Campaign Finance Reform

Campaign Finance Reform Wins!

Thanks to all who made it possible

Summer 2006

Campaign Finance Reform
AGAIN
on the ballot August 22nd
Vote YES on #1

Click Here to View the details of the
Campaign Finance Reform Initiative

Summer 2005

Thanks to all those who helped make AkPIRG's summer canvass to get:

BIG MONEY OUT OF ALASKA POLITICS!!!

A Huge Success!!!

36,000 Signatures to Division of Elections on September 21st

AkPIRG teamed up with CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM AGAIN and initiative sponsors Harry Crawford, Eric Croft and David Guttenberg to turn in over 36,000 signatures to put Campaign Finance Reform back on the ballot. This is a great victory for Alaskans as it will allow them to once again decide if they want
BIG MONEY OUT OF ALASKA POLITICS!!!!

Special thanks to David Finkelstein, Peggy Wilcox and Les Gara for all their help and support on the initiative.

In 1995 -96, AkPIRG and other groups worked to ensure the passage of one of the best campaign finance reform laws in the nation. AkPIRG canvassers gathered thousands of signatures to put an initiative on the ballot. This created such intense pressure on the legislature that they passed a similar bill during the 1996 session in order to prevent the initiative from appearing on the ballot. Only one of sixty legislators voted against the bill which was overwhelmingly popular with Alaskan voters.

Since the bill's passage, it has come under almost constant attack from special interests who want to continue to get special treatment from legislators to whom they donate. The overwhelming reliance on corporate cash for campaign contributions compromises citizens' political power. It also increases the skepticism and cynicism that leads to increasingly smaller voter turnout.

In 2003, the legislature and Governor Murkowski finally succeeded in rolling back these critical campaign finance reforms. AkPIRG worked hard to defend citizen access to open government. The Big Money effort started with an attempt to change lobbying disclosure laws. Then the Governor introduced a bill to eliminate the Alaska Public Offices Commission (APOC), the public's watchdog on campaign contributions and disclosures. The final version of that bill had little to do with the APOC and reform. It did double all the campaign limits that voters had supported to such a high degree in 1996, opening the flood gate for a vast increase of Big Money influencing Alaska politics.

NOW - AkPIRG is working in coalition with several members of the House of Representatives, civic groups and concerned citizens across the state to bring back these important campaign reforms. AkPIRG is housing Campaign Finance Reform AGAIN!, the group has gathered 36,000 signatures to put these reforms back on the ballot so Alaskans can once again choose cleaner campaigns.