Protecting Your Rights: Serving West Anchorage

March 6, 2026

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

This week, the Senate Judiciary and State Affairs Committees held a joint hearing on the release of Alaskans’ confidential voter data to the federal government in December. Releasing the confidential, personal information of thousands of registered voters in Alaska raises concerns about protecting against identity theft and breaches our constitutional right to privacy.

Read on for more.

Joint Hearing on Voter Registration List Data

This week, the Senate Judiciary Committee held a joint hearing with the Senate State Affairs Committee to learn about the release of confidential voter information to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ).

The DOJ sent a request for voter roll information to all fifty states. 29 states and the District of Columbia refused to provide confidential information to the DOJ, and the DOJ brought lawsuits against those states. In December, Lieutenant Governor Nancy Dahlstrom and Division of Elections Director Carol Beecher sent a list of every registered Alaska voter to the federal government, roughly 550,000 people. Texas is the only other state to release confidential voter information to the federal government. The released information included dates of birth, driver license numbers, and social security numbers, which are confidential under Alaska law.

The DOJ has said it will review the voter rolls to determine if there are voters they believe should not be registered.

Article 1, Section 22 of Alaska’s Constitution establishes a personal right to privacy. Sending the confidential information of hundreds of thousands of Alaskans to the federal government is not consistent with our right to privacy. When asked about this breach of the right to privacy, the Department of Law stated that the interest of ensuring election integrity allowed the Division of Elections to send confidential, personal information to the federal government.

States have the right to maintain their own voting lists and manage their own elections. Our Alaska right to privacy states: “The right of the people to privacy is recognized and shall not be infringed.” The request from the federal government for Alaska’s confidential voter information and Alaska agreeing to that request raises constitutional concerns, especially about how we protect your right to privacy.

You can watch the full hearing here.

In Memoriam: Representative Craig Johnson

I was sad to learn of the recent passing of former Representative Craig Johnson. I served with Representative Johnson in the House for many years and I respected him.

Please listen to my floor remarks below.

Reminder: 2026 Constituent Survey

Community Information

→ Alaska Constitution: A Citizen's Guide

First published in 1982, A Citizen's Guide to Alaska's Constitution provides the public with an overview of the state constitution.

"This book is about the origin and evolution of Alaska’s constitution. It discusses how the delegates to Alaska’s constitutional convention approached the subjects of the various articles; and it touches on the key ideas, words, phrases, judicial interpretations, and political history associated with the sections of each article. It provides a guided tour through Alaska’s basic law, written for the citizen who wants to learn more about the state constitution as well as practitioners who interact with the law every day." Harrison, G. S., & Fischer, V. (2025). A citizen’s guide to the Alaska Constitution (6th ed.). Alaska Historical Commission.

The Alaska Historical Commission published the most recent edition of the guide in 2025, and it is available online.

Citizen's Guide to the Constitution

Community Events

Tour of Anchorage

When: Sunday, March 8th at 8:00 AM

Where: Service High School to Kincaid Park

The Tour of Anchorage is one of the few point-to-point cross-country ski marathons in North America and may be the only one that crosses through an urban environment! 3 ski distances of 25, 40, and 50 kilometers are available in both Freestyle and Classic techniques. We also welcome Fatbike racers and will host a 50K, 40K, and 25K race on the same course. In each race, participants range from competitive elite athletes to recreational athletes just challenging themselves to get to the finish line.

The 40k and 50k start on the Anchorage Hillside and traverse the city along ski and multi-use trails. Tunnels, bridges, and greenbelts make it possible to ski from one side of town to the other without crossing a single road. The 25k races start in midtown (Alaska Pacific University) and tie into the 50k and 40k courses. All races finish at the ski stadium of Kincaid Park on the western edge of the city overlooking Cook Inlet. For more information, click here.

Iditarod Ceremonial Start

When: Saturday, March 7 at 10:00 AM

Where: 4th and D St

Join us for the Ceremonial Start of the 2026 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race®!

Race day is Saturday, March 7 and festivities begin at 8 a.m. in Downtown Anchorage at the corner of 4th and D Street. Come down, hang out, visit vendors, and see the human and canine athletes as they start preparing for the Ceremonial Start that will take these teams with their IditaRiders through 11 miles of Anchorage. The teams leave the start line at the corner of 4th and D Street in 3 minute intervals, with the festivities and opening ceremonies starting at 10 a.m. Get there early to get a good viewing spot!

For more information about the Iditarod visit iditarod.com.