Seventy student delegates gathered on the UAA campus on Friday and Saturday April 11-12 as a UAA student Alaska Constitutional Convention. By the close of the convention, the delegates approved three proposed amendments to Alaska’s Constitution and one proposed ordinance. Together, those changes would add sexual orientation and gender identity as protected statuses under the civil rights clause, eliminate mandatory retirement for Alaska’s judges and justices, add a subsistence priority to the Constitution, and regulate the availability of abortion for certain minors.
Proposed Amendment to Article I, Section 3- Civil Rights
No person is to be denied the enjoyment of any civil or political right because of race, color, creed, sex, national origin, sexual orientation or gender identity. The legislature shall implement this section.
Proposed Amendment to Article 4, Section 11 - Retirement of the Judiciary
Justices and judges shall not be required to retire unless medically unacceptable to perform duties of such, as determined by the judicial council.
Proposed Amendment to Article 8, Section 3 - Subsistence Priority
Section 1: The legislature may, consistent with the sustained yield principle, provide a priority to and among local residents for the taking of fish and wildlife and other renewable natural resources for subsistence.
Section 2: During times of shortage subsistence priority shall shift to communities and areas substantially dependent on a subsistence lifestyle; and fall under the poverty level determined by the legislature. Procedure for Change Thereof
Section 3: The amendment proposed by this resolution shall be placed before the voters of the state at the next general election in conformity with Art XIII Sect 1, Constitution of the State of Alaska, and the election laws of the State.
Section 4: If adopted by the voters at the next general election, the amendment proposed by this resolution takes effect immediately upon certification of the election returns of the Lieutenant Governor.
Proposed Ordinance
(a) A person may not knowingly perform or induce an abortion on a minor who is known to the person to be pregnant, unmarried, under 17 years of age, and unemancipated unless, before the abortion, one of the minor's parents or the minor's guardian or custodian has been notified in writing of the performance or inducement of the abortion.
(b) A person may not knowingly perform or induce an abortion on a minor who is known to the person to be pregnant, unmarried, under 14 years of age, and unemancipated unless, before the abortion, one of the minor's parents or the minor's guardian or custodian has consented in writing to the performance or inducement of the abortion.
