03/20/2014 08:30 AM House FINANCE

HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 18                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
     Proposing amendments  to the Constitution of  the State                                                                    
     of Alaska relating to the office of attorney general.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
9:43:21 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Stoltze  presented HJR 18. He  reported that Alaska                                                                    
was  one of  seven states  that did  not elect  its attorney                                                                    
general.   Instead, Alaska's attorney general  was appointed                                                                    
by  the governor.    He expressed  concern  that, under  the                                                                    
current  practice,  the people  of  Alaska  did not  have  a                                                                    
voice.  HJR  18  gave  Alaskans  a say  in  the  process  of                                                                    
electing  their state  attorney  general,  an official  that                                                                    
made opinions under the force of  the law.  He also asserted                                                                    
that there were no checks  and balances within the executive                                                                    
branch.  Alaska's  attorney  general  was  given  incredible                                                                    
powers working as the head of  the Department of Law and for                                                                    
the governor. He declared that it  was a stretch to refer to                                                                    
the attorney general as the  "people's" attorney general. He                                                                    
expressed confidence that if HJR  18 was brought to a public                                                                    
vote it  would be  strongly supported and  readily approved.                                                                    
In proposing  HJR 18  he surmised  that the  legislature had                                                                    
the   responsibility   of   practicing  due   diligence   in                                                                    
reviewing,  refining,  and  perfecting the  legislation.  He                                                                    
agreed with former  governor Bill Egan, one  of the founding                                                                    
founders of  the state, who  believed in a  strong executive                                                                    
branch.   Prior  to   attending  the   first  constitutional                                                                    
convention,  Territorial  Senator  Egan professed  that  the                                                                    
station of attorney general should be an elected position.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Stoltze pointed  out  that the  tenure of  elected                                                                    
attorney generals  in territorial  times far  surpassed that                                                                    
of  appointed  attorney  generals since  statehood,  another                                                                    
argument  in  support  of the  resolution.  Also,  he  noted                                                                    
members   of   the  constitutional   convention   expressing                                                                    
concerns  about  not  having enough  attorneys  to  run  for                                                                    
office. Today,  Alaska had  more than  4,000 members  of the                                                                    
bar. He  spoke of  his admiration  for former  Governor Egan                                                                    
and was glad they shared  the same opinion on the importance                                                                    
of a strong  executive branch. He hoped  for the committee's                                                                    
support to move the resolution forward.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
9:51:55 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Austerman   stated  that  the  objective   was  to                                                                    
introduce  HJR 18;  public  testimony would  be  heard at  a                                                                    
later date.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
HJR  18  was  HEARD  and   HELD  in  committee  for  further                                                                    
consideration.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
9:52:18 AM                                                                                                                    
At EASE                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
9:53:03 AM                                                                                                                    
RECONVENED