GARA CHALLENGES REUDRICH TO DEBATE CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM
Representative seeks to reduce lobbyists' influence over Alaska law

ANCHORAGE - Rep. Les Gara (D-Anchorage) has challenged Republican Party Chair Randy Reudrich to debate Ballot Measure 1, which seeks to limit political donations by lobbyists and wealthy donors. The measure received over 40,000 signatures from Alaskans and was spearheaded by Democratic Reps. Harry Crawford, Eric Croft (both D-Anchorage) and David Guttenberg (D-Fairbanks).

Ballot Measure 1 seeks to reinstate Alaska's 1997 Campaign Finance Reform law, which was spurred by a 1996 voter initiative. The Republican Party tried to overturn that law in court. When their court challenge failed, Gov. Frank Murkowski and the Republican Party gutted the law during the 2003 legislative session.

"Laws should pass on their merits, not because of how much money wealthy donors and lobbyists spend on legislators to get a law passed," Gara said. He voted against the 2003 bills that overturned Alaska's campaign finance laws.

The 2003 law doubled the amount donors could give to legislators and other candidates from $500 to $1,000, and doubled the amount lobbyists and others could give political parties from $5,000 to $10,000.

It also allowed lobbyists more leeway to operate in secret. Until 2003 lobbyists who spent 4 hours or more in a month in direct face-to-face or phone lobbying with legislators had to reveal their name and who was paying them. The 2003 legislation allows most paid lobbyists to avoid registration until they spend 40 hours per month lobbying legislators - the equivalent of 160 15-minute meetings - before they have to register. The changed rule effectively allows lobbyists to sidestep the ban on lobbyist donations to legislators. Current and prior law prevents paid lobbyists from donating to candidates outside their districts. By making it easier for corporate executives to not register as lobbyists, they can spend up to 39 hours per month lobbying legislators, and then reward every legislator they lobby with a donation - the very result the 1996 voter initiative tried to prevent.

Gara challenged Reudrich to the debate with a letter today, and is awaiting a response.

###

The Aaron Selbig Show this Friday at 4:30
with Senator Ellis and Representative Les Gara

Sen. Johnny Ellis with Rep. Les Gara Call in after 4:30 KUDO 929-5160 Senator Ellis provides a weekly report from your Democratic legislators working for an Alaska that is safer, healthier, smarter, and richer.

         Please tune in to The Aaron Selbig Show with guests Senator Johnny Ellis and special guest Representative Les Gara this Friday at 4:30 pm on KUDO radio 1080 AM. This is a weekly segment on The Aaron Selbig Show, KUDO 1080's local progressive voice. Listen for Senator Ellis to do the week in review... what happened in Juneau, what's happening with the special session and oil tax reform.

         It's easy to listen since there are so many ways of catching the show; live, podcast, stream or download.

	1080 on your AM radio in the Anchorage area
	Internet Streaming Radio Windows Media streaming KUDO - or - Apple Quicktime streaming KUDO
	Download last weeks episode with Sen. Ellis and Rep. Crawford as a podcast file: http://www.akdemocrats.org/radio/081106_w_ellis_crawford.mp3 55 minutes - 25 Megabytes
http://www.akdemocrats.org/radio/selbig/rss.xml @ the iTunes Music Store: http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=175468731

       The one hour segment every Friday with Democratic Legislators as the special guests on the Aaron Selbig Show has now become a weekly podcast! This audio podcast captures the Friday afternoon 4:30 - 5:30pm broadcast of the Aaron Selbig Show from Anchorage's Talk Radio KUDO 1080AM. Download with a link or subscribe for automatic delivery to your RSS reader or iTunes.
       If you have iTunes installed, click here. To download iTunes, click here.
       Read our FAQ about podcasting and news feeds: RSS & Podcast FAQ

TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST COPY & PASTE URL into RSS Reader or iTunes	TO DOWNLOAD THE MP3 RIGHT CLICK LINK and 'Save...'
http://akdemocrats.org/radio/selbig/rss.xml RSS.XML file for KUDO's Aaron Selbig Show iTunes Music Store direct link http://www.akdemocrats.org/rss.xml RSS.XML file for AKDemocrats.org News Feed http://akdemocrats.org/guttenberg/rss.xml RSS.XML file for Rep. Guttenberg's Radio Clips [updated during session only]	081106_w_ellis_crawford.mp3 Aug 11 - Senator Johnny Ellis and Representative Harry Crawford. 55min 25MB 080406_w_ellis_guttenberg.mp3 Aug 4 - Senator Johnny Ellis and Representative David Guttenberg. 55min 25MB 072806_w_ellis_kerttula.mp3 July 28 - Senator Johnny Ellis and Representative Beth Kerttula. 68min 33MB 072106_w_french.mp3 July 21 - Senator Hollis French. 55min 28MB