NEWSMAKERS.

Alaska Representative Bryce Edgmon (D) has replaced Mike Chenault (R) as speaker of the Alaska House.

Chenault, a four-term speaker who stepped down from his post this year, has filed a letter of intent to run for governor. He was first elected in 2002 and became speaker in 2009. Three Republicans voted with a coalition of Democrats in January to organize the House under Democratic control.

"It is encouraging to see occupational licensing reform receiving such increased bipartisan support nationally and in Utah."

Utah Representative Brian Greene (R) on his state's selection to participate, along with NCSL, in a national effort to increase portability of occupational licenses and remove overly broad or restrictive licensing requirements, at UtahPolicy.com.

"There's no point of incarcerating someone who's at the point of death."

California Assemblywoman Shirley Weber (D) on measures that would release more of the state's older inmates to ease prison overcrowding, from The Associated Press.

"Some are saying about us, 'They are no Hamilton. They are no Jefferson.' No, we are not. But we are the stewards now. They found the courage to stand up, and now it's our turn."

Arizona Representative Kelly Townsend (R) on the first national convention of states in more than 150 years, at the Arizona Capitol, from azcentral.com.

"When we turn the Forest Service over to the bird and bunny lovers and the tree huggers and the rock lickers, we've turned our history over.... We are going to lose our wildlife and we are going to lose our scenery, the very thing you people wanted to try to protect. It's just plain stupidity."

Utah Representative Mike Noel (R) on the cause of the recent wildfires, in the Chicago Tribune.

Missouri Representative Elijah Haahr (R) was elected by his GOP colleagues to succeed Todd Richardson

(R) as speaker in 2019, when term limits end Richardson's House service. Haahr, 35, is currently speaker pro tem. He was first elected in 2012.

Wisconsin Assembly Democrats elected Representative Gordon Hintz to replace Representative Peter Barca (D), who has led the caucus since 2011 when Republicans took control of the chamber. With 35 members in the 99-member chamber, the Democrats are at their lowest numbers since 1957. Hintz has served in the Assembly since 2016. Barca stepped down after he voted with Republicans to support a $3 billion tax incentive program for a technology group his caucus opposed.

Illinois House Majority Leader Barbara...

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