The Alaska Legislature adjourned its regular session on Tuesday without finishing work on a major elections bill or a bill reimposing limits on cash donations to election candidates.
House Bill 16, the campaign finance bill, and Senate Bill 64, the elections reform legislation, are expected to return when the Legislature resumes work in January, and they could be part of a wave of major legislation that advances through the Capitol early next year.
“We got really close with the election bill, and I think the prospects for passing next year are good,” said Speaker of the House Bryce Edgmon, I-Dillingham.
“I expect that we may have a legitimate shot at passing that bill early next session,” he said.
Sen. Bill Wielechowski, D-Anchorage, said that both bills could have gotten legislative approval, but they would have been vetoed by Gov. Mike Dunleavy.
“We were told flat out, the governor would veto it, by someone in the governor’s office,” Wielechowski said.
The governor’s communications office did not respond to an email asking whether Wielechowski’s statement was accurate.
If enacted, HB 16 would, among other things, limit Alaskans to $2,000 in donations per candidate in each two-year election cycle. Alaska currently has no limit on the amount of money a person can donate to a candidate. A ballot measure is slated for the 2026 election, but the restrictions could come into place earlier, if the Legislature approves.
SB 64, as currently written, is a broad election reform bill that includes significant changes to the way the state deals with absentee voting.
“I think we are poised and in a position where there will be a number of pieces of significant legislation passed next year, probably early on in the session, and we will be dealing with a number of veto overrides during the session,” Wielechowski said.
Wielechowski said the possibilities include an elections bill, a campaign finance bill, the long-awaited pension restoration bill and a bill taxing businesses whose owners are taxed separately from the businesses, known as C-corporations.
To avoid a veto, Wielechowski and others said they intend to work with Republicans in the House and Senate minorities to try to garner support for a compromise that could win a veto-proof majority of votes in the Legislature.
It takes 40 votes to override a policy veto; the coalition majorities in the House and Senate have a combined 35 members, meaning that additional Republican support would be needed.
House Minority Leader Mia Costello, R-Anchorage, said she thinks changes to Senate Bill 64 are needed for any compromise.
“I was really proud of our finance team for helping stop that version of the bill, because it really had some things in there that were not productive and were not representative of our values and what we think should be in an elections bill,” she said.
“I do think there is room to make it better. I just think we weren’t a part of that discussion (on advancing the bill), but I think they realized that we have to be, moving forward.”
On the campaign finance bill, getting a veto-proof majority is “possible,” said Rep. Calvin Schrage, I-Anchorage and the bill’s sponsor.
“I’ve personally spoken to a number of minority members who recognize the need for limits. They were disappointed as well that the bill wasn’t taken up. We do have a very high veto threshold, so it’ll be a challenge,” Schrage said. “But as I remind legislators all the time around here, this is going to happen one way or another when this goes to the ballot, so I think we have an opportunity to save the time and expense and put this in place ourselves. If we don’t, Alaskans will take action.”
• James Brooks is a longtime Alaska reporter, having previously worked at the Anchorage Daily News, Juneau Empire, Kodiak Mirror and Fairbanks Daily News-Miner. This article originally appeared online at alaskabeacon.com. Alaska Beacon, an affiliate of States Newsroom, is an independent, nonpartisan news organization focused on connecting Alaskans to their state government.
