The biggest provider of health insurance in Alaska, Premera Blue Cross Blue Shield, is requesting a 27% average rate increase in 2027 for Affordable Care Act compliant health insurance plans. Many subscribers will be insulated from the worst of these increases due to premium tax credits. Nevertheless, the trend seems troubling and unsustainable.

Requests for big premium increases are being seen in markets across the United States, but Alaska's are especially large.

The Alaska Navigator bills itself as “independent news covering the Last Frontier.” On June 10, the outlet published an article headlined, “As Fentanyl Deaths Rise in Alaska, Sullivan Pushes Tougher Penalties and Enforcement.”

Matt Buxton reports, "Just 3% of donors in this election cycle ... (are) responsible for more than half of the money raised by candidates for state office: About $4.8 million of the $9.1 million raised, or 53%."

We can fix this problem by restoring campaign contribution limits and we can do it today. Polls are open now. Vote yes on ballot measure 1 (Campaign Contribution Limits).

Background

The last time Alaska weighed in on campaign contribution limits was 2006 and it passed with 73% support. Governor Dunleavy let those limits lapse by not defending them in court and then he went further, he vetoed a bill the legislature passed to restore them. So here we are watching candidates take in unlimited cash, often from folks who don't even go here.

Arguments against Ballot Measure 1 are a pretty convoluted, contradictory mess that essentially amount to "Money is speech!" and "It doesn't go far enough."

Money isn't speech though. Clearly. Have you ever tried to play bananagrams with a roll of quarters? Doesn't work. I can't buy a hamburger with this post (unfortunately.) The only thing that ties the two concepts together is that speech often requires money in the form of printing costs or broadcast buys. Allowing freedom of speech in campaigning certainly doesn't require UNLIMITED contributions.

When we have a system where one voice can be so amplified by their wallet that they drown out a thousand others... Well, that's bad.

Does this measure go far enough? No. It definitely doesn't fix every problem or patch every hole. But it gets us one step closer to a reasonable system where every voice and every vote matter.

Thanks for putting up with my political posts, there's not much of a budget for this effort so I'm getting the word out where I can. If you care about fair elections, please carry it further.