My Turn: Be ready to play legislator for a day
This November when you go to the polls, you will be a lawmaker — not just a voter.
As a voter, you do pick a U.S. senator, congressman, governor, lieutenant governor and state representatives and senators. But you also have the chance to vote up or down three new laws that would legalize marijuana, raise the state’s minimum wage, and add a requirement that the Legislature must vote to approve a large mine in the Bristol Bay region after all other permits are granted.
In shorthand, you get to vote on pot, pay, and permitting requirements for the proposed Pebble Mine. But before you vote, I hope you’ll accept the following invitation from your Lieutenant Governor.
Come to a hearing about these three bills before you go to the polls. Proponents and opponents of each of these ballot measures will answer your questions; your questions, comments and their answers will become part of the public record, just like a legislative hearing in Juneau. A law passed in 2010 requires the Lieutenant Governor’s office to hold eight hearings around the state, two in each judicial district, on each ballot initiative.
Ballot Measure 2 is an initiative to tax and regulate the production, sale and use of marijuana. Ballot Measure 3 is an initiative to increase the Alaska minimum wage to $8.75 per hour effective Jan. 1, 2015, and then to $9.75 per hour effective Jan. 1, 2016, thereafter adjusted annually for inflation. Ballot Measure 4 is an initiative to provide for protection of Bristol Bay wild salmon and waters within or flowing into the designated Bristol Bay Fisheries Reserve.
At the hearing you, as citizen legislator, can try to persuade others to vote yes or no on these measures. You can ask questions about how the laws would go into effect, affect other laws, or raise or lower revenues and costs to the state. You can hear a summary of each bill discussed, and read the bill ahead of time – something that’s good for a citizen legislator or actual legislator to do.
I think of our state’s constitutional right to enact laws by initiative as special because not all states have it. It is a way for citizens to force discussion of an issue that their legislators may have decided not to deal with. It shows that the drafters of our constitution granted special trust to the people by way of this direct democratic process.
I am really looking forward to hosting these hearings because each of these ballot measures would have a tremendous impact on our families and our economy. I will try to be at each hearing personally, and I am genuinely looking forward to meeting you in person and hearing what you have to say.
In 2012, my office held the first ever statewide public hearings on a citizen initiative: the Alaska Coastal Zone Management Plan. I believe those hearings were a huge success. We have an even more ambitious schedule this fall, and my staff has worked hard to make the hearings accessible to all Alaskans. Each public hearing will include an overview of the proposed bill including a cost estimate; a “pro” side presentation; a “con” side presentation; audience Q&A to the presenters; and public testimony limited to three minutes per person.
A complete hearing schedule is available on the Lieutenant Governor’s website at ltgov.alaska.gov/. All hearings will be available via teleconference, and citizens may call in toll-free to testify at (855) 463-5009. Anyone may listen live at the same number, or online at akl.tv. Citizens may also submit comments via email to psumcomments@alaska.gov for comments regarding the marijuana initiative; minwcomments@alaska.gov for comments regarding the minimum wage initiative; and bbaycomments@alaska.gov for comments regarding the “Bristol Bay Forever” initiative.
I often tell my constituents, “Don’t leave your government alone.” I hope you will join me for the initiative hearings in your district, and that you’ll exercise your right to vote on Nov. 4
• Mead Treadwell is Alaska’s lieutenant governor and oversees the Division of Elections.
