Alaska

2010

Signature Deadline in 2010: During the convening of the 2010 Legislature
Number of Signatures Needed to Qualify: 32,734 (statutory initiative)
Gubernatorial Election in 2010: Parnell (R)
US Senate Election in 2010: Murkowski (R)

In the August 2010 primary elections, Alaska voters will be asked to approve the so-called “Anti-Corruption Act,” an initiative that would gut workers’ rights and prevent some of Alaska’s most valued public servants from participating in the political process. The harmful effects of this initiative are twofold.

First, with a provision known as Paycheck Deception, the bill would prevent public employees from having deductions taken from their paychecks to pay for union dues.  While all Alaskans currently have the freedom to choose their own paycheck deductions, only public employees, such as firefighters, police officers, and teachers, would be covered by this law. A similar initiative was on the South Dakota ballot in 2008, and was funded by a group headed by Grover Norquist. The initiative, while wrapped in the guise of government reform and transparency, would have severely restricted the ability of South Dakotans to participate in elections or lobbying their government, and was defeated 35%-65% at the ballot. 

Additionally, the “Anti-Corruption Act” would prohibit political contributions by persons and organizations with any state-funded government contracts. It also prohibits political contributions by labor unions and their members that have collective bargaining agreements with state or local governments. This amendment is silent about corporate gifts to elected officials and would ignore most contributions by large and out-of-state corporations. However, it would prevent a person from volunteering on a campaign or donating a few dollars to a political candidate just because their mother-in-law is a government contractor or their nephew belongs to a public employee union. A similar Colorado initiative passed narrowly in 2008 but it has been legally challenged as unconstitutional.

Currently in circulation is an initiative to require young women under 18 years old to notify either a parent or a court and receive consent before they are allowed access to medical care and counseling regarding their reproductive freedom. A similar measure has been defeated three times in California. 

Finally, an effort is under way to place a “personhood” initiative on the ballot.  Planned Parenthood and other reproductive freedom advocates challenged the initiative in court, saying the state should not have certified it due to misleading language, but the Alaska Attorney General determined it could be presented to voters.  This so-called “personhood initiative” is part of a national right wing effort to end a woman's right to choose, ban several of the most medically safe forms of birth control, restrict common fertility treatments, such as in vitro fertilization, and put an end to stem cell research. In 2008, a “personhood” initiative was soundly defeated in Colorado. Supporters would still need to gather nearly 33,000 signatures by January 2010 to qualify the initiative for the August 2010 ballot.

For 2008 election information, click here.

For additional information please check with the Alaska Secretary of State: http://ltgov.state.ak.us/elections/