Vitamin Democracy: APOC wants YOU!
The Alaska Public Offices Commission (APOC) is in the process of updating the regulations covering the three areas within its purview: Campaign disclosure, Regulation of lobbying, and Legislative and Public Official financial disclosure. Usually, this process is done by making the changes public on the APOC website and then through a series of formal meetings where they take public testimony. It can be a very intimidating process generally only used by those subject to the regulations (public officials, aides, candidates and campaign workers) as well as geeky, watchdog types (ahem).
Here’s the good news! APOC listened to the requests of many in the public (ahem) and will be holding workshops this week on the regulation changes BEFORE the hearings! This way, folks can ask questions and get a better understanding of what the regulations are (hint to Rep. Thomas and Rep. Edgmon) and which ones are changing.
HERE IS THE LINK to the Proposed Regulations Packet, the summary of changes, etc…pretty much everything regarding the proposed changes. However, I can find no listing of the workshops. For that, I’ll pull from my trusty email:
Attached is a revised notice of proposed regulations from the Alaska Public Office Commission. It includes information about the workshops that are planned for February 2nd and February 3rd. That information is also shown below. Also attached is a summary of the proposed regulations for assistance in review of the proposed regulations.
If you have questions about these documents please contact Jerry D. Anderson at 907 276-4176 or jerry.anderson@alaska.gov.
Workshops:
The Commission is having a series of workshops on the regulations. The Commission will not be taking comments on the regulations at the workshops. The workshops will begin with an explanation of the changes in the proposed regulations followed by a time period for questions from attendees. The workshops will be held by teleconference in the Department of Administration Conference Room, 19th Floor, Atwood Building, 550 W. 7th Avenue, Anchorage, AK and the Department of Administration Conference Room, 10th Floor, State Office Building, Juneau, AK.
These hearings will be by video conference from both the Juneau and Anchorage locations and may also be accessed by telephone call from other locations in Alaska at 1 (800) 315-6338, code 4176 followed by the pound sign # and then the number 1.
February 2, 2011 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 Noon
Regulation of lobbying, 2 AAC 50.550 -.590, and procedures, 2 AAC 50.801-.899, and general provisions, 2 AAC 50.920.
February 2, 2011 from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Legislative and public official financial disclosure, 2 AAC 50.680 -.799, and procedures, 2 AAC 50.801-.899 and general provisions, 2 AAC 50.920.
February 3, 2011 from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Campaign disclosure, 2 AAC 50.250 -.405, procedures, 2 AAC 50.801-.899, and general provisions, 2 AAC 50.920.
I hope those of you who can will participate, whether in person or by telephone. APOC is one of the few ways we have to keep our Legislators and Public Officials honest. The only way we can do that is to be educated about the process!
Thank you all for your support!
It looks like I won’t have a car tomorrow but I will still be attending via the telephone. In some ways, that makes it easier to look at the info on the computer rather than shuffling papers.
Between the Assembly Meeting, tomorrow and Thursday’s APOC Workshops and Thursday night’s School Board Meeting, this is one crazy week!
Thank you for this, Linda. I am grateful for your dedication and the information you provide.
This is a very good idea, I will try to attend.
So is APOC the toothless tiger getting a set of dentures?
Thanks Linda – and though some of us will be at work (ahem) we trust you other very interested types [yes we are all nerds] to attend and inform. 🙂
This is great news, Linda, and I’ll be watching from my little island off the other edge of the continent.
*sigh* I looked it up earlier and the site listed it as a spelling…but it wasn’t my normal Merriam Webster. I’ve looked it up again and discovered that site simply inserted the incorrect spelling in the definition…who creates a site to do that?
I am far from a perfect speller and often neglect to look up words that I am or should be uncertain of. While it was free I used the OED for reference because they have the etymology of every word as well as definitions and variations in spelling. Now that they are a pay site I use dict.org, it seems pretty good and is easy to remember.
Still have the question, how are the members of the APOC selected?
Linda –
Ummm, totally off topic and not meant to be overly pedantic but I think you mean purview rather than pervue.
Since I am what you might call a not even on the same continent ‘outsider’ there is not much for me to say other than to suggest that it might be enlightening for those of us watching from the bleachers if you could enlighten us as to how the APOC members themselves are chosen. Are they appointed?
It seems as if, since their responsibilities are so important, that they should be elected.
Just my opinion.
Sarafina, there will be two “ethics round-ups” coming. One will be of a national nature, believe it or not, and the other will be Alaska. APOC met today on the complaint against Bryce Edgmon (not from me, from APOC itself) which is the same complaint they made against Rep. Thomas…which isn’t completed. I wanted to get the results of today’s meeting first then talk about Mr. Thomas’s…errrr…absence.
Rotten times for me call in … darn.
Hoping we’ll get a rundown from you Linda !
And any others who can participate !
Slightly off topic, whatever happened with that candidate who tried to pass his campaign ads off as “thank you” notes? Any action on that yet?
(and YAY!!!!!!!!!! LKB)