Article XII
General Provisions
SECTION 1. STATE BOUNDARIES. The State of Alaska
shall consist of all the territory, together with the
territorial waters appurtenant thereto, included in the
Territory of Alaska upon the date of ratification of this
constitution by the people of Alaska.
SECTION 2. INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS. The State and
its political subdivisions may cooperate with the United
States and its territories, and with other states and their
political subdivisions on matters of common interest. The
respective legislative bodies may make appropriations for
this purpose.
SECTION 3. OFFICE OF PROFIT. Service in the armed
forces of the United States or of the State is not an office
or position of profit as the term is used in this
constitution.
SECTION 4. DISQUALIFICATION FOR DISLOYALTY. No person
who advocates, or who aids or belongs to any party or
organization or association which advocates, the overthrow
by force or violence of the government of the United States
or of the State shall be qualified to hold any public office
of trust or profit under this constitution.
SECTION 5. OATH OF OFFICE. All public officers,
before entering upon the duties of their offices, shall take
and subscribe to the following oath or affirmation: "I do
solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend
the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution
of the State of Alaska, and that I will faithfully discharge
my duties as . . . . . to the best of my ability." The
legislature may prescribe further oaths or affirmations.
SECTION 6. MERIT SYSTEM. The legislature shall
establish a system under which the merit principle will
govern the employment of persons by the State.
SECTION 7. RETIREMENT SYSTEMS. Membership in employee
retirement systems of the State or its political
subdivisions shall constitute a contractual relationship.
Accrued benefits of these systems shall not be diminished or
impaired.
SECTION 8. RESIDUAL POWER. The enumeration of
specified powers in this constitution shall not be construed
as limiting the powers of the State.
SECTION 9. PROVISIONS SELF-EXECUTING. The provisions
of this constitution shall be construed to be self-executing
whenever possible.
SECTION 10. INTERPRETATION. Titles and subtitles
shall not be used in construing this constitution. Personal
pronouns used in this constitution shall be construed as
including either sex.
SECTION 11. LAW-MAKING POWER. As used in this
constitution, the terms "by law" and "by the legislature,"
or variations of these terms, are used interchangeably when
related to law-making powers. Unless clearly inapplicable,
the law-making powers assigned to the legislature may be
exercised by the people through the initiative, subject to
the limitations of Article XI.
SECTION 12. DISCLAIMER AND AGREEMENT. The State of
Alaska and its people forever disclaim all right and title
in or to any property belonging to the United States or
subject to its disposition, and not granted or confirmed to
the State or its political subdivisions, by or under the act
admitting Alaska to the Union. The State and its people
further disclaim all right or title in or to any property,
including fishing rights, the right or title to which may be
held by or for any Indian, Eskimo, or Aleut, or community
thereof, as that right or title is defined in the act of
admission. The State and its people agree that, unless
otherwise provided by Congress, the property, as described
in this section, shall remain subject to the absolute
disposition of the United States. They further agree that no
taxes will be imposed upon any such property, until
otherwise provided by the Congress. This tax exemption shall
not apply to property held by individuals in fee without
restrictions on alienation.
SECTION 13. CONSENT TO ACT OF ADMISSION. All
provisions of the act admitting Alaska to the Union which
reserve rights or powers to the United States, as well as
those prescribing the terms or conditions of the grants of
lands or other property, are consented to fully by the State
and its people.
SECTION 14. APPROVAL OF FEDERAL AMENDMENT TO STATEHOOD
ACT AFFECTING AN INTEREST OF THE STATE UNDER THAT ACT. A
federal statute or proposed federal statute that affects an
interest of this State under the Act admitting Alaska to the
Union is ineffective as against the State interest unless
approved by a two-thirds vote of each house of the
legislature or approved by the people of the State. The
legislature may, by a resolution passed by a majority vote
of each house, place the question of approval of the federal
statute on the ballot for the next general election unless
in the resolution placing the question of approval, the
legislature requires the question to be placed before the
voters at a special election. The approval of the federal
statute by the people of the State is not effective unless
the federal statute described in the resolution is ratified
by a majority of the qualified voters of the State who vote
on the question. Unless a summary of the question is
provided in the resolution passed by the legislature, the
lieutenant governor shall prepare an impartial summary of
the question. The lieutenant governor shall present the
question to the voters so that a "yes" vote on the question
is a vote to approve the federal statute.
Article XIII
Amendment and Revision
SECTION 1. AMENDMENTS. Amendments to this
constitution may be proposed by a two-thirds vote of each
house of the legislature. The lieutenant governor shall
prepare a ballot title and proposition summarizing each
proposed amendment, and shall place them on the ballot for
the next general election. If a majority of the votes cast
on the proposition favor the amendment, it shall be adopted.
Unless otherwise provided in the amendment, it becomes
effective thirty days after the certification of the
election returns by the lieutenant governor.
SECTION 2. CONVENTION. The legislature may call
constitutional conventions at any time.
SECTION 3. CALL BY REFERENDUM. If during any ten-year
period a constitutional convention has not been held, the
lieutenant governor shall place on the ballot for the next
general election the question: "Shall there be a
Constitutional Convention?" If a majority of the votes cast
on the question are in the negative, the question need not
be placed on the ballot until the end of the next ten-year
period. If a majority of the votes cast on the question are
in the affirmative, delegates to the convention shall be
chosen at the next regular statewide election, unless the
legislature provides for the election of the delegates at a
special election. The lieutenant governor shall issue the
call for the convention. Unless other provisions have been
made by law, the call shall conform as nearly as possible to
the act calling the Alaska Constitutional Convention of
1955, including, but not limited to, number of members,
districts, election and certification of delegates, and
submission and ratification of revisions and ordinances. The
appropriation provisions of the call shall be self-executing
and shall constitute a first claim on the state
treasury.
SECTION 4. POWERS. Constitutional conventions shall
have plenary power to amend or revise the constitution,
subject only to ratification by the people. No call for a
constitutional convention shall limit these powers of the
convention.