Alaska House Judiciary Committee members should have learned from Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s hiring of Donna Arduin (Kauranen) in 2020 as his director of the Office of Management and Budget, that hiring someone without any background knowledge of Alaska is not in the best interests of Alaska residents.
Rep. Sarah Vance, chair of the Alaska House Judiciary Committee, has hired Bob Ballinger, former Arkansas state senator and director of law and policy for the National Association of Christian Legislators (NACL), who has no Alaska experience. Vance is NACL’s Alaska State Chair and NACL’s third vice chair. The NACL provides model bills for members to introduce, like a restrictive anti-abortion bill and private school voucher plan, which would violate the Alaska Constitution.
Legislators swear an oath to uphold our state and federal constitutions. NACL, based on Christian nationalism, is more political movement than religion. The group embraces conspiracy theories such as QAnon and does not align with the principles of our Alaska Constitution.
The House Judiciary Committee should follow “Alaska hire” rather than Arkansas hire. Find someone who knows Alaska state laws and supports our Alaska Constitution. Hire an Alaskan for this position, and let this extremist from Arkansas stay home.
— Nina Faust
Homer
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