Columbus Day would be known as Indigenous Peoples Day in Alaska under legislation being considered in the state House. Columbus Day, which falls on the second Monday in October, is a federal holiday but not a state holiday.

For the last two years, Gov. Bill Walker has proclaimed that day to be Indigenous Peoples Day. Democratic Rep. Dean Westlake of Kotzebue hopes to make that designation permanent with House Bill 78. On Wednesday, the House voted down an effort to move the date for the proposed Indigenous Peoples Day to the day before Columbus Day.