05/09/2007 09:00 AM Senate STATE AFFAIRS

        SB 171 - JUDICIAL RETENTION CANDIDACY WITHDRAWAL                                                                    
                                                                                                                              
9:30:27 AM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR MCGUIRE announced consideration of SB 171.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
JASON  HOOLEY,  Special  Assistant,   Office  of  the  Lieutenant                                                               
Governor,   Juneau,  said   this   legislation  allows   judicial                                                               
candidates to  withdraw their name from  general election ballots                                                               
if the candidate informs the  Division of Elections 48 days prior                                                               
to  the  election. This  opportunity  is  currently available  to                                                               
political  and nominating  petition candidates  but not  judicial                                                               
candidates. In  2006, the  division was  contacted by  a judicial                                                               
candidate  who  was  considering  withdrawing his  name,  but  no                                                               
explicit  statutes existed  for the  situation. The  division was                                                               
advised  by  Department  of  Law  that  the  same  standards  for                                                               
political  and nominating  petition candidates'  withdrawal could                                                               
apply.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR MCGUIRE closed public testimony on SB 171.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  GREEN  moved  to  report SB  171,  from  committee  with                                                               
individual  recommendations and  accompanying  zero fiscal  note.                                                               
Hearing no objections, the motion carried.