02/23/1995 01:40 PM House FIN

  HB 132    An Act repealing the ability of persons seeking an                 
            elective  state executive  office  or  a state  or                 
            national  legislative  office   to  petition   for                 
            inclusion  of  their names  on  the  state general                 
            election  ballot;  requiring  candidates   of  all                 
            political   groups  for   a   state  or   national                 
            legislative office to compete at the state primary                 
                                                                               
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            election for the placement on the general election                 
            ballot of the name of  the one candidate from each                 
            political group that  receives the greatest number                 
            of  votes cast;  and  requiring candidates  of all                 
            political  groups for  state  executive office  to                 
            compete  at  the state  primary  election for  the                 
            placement on the  general election  ballot of  the                 
            name of the  one candidate for governor  from each                 
            political group that  receives the greatest number                 
            of votes cast  and the name  of the one  candidate                 
            for lieutenant  governor from  the same  political                 
            group that  receives the greatest number  of votes                 
            cast.                                                              
                                                                               
            CS HB 132 (FIN) was reported out of Committee with                 
            a "do pass" recommendation and  with a zero fiscal                 
            note by the Office of the Governor.                                
  HOUSE BILL 132                                                               
                                                                               
       "An Act  repealing the  ability of  persons seeking  an                 
       elective state executive office or  a state or national                 
       legislative  office to petition  for inclusion of their                 
       names on  the state general election  ballot; requiring                 
       candidates  of  all  political groups  for  a  state or                 
       national  legislative office  to compete  at the  state                 
       primary election  for  the  placement  on  the  general                 
       election ballot  of the name of the  one candidate from                 
       each political  group that receives the greatest number                 
       of   votes  cast;  and   requiring  candidates  of  all                 
       political groups for state  executive office to compete                 
                                                                               
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       at the state  primary election for the placement on the                 
       general  election  ballot  of  the   name  of  the  one                 
       candidate for  governor from each political  group that                 
       receives the greatest number of votes cast and the name                 
       of the one  candidate for lieutenant governor  from the                 
       same  political group that receives the greatest number                 
       of votes cast."                                                         
                                                                               
  REPRESENTATIVE JERRY MACKIE explained that he  introduced HB
  in  order to  bring  parity  to  the  State's  election                 
  process.   The provision  of the  legislation would  require                 
  that  all  candidates for  State  elective office  enter the                 
  primary election contest.                                                    
                                                                               
  HB 132 would  place all candidates before  the electorate on                 
  an equal footing.  All candidates would be required to be in                 
  the primary election.  He added, just as the top vote getter                 
  to each political group will move on to the general election                 
  ballot,   so  too  will  the   top  vote  getter  among  all                 
  independent candidates for a particular elective office.  In                 
  this matter, the  electorate will have an  equal opportunity                 
  to view and  assess all candidates  for an elective  office.                 
  And then  each candidate will  be equally challenged  by the                 
  election process.                                                            
                                                                               
  Representative Kelly  questioned  the  legal  definition  of                 
  "qualified voters" as referenced in Section #10 contained in                 
  the proposed committee substitute dated 2/14/95.                             
                                                                               
  (Tape Change, HFC 95-30, Side 2).                                            
                                                                               
  Mr. Koivunemei noted  the statute definition of  a qualified                 
  voter, AS  15.60.010, Section  25:   "A person  who has  the                 
  qualification  of  a  voter,  and  is  not  disqualified  as                 
  provided   in   Article  4,   Section   II,  of   the  State                 
  Constitution".  Discussion followed regarding the registered                 
  status of a voter at the time of signing a petition.                         
                                                                               
  JACK   CHENOWETH,   ATTORNEY,  LEGISLATIVE   LEGAL  COUNSEL,                 
  LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS AGENCY, explained that if the person was                 
  required  to  be registered  at the  time  that they  sign a                 
  petition, would require  a change  in the statute  law.   He                 
  pointed out  that there  are several  pieces of  legislation                 
  which could include that qualification stipulation.                          
                                                                               
  Co-Chair  Foster  MOVED  to  adopt  committee  substitute 9-                 
  LS0481\F,  Chenoweth, 2/14/95,  as  the  version before  the                 
  Committee.  Representative Mackie assured the Committee that                 
  the  committee  substitute  only  contained  "house  keeping                 
  changes" recommended  by the Office  of the Lt.  Governor in                 
  order to make the legislation consistent with State statute.                 
  There  being  NO  OBJECTION, to  adoption  of  the committee                 
                                                                               
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  substitute, it was so ordered.                                               
                                                                               
  Mr. Koivunemei recommended a language change to Page 4, Line                 
  25,  deleting  "and" and  inserting  "or".   Co-Chair Foster                 
  MOVED  the language  change recommended  by Mr.  Koivunemei.                 
  There being NO OBJECTION, it was adopted.                                    
                                                                               
  Co-Chair  Foster  MOVED to  report CS  HB  132 (FIN)  out of                 
  Committee  with  individual  recommendations  and  with  the                 
  accompanying fiscal note.  There being NO OBJECTIONS, it was                 
  so ordered.                                                                  
                                                                               
  CS HB  132 (FIN) was  reported out of  Committee with  a "do                 
  pass"  recommendation  and  with a  zero  fiscal  note dated                 
  2/15/95.