Alaska Constitution Article II – The Legislature
Alaska Constitution – Article II: The Legislature
🔹 Short Heading:
Structure, Powers, and Procedures of Alaska’s Legislative Branch
📘 Plain English Overview of Article II:
Article II of the Alaska Constitution outlines everything related to the Alaska State Legislature, including how it is formed, how it functions, and what powers it holds.
🏛️ Key Sections and What They Mean:
Section 1 – Legislative Power:
Legislative authority is vested in a bicameral legislature:
Senate
House of Representatives
Section 2 – Membership:
The legislature has:
20 Senators
40 Representatives
Section 3 – Election and Terms:
Senators serve 4-year terms.
Representatives serve 2-year terms.
Section 4 – Qualifications:
Members must be:
Qualified voters,
Live in Alaska for 3 years,
Residents of their district for 1 year,
At least 25 (Senators) or 21 (Representatives) years old.
Section 5 – Disqualifications:
No legislator can hold another public office while serving.
Convicted felons may be disqualified.
Section 6 – Regular Sessions:
The legislature meets annually. Sessions are limited to 90 days (changed by later statute).
Section 7 – Special Sessions:
Can be called by:
The governor, or
Two-thirds of the legislature.
Section 14 – Passage of Bills:
Bills must pass both houses and be signed by the governor (or overridden by a 2/3 vote).
Section 15 – Veto Power:
The governor may veto bills or line-item veto appropriation bills. The legislature can override with a 2/3 vote.
Section 17 – Impeachment:
The House may impeach with a two-thirds vote.
The Senate tries the impeachment, requiring a two-thirds conviction vote.
⚖️ Purpose of Article II:
To ensure separation of powers, define legislative authority, and create a clear and accountable lawmaking process in Alaska.
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