Alaska Legislature's Third Special Session on Gasline Stalls as Lawmakers Hold Public Forum

Gov. Mike Dunleavy called the Alaska Legislature into a third special session of 2026, which convened in Juneau on July 27 to consider legislation, including a property tax break, intended to incentivize the proposed Alaska LNG natural gas pipeline project. Only four legislators were present for the pro forma opening proceedings, and House Speaker Rep. Bryce Edgmon presided over the House gavel-in. The session followed the failure of an earlier compromise tax-break bill and is authorized to last up to 30 days, with a scheduled end date of August 25, 2026. As of July 31, the end of the session's first week, Dunleavy had not submitted a bill for lawmakers to consider, and no legislative action had been taken. Dunleavy said his administration was continuing private negotiations before reintroducing legislation. Separately, on August 6, Senate and House Republicans, organized as the Alaska Gasline Caucus, held a public listening session at the Anchorage Legislative Information Office to solicit input on the pipeline's opportunities and impacts. The session included presentations from Alaska mayors, industry leaders, and utility representatives on how the pipeline could affect their communities. As of the reporting period, no gasline incentive bill had been introduced by the governor, and the Legislature had taken no formal action during the special session. The special session remained scheduled to run through August 25, 2026. It remains unresolved what specific legislation, if any, will emerge from Dunleavy's ongoing negotiations, and reports note continuing opposition from the Democrat-controlled State Senate to prior gasline proposals.