The Fifth Alaska State Legislature served from January 23, 1967 to January 26, 1969.
The Alaska Legislature had largely been controlled by the Democratic Party since statehood took effect in 1959, as was the case with most territorial legislatures stretching as far back as the early 1930s. In the 1966 elections, Alaska followed the rest of the nation and voted Republican: incumbent governor William A. Egan and incumbent U.S. Representative Ralph J. Rivers both lost reelection to Republican challengers (Walter J. Hickel and Howard W. Pollock, respectively). Republicans also wound up with control of both houses of the legislature, though many of the Republicans newly elected in 1966 only served in this legislature.
This Senate saw major changes in its composition. In response to the "one man, one vote" decision of the United States Supreme Court in Reynolds v. Sims, the area-based apportionment scheme established for the Senate in the state constitution was abandoned, and the Senate was apportioned strictly on a population basis like the House. Jay Hammond, who served in the House in the first three legislatures before returning home to Naknek to serve as manager of the Bristol Bay Borough, was newly elected as a senator from a district which stretched as far north as Bettles and as far south as the Alaska Peninsula. In the 1966 election, Hammond defeated Democratic incumbent Grant Pearson, who lived in Nenana, 480 miles (770 km) from Naknek. Under population-based apportionment, many future legislative districts in rural Alaska would also cover vast amounts of the state.
President of the Senate – John Butrovich (R-Fairbanks)
Commerce
Brady (chair), Harris (vice-chair), Koslosky, Waugaman, Christiansen
Finance
V. Phillips (chair), Haggland (vice-chair), Lewis, Brady, Smith, Engstrom, Blodgett
Health, Welfare and Education
Smith (chair), Thomas (vice-chair), Koslosky, Begich
Judiciary
Harris (chair), Ziegler (vice-chair), Waugaman, Hammond, Begich
Labor and Management
Thomas (chair), Palmer (vice-chair), Lewis, Bradshaw, Christiansen
Local government
Koslosky (chair), Lewis (vice-chair), Harris, Poland, Bradshaw
Resources
Hammond (chair), Waugaman (vice-chair), Palmer, Lewis, Blodgett
Rules
B. Phillips (chair), Ziegler (vice-chair), Haggland, Hammond, Smith
State Affairs
Engstrom (chair), Thomas (vice-chair), Haggland, Poland
Speaker of the House – William K. Boardman (R-Ketchikan)
Commerce
Young (chair), Powell (vice-chair), Beirne, Cessnun, Balone, Getman, Brady, Fink, Bradner
Committee on Committees
Boardman (chair), Stevens (vice-chair), Strandberg, Holm, Kerttula
Finance
Strandberg (chair), Haugen (vice-chair), Miller, Sackett, Sassara, Borer, Ray
Health, Welfare and Education
Banfield (chair), Fritz (vice-chair for health and welfare), Beirne (vice-chair for education), Wiggins, Metcalf, Moran, Wright, Young, Hohman
Judiciary
Fink (chair), Simpson (vice-chair), Tillion, Brady, Metcalf, Hensley, Moses, Fritz, Moran
Labor and Management
Wiggins (chair), Harris (vice-chair), Anderson, Simpson, See, McGill, Moore, Smith, Orbeck
Local Government
Smith (chair), Anderson (vice-chair), Beirne, Powell, Getman, Hohman, Harris, Simpson, Westdahl
Resources
Moses (chair), Anderson (vice-chair for mines and minerals), Moore (vice-chair for fish and game), Tillion, Cessnun, Wright, McGill, Holm, Powell, Hensley, See
Rules
Tillion (chair), Cessnun (vice-chair), Holm, Harris, Balone, Stevens, Kerttula
State Affairs
Holm (chair), Brady (vice-chair), Fritz, Moore, Guess, Bradner, Banfield, Wright, Orbeck
5th Alaska State Legislature Wikipedia (Text) CC BY-SA