House passes ethics reform to clarify complaints and strengthen oversight

The Alaska House passed House Bill 298 on a 37-3 vote May 1. The Senate Judiciary Committee heard the ethics reform legislation Wednesday.

The bill clarifies how anonymous complaints work, strengthens subpoena authority, and updates whistleblower protections. It codifies decades of how the ethics committee actually operates.

Alaska's nine-member Select Committee on Legislative Ethics includes four legislators and five public members. The Chief Justice appoints the public members. Two-thirds of the legislature confirms them.

Representative Kevin McCabe said that structure sets Alaska apart. "In Congress, the House and Senate ethics committees are composed entirely of elected members, a pure self-policing system that has drawn consistent criticism for being too lenient and protective of insiders," McCabe said. "Alaska chose a different path early on to guard against exactly those risks."

The sponsors said former ethics committee members flagged that the anonymous complaint process was unclear. Two of those former members now serve in the Senate.

The committee discussed one potential change. Under current bill language, if the ethics committee finishes a hearing before campaign season but has not issued a decision, it must wait until after the election to release findings. Senator Keel asked whether legislators under investigation should be able to request public release during the campaign.

McCabe said that provision aims to prevent weaponizing ethics complaints during elections. Sponsor Elise Galvin said they would consider allowing the subject of a complaint to request release. Ethics committee member Joyce Anderson testified that change would not weaponize the process.

The bill builds on 2007 reforms passed after the VECO scandal, when multiple legislators were convicted of bribery tied to oil tax legislation.

Chair Clayman requested amendments by 5 p.m. Thursday, May 7. The committee takes up the bill again Friday, May 8 at 1:30 p.m.