State Government

The capital city of Alaska is  Juneau. State government functions similar to the federal government. The  Alaska Constitution divides governmental power between the same three branches as the federal government.

Legislative Branch  (website) The Alaska State Legislature operates similar to Congress. There is an Alaska Senate (20 people) and an Alaska House of Representatives (40 people). Just like Congress, both the Senate and the House must pass a bill before it goes to the Governor to be signed into law. Part of the job of the legislature is to develop a budget for the state that outlines how money will be spent.

Executive Branch. (website) The Governor is the head of state government; Alaska has a Governor and a Lieutenant Governor.  The Governor must sign a bill for it to become a law. The Governor also has the option to veto a bill. If it is an appropiations bill (money bill) he has the additional option of only veto one part of a bill; this is called “line-item veto.” The President does not have this power. With the exception of  the line-item veto, the Governor has similar powers to the President, but only within Alaska and at the state government level.

Judicial Branch (home)The judicial branch of Alaska is organized like the national judicial branch. The Alaska Supreme Court is the highest court for interpreting state and local laws. District Courts throughout the state handle most cases. Anyone who breaks a state law is tried in a state court. They may then appeal to a higher court. The Alaska Supreme Court is the highest court within the state, once they decide on an issue the decision final, unless it involves the U.S. Constitution or federal law in which case it can be taken to the U.S. Supreme Court.