House Bill 234 addressing the legal limits on political donations will be heard on the House floor on Monday.
The bill, offered by Democrat-aligned Rep. Cal Schrage and Rep. Zack Fields, is in response to a court decision that threw out Alaska’s statutory campaign donation limits, which were held to $500 per candidate per year. The limit was ruled unconstitutional after a lengthy court journey to the Supreme Court.
HB 234 would double the contribution limits made to group entities, non-group entities, and candidates. A candidate could accept up to $2,000 a year from an individual. Currently, now that the court has ruled the $500 limit is unconstitutional, there are no limits on campaign donations.
The bill, however, creates an uneven playing field since most Democrats get a majority of their support from union political action committees.
The bill says a group that is not a political party may contribute not more than $4,000 each campaign period to a candidate, or to an individual who conducts a write-in campaign.
The bill also sets a $5,000 annual donation limit to another group, to a nongroup entity, or to a political party.
HB 234 also says that every 10 years, starting in 2031, the limit would be raised account for inflation.
The bill needs to pass the House and Senate and be signed into law by the governor, or he can allow it to become law without his signature. He could also could veto the bill and set up a situation where the House and Senate would need to convene to override his veto.
HB 234’s current version is at this link.
