03/18/1999 03:35 PM Senate STA

              SJR 14-ELECTION OF ATTORNEY GENERAL                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Mark Hodgins, legislative aide to Senator Ward, sponsor of SJR 14,                                                              
explained this measure asks voters to decide whether the attorney                                                               
general should be elected by the people or appointed by the                                                                     
Governor.  SJR 14 is similar to SB 69: SB 69 calls for an advisory                                                              
vote of the people; SJR 14 allows the voters to amend the Alaska                                                                
Constitution to require that the attorney general be elected.  Most                                                             
states elect their attorneys general.  In the six or seven states                                                               
that do not, some are appointed by the legislatures, some are                                                                   
appointed by the governors.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
There being no further testimony or questions, SENATOR GREEN moved                                                              
SJR 14 from committee with individual recommendations.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR ELTON objected and said SJR 14 will create unnecessary                                                                  
friction with the Executive Branch.  If similar legislation were                                                                
applied to a Fortune 500 company, the CEO would be unable to hire                                                               
counsel to advise the CEO, corporate officers and board and                                                                     
instead, the shareholders would hire counsel.  He said he prefers                                                               
to have the person who is ultimately responsible be the Governor,                                                               
and that person should be answerable for his/her Cabinet                                                                        
appointees.  An elected attorney general will have a separate                                                                   
political agenda, and a portion of his/her duties will be                                                                       
determined based on the politics of election or re-election.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
The motion to pass SJR 14 from committee carried with Senators                                                                  
Green, Phillips, Wilken and Chairman Ward voting "yea," and Senator                                                             
Elton voting "nay."