Good news iPhone owners! NCSL’s blog just noted the Alaska Legislature has come out with an app allowing you to keep up with legislative news on your phone. Best of all, it is free!

According to the blog, this is what you will find: “The app provides information on committee schedules, bill status, the house and senate calendars, and contact information of every legislator in both chambers. It also allows the user to stream committee hearings directly from your phone and watch the proceedings in real time.”

Be sure to take look at “New Alaska iPhone App” by Morgan Cullen on The Thicket.

Here is the iTunes App Store page with The Alaska Legislature App.

Thank you to Research Associate George Ticoras for pointing me in the direction of this news.

The online filing system, Insight, will be offline today, January 26, from 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. (EST). Filers who attempt to access the system during this time risk losing data.

A separate notice will be sent by the Alaska Public Offices Commission if the fix takes longer than proposed.

Questions can be addressed to Joan Mize at (907) 465-4865.

The following announcement  is from the Alaska Public Offices Commission website:

The Alaska Public Offices Commission will be conducting a brief training designed to provide basic information about group campaign disclosure and to introduce filers to the new electronic filing system.

The training is scheduled for Friday, January 6, 2012 from 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. Filers may participate in person at the Anchorage office, remotely by computer, or by telephone.

Email or call Attorney Vullnet Greva at vullnet.greva@alaska.gov or (907) 276-4176 for details regarding participation.

Only lobbyists in Alaska who are constituents in a state candidate’s newly certified district may donate to a candidate’s campaign, an Advisory Opinion from the Alaska Public Offices Commission has declared.

Because a lobbyist residing in a candidate’s district may contribute to a candidate, Representative Bob Lynn requested an opinion regarding whether a lobbyist in his current district could donate to his campaign when he or she may not be a constituent in his proposed new voting district.

Advisory Opinion 11-14-CD concludes candidates “will only be able to accept donations from lobbyists residing in the new district.”

Presently, only candidates for the proposed new districts, and not the current districts, are being certified by the Division of Elections. In its analysis, the Advisory Opinion also articulates, “Whether or not a lobbyist resides in the candidate’s district is determined on the day the contribution is accepted.”

A special session of the Alaska legislature has been called in Juneau to address the state’s Alaska Coastal Management Program, which expires on June 30.

The session is expected to finish this week.

The Alaska Legislature was adjourned on its scheduled date, but not in its usual manner.

Because the House and Senate could not agree on the time of the adjournment, which is on the 90th and last day authorized by law, Governor Parnell himself invoked state constitutional authority and adjourned the 27th session of the legislature on April 17. He then immediately called a special session to begin April 18.

The special session is limited by law to a maximum of 30 days.

Representative Anna Fairclough introduced a bill concerning small procurements with the state, which includes the requirement of vendors to provide proof of an Alaska business license.

House Bill 204 also contains other mandates for vendors, including the registration of construction contract bidders and offerers, the establishment and maintenance of lists of person who want to contract with the state or state agencies, and small procurement provisions for certain amounts of leased space.

The legislation increases the maximum ceiling amounts of what constitutes a small procurement from $50,000 to $100,000 for supplies, services, or professional services; $100,000 to $200,000 for a construction, and from 3000 to 7000 square feet for a lease.

Photo of the Alaska State Capitol by Kevin Lam on Wikipedia.

The Alaska Public Offices Commission (APOC) has chosen Paul Dauphinais as its new executive director. Mr. Dauphinais has served as the president of Garrett College in Maryland, the director for the University of Alaska in Palmer and the executive director for the Homer Chamber of Commerce. He also has a PhD in History and an MS in Information Systems and is a retired commander of the U.S. Navy.

Mr. Dauphinais starts February 22, replacing Holly Hill who held the position since 2008.

You can read the full press release here.

Map of Alaska by Skew-t on Wikipedia.

Ballot Measure 1 was touted as a way to increase transparency in lobbying and end “pay to play” politics. The measure was strongly and publicly opposed by unions, local governments, and business groups who were concerned the measure would have quieted the voice of many Alaskans in the political arena.

For further reading:

“Ballot Measure 1 soundly rejected,” by Lisa Demer in the Anchorage Daily News.

“Ballot Measure 1 rejected by wide margin,” by Ted Land on KTUU.com.