2001-07-20                     Senate Journal                      Page 1880
SB 166                                                                                            
Message dated and received July 7, stating:                                                         
                                                                                                    
Dear President Halford:                                                                             
                                                                                                    
Under the authority of art. II, sec. 15, of the Alaska Constitution, I                              
have vetoed the following bill:                                                                     
                                                                                                    
             SENATE BILL NO. 166 "An Act relating to the time of                                   
           filling by appointment a vacancy in the office of United                                
        States senator."                                                                            
                                                                                                    
The authors of Alaska's Constitution granted Alaska's governor the                                  
power to fill a vacancy in the United States Senate. This practice has                              
served Alaskans well. Now, Republican legislators seek to change this                               
time-honored procedure for one possible circumstance in order to gain                               
advantage for their own political party.                                                            
                                                                                                    
The reason cited for this bill, offering a five-day waiting period for the                          
public to comment before a governor appoints an individual to a U.S.                                
Senate vacancy, is a ruse. If public participation were the sponsors'                               
true intent, they could serve that purpose far better by proposing to                               
change the law to require an immediate special election for the public                              
to choose a successor to a vacant Senate seat, as is done in a few other                            
states. I would support such legislation.                                                           
                                                                                                    
Rather, in the bill before me today, the sponsors have designed an                                  
appointment system that would make Alaska unique among all states                                   
in the process for filling a U.S. Senate vacancy. It imposes a constraint                           
on a governor's power of appointment specifically targeted to affect                                
the next gubernatorial election with likely no future application.                                  
                                                                                                    
The real motivation for this bill is to accomplish one goal under one                               
specific possible chain of events - to orchestrate who may fill a                                   
potential upcoming Senate vacancy.                                                                  
                                                                                                    
This attempt to craft laws for political gain raises constitutional                                 
concerns. Alaskans do not look favorably on such blatant efforts to                                 
abuse our state's laws for partisan benefit.                                                        
                                                                                                    

2001-07-20                     Senate Journal                      Page 1881
Therefore, I have vetoed this bill.                                                                 
                                                                                                    
       Sincerely,                                                                                   
       /s/                                                                                          
       Tony Knowles                                                                                 
       Governor