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Alaska State Legislature House and Senate Democrats |
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http://www.akdemocrats.org Jordan Marshall, Press Secretary (907) 269-0133 or 321-3682 (907) 269-0132 press@akdemocrats.org |
| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE · April 2, 2003 |
Guess, Croft Give Credit Where Credit is Due
JUNEAU – Senator Gretchen Guess (D-Anchorage) and Representative Eric Croft (D-Anchorage) today introduced companion bills to remove the ability to submit “committee” bills. Under the bills, sixty-one people could introduce legislation: each of the State’s sixty legislators and the Governor. The bill would not restrict the citizen initiative process. The bill idea came from akvoters.org, a fiscally conservative Alaska watchdog agency. They are frustrated with committee bills because the true sponsorship is ambiguous at best. “It seems the controversial bills are introduced by committee,” said Mike McBride, president of akvoters board of directors. “The public wants to know where bill ideas are coming from.” “I truly appreciate akvoters.org bringing their observation and concern to my attention,” said Senator Guess. “It is imperative that we reduce the insider baseball and make the process transparent.” Currently each member of the legislature or any committee can introduce bills, and the Rules Committee introduces Governor-sponsored bills. “Sometimes bad bills, special interest bills, hide behind the committee label,” said Representative Croft. “Our bills clean up the political process and make us more accountable to Alaskans. If an idea is not good enough for an individual to take the credit or the blame, it shouldn’t be in the legislature.” Senate Bill 167 and Senate Concurrent Resolution 8 were referred to the Senate State Affairs and Judiciary committees. House Bill 237 and House Concurrent Resolution 15 were referred to House State Affairs and Judiciary committees.
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 http://www.akdemocrats.org/Documents/040203_guess_croft_give_credit.pdf · Additional information: SB167 SCR8 HB237 HCR15 Representative Eric Croft Senator Gretchen Guess |
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