Wednesday, January 06, 2010
Legislators push for openness in ballot initiatives
Anchorage Daily News: Both the Press and Dispatch today are looking into Republican-proposed legislation, sponsored mainly by House Majority Leader Kyle Johansen of Ketchikan that would put more public accountability into the ballot initiative process. The bill would require full financial disclosure and public hearings during the initiative process, force petitioners to carry a copy of proposed legislation instead of a synopsis and prohibit paying them per signature collected. Johansen's bill follows the 2008 battle over Ballot Measure 4, the so-called Clean Water Act -- defeated by voters -- that many believe was just an effort to hobble development of the proposed Pebble mine in Western Alaska and which attracted millions of dollars in special-interest backing on both sides.
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