Voters to decide whether to add 6 seats to Alaska Legislature

[ccharles000]

JUNEAU - The state Legislature has voted to expand both chambers by 10 percent, by adding another two and four Senate and House seats, respectively. The vote comes as the state sees increasing signs of a population shift from rural areas to bigger cities. It also precedes a coming shift in legislative district boundaries to match population estimates from the latest federal census, which is ongoing.

The resolution, a proposed constitutional amendment, passed the House 30-10 Sunday and must still pass muster with voters.

The House had previously approved the measure Saturday night before Rep. Craig Johnson, R-Anchorage, voted to reconsider the vote Sunday.

"I think now's not the time for us to go back to the people and say, 'let's get bigger,'" Johnson said, referring to growth in the government's legislative branch.

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