OPINION: Alaska needs fair, reasonable campaign contribution limits

On March 3, the Alaska Public Offices Commission, or APOC, voted, against the recommendations of APOC staff, to remove individual contribution limits for political campaigns.

The vote was 3-2.

It is a painful metaphor that the vote of two people has undone what hundreds of thousands of Alaskans have fought to secure, and that now the money of just a few people can outweigh the support from many.

By failing to reach the necessary fourth vote, APOC stifled Alaskans’ participation in our own democracy, counter to the consistent wishes of the Alaska public.

Fair and reasonable campaign contribution limits are clearly needed to protect the democratic process of our elections. Even though our contribution power is skewed because of Citizens United, which allow for unlimited dark money flowing into SuperPACs, that money can’t — or couldn’t until now — go directly to candidates, where it would increase the chances of assuring favors for select individuals rather than for a more represented sample of Alaska constituents.

Alaskans have made clear that they want strong and effective contribution limits in Alaska’s politics. In the past 25 years, Alaska voters passed effective ballot initiatives and elected legislators on the explicit promise to cap campaign limits. Seventy-three percent of Alaska voters supported fair campaign contribution limits in a 2006 ballot initiative. AKPIRG was proud to help with that initiative.

In order to make sure we have a fair say in our upcoming elections, we must make sure that our legislators know we support campaign contribution limits, and with so many of us saying so, pave the way toward restoring what the vote of two people undid.

Right now, HB 234 has the best shot of getting passed. Introduced by Rep. Calvin Schrage, HB 234 has passed the House, with support of Republicans, Independents, and Democrats, and now needs to be passed in the Senate.

HB 234 does the following:

• Implements fair and constitutional campaign contribution limits, starting at $2,000 per campaign.

• Ensures limits remain fair and constitutional by adjusting limits every 10 years based on inflation.

• Changes campaign contribution limits to a “per campaign period” instead of a “per year” basis, ensuring all candidates are on the same playing field, regardless of when they enter the race.

• Protects the voice of Alaskans by limiting out-of-state donations to ensure Outside special interests do not take over our state and local elections.

When candidates respond to pressures from moneyed interests that conflict with the broader public’s will in order to meet and match the amount of unchecked money flowing into other campaigns, who will be left to represent the rest of Alaskans?

To ensure this does not happen, AKPIRG supports the swift passage of campaign contribution limits. But senators really need to hear from you. Will you contact them in support of passing campaign caps today?

Veri di Suvero is the executive director of the Alaska Public Interest Research Group, or AKPIRG. Founded in 1974, AKPIRG is Alaska’s only nonpartisan nonprofit statewide organization advocating on behalf of consumers and the public interest.

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