Nepotism Initiative back on ballot:
ANCHORAGE (Reuters) - Alaska's Supreme Court has resurrected a ballot initiative that would allow voters to abolish the governor's power to appoint a U.S. senator, a high-profile issue in Alaska ever since Republican Gov. Frank Murkowski named his daughter Lisa to the post in 2002.
In a ruling released late on Friday, the Supreme Court ordered the initiative back on the November ballot, even though the Republican-controlled legislature in May passed a similar bill that requires special elections to fill vacant Senate seats.
Experts say the ballot initiative will remind voters of Lisa Murkowski's appointment by her father, an unpopular decision, and could influence a key contest in the pitched battle for control of the closely divided U.S. Senate.
Lisa Murkowski is likely to face a tight race in November against Democratic former Gov. Tony Knowles if, as expected, she wins the Republican primary on Tuesday.
Frank Murkowski left the Senate after 22 years when he was elected governor in 2002. Three weeks after he was sworn in as governor, Murkowski named his daughter, a state lawmaker from Anchorage, to his old job in the U.S. Senate.
Voter anger at the appointment led to the proposal of a ballot initiative to require special elections for abandoned senate seats.
Posted by ruthlesshack
at 5:22 PM PDT
