Citizen initiatives certified to legalize marijuana, raise minimum wage

ANCHORAGE — The state of Alaska has certified two citizen initiatives — 13PSUM, the initiative application to tax and regulate the production, sale and use of marijuana; and 13MINW, to increase the minimum wage in Alaska.

The Lt. Gov. Mead Treadwell signed the certificates after consultation with the Division of Elections, which determined both applications included a sufficient number of sponsor signatures, and the Department of Law, which concluded that the proposed bills are in the proper form under Article XI of the Alaska Constitution and AS 15.45.

Initiative 13MINW calls for a minimum wage increase to $8.75 as of Jan. 1, 2015, and $9.75 as of Jan. 1, 2016. After 2016, the initiative establishes that the minimum wage shall be adjusted for inflation on an annual basis and that the minimum wage shall remain at least $1 higher than the federal minimum wage. The ballot initiative would replace the current minimum wage in Alaska, which under AS 23.10.065(a) is set at $.50 higher than the federal minimum wage, which makes it $7.75 at present.

Next, the Division of Elections will prepare and print sequentially numbered petition booklets for each initiative to allow full circulation throughout the state.

Each petition will contain (1) a copy of the proposed bill; (2) an impartial summary of the subject matter of the bill; (3) a statement of minimum costs to the state associated with certification of the initiative application and review of the initiative petition; (4) an estimate of the cost to the state of implementing the proposed law; (5) the statement of warning prescribed in AS 15.45.100; (6) sufficient space for the personal information and signatures of each person signing the petition; and (7) other specifications that the lieutenant governor decides would ensure proper handling and control.

Both initiative petitions must be filed within one year from the date notice is given that the petition booklets are ready for delivery. The petitions must be signed by qualified voters (1) equal in number to 10 percent of those who voted in the preceding general election; (2) resident in at least three-fourths of the house districts of the state; and (3) who, in each of those house districts, are equal in number to at least seven percent of those who voted in the preceding general election in the house district.

Based on the 2012 General Election, sponsors will need to gather a total of 30,169 signatures from qualified voters consistent with the foregoing requirements.