Alaska Campaign Timeline
Campaign Impact
Alaska just passed America’s latest Anti-Corruption Act. Provisions include:
No budget, no pay: Ends taxpayer-funded per diems when politicians fail to pass a budget on time
Gift restrictions: Closes loopholes that allowed lobbyists to buy lavish meals and alcoholic drinks for politicians
Foreign travel restrictions: Ends taxpayer-funded international trips for politicians unless they can prove the trip serves a legislative purpose
Strengthens conflict of interest rules: Politicians must declare conflicts of interest before voting, recuse themselves when they or family member have financial conflict of interest
Campaign Timeline
11/7/2006
- Citizens pass initiative limiting legislative session to 90 days
- For ten years, politicians ignore the will of the people, holding session for up to 121 days and following with weeks of special session
- Politicians keep earning per diems while they stay in session
6/24/2013
- Alaska politicians pass law cutting taxes on oil companies, led by ConocoPhillips-employed legislators
1/18/2017
- Rep. Jason Grenn (I) introduces House Bill 44, a bill to strengthen conflict of interest laws
- Cites concern of diminishing trust in lawmakers: “I was hearing more and more about not trusting people to go down to Juneau”
- Bill stalls, due in part to opposition from politicians employed by oil and gas companies
8/29/2017
- Frustrated by politicians’ refusal to pass accountability rules, coalition of legislators and citizens forms to pass Alaska Government Accountability Act (AGAA), designed to root out conflicts of interest, reduce per diem payments, and limit lobbyist gifts
- Measure sponsored by Rep. Grenn (I), Rep. Kreiss-Tomkins (D), and Republican activist Bonnie Jack
10/6/2017
- Alaska Government Accountability Act approved for signature-gathering
10/18/2017
- Signature drive launches under the banner of Alaskans for Integrity
- Volunteers gather signatures door-to-door over three months of Alaskan winter
- Initiative covered in news outlets across the state and beyond:
1/12/2018
- Alaskans for Integrity turns in over 45,000 signatures in support of the AGAA
- 11,000 people watch the Facebook Live broadcast of the signature submission
3/13/2018
- Signatures certified valid
- Alaska Government Accountability Act placed on the November 2018 ballot
3/23/2018
- Faced with overwhelming public support for the AGAA, lawmakers add most of its provisions to HB 44, which had been stalled for over a year
- Former opponents of HB 44 line up to support the amended bill
5/2/2018
- Polling shows 84% support for the AGAA among Alaskan voters
- Strong approval among conservative, progressive and independent voters
5/11/2018
- HB 44 passes with broad support from Republicans, Democrats, and Independents
7/19/2018
- House Bill 44 signed into law by Governor Bill Walker (I) thanks to the people of Alaska
- Alaska becomes the latest state to pass a strong anti-corruption act – part of the biggest year of anti-corruption reforms since Watergate
Press Hits
August 28 – 31, 2017
Midnight Sun: Proposed initiative would end legislative per diem if legislators can’t pass budget
KTVA: Initiative wants no overtime pay for lawmakers
JuneauEmpire.com: New ballot initiative targets legislators’ per diem
Anchorage Daily Planet: Salvation is on the way
Alaska Dispatch News: Alaska ethics initiative targets legislators’ travel, per diem and lobbyist-paid meals
Daily News-Miner: Proposed ballot initiative would cut legislators per diem after first session
A.P.: Proposal Would Address Allowance, Travel by Alaska Lawmakers
Your Alaska Link: Tonight’s Morris Alaska Report Covers State Legislators Per Diem Pay
SitNews: Alaska Government Accountability Act
USA Today: State By State
October 8 – 9, 2017
Daily News-Miner: Measure to limit Alaska lawmakers’ per diem gets OK’d for signature gathering
JuneauEmpire.com: Lt. Gov Mallott approves per diem ballot measure
December 5 – 22, 2017
Anchorage Daily News: State commission reverses plan to slash Alaska legislators’ expense checks
Beaumont Express: Alaska lawmaker takes fight over conflicts to the voters
JuneauEmpire.com: Commission delays cutting legislator pay until after elections
KCAW: Initiative sponsors want legislature to pass a budget on time, every time
January 12 – 16, 2018
KTUU: Petitions filed on accountability initiative in Alaska
KTOO: Petitions submitted to bar payments to lawmakers if they miss budget deadline
Midnight Sun: Initiative to toughen Legislature’s ethics and per diem rules has enough signatures for 2018 ballot, backers say
AP: Signatures delivered on initiative restraining lawmakers
KTVA: Signatures submitted for Alaska good-governance initiative
JuneauEmpire.com: The case for fewer rules and more transparency
Kodiak Daily Mirror: Kodiak contributes 600 signatures to ballot measure
March 14, 2018
Independent Voter Network: New Alaska Initiative Reins In Lobbyists, Foreign Influence on Elections
May 12 –14, 2018
AP: Alaska legislature passes budgets and extends session
KTVA: Juneau lawmakers urges 75%cut to per diem pay
Juneau.Empire.com: Legislature will boot ballot measure if governor signs “government accountability bill”
Daily News-Miner: Alaska gov: no plans to call a special session
June 2 – 14, 2018
Anchoarge Daily News: What’s in a name? The ‘Accountability Act’ is anything but
KTOO: Legislative ethics bill will keep issue off fall ballot
Juneau.Empire.com: Lt. Gov nixes good governance ballot measure
AP: Grenn: Group won’t challenge decision on ethics initiative
July 18, 2018
Anchorage Daily News: Alaskans deserve credit for their part in legislative ethics reform
KTUU: Bill to cut lawmakers’ perks set for signing today
July 23, 2018
JuneauEmpire.com: Alaskans made government accountable to the people
Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman: Alaskans made government accountable to the people