The Anchorage Daily News is reporting that the state is investigating $2 million in possibly illegal donations to last year's ballot initiative to limit the Pebble mine. The focus of the investigation is a wealthy businessman, Bob Gillam, who enjoys fishing and was worried about water quality.

That initiative, which failed, has been the subject of intense debate. Gov. Sarah Palin's public opposition to the measure led to demands that she be investigated for abusing her office.

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, attempting to recover from various political wounds, is backing a ballot initiative in her state that would require notification of a parent or guardian before a minor may obtain an abortion.

This may prove to be a smart political strategy. What's not smart -- or justified -- are attempts to attack Palin for involving herself in a ballot initiative campaign. Governors all over the country --- both Democrats (Ritter of Colorado and Napolitano of Arizona most recently) and Republicans (Schwarzenegger) -- have led such campaigns, even drafting and sponsoring initiatives themselves. But the left in and out of Alaska has tried to accuse Palin of ethical transgressions for supporting measures. Their argument is that a governor, by involving herself in a campaign, is using the resources of her government office for politics. While I have concerns about governors creating plebiscites, Palin's strategy is hardly out of line, or unusual. And her opponents are allowing her to pose as a champion of free speech by attacking her in this way. It'd be wiser to go after Palin for her views on issues and her less-than-distinguished record as governor.

Here's some good news for pre-k even in difficult economic times: This month the state legislature in Alaska, one of twelve states that does not have a state pre-k program, passed Gov. Sarah Palin's proposed $2 million pilot pre-k program. The program will distribute funds to school districts -- and in some cases, community-based organizations -- to provide voluntary, half-day pre-kindergarten for up to 500 Alaska 4-year-olds. The state Department of Education and Early Development will develop guidelines for local implementation, as well as a framework for program expansion.

This program is less than half the size of the $5 million program the Governor originally proposed, but a good step nonetheless in a state that is anticipating a budget deficit due to falling oil revenues. Alaska's fiscal year 2010 budget also includes an additional $600,000 in state funding for Head Start, which would create new spaces for about 60 new children. (Approximately 2,674 Alaskan children are in Head Start programs.)

In 2006, Alaska voters approved a ballot initiative that imposed tough environmental rules on the water discharges of cruise ships. Now that state's lawmakers, claiming that enforcement of the rules threatens to hurt tourism in the Last Frontier, are pushing legislation to relax those standards.

The Republican vice presidential nominee's decision to take the side of mining interests in an Alaska ballot initiative on water regulation last month may have been a violation of state law. And the net roots have given it a name: "Salmongate."

All four Alaska ballot initiatives -- on gambling, campaign finance, greater mining regulation and aerial hunting of animals -- were defeated in that state's primary elections Tuesday. The hunting initiative, Measure 2, which would have banned the aerial hunting of wolves and other creatures, had the strongest showing, but appears to have won only 44 percent of the vote, according to the most recent state election results. Measures to establish a gaming commission and public financing of elections did particularly poorly. Reaction here via the Fairbanks paper.

Alaskans will consider four initiatives Tuesday, including a ban on aerial hunting of wolves and other wildlife. The above ad for Measure 2 stays aways from the controversial wolves, and instead dwells on the far more cuddly bears.

The Aug. 26 state elections in Alaska are approaching. The political world is watching to see if indicted U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens can survive the Republican primary. This blog is watching  Ballot Measure 2, the Alaska initiative to bar the shooting of wolves from the air. (Aerial population control of grizzlies and wolverines also would be covered by the ban). But there are three other measures, one on gaming, one establishing public finance for campaigns, and a third, Prop 4, that would put new regulations on mines in the name of cleaning water. The Homer paper provides a rundown of the measures here.

TOO COOL FOR SCHOOL: Here's an important and under-reported story: Nevada's schools will be closed on Election Day in November. That should boost turnout in a swing presidential state. And it also could give a boost to the Nevada teachers' unions, who are attempting to raise gaming taxes to boost education funds. Not having to teach that day will boost turnout. Also, about 800 of the poll workers could be students, says the state's registrar of voters. In related news, a Nevada judge rules that two measures to tax gaming to provide funds for education can remain on the ballot. The judge thinks they make little sense, but says that the voters have the right to decide that for themselves.

AG'S DOMAIN: Some agriculture interests are getting aggressive in opposing Prop 98, one of the two measures on June's California ballot that would put restrictions on eminent domain. The Sacramento Bee says that this represents a divide in the agriculture community, since the California Farm Bureau is one of the initiative's backers. (Prop 98's restrictions include tigher limitations on using condemnation for private purposes and on retn control than its competitor, Prop 99).

Pardon all the animal talk. Your blogger doesn't keep pets and has a fear of most animals as a result of growing up on the streets of Hong Kong (wild dogs) and Southern California (coyotes). But direct democracy is all about animals these days. Three political consultants -- who live in three separate time zones -- told me last week that they expect a measure on confinement of farm animals to be the biggest initiative campaign in California this fall. The agriculture industry -- particularly the chicken folks -- see this initiative as a mortal threat.

I came across the following video in my attempts to learn more about the aerial wolf hunting initiative scheduled for the August ballot in Alaska. It's by Defenders of Wildlife, so take it with a grain of salt. But it gave me at least a mental picture of what Alaskans will be debating this summer.