ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – Chugach Electric Association’s plans to begin an automatic round-up program to bills have been delayed after new Attorney General Stephen Cox said the program opens concerns over first amendment violations.
The program, called “Cents of Community,” planned to round up electrical bills to the nearest dollar and donate the additional funds towards nonprofit charities, but in a letter delivered Wednesday from the attorney general to Chugach electric, he said it raised constitutional concerns over free speech.
“This is a compelled-subsidy problem,” Cox said in a press release Wednesday. “Because Chugach’s members are captive customers, the automatic round-up requires them to fund speech they may not agree with. That raises serious First Amendment concerns. Alaskans should not be put in the position of supporting organizations or advocacy they disagree with just to keep the lights on.”…