[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6101294,"mediaKeyId","2809538-8151c8f0237a4b4b35e0cde009e118e4","parentId",2809538,"title","Committee reviews bill to reinstate campaign contribution limits, tie adjustments to inflation","audioSeconds",4840,"startMs",4848000,"endMs",7394,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2809538-8151c8f0237a4b4b35e0cde009e118e4&start=4848&end=7","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2809538-8151c8f0237a4b4b35e0cde009e118e4/thumbnail_4848000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6101294/Alaska/Committee-reviews-bill-to-reinstate-campaign-contribution-limits-tie-adjustments-to-inflation","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6101294-7df087d04ab8ff6f959057a6542416b7/orig.mp4?Expires=1770440699&Signature=PxRgCdPaZ38zuLs26~00t4Hr6KYnwM6xmn6GTeVluLCczEtCmvUlOQrJnFR9xn5VJ-nD7i~tfJOsVXfS0lnq3kia9pz9IY92LOOFjwHVAJVTVetLGJsdhnulgEvgHxHUPmiKzl-s6gR9ib5qlR-rwVI3f2YhLTR94oUFjMganbevfUcJyEA3LfvLjMPdxhHLY6~27GiscCaOLWBuDjUSEi2fTQcfJHMJFVhqUKelKbvBZJJYwBp9velXpwZVLM0hQMz7Jwd47vxbl8jQ8yvxgu7~QwT8qhqG124KL~oN6meHnX8hsI8GaavDLsyLmZNqqvSTLbD9O90PkTXkBck9Qg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Alaska State Legislature","date","2025-03-27T00:00:00Z","article","Representative Schrage presented House Bill 16 on March 27, saying the measure would restore constitutional contribution limits for Alaska state and local races and direct the Alaska Public Offices Commission to adjust limits every decade for inflation. \"House Bill 16 reinstates fair and reasonable and constitutional campaign contribution limits, adjusted, to Alaska's consumer price index moving forward,\" Representative Schrage said.

The sponsor told the committee the bill mirrors a 2024 citizen initiative that gathered nearly 30,000 signatures and met the statutory threshold for certification; the presentation said the initiative will appear on the 2026 ballot if the Legislature does not pass materially similar legislation. The sponsor reviewed background including past statutory limits, ballot initiatives and court challenges. Committee presentation materials and testimony repeatedly cited the legal context of Thompson v. Hebden and referenced Randall v. Sorrell as a controlling test for constitutionally permissible contribution limits.

Key provisions summarized to the committee include moving contribution limits to a per‑election basis rather than per calendar year; raising an individual‑to‑candidate cap to $2,000 per election cycle (from a previous $500 per year, which inflation‑adjusted would be about $751 today) and setting related group and party limits (for example, a non‑party entity to a candidate at $4,000 and a party to candidate limit of $5,000 as presented). The bill directs APOC to update limits once each decade beginning in 2031 to account for inflation and to reduce the legal risk identified in recent court decisions.

Policy experts and advocates also testified. Sharman Haley, who identified herself as a longtime policy analyst and researcher, endorsed the measure and described it as carefully drafted to meet the four‑ and five‑factor tests referenced in recent case law. “The bill should not be controversial. It is unassailable legally and has solid support among your constituents across the political spectrum,” Haley said, and cited past ballot results showing strong voter support for contribution limits.

Committee members asked technical questions about definitions (for example, the statutory definitions for \"group\" and \"non‑group\" are located in AS 15.13.400), whether the bill would apply to municipal and school board races (the sponsor said state and local races, not federal contests), and whether passage this session would preempt the certified ballot initiative (the sponsor said the bill mirrors the initiative and would have that effect if enacted). Members also raised longer‑term concerns about out‑of‑state independent expenditures and the Alaska Public Offices Commission’s capacity and enforcement tools; the sponsor said those structural issues could be considered in separate legislation but that HB16 is intended as a focused, legally defensible fix.

The committee scheduled public testimony and set amendment deadlines for a follow‑up hearing; no formal action or vote was taken during the March 27 meeting.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","03/27/2025 03:15 PM House STATE AFFAIRS","oneSentenceSummary","Representative Schrage told the House State Affairs Committee on March 27 that House Bill 16 would restore statutory campaign contribution limits for Alaska state and local races and require the Alaska Public Offices Commission to adjust those limits for inflation once each decade.","taxTitle","2025 Legislature Alaska, Alaska","taxId",78559,"location","Alaska","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6101299,"Panel hears bill to authorize tablets in correctional facilities to expand reentry, education and telehealth",3074,1764000,4838000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2809538-8151c8f0237a4b4b35e0cde009e118e4&start=1764&end=4838","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2809538-8151c8f0237a4b4b35e0cde009e118e4/thumbnail_1764000.jpg","/articles/6101299/Alaska/Panel-hears-bill-to-authorize-tablets-in-correctional-facilities-to-expand-reentry-education-and-telehealth","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6101299-3718e35f606138308cebcbdabf52ca41/orig.mp4?Expires=1770440699&Signature=nfi-tmqIY2PwNmbhTzYMBtH3U6r-yY9LvOk2TNzPAyOMK1jh5kDFryMi~4Jugje1LY0Z2mJP6T7pPjrd7nRmPaE~wRkctwRuuJWUHMqoMDhB8FXJgdyvwteRgV1mYpQXCDfp98lIcOP~z94TIRGvXMxtYI9OuipEwPHa7C690uV6p4RJboF62AZ~4L4NZowLwNbHao98XhfELDLTIQV8oS35I3OPoA0-jAuakjT3XDz6Bt0RCZN9GWSZ6-MDs2tYmNuysIIbCSaJ19MvxQbYvv8eBTSeyvgz~odELhEJoS7P0cNWFH9v02Xfun311BEoigk97cK1nuSX8ZWtMoVkUw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Representative Rebecca Himshuet presented House Bill 35 to the House State Affairs Committee on March 27, saying the legislation would bring Alaska into alignment with most other states by allowing secure tablets in correctional facilities to support reentry and reduce recidivism. \"We are trying to bring Alaska into alignment with the other 48 states who allow tablets in their departments of correction facility Department of Corrections facilities,\" she said.

The bill proposes several statutory changes: it would amend AS 33.30.101.5(a) to permit computers and electronic tablets when used for approved purposes; add accepted uses such as rehabilitative and reentry programming, access to legal materials, telehealth and expanded visitation; prohibit correctional facilities from charging fees for email or online visitation services; and specify that online visitation may supplement, not supplant, in‑person visitation where practicable. The sponsor’s staff reviewed the sectional language to the committee and noted conforming changes and an effective‑date clarification.

Supporters urged the committee to consider the bill’s potential to reduce recidivism and improve reentry outcomes. Terry Tibbett, coordinator for the Alaska Reentry Partnership, told the committee the state’s reentry coalitions work across eight communities and support the bill because access to digital technology can increase access to education, treatment, telehealth and employment supports. She cited state recidivism figures discussed in testimony, noting a decline from about 63.17 percent in 2015 to about 54.59 percent in the most recent FY2021 measure, while acknowledging the testimony did not assert a causal link between the decline and reentry work.

Bobby Dorton, a peer advocate and formerly incarcerated person from Fairbanks, gave personal testimony about lost learning opportunities while serving a long sentence and described how access to training and educational materials on tablets could have changed his trajectory.

Department of Corrections Deputy Commissioner April Wilkerson described an existing pilot at Highland Mountain Correctional Facility and the department’s security approach. Wilkerson said the pilot uses a restricted, closed network and a vendor platform; tablets include a digital law library, the facility offender handbook, and professional (attorney‑client) visitation. \"Tablets have the digital law library. It has the offender handbook, on it. And then it also allows for the, professional visitation with their attorneys,\" Wilkerson told the committee. She said the pilot does not currently provide family video visitation on the tablet but does allow monitored instant messaging and paid electronic mail (paid by the sender), and the department is piloting electronic request‑for‑information and grievance workflows to replace manual paper processes.

Cost and procurement questions were a focus. Wilkerson said the Highland Mountain pilot currently operates at about $50 per month per user and that any wider rollout would require an RFP and likely a future budget request. Committee members pressed about vendor choices and the risk that vendors recoup costs through fees; Wilkerson said the department would pursue procurement and funding decisions if the statutory authority is granted.

The bill would also prohibit correctional facilities from charging for email or online visitation if enacted as described. Supporters and DOC officials said tablets in remote Alaska communities could increase family and faith‑based contact where in‑person visitation is impractical.

No formal vote was taken; the committee set House Bill 35 aside and said it will take the bill up at the next hearing where public testimony and amendment deadlines will be scheduled.","House Bill 35 would amend state statute to permit secure electronic tablets in Department of Corrections facilities for rehabilitative and reentry purposes, law library access, telehealth and expanded visitation; the committee heard invited testimony and DOC described a limited pilot costing about $50 per user per month.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6101304,"House committee hears bill to make OPA public advocate appointment mirror public defender process",1178,436000,1614000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2809538-8151c8f0237a4b4b35e0cde009e118e4&start=436&end=1614","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2809538-8151c8f0237a4b4b35e0cde009e118e4/thumbnail_436000.jpg","/articles/6101304/Alaska/House-committee-hears-bill-to-make-OPA-public-advocate-appointment-mirror-public-defender-process","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6101304-45e86aff30b0aeeb8cb0039fddc811a0/orig.mp4?Expires=1770440699&Signature=IMHoZXEIzwuxGuy8GPo8JgyAi8BFAgf890TqeDQ4BpCDoRYjZeB0fXKS5BYJ0hFTdo4PcGZgAzxEiD4-2hp0aOoGq-TN1tVoy8qN0~aLoTgHux2Es8bmcz4vPoFp1xf50BTxY4xYi1vi0VH8svbU1eXSCNWu8ah5-xKMT8mq3GSZi48MS~rGhB8Tv-vASqNcXQudR4uAl8irfoROS9JU5vrnIk4T8ZPYKJh5Piow56-5vv7maDwi~jaUzSqzWjAlBb5FEqVKE5Aq9VxkKFfvWQqHZSRw4lsUYbzsrrW0~dcO4MAT3IaL2q-B27GIYuYtuNU~zo4nNbKnCGEdmyWHpA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Representative Zach Fields, sponsor of House Bill 58, told the House State Affairs Committee on March 27 that he introduced the bill to change how the director of the Office of Public Advocacy is selected. “I introduced house bill 58 when a constituent who had worked in the office of the public advocate explained to me that the selection of the, head of the office of the public advocate or OPA, is very different from the selection of the public defender,” Fields said on the record.

The bill would rename the position “public advocate,” require appointment by the governor from nominees submitted by the Alaska Judicial Council, make the position subject to a majority confirmation by the joint legislature, and set a four‑year term with retention requiring similar legislative approval. The sponsor’s staff reviewed the sectional language for the committee, citing changes to multiple Alaska Statutes (for example, sections described in the presentation as amendments to AS 44.21.405 and related sections) and an uncodified transition clause preserving continuity of orders, contracts and the employment of the incumbent until a new public advocate is appointed.

Why it matters: invited testifiers said the change is intended to add independence and accountability to an office that represents vulnerable Alaskans in confidential proceedings. Brent McGee, who said he was the first public advocate appointed in 1984, called the bill “a good government bill” and told the committee the appointment process should match that used for the public defender to reduce conflicts of interest and strengthen accountability. “This bill is a good government bill that is designed to correct the mistake made in 1984 when the agency was created,” McGee said.

Suzanne DiPietro, executive director of the Alaska Judicial Council, walked members through the council’s screening and nomination procedures, describing a publicized application process, a 27‑page application, bar surveys, background checks, public hearings and 45‑minute interviews before the council nominates the most qualified applicants to the governor. DiPietro said the council’s criteria include legal ability, administrative skills, integrity, temperament and commitment to equal justice and community service.

Committee members asked clarifying questions about the bill’s mechanics and about whether anything in the bill was new since its prior referral to Community and Regional Affairs; the sponsor’s office said there had been no substantive changes since that prior review. Committee staff read the bill’s sectional changes into the record, including the appointment, removal and vacancy provisions and the uncodified transition language that would allow the current director to remain in place until the governor appoints a new public advocate.

No formal action or vote was taken; the committee set House Bill 58 aside for further consideration at a later hearing.

The committee will take the bill up again at its next scheduled hearing, where members may set amendment deadlines or request additional information from the sponsor and invited witnesses.","Lawmakers and invited testifiers heard House Bill 58, which would change how the state’s Office of Public Advocacy (OPA) head is appointed — making the post a four‑year position appointed by the governor from Judicial Council nominees and subject to legislative confirmation, similar to the public defender.","actionData","errors"]

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Committee reviews bill to reinstate campaign contribution limits, tie adjustments to inflation

Panel hears bill to authorize tablets in correctional facilities to expand reentry, education and telehealth

House committee hears bill to make OPA public advocate appointment mirror public defender process