00                      HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 13                                                                     
01 Proposing amendments to the Constitution of the State of Alaska relating to the office of                               
02 attorney general.                                                                                                       
03 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:                                                               
04    * Section 1.  Article III, sec. 25, Constitution of the State of Alaska, is amended to read:                       
05            Section 25.  Department Heads.  The head of each principal department shall                                
06       be a single executive unless otherwise provided by law.  The head of a principal                              
07       department [HE] shall be appointed by the governor, subject to confirmation by a                              
08       majority of the members of the legislature in joint session, and shall serve at the                               
09       pleasure of the governor, except as otherwise provided in this article with respect to                            
10       the lieutenant governor and the attorney general [SECRETARY OF STATE].  The                                   
11       heads of all principal departments shall be citizens of the United States.                                        
12    * Sec. 2.  Article III, Constitution of the State of Alaska, is amended by adding a new                            
13 section to read:                                                                                                        
14            Section 28.  Attorney General.  (a)  The attorney general shall be elected in                              
15       the manner provided by law by the qualified voters of the State at the same time and                              
16       for the same term as the governor.  A person is not eligible to serve as attorney general                         

01       unless the person meets the qualifications for a superior court judge.  The attorney                              
02       general shall perform the duties and receive the compensation prescribed by law,                                  
03       which compensation may not be diminished during the term of office for which the                                  
04       attorney general is elected unless by general law applying to all salaried officers of the                        
05       state.  There shall be no limit on the terms of the attorney general.                                             
06            (b)  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.                                                                     
11    * Sec. 3.  Article XV, Constitution of the State of Alaska, is amended by adding a new                             
12 section to read:                                                                                                        
13            Section 30.  Initial Election of Attorney General.  The first election for an                              
14       attorney general required by the constitution to be elected shall occur at the first                              
15       general election at which a governor is to be elected occurring after the office of                               
16       attorney general is established under the constitution.  A vacancy that occurs in the                             
17       office of attorney general before the first general election at which an attorney general                         
18       is elected shall be filled under the law as it existed before the office was established                          
19       under the constitution.                                                                                           
20    * Sec. 4.  The amendments proposed by this resolution shall be placed before the voters of                         
21 the state at the next general election in conformity with art. XIII, sec. 1, Constitution of the                        
22 State of Alaska, and the election laws of the state.