JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) – Women in the Alaska Legislature are breaking barriers.

Once the House’s newest member, Tiffany Zulkosky, is sworn in on Friday, the Alaska Legislature will have 19 women. According to Legislative Research Services, that will be the highest number of women who have served in any one Legislature since statehood.

Senate Minority Leader Berta Gardner, an Anchorage Democrat, says that’s wonderful. But she notes that females comprise about half of Alaska’s population. Women will comprise roughly one-third of the 60-member Legislature.

Still, as of January, the national average for women serving in Legislatures across the country was 25 percent, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

The number of women lawmakers has inched up in Alaska in recent years.

The post Number of women in Alaska Legislature to reach new high appeared first on Newstalk 750 – 103.7 KFQD.