03/03/2022 03:30 PM Senate STATE AFFAIRS

                SB 161-POLITICAL PARTY DEFINITION                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
4:33:21 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR   SHOWER  reconvened   the   meeting   and  announced   the                                                               
consideration  of SENATE  BILL NO.  161 "An  Act relating  to the                                                               
definition of  'political party'; and providing  for an effective                                                               
date."                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  SHOWER  asked  the  sponsor   if  he  had  any  additional                                                               
information or comments.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
4:33:46 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  BILL  WIELECHOWSKI,  Alaska State  Legislature,  Juneau,                                                               
Alaska,  sponsor of  SB 161,  thanked  the chair  and offered  to                                                               
answer questions.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
4:34:03 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR KAWASAKI noted that he did  not have a fiscal note in the                                                               
bill packet and asked if the bill would be cost neutral.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
4:34:21 PM                                                                                                                    
DAVID DUNSMORE,  Staff, Senator  Bill Wielechowski,  Alaska State                                                               
Legislature, Juneau,  Alaska, offered his understanding  that the                                                               
administration submitted  a zero fiscal  note. He added  that the                                                               
expectation is  that this will  result in some minor  savings for                                                               
the Division because it would  have fewer petitions to assess for                                                               
presidential candidates.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SHOWER read  the last sentience in the  Analysis section of                                                               
the  fiscal  note. "Passage  of  this  legislation will  have  no                                                               
fiscal impact on the division."                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
4:35:08 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  REINBOLD said  she continues  to question  how the  bill                                                               
will affect the Green Party and others.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
MR. DUNSMORE related  that, at her request,  the sponsor's office                                                               
reached out to  the local affiliates of both the  Green Party and                                                               
the Constitution Party and the  Green Party expressed support for                                                               
lowering  the threshold.  The Constitution  Party didn't  respond                                                               
but on the national level it is  a member of a coalition for fair                                                               
and open  elections, which advocates  for bills like SB  161 that                                                               
lower thresholds for parties to appear on the ballot.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI  pointed out  that the number  of registered                                                               
voters varies from  election to election and the  threshold for a                                                               
party to  appear on the  ballot is based  on a percentage  so the                                                               
threshold can  change quite a bit.  For a party to  be recognized                                                               
currently, it  must have 10,600  registered voters. SB  161 fixes                                                               
that  number at  5,000  registered voters,  which  would make  it                                                               
easier for parties to get access  to the ballot. Ne noted that he                                                               
introduced the  legislation at the  request of a  constituent who                                                               
is a member of the Libertarian Party.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
4:36:52 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  HOLLAND recalled  that the  threshold varied  50 percent                                                               
between the last  two elections. He said he  appreciates that the                                                               
bill will provide more stability.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  WIELECHOWSKI referenced  the  chart in  the bill  packet                                                               
that  shows the  thresholds  for recent  elections.  In 2010  the                                                               
threshold was  8,000 registered voters  and it increased  to more                                                               
than 10,000 in 2020.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  HOLLAND  said  he  believes  he  was  looking  at  older                                                               
statistics.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
4:38:00 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR SHOWER opened public testimony  on SB 161; finding none, he                                                               
closed public testimony.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
He asked if the committee had comments or questions.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  REINBOLD  asked the  sponsor  to  do  what he  could  to                                                               
encourage  House  committee  chairs  to pass  Senate  bills  from                                                               
committee.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SHOWER solicited a motion.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
4:39:40 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR REINBOLD moved to report  SB 161, work order 32-LS1361\A,                                                               
from  committee  with  individual  recommendations  and  attached                                                               
fiscal note(s).                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SHOWER found no objection and  SB 161 was reported from the                                                               
Senate State Affairs Standing Committee.