ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — A bill that has the potential to overwrite a ballot initiative planned for this fall’s election has advanced in the Alaska Senate.
The Juneau Empire reports that the Alaska Senate’s state affairs committee on Tuesday approved a revised version of the bill that includes much of a so-called “good governance” ballot initiative. Under the Alaska Constitution, if the Legislature passes a bill “substantially similar” to a ballot measure, that measure will be removed from the fall ballot.
The initiative would require lawmakers to declare financial conflicts of interest before voting in the Legislature. It would also prohibit some kinds of gifts from lobbyists and bar lawmakers from receiving per diem expense payments if they fail to pass a budget before the constitutional end of the Legislative session.
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Information from: Juneau (Alaska) Empire, http://www.juneauempire.com