A bill that would restore the state licensing fee on sportfishing guides and operators — which expired in 2018 — is slowly working its way through the Legislature.

An amendment in the House last year to charge nonresidents twice the annual fee as Alaska residents has raised some questions and concerns, most recently at a Senate committee hearing on the bill.

Restoring the licensing fee would raise an estimated $420,000 a year for fisheries data management work.

Meanwhile, a separate bill to bring back a longstanding surcharge on all sportfishing licenses that expired a year ago also is...