04/26/1999 06:25 PM House FIN

HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 7                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the State                                                                         
of Alaska relating to initiative and referendum                                                                                 
petitions.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
HOUSE BILL NO. 45                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
"An Act relating to initiative and referendum                                                                                   
petitions; and providing for an effective date."                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE BILL WILLIAMS stated that HJR 7 and its                                                                          
companion measure HB 45 were introduced to ensure statewide                                                                     
support of an issue prior to it being put before the voters.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
The legislation would require signatures from 10% of those                                                                      
who voted in the preceding general election in at least 75%                                                                     
of the house districts, in order for an issue to reach the                                                                      
ballot.  It would require signatures from 10% of the total                                                                      
number of voters in the prior election.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Representative Williams added, currently, because of                                                                            
Alaska's population dispersal, initiative sponsors can                                                                          
easily gather required signatures from a single area of the                                                                     
State.  The current system does not require a statewide                                                                         
perspective to determine what issues will appear on the                                                                         
ballots as amendments to State law.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
Representative Williams stated that HB 45 would make the                                                                        
statutory changes necessary to conform to the proposed                                                                          
constitutional changes of the resolution.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
HJR 7 and HB 45 were HELD in Committee for further                                                                              
consideration.