Eleanor Finch
The Alaska Constitution, which came into effect in 1959, has been amended 28 times as of 2006, with 12 proposed amendments rejected by voters. Amendments can be made via a legislative process or a state constitutional convention. The latter can be called by the Legislature at any time, and every ten years, a referendum must be taken on whether to hold a convention. Amendments are voted on at the next general election, with a simple majority required for approval. Notable amendments include the right-to-privacy clause and ban on sexual discrimination (1972), the authorization of the Alaska Permanent Fund (1976), and the ban on same-sex marriage (1998), which was later declared unconstitutional.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of amendments | 28 |
| Number of rejected amendments | 12 |
| Average number of amendments in state constitutions | 115 |
| Last amendment | Measure 1 in 2004 |
| Amendment process | Legislative or state constitutional convention |
| Voting requirements | Simple majority (50% + 1) |
| Citizen initiative | Restricted to proposing state statutes |
| Legislative referral | Two-thirds vote in each chamber |
| Constitutional convention | Called by legislature or referendum every 10 years |
| Lieutenant governor's role | Places convention question on ballot if not held in 10 years |
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What You'll Learn
Constitutional conventions
The Alaska Constitution provides two mechanisms for amending the state's constitution: a legislative process and a state constitutional convention. The Legislature may call constitutional conventions at any time. If, during any ten-year period, a constitutional convention has not been held, the lieutenant governor must place on the ballot for the next general election the question, "Shall there be a Constitutional Convention?". If a majority of the votes cast on the question are affirmative, delegates to the convention shall be chosen at the next regular statewide election, unless the legislature provides for the election of delegates at a special election. The lieutenant governor shall issue the call for the convention.
Every ten years, a referendum must be taken on whether to hold a convention. To date, four such referendums have been held, and all have failed.
The most recent amendment to the Alaska Constitution was Measure 1 in 2004, which related to the laws governing ballot measures in Alaska.
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Legislative processes
The Alaska Constitution provides two mechanisms for amending the state's constitution: a legislative process and a state constitutional convention. The legislative process involves a two-thirds vote in each legislative chamber of the Alaska State Legislature during one legislative session to refer a constitutional amendment to the ballot. This amounts to a minimum of 27 votes in the Alaska House of Representatives and 14 votes in the Alaska State Senate, assuming no vacancies. The legislative process requires a simple majority vote (50% plus 1) for voters to approve constitutional amendments.
The state constitutional convention mechanism involves the legislature calling constitutional conventions at any time. If, during any ten-year period, a constitutional convention has not been held, the lieutenant governor must place on the ballot for the next general election the question of whether there should be a constitutional convention. If a majority of the votes cast are affirmative, delegates to the convention shall be chosen at the next regular statewide election, unless the legislature provides for the election of delegates at a special election. The lieutenant governor shall issue the call for the convention, which shall conform as closely as possible to the act calling the Alaska Constitutional Convention of 1955. The constitutional convention shall have the plenary power to amend or revise the constitution, subject only to ratification by the people.
As of 2006, there have been 28 amendments to the Alaska Constitution, with 12 rejected by voters. The most recent amendment was Measure 1 in 2004, which related to the laws governing ballot measures in Alaska. The Alaska Constitution has been amended substantially fewer times than most state constitutions due to the short period it has been in force and its generalized construction.
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Ratification by the people
The Alaska Constitution provides two mechanisms for amending the state's constitution: a legislative process and a state constitutional convention. The current Alaska Constitution has been amended 28 times, with 12 amendments rejected by voters.
Constitutional conventions are held to propose amendments to the constitution, and these are voted on at the next general election. The legislature may call constitutional conventions at any time, and if one has not been held in a ten-year period, the lieutenant governor must put the question of holding one to a vote. If the majority of votes are in favour, delegates to the convention are chosen at the next regular statewide election, unless the legislature provides for the election of delegates at a special election. The convention has the power to amend or revise the constitution, subject to ratification by the people.
Every ten years, a referendum must be taken on whether to hold a constitutional convention. To date, four such referendums have failed. Amendments can also originate with the legislature, which requires a two-thirds vote in each legislative chamber to refer a constitutional amendment to the ballot. Alaskans need a simple majority vote (50% plus one) to approve constitutional amendments.
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Ballot measures
The Alaska Constitution provides two mechanisms for amending the state's constitution: a legislative process and a state constitutional convention. The constitution has been amended 28 times, with 12 of those amendments being rejected by voters. The voters last approved a new amendment on November 2, 2004, when they approved Measure 1, which related to the laws governing ballot measures in Alaska.
Amendments can originate either with the legislature or at a constitutional convention and are voted on at the next general election. The legislature may call constitutional conventions at any time. If, during any ten-year period, a constitutional convention has not been held, the lieutenant governor must place on the ballot for the next general election the question of whether there should be a constitutional convention. If a majority of the votes cast are in favour, delegates to the convention shall be chosen at the next regular statewide election, unless the legislature provides for the election of delegates at a special election. The lieutenant governor shall issue the call for the convention.
Constitutional conventions have the power to amend or revise the constitution, subject to ratification by the people. No call for a constitutional convention shall limit these powers. Every ten years, a referendum must be taken on whether to hold a convention. All four referendums held to date have failed.
Alaskans do not have the power to use a citizen initiative to amend the state's constitution. The power of initiative in Alaska is restricted to proposing state statutes. A two-thirds vote in each legislative chamber of the Alaska State Legislature during one legislative session is required to refer a constitutional amendment to the ballot. This amounts to a minimum of 27 votes in the Alaska House of Representatives and 14 votes in the Alaska State Senate, assuming no vacancies.
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Citizen initiatives
The Alaska Constitution provides two mechanisms for amending the state's constitution: a legislative process and a state constitutional convention. Alaskans do not have the power to use a citizen initiative to amend the state's constitution. The power of initiative in Alaska is restricted to proposing state statutes.
Constitutional conventions can be called by the Legislature at any time. Every ten years, a referendum must be taken on whether to hold a convention. If, during any ten-year period, a constitutional convention has not been held, the lieutenant governor must place the question of whether to hold one on the ballot for the next general election. If a majority of votes are in favour, delegates to the convention shall be chosen at the next regular statewide election, unless the legislature provides for the election of delegates at a special election. The lieutenant governor shall issue the call for the convention.
The constitutional convention has plenary power to amend or revise the constitution, subject to ratification by the people. No call for a constitutional convention shall limit these powers.
Amendments can also originate with the legislature and are voted on at the next general election.
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Frequently asked questions
The Alaska Constitution provides two mechanisms for amending the state's constitution—a legislative process, and a state constitutional convention. Amendments can originate either with the legislature or at a constitutional convention, and are voted on at the next general election.
Constitutional conventions can be called by the Legislature at any time. Additionally, every ten years a referendum must be taken on whether to hold a convention.
A simple majority vote (50% plus 1) is required for voters to approve constitutional amendments.
