In his address to the ALaska Legislature on Monday, Senator Mark Begich spoke to the ALaskan Lawmakers on issues such as education and gun rights, but also spoke about the trend in Alaska as well as around the country to make voting more difficult.

During that address, Begich pointed out that House Bill 3 would make it increasingly difficult for Natives and other minority groups to vote. He said in his address, “Let’s be honest, there is not a problem here, unless I missed it in all the elections I’ve been involved, ” said Begich of House Bill 3, which would require Alaska voters to produce at least one form of picture I.D. at the polls. “I haven’t seen all the fraud people are talking about.”

The sponsor of House Bill 3, Bob Lynn a Republican Representative from Anchorage, said after Begich’s address that Begich misrepresented the facts of the bill.

As a result of Begich’s speech o the Alaska Legislature, the director of the Division of Elections sent a letter to Begich saying that she strongly disputes that the state has made it harder to vote and that the state has erected obstacles to minority and Native voters.

The director, Gail Fenumiai told Begich that the state has a robust language assistance program that was mandated by the Voting Rights Act. Fenumiai said that the state is not challenging that section of the act.

On Thursday, Senator Begich released a press release informing his constituents that he had responded to the Funumiai letter through his Press Secretary Heather Handyside.

In the letter Handysiude stated, “Senator Begich’s remarks to the state Legislature earlier this week about voting challenges faced by Alaska Natives and other minority groups were accurate and reflect the troubling experiences he’s been hearing from many rural Alaskans. Alaska Natives have relied on the Voting Rights Act for nearly 40 years to protect themselves from barriers at the ballot box.”

Handyside continued,saying, “It’s sadly ironic the Division of Elections rests its defense on that Act because this administration is in federal court today seeking to gut that very law. Senator Begich will continue to fight to uphold the ideals advanced by Elizabeth Peratrovich and other Alaska civil rights leaders that Alaska Natives and others should never be turned away at the ballot box because of the language they speak or way of life they live.”