The Alaska Fisheries Conservation Alliance presented their legal argument to the Anchorage Superior Court yesterday, arguing that the banning of set netting should be put on the ballot for voters in 2016.
The AFCA said that the Attorney General and Lieutenant Governor’s decision to deny the initiative was wrong stating that it sets a dangerous precedent for Alaska.
Legal counsel to the Alliance Matt Singer commented on why the voters should be able to decide.
Singer: “Well on the legal question, we think it is a core constitutional right that Alaskan citizens have. My client is concerned about fisheries conservation and frankly is concerned that state biologists have not done enough. It’s time for the voters to participate and exercise their constitutional rights and bring this issue to the floor. Fundamentally we think this is what it means to be an Alaskan.”
Singer said the judge will most likely issue a written statement in the next sixty days
Singer: “If either party is disappointing they would have the option to appeal to the state supreme court. If we succeed then the judge would order the Lt. Governor to certify the ballot initiative and then that’s the very first part of the process of getting the initiative on the ballot. The next step would be to collect approximately 35,000 signatures over the next year and submit the signatures to the Division of Elections.”
The Alliance ballot initiative was denied by the Lt. Governor January 6 of this year.