Alaskans made government accountable to the people

  • By Dan Krassner
  • Wednesday, July 25, 2018 11:24am
  • Opinion

Alaskans set out to make their government more accountable to the people — and it just worked. The Alaska Legislature raised the bar for ethics and integrity in government by passing House Bill 44. The bill passed the Senate 13-6 and the House 39-1 with support from Republicans, Democrats, and Independents, and Gov. Bill Walker just signed it into law. This only happened because more than 45,000 Alaskans signed petitions to put a similar proposal, the Alaska Government Accountability Act, on the ballot.

It takes massive people-power to get politicians to pass laws to regulate their own actions. In this case, the people forced the Legislature to pass a law that legislators really didn’t like. When incumbent politicians realized how popular this measure was, they scrambled to pass it, fearing the people would overwhelmingly vote for the measure in November and hold them accountable for inaction.

The people strongly favored these accountability solutions by a whopping 84 percent, according to polling conducted by Alaskans for Integrity, the group sponsoring the similar initiative. In a shocking twist for the current political climate, Alaskans from across the political spectrum favored these reforms.

ADVERTISEMENT
0 seconds of 0 secondsVolume 0%
Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts
00:00
00:00
00:00
 

The new law is a massive step forward for legislative ethics reform. The hardworking people of Alaska deserve a government that listens to them and pays attention to their needs — instead of engaging in pay-to-play politics and putting the people last. This law includes strong conflict of interest standards that require legislators to declare conflicts of interest before voting, and to excuse themselves from voting when they or a member of their family has a financial conflict of interest. The new law toughens lobbyist gift laws, prohibiting lobbyists from buying legislators alcoholic beverages and lavish meals. It helps reduce wasteful spending on foreign travel junkets by implementing a stricter foreign travel policy for legislators. And it holds the legislature accountable for doing their most important job — passing a budget — on time by blocking legislators from receiving their per diem after day 121 of the legislative session if they haven’t passed a budget. It essentially makes “no budget, no pay” a governing principle.

We can win major political reform when we set aside our partisan differences and work together. Walker made government accountability and transparency a priority for the legislative session and has praised the bipartisan legislative work on the bill. Alaskans for Integrity co-sponsors, Independent Rep. Jason Grenn, Democrat Rep. Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins and Republican activist Bonnie Jack, deserve credit for leading a campaign that created leverage for the people. Campaign manager Susanna Orr and general consultant Jim Lottsfeldt expertly guided the effort. Key partners included the Alaska AFL-CIO, the conservative group Take Back Our Republic, the progressive group End Citizens United, and my nonpartisan anti-corruption organization Represent.Us.

Alaska has once again proved why the state deserves national recognition as America’s leader for government accountability.

In 2006, 73 percent of Alaska voters backed a campaign finance reform measure that lowered contribution limits, expanded disclosure requirements, and tightened rules on lobbyists.

And in 2015, the State Integrity Investigation, a comprehensive assessment of state government accountability and transparency metrics created by two nonpartisan organizations, the Center for Public Integrity and Global Integrity, ranked Alaska the top state in the nation.

Nearly 65 percent of Alaska voters supported an automatic voter registration measure in 2016. That win inspired a national wave of similar pro-voter wins in Colorado, Illinois, Maryland, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Washington state and the District of Columbia.

Alaskans and all Americans should celebrate this latest reform win and have this success serve as a model and catalyst for many more.


• Dan Krassner is the Political Director for Represent.Us, the nation’s largest grassroots anti-corruption group. He resides in South Hadley, Massachusetts. and works in Florence, Massachusetts.


More in Opinion

Web
Have something to say?

Here’s how to add your voice to the conversation.

The U.S. Capitol in Washington on Wednesday, March 12, 2025. (Eric Lee/The New York Times)
My Turn: Important questions for Dan Sullivan and Nick Begich

Dan Sullivan and Nick Begich, what are you going to do to… Continue reading

The Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center on Feb. 22, 2025. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo)
My Turn: Volunteer for the right cause

Recently I was asked by a friend to volunteer at the Mendenhall… Continue reading

Sen. Dan Sullivan, (R-Alaska) questions Lee Zeldin, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to run the Environmental Protection Agency, during the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works confirmation hearing, on Capitol Hill in Washington, on Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025. (Kenny Holston/The New York Times)
Opinion: Trickle-down lawlessness

Last weekend, I signed a petition calling on Sen. Dan Sullivan to… Continue reading

The University of Alaska Southeast campus on Monday, Dec. 9, 2019. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire file photo)
My Turn: University of Alaska’s canceled culture

As an alumnus of UAS I am disgusted at how fast the… Continue reading

Senate President Gary Stevens, a Kodiak Republican, confers with other senators and legislative staff moments before gaveling in the start of this year’s legislative session at the Alaska State Capitol on Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2025. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo)
My Turn: Support for public schools

There is a perception that all public schools in Alaska are failing… Continue reading

Elon Musk walks with senior staff after arriving with President Donald Trump on Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, Feb. 19, 2025. (Doug Mills/The New York Times)
My Turn: The end point of delusion

There are times when delusion becomes the organizing principle of entire countries.… Continue reading

Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) points to a map of Alaska and Russia during the confirmation hearing for John Phelan, President Donald Trump’s nominee for secretary of the Navy, before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, on Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025. (Kenny Holston/The New York Times)
Opinion: Sen. Sullivan’s bow to power obscures the truth — again

Sen. Lisa Murkowski understands the imperative of speaking truth to power right… Continue reading

Most Read