The Senate Finance Committee takes public testimony on Senate Bill 114, on Thursday, May 4, 2023, at the Alaska State Capitol. (Photo by James Brooks/Alaska Beacon)
The state of Alaska will hold public hearings Monday and Tuesday on ballot measures that seek to raise the state’s minimum wage and repeal its current elections system.
The ballot measures are on November’s general election ballot and state law requires at least two public hearings on each valid ballot measure.
Both hearings are telephonic and will be streamed online at akl.tv.
The first hearing, on Ballot Measure 1, will begin at 10 a.m. Monday.
If passed, the measure would raise the state’s minimum wage from $11.73 per hour to $15 per hour by July 1, 2027, require employers to offer sick leave, and forbid employers from requiring workers to attend meetings to communicate the employer’s political or religious views.
Juneau residents can testify by calling 907-586-9085, Anchorage residents can testify at 907-563-9085, and everyone else can use 844-586-9085.
The hearing will last two hours, or until public testimony is exhausted.
The second hearing, on Ballot Measure 2, will begin at 2 p.m. Monday, with the same numbers available for call-in testimony.
The measure, if passed, would repeal the elections system installed by a 2020 ballot measure. The state would no longer use ranked choice voting in general elections, and political parties would be allowed to set the rules for the state’s primary elections.
Each hearing includes a statement of support from the measure’s proponents, then an opposition statement. The public will then be allowed to call in for the remainder of the hearing to leave public testimony.
The state’s legislative information offices will be open for all hearings in case Alaskans want to listen or testify in person.
The hearings will repeat on Tuesday, with the Ballot Measure 1 hearing starting at 10 a.m., and the Ballot Measure 2 hearing starting at 2 p.m.
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