The Alaska Public Offices Commission (APOC) has issued a notice of proposed changes to Alaska’s campaign disclosure regulations.

The changes seek to clarify and define different aspects of the current law stemming from passage of the 2020 Initiative Measure 2.

The changes include a clearer definition of a prohibited contribution, a clarification of contribution disclosure requirements for charitable organizations, and additional requirements for political communications with video components.

APOC is seeking comments on the proposed changes and will accept them no later than end of business day on June 8.

Once the comment period ends, APOC will either adopt, amend, or take no action in regards to the proposed regulations.

The Alaska Public Offices Commission (APOC) has issued a final order rejecting the revival of previous campaign limits.

In 2019, the U.S. Supreme Court remanded Thompson v. Hebdon, asking the lower court to consider whether Alaska’s campaign contribution limits were consistent with previous First Amendment precedents.

The Ninth Circuit held the limitations on contributions made by individuals to candidates and groups were unconstitutional but held the limits from political parties to candidates were valid.

With this holding and no action by the state Legislature, Alaska does not have restrictions on individuals donating to candidates or groups other than political parties.

APOC was asked to consider reviving the limits set in 2003 but declined to do so.

The commission’s final order implores lawmakers to pass new campaign finance limits.

There are currently three bills introduced in the Legislature to limit political contributions.

Members of the Alaska Public Offices Commission (APOC) have released an advisory opinion, proposing new limits on contributions to political campaigns.

Under the new restrictions, an individual would be limited to $1,500 in donations per candidate or group per year and groups would be limited to $3,000 in donations per candidate or group per year.

After Thompson v. Hebdon found Alaska’s limitations on contributions made by individuals and groups unconstitutional, the APOC adjusted the limits set in 2003 for inflation.

These new limits follow the Supreme Court’s guidance for contribution limits and fall in line with the limits that have been upheld in other states.

The new limits are subject to approval of the five-member commission, scheduled to meet in January.

The offices of the Alaska Public Offices Commission (APOC) will be closed to walk-in traffic until further notice.

This comes in recognition of state and federal calls for social distancing and to protect the public and its employees.

APOC offices will remain staffed and continue to serve the public and respond through alternative forms of contact including mail, email, fax, and telephone, during its normal business hours of 8:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday through Friday.

This does not affect lobbyist reporting.

In a historic ruling, the nonprofit group Equal Citizens obtained a judicial ruling that, for the first time since Citizens United, could restore limits on donations to independent groups and Super PACs.

Anchorage Superior Court Judge William F. Morse ordered the state to impose limits on donations to political groups in Alaska.

Morse said that the Alaska Public Offices Commission (APOC), which handles election enforcement, should reinstate enforcement of the annual per person $500 contribution limit to independent expenditure groups.

In Alaska, independent expenditure groups function like Super PACs. Groups can advocate and raise money for a candidate while remaining unaffiliated with the candidate.

Attorneys for the Alaska Department of Law, appearing on behalf of APOC, appealed the case to the Alaska Supreme Court.

The hope for Equal Citizens is the case makes its way to the U.S. Supreme Court to clarify aspects of Citizens United and how limits are enforced on contributions made to political groups.

On October 9, the Alaska Public Offices Commission (APOC) ruled that two independent expenditure groups violated state campaign finance laws.

The groups, Republican Governors Association and Families for Alaska’s Future – Dunleavy, reserved ad time to influence the gubernatorial election without registering as independent expenditure groups.

APOC determined the reservation of ad time is a promise or agreement to transfer value between parties.  Therefore, the reservation qualifies as an expenditure under state law.

The Alaska Public Offices Commission proposes to adopt regulation changes concerning mitigation criteria and penalty assessment for violations of state lobbying and campaign finance laws. Substantive changes include expanding the definition of inexperienced filer to take into account technical issues, defining self-reporting, and limiting penalties to be considered out of proportion to the alleged violation.

Written comments must be submitted to the Commission by January 29, 2016. Oral comments may be submitted at a hearing on February 11, 2016 in Anchorage. The Commission will aggregate its response to substantially similar questions and make the questions and responses available on its website.

Lawmakers adjourned the first session of the 28th Legislature on April 14, 2013. Before adjourning, lawmakers passed an elections bill to better comply with a federal law requiring absentee military voters to receive ballots 45 days before a federal election.

House Bill 104 moves the date of the primary election from the fourth Tuesday in August to the third Tuesday in August of every even-numbered year. The bill also proposes a special runoff election following a special election to fill the vacancy of a U.S. Senator or U.S. Representative if no candidate in the special election receives more than 50 percent of the vote.

In addition, the bill allows a person requesting an opinion from the Alaska Public Offices Commission to keep the name of the requestor confidential.

The effective date of the bill is January 1, 2014.

The Alaska Public Offices Commission has issued an opinion allowing a new independent group, Alaska Deserves Better (ADB), to raise and spend unlimited amounts of money in this year’s elections. Although the commission’s director said the advisory opinion is specific to ADB and the way it plans to operate, the decision seems to be relevant for other independent committees.

Under current state law, groups such as ADB may receive, each year, contributions of no more than $500 from an individual and $1,000 from a different group. Additionally, groups may not receive contributions from an individual who is not a resident of the state, or from a foreign national.

With the exception of the foreign national restriction, the opinion acknowledges laws prohibiting independent expenditures by corporations and labor unions are likely unconstitutional in light of the U.S. Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision in 2010. As a result, ADB, an independent expenditure group, can obtain contributions in unlimited amounts, with no restriction on the amounts or sources.

The commission acknowledges that without a ruling from a court or a change in legislation, there will not be clarity in the state’s campaign contribution law.

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.”