03/11/2024 01:30 PM Senate JUDICIARY

                  SB  17-CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
1:31:28 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR CLAMAN  announced the consideration  of SENATE BILL  NO. 17                                                               
"An Act  relating to political  contributions; and  providing for                                                               
an effective date."                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR CLAMAN  said this  is the  second hearing of  SB 17  in the                                                               
Senate  Judiciary  Committee.  There   is  a  proposed  committee                                                               
substitute (CS).  He invited  Ms. Kakaruk to  put herself  on the                                                               
record to  present the explanation  of changes for  the committee                                                               
substitute.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
1:31:55 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR KAUFMAN joined the meeting.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
1:32:08 PM                                                                                                                    
BREANNA  KAKARUK,  Staff,  Senator   Matt  Claman,  Alaska  State                                                               
Legislature,  Juneau,   Alaska,  presented  the   explanation  of                                                               
changes for SB 17 from version A to version B:                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
[Original punctuation provided.]                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     Senate  Bill  17 version  B  rewrites  the language  in                                                                    
     version A.  The language  from version B  that replaces                                                                    
     the  language from  version  A is  based  on a  current                                                                    
     ballot initiative,  23RCF2, which  is currently  in the                                                                    
     signature gathering phase.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
     The    initiative:   "An    Act   restoring    campaign                                                                    
     contribution limits  for campaigns for state  and local                                                                    
     offices;   and   restoring   limits   on   out-of-state                                                                    
     contributions  to   candidates  for  state   and  local                                                                    
     offices" was introduced  to reinstate fair, reasonable,                                                                    
     and constitutional campaign  contribution limits. These                                                                    
     limits are  adjusted based  on Alaska's  consumer price                                                                    
     index  rates every  ten years  to ensure  limits remain                                                                    
     constitutional  moving  forward.   The  initiative  was                                                                    
     introduced following  the 2021  Ninth Circuit  Court of                                                                    
     Appeals  decision  to  strike down  Alaska's  statutory                                                                    
     campaign contribution limits.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
     Version  B moves  from a  "per-year" limit  to a  "per-                                                                    
     campaign"  contribution limit  and raises  the campaign                                                                    
     contribution  limits from  version A  to account  for a                                                                    
     two-year fundraising  period and  to better  adjust for                                                                    
     inflation.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
1:33:22 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR  CLAMAN  announced  that   Ms.  Heather  Hebdon,  Executive                                                               
Director,  Alaska Public  Offices  Commission,  was available  to                                                               
answer questions on SB 17.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
1:33:34 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR KIEHL noted that the  explanation of changes references a                                                               
two-year  cycle. He  sought  verification that  the  CS does  not                                                               
alter  the 18-month  limitation on  fundraising. For  instance, a                                                               
House member could not raise money throughout their entire term.                                                                
                                                                                                                                
1:33:56 PM                                                                                                                    
MS. KAKARUK replied that she will follow up with an answer.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
1:34:15 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR CLAMAN directed the question to Ms. Hebdon.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
1:34:19 PM                                                                                                                    
HEATHER  HEBDON,   Executive  Director,  Alaska   Public  Offices                                                               
Commission  (APOC), Anchorage,  Alaska, responded  that she  does                                                               
not have a copy of the  CS. She expressed her belief that neither                                                               
the  current   initiative  nor  the   CS  extends   the  18-month                                                               
fundraising period.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
1:34:44 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR  CLAMAN agreed,  expressing his  understanding that  the CS                                                               
does not change the 18-month timeframe.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
1:34:55 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR CLAMAN found no further questions.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
1:35:01 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR CLAMAN  solicited a motion to  adopt the CS as  the working                                                               
document.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
1:35:06 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR KIEHL  moved to adopt  the committee substitute  (CS) for                                                               
SB 17, work order 33-LS0183\B, as the working document.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
1:35:19 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR CLAMAN  found no objection and  CSSB 17 was adopted  as the                                                               
working document.  He noted that  the questions  under discussion                                                               
in the Senate Judiciary Committee  align with terms raised by the                                                               
ballot initiative.  He expressed  his belief that  the initiative                                                               
would not appear on the ballot this year.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
[SB 17 was held in committee.]