Alaska voters reject constitutional convention

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Alaska voters have rejected calling a state constitutional convention. The question of whether to call a convention appears on the ballot every 10 years. It has in the past been defeated in lopsided votes and gotten little attention. But supporters of a convention saw an opening this year amid public frustration with the years-long legislative fights over what size the annual check paid to residents from Alaska’s oil-wealth fund should be. Some hoped to advocate for abortion restrictions or changes in how Alaska judges are picked. Opponents of a convention said a convention was unnecessary and risky. One opposition group reported raising more than $4.5 million in its bid to defeat the measure.