The Alaska Legislature by the numbers

JUNEAU — They include teachers, fishermen, pilots, a hunting guide, realtors, engineers, attorneys, veterans, a pharmacist, a medical doctor, a physician assistant, a nurse, a shopkeeper, an insurance broker and a professor.

Alaska’s 60 legislators come from all corners of the state, and convened in Juneau on Tuesday as the 34th legislative session kicked off.

Here’s a breakdown of the Legislature, by the numbers.

57.8

The average age of Senate members, in years.

51.4

The average age of House members, in years.

83

The age, in years, of the oldest member — Sen. Gary Stevens of Kodiak.

28

The age, in years, of the youngest members — Rep. Genevieve Mina and Rep. David Nelson, both of Anchorage.

25

The number of lawmakers who were born in Alaska, including four who were born in territorial Alaska, before it became a state.

1987

The year when Sen. Lyman Hoffman of Bethel first started serving in the Legislature. With 38 years under his belt, he is the longest-serving member.

11

The number of legislators who are serving their first term this year, including 10 in the House and one in the Senate.

6.5

The average length of service, in years, among Alaska’s current House and Senate members. In the House, the average is closer to four. In the Senate, it’s 11.

27

Number of women in the Legislature. The Alaska House will have a female majority this year, for the first time in the state’s history. In the Senate, meanwhile, only a quarter of members are women.

84,000

The annual salary that lawmakers will earn this year, in dollars.

307

The per diem reimbursement rate, in dollars, that lawmakers from communities other than Juneau can claim while the Legislature is in session.

121

The maximum length of the regular legislative session, in days, as set in the Alaska Constitution.

Sources: These figures are based on information from the Legislative website, the Alaska Division of Elections and public records.