Mixing Zones Initiative Application Certified

November 8, 2007, Anchorage, Alaska – An initiative that would prohibit mixing zones in water used by salmon and resident fish has cleared its first legal review, and Lieutenant Governor Sean Parnell today certified the initiative known as 07WIFI. Certification of this initiative allows the initiative sponsors to proceed with gathering signatures required to place the measure on the ballot.

Lieutenant Governor Parnell’s decision to certify the initiative was supported by a Department of Law legal opinion. The Department of Law’s opinion, dated November 8, 2007, concluded that the bill and application are in the proper form, and that the application complies with the constitutional and statutory provisions governing the use of the initiative.

Petition booklets will be prepared for the sponsors of the initiative by the Alaska Division of Elections. The sponsors will need to collect at least 23,831 valid signatures from qualified voters in 30 election districts in order for the proposed bill to be placed on a ballot.

The lieutenant governor’s letter to the initiative’s sponsors is available online.

The Department of Law’s legal opinion is available online.

The Division of Elections’ memorandum is available online.