In 2022, Alaskans will vote on whether to hold a statewide constitutional convention. The following is a list of issues we should consider addressing. A number of these concerns are shared by many conservatives, not just Alaskans. They address not only our own issues but those that pertain to persistent, long-standing violations of the federal government that affect the harmony of the union – a union threatened not by unilateral action of any of the states, but by a rogue federal government that has demonstrated, for generations, open contempt for the constitutional restraints placed upon its power.

Here are some key issues Alaskans should consider tackling at a constitutional convention:

• An end to the Alaska Judicial Council. The governor and legislature ought to somehow share the power of appointing and approving candidates for the judiciary.
• Although it is already implied in our State Constitution, and explicitly stated in Federalist #33, constitutional recognition should acknowledge that no judicial decision need be enforced by the governor. An executive’s opinion is the final filter through his enforcement power. Future legislation need not be influenced by case law, applying only to the contending parties.
• Although the power already exists, a specific citation should be written that the Legislature may prevent their statutes from litigation in the courts.
• Alaska should claim the four options guaranteed by the 1945 UN Treaty, Section 73, regarding Non-Self-Governing Territories. This was denied us at the 1958 statehood vote.  The American colonies of Philippines, Guam, Puerto Rico were granted all four options, as well as many other colonies belonging to empires throughout the world.
• Repudiate Article XII, Sections 12 and 13 of the State Constitution, regarding ownership of federal property in Alaska. Most federal properties are in violation of the U.S. Constitution found in Article I, Section 8, Clause 17 and the 10^th Amendment, and are therefore null and void according to Article VI of the U.S. Constitution.
• Repudiate the “Residual Power” found in Art. XII, Sec. 8 and instead closely copy the federal 10^th amendment, limiting the state’s powers to only those specifically written.
• That Amendments XIV [increasingly weird interpretations] and XVI [income tax] of the U.S. Constitution are null and void, having been approved in violation of Article V.
• That Amendment XVII of the U.S. Constitution [popular election of the Senate] is null and void, in violation of Article V, regarding states being deprived of their equal suffrage in the Senate.
• That the issuance of Federal Reserve Notes forces the states to violate Art. I, Sec. 10 of the U.S. Constitution: “No state shall … make anything but gold and silver coin a tender in payment of debts.”

What follows are suggestions sent to me directly or placed in the “comments” box after my previous essays on a constitutional convention. We all have some disagreements, and some are contradictory. The list below will permit the readers to contemplate what other Alaskans are thinking when it comes to a con-con.

• The initiative process should give citizens the ability to create a state constitutional amendment.
• PFD guarantees should be within the Constitution.
• Institute a mandatory 90-day session to pass a budget; any failure to do so would dissolve the Legislature and mandate new special elections. 
• No “designated/delegated funds” except those set up prior to statehood, which is the Mental Health Trust fund and Fish and Game. 
• Liquidate the useless Mental Health Trust Fund, a left-over fad from the 1950s and a built-in subsidy for the whacked-out Head Shrink Lobby.
• Pass a constitutional spending limit.
• Prohibit any new statewide taxes without a vote of the people.
• Define term limits.
• An individual should never be forced to file a financial report for spending personal money on political expression. 
• Dissolve the Alaska Public Offices Commission. It hasn’t stopped the special interest, outside money lobbyists, anyway.
• The state should recognize all native tribes in Alaska have sovereign rights.
• No government money will be utilized for abortion. There is no right to abortion. Period.
• Alaska public school funding should give parental rights the highest priority. Public money should follow the student wherever they go to school. 
• The state should divest itself from public education completely. Funding should be provided by local school districts. Native corporations should fund rural districts. Non-natives in rural Alaska would then pay for their tuition or home-school. They would still be able to join local public schools for sports and other activities or send their children to private schools on the road system.
• Allow each tribe to define Alaska Native blood.
• Delegates to the constitutional convention must be 35 years old, have invested [spent?] $100,000 in Alaska, and spent the majority of their life in Alaska. The must have matriculated high school and have no other conflicting loyalty oaths like a monarchy. No undeclared foreign agents, under penalty of treason.

The views expressed here are those of the author.

Click the following links to view parts one, two and three of this series on an Alaska State Constitutional Convention.

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