I’m pleased with this paper’s editorial board, finding myself in agreement with it much more often than not.However, the board’s Sunday editorial claimed that the late organization of the Legislature in January-February 2021 was a “fiasco” and a waste of “precious time,” and “bred dysfunction in both bodies.”
This is quite provably incorrect. First, the Senate organized fairly promptly. Its dysfunction related to clear political divisions between its 13 Republicans, with one side supportive of the governor and large dividends, and the other side fiscally conservative. Other policy differences also existed between the two key GOP factions there.The State House did take nearly one month to organize. But, given that the majority was composed of just 21 members, sort of by definition, the numbers were on a razor’s edge and precarious. Thankfully, two key GOP moderates, State Reps. Bart LeBon and Steve Thompson (both of Fairbanks), agreed with our majority’s approach to fiscal conservatism.
That’s right. The House Majority was mostly populated by Democrats who acted as the most fiscally responsible and conservative members of the Legislature.
As just one important example, on May 14, 2022, 17 of 21 members of the House Majority failed to agree (failed to concur) to the State Senate’s version of the operating budget. We joined with enough members of the Republican minority that we managed to save the state $1.5 billion. It’s pretty hard to challenge this point. Had the House Majority not held power and organized as it did, the likelihood of saving that $1.5 billion was virtually nil. The result would have been a much more tenuous fiscal situation than presently exists.Intelligent and rational policies infused the House Majority’s politics and are reflected in its 2021-2022 results. Along with our own conservative approach to the state fiscal situation, we passed a key bill, House Bill 76 relating to COVID-19 policy. I am proud that we sided with public health officials, medical providers and science.
When historians look back on the House during the 32nd Legislature, they will see that science won.
Had we not organized as we did, science simply wouldn’t have prevailed in quite the same way.
What is the take-home lesson? Organization is everything. If it requires time, then so be it.
Andy Josephson
Anchorage
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