Serving the people of Southeast Alaska
More about Alaska Ballot Measure 2,Top-Four Ranked-Choice Voting and Campaign Finance Laws Initiative (2020) Supported by the LWV-AK. Need more information on why this Ballot measure is so long? It contains all of the language and information that will have to be changed in legislation in order to comply. This is a good thing, as [...]
Alaska Ballot Measure 1, North Slope Oil Production Tax Increase Initiative (2020) An Act changing the oil and gas production tax for certain fields, units, and nonunitized reservoirs on the North Slope This act would change the oil and gas production tax for areas of the North Slope where a company produced more than 40,000 [...]
Alaska Ballot Measure 2, Top-Four Ranked-Choice Voting and Campaign Finance Laws Initiative (2020) Note: The League of Women Voters of Alaska is supporting this Ballot Measure. An Act Replacing the Political Party Primary with an Open Primary System and Ranked-Choice General Election, and Requiring Additional Campaign Finance Disclosures This act would get rid of the [...]
May 16, 2020 League of Women Voters of Alaska--ACTION ALERT The League of Women Voters of Alaska has received two grants from LWVUS, the national League, to advocate and educate for the following: 1. The Equal Rights Amendment, S. J. Res 6, a bill to remove the deadline date now that the required number of [...]
2017 Capitol Currents - last two editions ~ Marching very slowly towards Day 121 and beyond ~ Capitol Currents is a weekly update of happenings at the Alaska State Legislature during session. There is a lot of great information in these editions, important links to find more information, lots and lots of information on [...]
Here is where we are with the Legislature as time runs out: HB 184: The companion bill for SB 72, antidiscrimination. This is being heard in House State Affairs on Thursday, May 3,3 pm, Rm 120. The bill can be found here: <http://www.akleg.gov/basis/Bill/Text/30?Hsid=HB0184A> Public testimony is not yet scheduled. The bill is being introduced in its [...]
I am sending this out because it is most likely the most important issue that faces citizens of this state at the current time. The information box below from Great Alaska Schools is well done and explains clearly where the budget is at. We need to make our voices heard. The House has completed a major [...]
If you have been hesitant to email your elected state officials, here is a chance to jump in and get your feet wet. And remember that once you contact them by email, their email addresses are in your email list and contacting them again will be much easier. You might want to gather together some friends [...]
Here is the current status. The Legislature is busy. HB 44: Ethics Bill dealing with conflicts of interest. The bill passed the House and has been transmitted to the Senate. Keep tuned. HB 31: Processing sexual assault kits: The bill passed the House and has been transmitted to the Senate. Keep tuned. HB 111: Oil Tax Credits: Passed [...]
Here is the status of the bills we have been following plus one we might want to follow should there ever be a hearing. A. SB 72--The following language would be added to the list of protected classes in state ant-discrimination statute: "sexual orientation, gender identity, and expression." You can send an email of support to Senator.Berta.Gardner@akleg.gov and [...]
Arguments and statements against the National Popular Vote (NPV) Compact include the following, with the LWV's rebuttal written by the LWVAK Advocacy Chair, Judy Andree: 1. "But your votes do count under the current method." This is not fully true given that the Presidential election is a national election and all votes should count at [...]
The Alaska Legislature is considering a bill to adopt the National Popular Vote as a means of weighting votes for each Presidential election. Here is a fact sheet on the topic prepared by the state LWV. You can also download and print this factsheet.
Last week Advocacy Chair, Judy Andree, attended public testimony on HB 175, National Popular Vote Compact. She followed up with a second letter from LWVAK in response to some of the testimony that opposed the bill with incorrect information. The letter focused on the history of the League's involvement with the National Popular Vote as [...]
SB 72: DISCRIMINATION: GENDER ID.;SEXUAL ORIENTATION. Sponsor: Senator Gardner "An Act adding to the powers and duties of the State Commission for Human Rights; and relating to and prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity or expression." There are no current hearings scheduled. The bill was referred to HSS, JUD, and FIN and currently [...]
HB 44 (Ethics), HB 25 (insurance coverage for contraceptives, HB 115 (budget fix with income tax, PF restructuring)--No further hearings scheduled as of yet. HB 31, sexual assault kit handling & database, has been advanced to House Finance. Two bills that concern money for school funding might be of interest and worth watching, particularly if nothing [...]