Opinion
Note: This section is exclusively for op-eds. Letters and editorials are listed in a separate section below. Blogs are excluded from this page. It is often hard to distinguish between news and opinions, so there is some judgement used here. When a news outlet has claimed to separate its news and opinion sections, that self-categorization has been followed even when the news section does not seek meaningful balance.
Pro
Libbey, Jake, Get out and Vote!, Alaska Watchman, Nov. 7, 2022.
Campbell, Craig, The top 2 reasons to vote ‘YES’ on 1, Alaska Watchman, Nov. 4, 2022.
Hughes, Shelley, Shelley Hughes Torpedoes the Narrative, Alaska Watchman, Nov. 4, 2022.
Chambers, Michael, Alaska is in the midst of a great constitutional debate, Alaska Watchman, Nov. 2, 2022.
Hughes, Shelley, David vs Goliath: The State Constitutional Convention question on the ballot, Frontiersman, Oct. 31, 2022.” $17 million for a convention… is only .16% of the annual budget?” Also published in the Alaska Watchman, Nov. 2, 2022; Must Read Alaska, Nov. 2, 2022; and the Anchorage Daily News, Nov. 3, 2022.
Canning, Don, To Convene Or Not To Convene, Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Oct. 28, 2022. Text can be found here.
Pettyjohn, Fritz, If you don’t like dark money from the Sixteen Thirty Fund meddling in our elections, vote yes on Ballot Measure 1, Must Read Alaska, Oct. 12, 2022.
Myers, Robert, It’s time to vote yes on a constitutional convention, Alaska Anchorage News, Oct. 8, 2022. Also published in the Frontiersman as Our constitution needs to change to reflect changes within our state, Oct. 13, 2022.
Minnery, Jim, Constitutional Convention question pits NEA vs. People of Alaska, Alaska Watchman, Oct. 9, 2022.
Church, Joshua, Why I am supporting a Constitutional Convention for Alaska, Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Sept. 13, 2022.
Gimarc, Alex, In support of a constitutional convention, Must Read Alaska, Sept. 20, 2022.
Church, Joshua, Letter: Yes to a constitutional convention, Anchorage Daily News, Sept 7, 2022.
Campbell, Craig, Dark, outside money Is trying to keep you from getting your PFD, Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman, Aug 23, 2022.*
Canning, Donald, If now isn’t the right time for an Alaska constitutional convention, when will be?, Alaska Anchorage News, August 22, 2022.*
Davidson, Joel, Dark money fooled Alaska once – don’t let it happen again, Alaska Watchman, Aug. 22, 2022.
Myers, Robert, Why I support a constitutional convention, The Alaska Landmine, Aug. 18, 2022.* Myers is an Alaskan State senator.
Blog: Keppel, Willy, Constitutional Convention, Delta Discovery, August 4, 2022. “These people are spending MILLIONS of dollars SELLING FEAR, when in reality they’re selling BUSINESS AS USUAL.”
Libbey, Jake, Setting the Con Con record straight, Alaska Watchman, July 22, 2022.
Tavoliero, Michael, Vote yes on constitutional convention, Must Read Alaska, June 22, 2022.
Pettyjohn, Fritz, Do we trust Alaskans to decide the dividend question?, Must Read Alaska, Jan. 20, 2022. The author has also been on a Must Read Alaska podcast on the upcoming constitutional convention referendum.
Pettyjohn, Fritz, The PFD and the constitutional convention, Must Read Alaska, Dec. 15, 2021.
Bird, Bob, Is it time for a constitutional convention, Must Read Alaska, Sept. 5, 2021
Con
Kelsey, Mark, Voting no on a constitutional convention is an easy choice, The Alaska Landmine, Nov. 4, 2022.
Hostina, Mike, Let’s protect Alaska’s constitution. Vote no on a convention, Anchorage Daily News, Nov. 3, 2022.
Kelsey, Mark, Voting No is an Easy Choice, Frontiersman, Nov. 3, 2022.
Custer, Jason, A constitutional convention would undermine Alaska’s economic interes, Frontiersman, Nov. 1, 2022.
Baily, Doug, Alaska’s system of judicial selection is the envy of the nation, Alaska Beacon, Oct. 31, 2022.
Brown, Benjamin, Answer the constitutional convention question with a resounding no, Juneau Empire, Oct. 31, 2022.
Andrews, Elaine, and Donna Goldsmith, When it comes to Alaska’s judiciary, our founders got it right, Anchorage Daily News, Oct. 28, 2022. Also published in the Juneau Empire on Nov. 2, 2022.
Darnall, Diann, We don’t need a constitutional convention, Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Oct 27, 2022.
Paskvan, Joe, Alaska should not have a constitutional convention, Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Oct 23, 2022.
Lewandowski, Therese, Constitutional convention is not necessary, Homer News, Oct. 21, 2022.
Garrigues, Gayle, Alaska cannot afford the cost and chaos of a constitutional convention, Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Oct. 16, 2022.
Seifert, Rich, A constitutional convention is a risk Alaska doesn’t need, Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Oct. 7, 2022.
Davidson, George, Constitutional convention poses great risk: Join me in voting no on Proposition 1, Juneau Empire, Oct. 6, 2022.
Kilcher, Mossy, Leave well enough alone; vote ‘no’ on a constitutional convention, Homer News, Oct. 6, 2022.
Troll, Kate, and Jim Clark, Opposite sides agree that a constitutional convention is a bad idea: Approving a constitutional convention would be very bad for Alaska, Juneau Empire, Oct. 4, 2022.
Kimmel, Mara, Vote no on a constitutional convention to protect Alaskan values, Anchorage Daily News, Oct. 1, 2022.
Douglas, Sioux, and Beth Chapman, Opinion: Join us in voting against a constitutional convention; Voting no on a constitutional convention is vital to the well-being and stability of our state, Juneau Empire, Sept. 21, 2022.
Murkowski, Frank H., Opinion: If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, Frontiersman, Sept. 6, 2022. Also published in the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Sept. 15, 2022.
Derr, Loraine, Opinion: We do not need to convene a constitutional convention; Ways to amend the constitution already exist, Peninsula Clarion, Sept. 6, 2022.
Spectrum, Dermot Cole, Shielded by state employees, Dunleavy tries to make political cowardice into a virtue, Mat-Sue Valley Frontiersman, Aug. 23, 2022.
Geldhof, Joe, There is no need for a constitutional convention: What are the odds a constitutional convention will be anything other than a circus?, Juneau Empire, Opinion: We do not need to convene a constitutional conventionAug. 18, 2022.
Bakalar, Libby, Why saying ‘no’ to a constitutional convention is the most important vote you’ll cast this November, Anchorage Daily News, July 18, 2022.*
James, David, Abortion, morality and the law, Anchorage Daily News, July 15, 2022.
Moniak, Rich, A constitutional convention would be doomed to fail, Juneau Empire, July 1, 2022.*
Schijvens, Meilani, We’re at risk of losing our well-crafted constitution: Vote no for a constitutional convention in November, Juneau Empire, June 28, 2022.
Nenana, Pamela Samash, Saving the lives of future Alaskans, Fairbanks News-Miner, Jun 27, 2022.
Mertz, Max, Just say no to a constitutional convention, Juneau Empire, June 7, 2022. Also published in the Peninsula Clarion on June 9, 2022.
Kimmel, Mara, Constitutional convention threatens Alaskans’ privacy, reproductive health care rights, Anchorage Daily News, May 9, 2022. Also published as an ACLU of Alaska Press Release. Fact check: “The first time the question appeared on the ballot was 1972.” This statement is incorrect: the first time was 1970. (Published in May 10, 2022 print edition.)
Haycox, Steven, Supreme Court signals on abortion are an ominous sign for Alaskans’ right to privacy, Anchorage Daily News, May 9, 2022.
Gruening, Win, Constitutional Convention would open a can of worms, Juneau Empire, April 28, 2022. Also published in Peninsula Clarion, April 30, 2022 and 6Park.News/Alaska, April 28, 2022.
Harrison, Gordon, Alaska’s constitution has served us well since statehood, Anchorage Daily News, April 22, 2022. (Published in April 24, 2022 print edition.)
Giessel, Cathy, et al., Why Alaskans are uniting against a constitutional convention, Anchorage Daily News, April 7, 2022. Fact Check: in 1972 Alaskans voted to approve a convention, but a court later overturned the result. The press release coinciding with the website rollout was Defend Our Constitution Announces Statewide Coalition Opposing 2022 Constitutional Convention Question, April 7, 2022.
Corbus, Bill, A constitutional convention is fraught with danger for Juneau, Southeast and Alaska as a whole, Juneau Empire, Dec. 20, 2021. Also published in the Peninsula Clarion.
Persily, Larry, Alaska shouldn’t risk the free-for-all of a constitutional convention, Anchorage Daily News, Nov. 11, 2021.
Jenkins, Paul, A constitutional convention is a terrible idea for Alaska, Anchorage Daily News, Sept. 10, 2021.
Other
Gimarc, Alex, Repeal Ballot Measure 2 and ditch ranked choice voting, jungle primary, Must Read Alaska, Nov. 30, 2022.
Eastman, David, Should Alaska call a state Constitutional Convention? Definitely, maybe, Alaska Watchman, Nov. 7, 2022.*
Pettyjohn, Fritz, The politics of abortion in 2022, Must Read Alaska, June 26, 2022.
Letters
Pro
Thompson, Stuart, Supporting a convention, Anchorage Daily News, Nov. 7, 2022.
Moore, Betty Jo, Yes to a constitutional convention, Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Oct. 19, 2022. Also published in The Delta Discovery, Oct. 27, 2022, and Anchorage Daily News, Oct. 26, 2022.
Sliney, Lauri, Trust the people, Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Oct 18, 2022.
Southwell, Ray, Yes to a constitutional convention, Anchorage Daily News, Sept. 29, 2022.
Church, Joshua, Yes to a constitutional convention, Anchorage Daily News, Sept. 7, 2022.
Con
Jenkins, Peter, We don’t need a convention, Anchorage Daily News, Nov. 6, 2022.
Sherif, Sue, If it ain’t broke, don’t mess with the Alaska constitution, Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Nov. 6, 2022.
Laing, Ian, et al., A constitution worth protecting, Anchorage Daily News, Nov. 3, 2022.
Thomas, Diane, Vote no on constitutional convention, Ketchikan Daily News, Oct. 26, 2022.
Bridwell, Steven, Let’s end American colonialism, Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Oct. 24, 2022.
Hill, Holly R., Retirement risks, Anchorage Daily News, Oct. 21, 2022. Attorney Hill is the former executive director of the Alaska Public Offices Commission, which regulates campaign finance in Alaska.
Darnall, Diann, Vote no on the constitutional convention, Anchorage Daily News, Oct. 21, 2022.* The writer published the same letter in the Oct. 10 edition of the Juneau Empire and the Oct. 27 edition of the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner.
No need for constitutional convention, Ketchikan Daily News, Oct. 21, 2022.
Paskvan, Joe, Faulty assumptions, Anchorage Daily News, Oct. 20, 2022.
Baker, Alex, No constitutional convention, Anchorage Daily News, Oct. 17, 2022.
Lewandowski, Therese, Constitutional convention isn’t necessary, Anchorage Daily News, Oct. 17, 2022.
Sugrue, Ann, No to a convention, Anchorage Daily News, Oct. 17, 2022.
Smythe, Chuck, I’m joining the chorus in voting against a constitutional convention, Juneau Empire, Oct. 17, 2022.*
Farleigh, John, Vote no on a constitutional convention, Anchorage Daily News, Oct. 13, 2022.
Lazur, Louise, No to a constitutional convention, Anchorage Daily News, Oct. 11, 2022.
Norquist, Mark, Think Twice, Anchorage Daily News, Oct. 11, 2022.
Bartholomew, Bob, Vote no on constitutional convention to protect personal freedoms, Juneau Empire, Oct. 11, 2022.
Darnell, Diann, Join me in voting against a constitutional convention, Juneau Empire, Oct. 10, 2022. The writer published the same letter in the Oct. 21 edition of the Anchorage Daily News.
Reifenstein, George, Simply put, vote no on constitutional conventions, Juneau Empire, Oct. 5, 2022.
Atkinson, Tom, Constitutional Convention would undermine Alaskans’ interests, Alaska Senior Voice, Oct. 1, 2022.
Johnston, Britton, Say no to constitutional convention chaos, Anchorage Daily News, Sept. 28, 2022.
Elgee, George, Join me in opposing a constitutional convention, Juneau Empire, Sept. 28, 2022.
Seaton, Paul, Don’t rewrite our constitution, Anchorage Daily News, Sept. 26, 2022.
Baker, Frank, Leave Alaska’s constitution alone, Anchorage Daily News, Aug. 25, 2022.
Homer, Hal, Constitutional convention musings, Anchorage Daily News, Aug. 25, 2022.
Nenana, Pamela Samash, Saving the lives of future Alaskans, Fairbanks News-Miner, Jun 27, 2022.
Franks, Lyn, Oppose Constitutional Convention, Anchorage Daily News, May 4, 2022.
Homer, Hal, Quit the constitutional convention talk, Anchorage Daily News, Sept. 16, 2021.
Other
N.A.
Editorials
Pro
Forthcoming
Con
No on constitutional convention, Wrangell Sentinel, Nov. 2, 2022.
On Ballot Measure 1: vote No, Petersburg Pilot, Oct. 27, 2022.
Does Alaska need a constitutional convention?, Anchorage Daily News, Oct. 22, 2022. J.H. Snider Comment: This is ADN’s second editorial opposing a convention call, and the first one that attempts to make a sustained argument, albeit arguments that have already been made many times on ADN’s opinion pages during the past year.
No to convention, Ketchikan Daily News, Sept. 12, 2022.
Leave it Alone, Ketchikan Daily News, July 11, 2022. Permanent link.*
No Convention, Ketchikan Daily News, April 30, 2022. Permanent link.
What the Alaska Legislature will accomplish this year — and what it should, Anchorage Daily News, Jan. 6, 2022. “[A constitutional convention] is the worst idea that will come forward during the session, a Pandora’s box that would shred the well-designed system that our state’s principled founders drew up more than six decades ago.” Permanent Link.
Other
Buxton, Matt Acuna, 2022 wasn’t as bad as expected, but then again, we weren’t expecting much, The Midnight Sun, Jan. 11, 2023.
Weighing a constitutional convention: Ballot Measure 1, Fairbanks Daily News-Minor, Oct. 25, 2022.
Notable Social Media Websites
Pro
Senator Shelley Huges posts on Facebook (see her series running the last 30 days before the Nov. 8 convention vote).
Neutral
N.A.
Notable Blogs & Web Pages
(Excludes coalition websites, which are included under the “Coalition” menu item)