SJR 14: Proposing amendments to the Constitution of the State of Alaska relating to the election and the duties of the attorney general.
00SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 14 01 Proposing amendments to the Constitution of the State of Alaska relating to the 02 election and the duties of the attorney general. 03 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 04 * Section 1. Article III, sec. 23, Constitution of the State of Alaska, is amended to read: 05 Section 23. Reorganization. (a) Except as provided in (b) of this section, 06 the [THE] governor may make changes in the organization of the executive branch or 07 in the assignment of functions among its units which he considers necessary for 08 efficient administration. Where these changes require the force of law, they shall be 09 set forth in executive orders. The legislature shall have sixty days of a regular session, 10 or a full session if of shorter duration, to disapprove these executive orders. Unless 11 disapproved by resolution concurred in by a majority of the members in joint session, 12 these orders become effective at a date thereafter to be designated by the governor. 13 * Sec. 2. Article III, sec. 23, Constitution of the State of Alaska, is amended by adding a 14 new subsection to read:
01 (b) The governor may not make a change in the organization or function of 02 a unit of the executive branch that is headed by the attorney general. 03 * Sec. 3. Article III, sec. 24, Constitution of the State of Alaska, is amended to read: 04 Section 24. Supervision. Except for the unit of the executive branch that 05 is headed by the attorney general, each [EACH] principal department shall be under 06 the supervision of the governor. 07 * Sec. 4. Article III, sec. 25, Constitution of the State of Alaska, is amended to read: 08 Section 25. Department Heads. The head of each principal department shall 09 be a single executive unless otherwise provided by law. The head of a principal 10 department [HE] shall be appointed by the governor, subject to confirmation by a 11 majority of the members of the legislature in joint session, and shall serve at the 12 pleasure of the governor, except as otherwise provided in this article with respect to 13 the lieutenant governor and the attorney general [SECRETARY OF STATE]. The 14 heads of all principal departments shall be citizens of the United States. 15 * Sec. 5. Article III, Constitution of the State of Alaska, is amended by adding new 16 sections to read: 17 Section 28. Attorney General: Qualifications, Compensation, and Duties. 18 (a) There shall be an attorney general. The attorney general shall be at least thirty 19 years of age and a qualified voter of the State, and a citizen of the United States and 20 a resident of the state. The attorney general shall possess additional qualifications 21 prescribed by law. 22 (b) The compensation of the attorney general shall be prescribed by law and 23 may not be diminished during the term of office unless by general law applying to all 24 salaried officers of the State. 25 (c) The attorney general shall defend the State in all civil actions in which the 26 State, a State agency, a State public corporation, or a State public enterprise is named 27 as a defendant party, shall prosecute violations of State criminal law, including 28 infractions and violations, and shall perform other duties prescribed by law. 29 Section 29. Attorney General: Election, Term of Office, and Vacancy. (a) 30 The attorney general shall be nominated in the manner provided by law for nominating 31 candidates for other elected offices.
01 (b) The term of office of the attorney general is four years, beginning at noon 02 on the first Monday in December after election under (a) of this section and ending 03 at noon on the first Monday in December four years later. 04 (c) A person who has been elected attorney general for two full successive 05 terms is not eligible to hold that office until one full term has intervened. 06 (d) In case of a vacancy in the office of attorney general for any reason, a 07 successor shall be elected for the remainder of the unexpired term at the first general 08 election occurring not less than six months after the office becomes vacant. The 09 governor may appoint a qualified person to fill the office between the date it becomes 10 vacant and the date it is filled by election. The appointment is subject to confirmation 11 by a majority of the members of the legislature in joint session. 12 * Sec. 6. Article XV, Constitution of the State of Alaska, is amended by adding a new 13 section to read: 14 Section 30. Initial Election of Attorney General. The first election for an 15 attorney general required by the constitution to be elected shall occur at the first 16 general election at which a governor is to be elected occurring after the office of 17 attorney general is established under the constitution. A vacancy that occurs in the 18 office of attorney general before the first general election held at which an attorney 19 general shall be elected after the office is established under the constitution shall be 20 filled under the law as it existed before the office was established under the 21 constitution. 22 * Sec. 7. The amendments proposed by this resolution shall be placed before the voters of 23 the state at the next general election in conformity with art. XIII, sec. 1, Constitution of the 24 State of Alaska, and the election laws of the state.