Alaska

Alaska has a Constitutional Amendment from 1982 that limits the growth of appropriations to the growth of population and inflation.

Section 9.16 - APPROPRIATION LIMIT.

Except for appropriations for Alaska permanent fund dividends, appropriations of revenue bond proceeds, appropriations required to pay the principal and interest on general obligation bonds, and appropriations of money received from a non-State source in trust for a specific purpose, including revenues of a public enterprise or public corporation of the State that issues revenue bonds, appropriations from the treasury made for a fiscal year shall not exceed $2,500,000,000 by more than the cumulative change, derived from federal indices as prescribed by law, in population and inflation since July 1, 1981. Within this limit, at least one-third shall be reserved for capital projects and loan appropriations. The legislature may exceed this limit in bills for appropriations to the Alaska permanent fund and in bills for appropriations for capital projects, whether of bond proceeds or otherwise, if each bill is approved by the governor, or passed by affirmative vote of three-fourths of the membership of the legislature over a veto or item veto, or becomes law without signature, and is also approved by the voters as prescribed by law. Each bill for appropriations for capital projects in excess of the limit shall be confined to capital projects of the same type, and the voters shall, as provided by law, be informed of the cost of operations and maintenance of the capital projects. No other appropriation in excess of this limit may be made except to meet a state of disaster declared by the governor as prescribed by law. The governor shall cause any unexpended and unappropriated balance to be invested so as to yield competitive market rates to the treasury.

-- THE CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF ALASKA

Alaska’s Constitution limits the state’s Governor to two consecutive terms.  A person can run for that office again after sitting out one term.

Article III

SECTION 4. TERM OF OFFICE. The term of office of the governor is four years, beginning at noon on the first Monday in December following his election and ending at noon on the first Monday in December four years later.

SECTION 5. LIMIT ON TENURE. No person who has been elected governor for two full successive terms shall be again eligible to hold that office until one full term has intervened.

 -- THE CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF ALASKA

Created by: Jennifer L. Crull

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