Alaska 32nd Legislature (2021-2022) Status: Enacted 1 D cosponsors

SB 161 — An Act relating to the definition of 'political party'; and providing for an effective date.

Last action — (S) EFFECTIVE DATE(S) OF LAW 1/1/23

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  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. ✓
    In Committee
  3. ✓
    Passed Senate
  4. ✓
    Passed House
  5. ✓
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill has been enacted into law. Introduced January 18, 2022. Enacted.

Prognosis

Likely to advance 72% · moderate confidence

Where this bill stands today.

Odds of enactment

High

How often bills like it became law.

  • Enacted

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 1 sponsor

    1 primary, 0 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Single-party support

    Sponsorship is currently within one party (1 D).

  • Cleared a recorded vote

    Passed 2 recorded votes so far.

Prognosis reads this bill's own signals — stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes and cross-state momentum. Odds come from a model trained on which bills have become law.

Bill Text

What changed in the latest version

39 added · 37 removed

Plain-language change summary

The amendment to Bill SB 161 changes the definition of a "political party" in Alaska. Previously, a political party was defined as having a number of registered voters equaling at least three percent of the votes cast for governor in the last election, but now it simply requires at least 5,000 registered voters statewide. This change is significant because it simplifies the criteria for being recognized as a political party, potentially making it easier for smaller parties to establish themselves and compete in elections.

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32-LS1361\A SENATE BILL NO.
LAWS OF ALASKA Source Chapter No.
161 IN THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA THIRTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE - SECOND SESSION BY SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI Introduced:
CSSB 161(JUD) _______ AN ACT Relating to the definition of "political party";
1/18/22 Referred:
and providing for an effective date.
State Affairs, Judiciary A BILL FOR AN ACT ENTITLED "An Act relating to the definition of 'political party';
_______________ BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:
and providing for an effective date." BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:
THE ACT FOLLOWS ON PAGE 1 Enrolled SB 161 AN ACT Relating to the definition of "political party";
* Section 1.
and providing for an effective date.
_______________ * Section 1.
(27) "political party" means an organized group of voters that represents a political program and has at least 5,000 registered voters in the state [(A) THAT HAS REGISTERED VOTERS IN THE STATE EQUAL IN NUMBER TO AT LEAST THREE PERCENT OF THE TOTAL VOTES CAST FOR GOVERNOR AT THE PRECEDING GENERAL ELECTION;
(27) "political party" means an organized group of voters that represents a political program and has at least 5,000 registered voters in the state;
(B) IF THE OFFICE OF GOVERNOR WAS NOT ON THE BALLOT AT THE PRECEDING GENERAL ELECTION BUT THE OFFICE OF UNITED STATES SENATOR WAS ON THAT BALLOT, THAT HAS REGISTERED VOTERS IN THE STATE EQUAL IN NUMBER TO AT SB0161A -1- SB 161 New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED] 32-LS1361\A LEAST THREE PERCENT OF THE TOTAL VOTES CAST FOR UNITED STATES SENATOR AT THAT GENERAL ELECTION;
beginning with the results of the 2030 decennial federal census, following each decennial federal census, the division shall by regulation adjust this number by the percentage of the change to the population of the state since the 2020 decennial federal census, rounded to the nearest 500 [(A) THAT HAS REGISTERED VOTERS IN THE STATE EQUAL IN NUMBER TO AT LEAST THREE PERCENT OF THE TOTAL VOTES CAST FOR GOVERNOR AT THE PRECEDING GENERAL ELECTION;
-1- Enrolled SB 161 (B) IF THE OFFICE OF GOVERNOR WAS NOT ON THE BALLOT AT THE PRECEDING GENERAL ELECTION BUT THE OFFICE OF UNITED STATES SENATOR WAS ON THAT BALLOT, THAT HAS REGISTERED VOTERS IN THE STATE EQUAL IN NUMBER TO AT LEAST THREE PERCENT OF THE TOTAL VOTES CAST FOR UNITED STATES SENATOR AT THAT GENERAL ELECTION;
SB 161 -2- SB0161A New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]
Enrolled SB 161 -2-
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How this bill changes current law

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AI-generated reading aid from the bill's amendatory text — verify against the official bill.

The bill changes the definition of 'political party' in Alaska by removing the previous requirements based on votes cast for specific offices and establishing a new minimum of 5,000 registered voters, adjusted after each decennial census.

  • AS 15.80.010(27)

    (A) THAT HAS REGISTERED VOTERS IN THE STATE EQUAL IN NUMBER TO AT LEAST THREE PERCENT OF THE TOTAL VOTES CAST FOR GOVERNOR AT THE PRECEDING GENERAL ELECTION; (B) IF THE OFFICE OF GOVERNOR WAS NOT ON THE BALLOT AT THE PRECEDING GENERAL ELECTION BUT THE OFFICE OF UNITED STATES SENATOR WAS ON THAT BALLOT, THAT HAS REGISTERED VOTERS IN THE STATE EQUAL IN NUMBER TO AT LEAST THREE PERCENT OF THE TOTAL VOTES CAST FOR UNITED STATES SENATOR AT THAT GENERAL ELECTION; OR (C) IF NEITHER THE OFFICE OF GOVERNOR NOR THE OFFICE OF UNITED STATES SENATOR WAS ON THE BALLOT AT THE PRECEDING GENERAL ELECTION, THAT HAS REGISTERED VOTERS IN THE STATE EQUAL IN NUMBER TO AT LEAST THREE PERCENT OF THE TOTAL VOTES CAST FOR UNITED STATES REPRESENTATIVE AT THAT GENERAL ELECTION; → an organized group of voters that represents a political program and has at least 5,000 registered voters in the state; beginning with the results of the 2030 decennial federal census, following each decennial federal census, the division shall by regulation adjust this number by the percentage of the change to the population of the state since the 2020 decennial federal census, rounded to the nearest 500

    The definition of 'political party' now requires a minimum of 5,000 registered voters instead of the previous percentage-based criteria.

Action History

  1. (S) EFFECTIVE DATE(S) OF LAW 1/1/23

  2. (S) LAW W/O GOV SIGNATURE 9/12 CH 72 SLA 22

  3. (S) 11:08 A.M. 8/22/22 Transmitted to Governor

  4. (H) VERSION: CSSB 161(JUD)

  5. (H) RETURN TO (S), TRANSMIT TO GOV NEXT

  6. (H) EFFECTIVE DATE(S) SAME AS PASSAGE

  7. (H) PASSED Y37 N2 E1

  8. (H) READ THE THIRD TIME CSSB 161(JUD)

  9. (H) CROSS SPONSOR(S): TARR

  10. (H) ADVANCED TO THIRD READING 5/17 CALENDAR

  11. (H) READ THE SECOND TIME

  12. (H) RULES TO CALENDAR 5/16/2022

  13. (H) FN1: ZERO(GOV)

  14. (H) NR: EASTMAN, VANCE, KURKA

  15. (H) DP: DRUMMOND, CLAMAN

  16. (H) JUD RPT 2DP 3NR

  17. (H) Moved CSSB 161(JUD) Out of Committee -- Recessed to 5/6/22 at 10:30 am --

  18. (H) JUDICIARY at 01:00 PM GRUENBERG 120

  19. (H) Heard & Held

  20. (H) JUDICIARY at 01:00 PM GRUENBERG 120

  21. (H) FN1: ZERO(GOV)

  22. (H) NR: EASTMAN

  23. (H) DP: TARR, CLAMAN, STORY, KREISS-TOMKINS

  24. (H) STA RPT HCS(STA) 4DP 1NR

  25. (H) Minutes (HSTA)

  26. (H) Moved HCS CSSB 161(STA) Out of Committee

  27. (H) STATE AFFAIRS at 03:00 PM GRUENBERG 120

  28. (H) Minutes (HSTA)

  29. (H) Heard & Held -- Delayed to 10 Minutes Following Session --

  30. (H) STATE AFFAIRS at 10:00 AM GRUENBERG 120

  31. (H) -- MEETING CANCELED --

  32. (H) STATE AFFAIRS at 03:00 PM GRUENBERG 120

  33. (H) STA, JUD

  34. (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS

  35. (S) VERSION: CSSB 161(JUD)

  36. (S) TRANSMITTED TO (H)

  37. (S) EFFECTIVE DATE(S) SAME AS PASSAGE

  38. (S) PASSED Y14 N- E4 A2

  39. (S) READ THE THIRD TIME CSSB 161(JUD)

  40. (S) ADVANCED TO THIRD READING 3/25 CAL

  41. (S) JUD CS ADOPTED UC

  42. (S) READ THE SECOND TIME

  43. (S) RULES TO CALENDAR 3/23/2022

  44. (S) FN1: ZERO(GOV)

  45. (S) DP: MYERS, HUGHES, KIEHL

  46. (S) AM: HOLLAND

  47. (S) JUD RPT CS 1AM 3DP SAME TITLE

  48. (S) Minutes (SJUD)

  49. (S) Moved CSSB 161(JUD) Out of Committee

  50. (S) JUDICIARY at 01:30 PM BUTROVICH 205

  51. (S) Minutes (SJUD)

  52. (S) Heard & Held

  53. (S) JUDICIARY at 01:30 PM BUTROVICH 205

  54. (S) FN1: ZERO(GOV)

  55. (S) DP: KAWASAKI

  56. (S) NR: SHOWER, COSTELLO, REINBOLD, HOLLAND

  57. (S) STA RPT 4NR 1DP

  58. (S) Minutes (SSTA)

  59. (S) Moved SB 161 Out of Committee

  60. (S) STATE AFFAIRS at 03:30 PM BUTROVICH 205

  61. (S) -- MEETING CANCELED --

  62. (S) STATE AFFAIRS at 03:30 PM BUTROVICH 205

  63. (S) Minutes (SSTA)

  64. (S) Heard & Held

  65. (S) STATE AFFAIRS at 03:30 PM BUTROVICH 205

  66. (S) STA, JUD

  67. (S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 0 co-sponsors · 64 not signed on

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (0)

None.

Not signed on (64)

64 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 64 →

"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

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Frequently asked questions

Who sponsors SB 161?
SB 161 is sponsored by Bill Wielechowski (D).
What is the current status of SB 161?
This bill has been enacted into law. Introduced January 18, 2022. Enacted.
Where can I track SB 161?
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