JUNEAU, Alaska — An Alaska House committee advanced a bill Friday that would expand people's right to use deadly force as a means of self-defense.

The House Judiciary Committee held another measure that would make it a felony for federal officers or agents to enforce any new laws restricting firearm ownership. A legislative attorney said the measure is largely unconstitutional.

HB24 was advanced after a slight language change that did not alter its intent. The bill's sponsor, Rep. Mark Neuman, R-Big Lake, has tried to pass similar "stand your ground" legislation in previous years without success.

Alaska's sometimes prickly relationship with the federal government, especially with regard to the Second Amendment, has been a topic among legislators this session. On Friday, five separate pieces of legislation dealing with state-federal relationships were on the Legislature's agenda.

HB69, the bill concerning gun controls, has garnered broad support from House Republicans; 18 lawmakers have added their names as co-sponsors. House Speaker Mike Chenault, R-Nikiski, authored the bill.

Rep. Charisse Millet, R-Anchorage, a committee member, said she "really likes this bill."

Several citizens called in to testify in support of the bill and to argue its constitutionality, including Bob Bird, a high school teacher who unsuccessfully ran for U.S. Senate as the Alaskan Independence Party candidate in 2008.

The latest version of the bill would strengthen the penalty for those who might enforce future federal laws on gun control. That offense would now be a felony as opposed to a misdemeanor, as was originally proposed.

A legislative attorney, in a memo to Chenault last month, raised constitutional concerns with the measure.

"Attempting to prevent federal officers from enforcing federal law presents rather clear supremacy clause issues," Kathleen Strasbaugh wrote. "In light of the foregoing, it will be important as the bill proceeds that the public be notified that the law is unlikely to result in the suspension of federal enforcement."

The committee took up two other pieces of legislation: HJR4 and HB83.

The resolution sponsored by Millett calls upon President Barack Obama to rescind some of the executive actions he issued last month regarding gun violence.

Rep. Wes Keller, R-Wasilla, and chair of the House Judiciary Committee, introduced HB83 to the panel.

That measure calls upon Alaska's attorney general to alert the House and Senate Judiciary committees if he believes any federal statute, regulation, presidential executive order or secretarial order is adopted unconstitutionally. Each committee would then be empowered to create what are known as "nullification bills," legislation passed by a state that rejects a federal law by declaring it void and unenforceable in that state.

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Online

HB24: http://bit.ly/YgyFWn

HB69: http://bit.ly/12A6OqZ

HJR4: http://bit.ly/YgyF8I

HB83: http://bit.ly/Y0gDqH