A rally was held Saturday at the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers headquarters in Fairbanks to oppose Ballot Measure 1, which aims to tighten restrictions on campaign contributions and publicly funded lobbyists.
Opponents say the measure goes too far, impeding free-speech rights and important government functions.
The initiative will be on the Aug. 24 ballot and needs a simple majority to be approved.
Fairbanks North Star Borough Mayor Luke Hopkins told about 50 people at the rally that the initiative would hamper municipal governments from bringing funds into their communities.
The borough and city of Fairbanks are two of 163 governments in the Alaska Municipal League, which has come out against the initiative. The initiative bans contributions by recipients of a government contract worth $500 or more, and by their immediate family.
Peggy Wilcox, spokeswoman for the Stop the Gag Law campaign and an Alaska Public Employees Association worker, said the stipulation about family members will remove rights from people simply because of who their relatives are.
She also noted that the $500 contract definition could apply to something relatively nonpolitical like a bakery receiving borough funds by selling food to a library.
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