Claman resolution would weaken governor’s veto authority

By SUZANNE DOWNING

A proposed constitutional amendment sponsored by Anchorage Democratic Sen. Matt Claman would significantly reduce the power of Alaska’s chief executive and strengthen the Legislature’s hand in budget fights.

Senate Joint Resolution 2 proposes amending Article II, Section 16 of the Alaska Constitution to lower the threshold required for lawmakers to override a governor’s veto of revenue and appropriation bills. Currently, Alaska requires a three-fourths vote of the Legislature, sitting in joint session, to override vetoes involving the state budget or revenue measures.

For comparison, policy bills require only a two-thirds vote.

Under SJR 2, the higher three-fourths requirement would be eliminated. All vetoes, budgetary or otherwise, would be subject to the same two-thirds override standard.

Alaska is the only state in the nation with a three-fourths requirement for overriding a governor’s veto on revenue and appropriations. The existing structure reflects Alaska’s intentionally strong-governor form of government, designed to give the executive branch substantial leverage over spending and fiscal discipline. Curiously, Claman himself is a declare candidate for governor.

Lowering the bar to two-thirds would dramatically alter that balance, shifting power away from the governor and toward the Legislature, particularly in contentious budget years.

If the resolution passes the Legislature, it would not take effect automatically. Instead, it would be placed before voters statewide in the November 2026 general election, where Alaskans would decide whether to amend the constitution.

SJR 2 received its first – and only – committee hearing on the opening day of the 2026 legislative session, Jan. 20, in the Senate State Affairs Committee, which is the sole committee of referral for constitutional resolutions.

Notably, the hearing featured just one invited testifier besides Claman himself: the National Education Association (NEA), the powerful national teachers’ union that has been deeply involved in Alaska education funding and tax debates and has frequently opposed gubernatorial vetoes of education spending.

No representatives from the governor’s office, constitutional scholars, or fiscal watchdog groups were invited to testify.

Critics characterize the resolution as a legislative power grab that would weaken the executive’s ability to check spending and enforce fiscal restraint, while supporters argue that Alaska’s unusually high veto override threshold gives the governor excessive control over the budget process.

With Claman seeking the governor’s office while simultaneously advancing a proposal to diminish that office’s constitutional authority, SJR 2 is already shaping up to be a politically charged issue, one that could redefine Alaska’s separation of powers if it ultimately reaches and passes the ballot. On Thursday, a joint House and Senate will meet to override one of the governor’s vetoes from last year.

If SJR 2 passes, it is not subject to the governor’s veto.