HB 36 passed the House on a 35 to 5 vote. If adopted, the measure will strengthen disclosure requirements for voter initiatives, similar to the requirements placed on individual candidates. It will also require the Lt. Governor’s office to hold two public hearings in each of the four judicial districts, with an opportunity given for pro and con viewpoints to be presented.

The legislation is the result of several highly publicized state-wide campaigns that led to APOC violations due to problems with financial reporting. One example is ballot measure 4, the mining initiative, which was well funded on both sides of the issue. At the time, it was difficult knowing who was backing the campaigns. The ballot language was general and less precise than language found in current federal and state law.

Strengthened public disclosure and better public education will improve the initiative process and benefit Alaskans with a more open public process, improving the checks and balances which are inherent in our representative government.