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Hello!
The
Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race started in Anchorage over the weekend,
and the Arctic Winter Games are now underway in Whitehorse. Good luck
to all the Kenai Peninsula mushers and athletes. It was great seeing
Travis Beals and rookies Sadie Lindquist and Sam Paperman start their
journey to Nome. It is tough country and a great Alaska tradition. It
really is the last great race on earth.
The
integrity of our voter rolls is extremely important. Everyone wants
fair elections. Everyone wants to know if the system is honest and
that the results reflect the will of the people of Alaska. That means
only eligible voters, U.S. citizens, should be on the rolls. It is
simple and it is common sense.
For
years the State of Alaska has tried to clean up the voter lists. But
we have been blocked by the federal government’s interpretation of
the National Voter Registration Act. Once again, it’s too much
interference from Washington DC. Alaskans value our privacy and can
take care of our own.
Now
here is something very interesting. The Alaska Division of Elections,
with the advice from Alaska’s Attorney General, has turned over our
private voter data to the federal government, including personal
identifying information. While states like Utah, West Virginia,
Oklahoma, and Florida are fighting to keep their voter data private,
Alaska voluntarily sent confidential voter data to the federal
government and signed an agreement allowing the U.S. Department of
Justice to select Alaskans for removal from our State voter rolls.
We
do not know if that agreement is limited to the current
administration or if future administrations could have the same
authority over Alaska’s voter rolls. That is a big question. Likely
the biggest.
The
U.S. Constitution is very clear that states have the authority to
manage elections, including federal elections. The U.S. Supreme Court
has upheld that many times. When the federal government asks for
sensitive voter information like birthdates, driver’s license
numbers, and social security numbers, it raises a lot of questions.
Why do they want that information and what will they do with it? What
advice did the Alaska Attorney General give to green light the
release of this information that many other likeminded states are
fighting to defend? Who is sticking up for us?
The
Legislature is seeking answers to these questions. What do you think?
One
more thing! I will be back on the Kenai Peninsula for a town hall on
the evening of Thursday, March 26. I want to hear your ideas and your
concerns. I will post the details on Facebook and in this newsletter
once they are finalized. Please share them with your friends and
family and I hope to see you there.
I
am honored to be your effective advocate in Juneau. Please contact my
office when you have ideas or concerns by calling 907-283-7996 or by
email at sen.jesse.bjorkman@akleg.gov
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