Print article JUNEAU The new version of the Alaska Senate that organized this week has placed Republican moderates in charge of the state budget and put conservative Republicans at the head of policy committees. Those conservatives say they intend to work as part of a “caucus of equals” including more moderate Republicans, but minority Democrats contend that the conservative Republican senators are now in position to advance long-held goals, including limits on abortion and new election security procedures. “We’re gonna see, potentially, some divisive bills move toward the floor,” said Senate Minority Leader Tom Begich, D-Anchorage. Asked what those might entail, he said, “Issues around reproductive rights, things like that.”
By
Texas Attorney General issued the following announcement on Jan. 13.
Attorney General Ken Paxton announced the departure of Texas Solicitor General Kyle Hawkins and the appointment of Judd Stone to fill this vital role within the Office of the Attorney General.
“Kyle Hawkins fought for Texans’ rights every step of the way – including arguing before the U.S. Supreme Court regarding the unconstitutionality of the Affordable Care Act. His dedication to safeguarding rights is very much appreciated,” said Attorney General Ken Paxton. “I look forward to working with Judd Stone in his new role as Texas Solicitor General. His skills, years of experience and expertise are tremendous assets to the Office of the Attorney General. I am positive that he will continue faithfully serving Texas with integrity, honesty, and a strong commitment to the rule of law.”
JUNEAU, Alaska Alaska lawmakers convene Tuesday amid economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic and a near decadelong run of budget deficits. Reserve money is depleted, and tough decisions are ahead on how to use the state’s nest-egg oil-wealth fund. It’s unclear who will lead those debates: neither the House nor the Senate has organized […]
Institutional corruption erodes representative government Author: Sharman Haley
Share on Facebook
Print article Should Alaska enforce its current law limiting contributions to SuperPACs on a par with limits on individual contributions to candidates’ campaigns? The Alaska Public Offices Commission stopped enforcing that part of the law in 2012 in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court decision in
Citizens United, reasoning that since the political expenditures of SuperPACs are independent of candidate campaigns, they do not raise the prospect of corruption. Between 2008 and 2018, unregulated independent expenditures increased from 3% to 36% of campaign spending in our state, and two-thirds of this new money was from Outside donors. Including the ballot measures, independent expenditures for the 2020 election exceeded $23 million! This flood of big money into Alaska elections should alarm every Alaskan. We are sick and tired of Outside interests telling us how to run our affa
NCLA Encourages Alaska Supreme Court to Discard Judicial Deference that Violates Constitution Williams Alaska Petroleum, Inc., et al. v. State of Alaska, et al.
December 23, 2020 15:00 ET | Source: New Civil Liberties Alliance New Civil Liberties Alliance Washington, District of Columbia, UNITED STATES
Washington, D.C., Dec. 23, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) The New Civil Liberties Alliance, a nonpartisan, nonprofit civil rights group, filed an
amicus brief in the Supreme Court of Alaska in
Williams Alaska Petroleum, Inc., et al. v. State of Alaska, et al. NCLA is asking the court not to defer to a legal interpretation made by the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). Instead, NCLA argues that Alaskan courts need to interpret the law without deferring to the agency’s interpretation.