Senate committee advances bill to restore campaign contribution limits in Alaska

The Senate State Affairs Committee on April 22 voted to report Senate Bill 116, a measure to restore campaign contribution limits in Alaska and index them for inflation, advancing the proposal to the full Senate with individual recommendations and an attached fiscal note.

The bill would reestablish contribution ceilings based on the limits approved by Alaska voters in 2006, adjusted for inflation and calculated per two-year campaign periods. Under the draft presented, individual-to-candidate limits would be $2,000 per campaign, individual contributions to joint gubernatorial campaigns $4,000 per campaign, and certain group-to-candidate limits would increase to $4,000 per campaign. The legislation also directs the Alaska Public Offices Commission (APOC) to index limits for inflation every 10 years beginning in 2031.

Proponents said the legislation responds to a 2021 ruling by the Ninth Circuit in Thompson v. Hebden that struck down Alaska’s then-statutory contribution limits as unconstitutionally low and noted the Alaska Public Offices Commission’s 2022 advisory-opinion process that left the state without enforceable statutory limits. Joe Hayes, staff to the committee, summarized the bill’s history and stated proponents’ goal of reinstating “reasonable and constitutional” limits aligned with both federal guidance and voter-approved policy.

During questioning, Heather Hebden, executive director of the Alaska Public Offices Commission, clarified that the bill would apply limits to political action committees (PACs) and other groups as defined in the draft, but would not restrict independent-expenditure groups. Hebden said section 3’s group definition brings PACs under the limits while section 6 excludes independent-expenditure organizations from contribution limits because independent expenditures remain regulated under federal First Amendment jurisprudence.

Public testimony was largely supportive. Kevin Morford, president of Alaska Move to Amend, urged the committee to pass SB116, saying the measure was carefully drafted to withstand constitutional scrutiny; Bruce Potello, co-chair of Citizens Against Money in Politics, and Mercedes Arciniegas of Alaska Public Interest Research Group also urged passage. Heather Arnett of the League of Women Voters of Alaska said the inflation indexing provision was important to keep limits current. One public commenter, identified in the record as Mike (surname redacted), spoke in strong opposition, arguing the measure would infringe on First Amendment rights.

Senator Jesse Bjorkman moved the bill be reported out of committee with individual recommendations and an attached fiscal note; the committee raised no objections and the motion carried, with the clerk recording SB116 as reported from committee. The committee did not record a roll-call vote in the transcript; the minutes state no objections were raised.

Supporters said SB116 is a targeted response to court direction and that automatic indexing will reduce future constitutional challenges tied to outdated dollar amounts. Opponents in testimony and during questions warned that federal court review could again unsettle contribution limits and noted independent expenditures remain outside the scope of state regulation.

The bill will proceed to the full Senate for further consideration.