Kelly (R-Fairbanks did not comment before casting the lone vote against the bill.

Scrap metal sales records bill passes legislature, HB 305

Alaska is joining the 49 other states in a crackdown on theft of new and scrap copper and other high value metals with Senate passage of HB 305, Thursday. House Speaker Mike Chenault’s original bill repealed an antiquated section of law requiring junk dealers to hold a business license and also be licensed by the Dept. of Revenue. State builders. Scrap dealers, builders, public utilities and police agencies asked for the addition of new terms requiring metal buyers to keep detailed records of all purchases of $100 or more for five years, including identification, vehicle and contact information of the seller.

Alaska is the only state without a law like HB 305, said Sen. Kevin Meyer, before the Senate vote. The bill takes effect Jan. 1, 2015. Sen. Hollis French, a former state prosecutor, said classification of false entries in a buyer’s records as a Class A misdemeanor, punishable by up to a year in jail, was too severe and cast what he called a “cautious no” vote.

Transportation Infrastructure Fund dies in Senate Finance Committee

Rep. Peggy Wilson, Thursday afternoon, confirmed the death of HJR 10, her proposed constitutional amendment to reestablish the dedicated transportation projects fund. The resolution, which passed the House twice in recent years, did so again this year on a 34-4 vote, March 13. It reached the Senate Finance Committee on April 2. Cochairman Kevin Meyer (R-Anch.) said it would “absolutely never, ever” leave the committee, according to Wilson.