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House leadership unlikely to take up close votes with 2 members out

Rep. Ivy Spohnholz, D-Anchorage, addresses the Capitol Press corps during a House Majority press availability on March 28, 2017. (Photo by Skip Gray/360 North)
Rep. Ivy Spohnholz, D-Anchorage, addresses the Capitol Press corps during a House Majority press availability on March 28, 2017. (Photo by Skip Gray/360 North)

The Alaska House likely won’t be considering any bills that would require a close vote this week. That’s because the House majority coalition will be two members short.

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Anchorage Democratic Rep. Ivy Spohnholz experienced a pulmonary embolism last week. The condition results from a blood clot or other material becoming wedged in an artery in a lung. She returned from Juneau to Anchorage, where she received treatment. She wrote on Twitter Monday that she is home recuperating with her family.

She wrote that she plans to return to Juneau next Monday.

On Friday, Bethel Democratic Rep. Tiffany Zulkosky is scheduled to be sworn in. The seat has been vacant since Feb. 12, when former Rep. Zach Fansler’s resignation became effective.

Without the two members, the House majority caucus will have only 20 voting members in the 40-seat body.

Andrew Kitchenman is the editor-in-chief of the Alaska Beacon. He has covered state government in Alaska since 2016, previously serving as the Capitol reporter for Alaska Public Media and KTOO. Contact Andrew at info@alaskabeacon.com.