Voter initiatives move to November election

JUNEAU — Voters will have more to think about in this year’s general election than just who to pick for governor and U.S. Senator.

Thanks to the Legislature’s session extending five extra days, three ballot initiatives were pushed from August’s primary election ballot to the November general election ballot.

One will decide whether Alaska should become the third U.S. state to legalize recreational marijuana, raising the state’s Election Day national profile.

Another raises the state’s minimum wage to $9.75 per hour by 2016 from $7.75 currently, which is 50 cents over the federal minimum.

A third measure, which seeks to provide protection of Bristol Bay wild salmon, was also pushed to the November ballot,

State law says certified initiatives such as these must be placed on ballots in elections held more than 121 days after legislative adjournment. With the session ending last Friday, that means the November election is the next one available for voter initiatives.

Still on the August primary ballot is a referendum to repeal oil tax reform legislation approved last year as Senate Bill 21.

By law, referendums are part of the first statewide election held more than 180 days after adjournment of the session that spawned them. Since SB 21 was passed last year, the first election meeting the 180-day threshold is the August primary election this year.

Passage of the marijuana initiative would permit adults 21 and older to possess up to 1 ounce of marijuana for private personal use and to grow as many as six cannabis plants for their own consumption.

“The date of the election is a non-issue for us because we know that Alaska voters support regulating marijuana like alcohol by a wide margin under either scenario,” said marijuana campaign spokesman Taylor Bickford. “We are confident Ballot Measure 2 will prevail in November.”

A Public Policy Polling Survey of 850 registered Alaska voters showed that 55 percent supported legalizing recreational marijuana in a taxed and regulated system. But 39 percent remain opposed. The survey, conducted in January, had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.4 percent.

The minimum wage initiative was nearly booted off the ballot, because lawmakers were considering legislation similar to the initiative’s intent. The House passed its own bill, but the Senate never gave it a hearing.

Ed Flanagan, former commissioner of the state Department of Labor and Workforce Development, said he doesn’t think the date change will hurt the chances for passage, but it would delay the effective date.

“There’s really just one downside to being on the November ballot,” Flanagan said. “Under the law, it takes effect three months after the election gets certified. So the first raise would not be until Feb. 20.”

Freelance reporter Steve Quinn is a veteran Alaska journalist who formerly covered state government for the Associated Press.