Legislature’s antics disrespect Alaskans

Today is the 100th anniversary of Alaska’s first Territorial Legislature. Eight senators and 16 representatives from around Alaska gathered in Juneau on March 3, 1913, and began the great experiment in self-governance that led to statehood 46 years later.

The path to statehood was paved by some legendary figures, true statesmen. None of their work could have been accomplished without a lot of discussion, listening, compromise and selfless leadership.

So it is a sad irony that the trajectory of the present Legislature appears to be one of single-minded insistence on ideology-driven policy that thumbs its nose at the public process.

On the House side, House Bill 69 cruised through the chamber at break-neck speed and became law with the governor’s signature on Thursday. Sponsored by House Speaker Mike Chenault of Nikiski — and co-sponsored by most of the rest of the House — the bill purports to protect the Second Amendment. But it’s really meaningless feel-good nonsense that treads on the long-since-disposed-of 19th century notion of nullification of federal laws.

To be very clear, we are staunch supporters of the Second Amendment. But we don’t support HB 69 because of its additional implications in federal law. It seems dangerous and foolish to tell state-level law enforcement they are required to arrest federal agents for following federal law.

HB 69 also made national news last week, including one segment that showed Rep. Chenault delivering an embarrassingly nonsensical defense of the bill.

Not to be outdone, the state Senate continued its own embarrassing, hard-line course to shut down full consideration of a resolution to amend the state Constitution to allow public financing of private schools.

Senate President Charlie Huggins, a Mat-Su legislator, has made his intention clear. Claiming the proposal — Senate Joint Resolution 9 — was not about education, he refused to allow the bill to be vetted by the Senate Education Committee, after it became clear the committee’s chair would not simply rubber-stamp it and move it on for a full vote.

We applaud Education Committee chair Gary Stevens, a Kodiak senator, for serving the public’s interest and vetting the proposal anyway during a hearing on the legislation Friday morning.

The former Senate president arranged testimony from three experts on the topic: one pro, one con and one a journalist who covered the story in the Lower 48 where vouchers were first approved.

Huggins and SJR 9 sponsor Mike Dunleavy, also a Mat-Su senator, are members of the Education Committee, but neither could be bothered to stay for the full 90 minutes of testimony.

We understand that a 90-day legislative session is a busy time for legislators. But it is inexcusable that neither Huggins nor Dunleavy could make time to listen to all of the testimony.

There is real value in listening to different points of view. So it is disappointing to us that those who represent all of us are too blinded by ideology to take in differing views.

Implicit in the effort to bring Alaska to statehood so many years ago was the notion of having a voice in determining our destiny. A hundred years after the first Legislature, moves by this Legislature aimed squarely at shutting out the full voice of the public disrespect our history and those who fought tirelessly on behalf of all Alaskans.

Alaska Legislature’s Centennial

ktoo.org/2013/03/01/lawmakers-commemorate-legislative-centennial/

Video stream of Friday’s Senate Education Committee hearing

360north.org/gavel-archives/?event_id=2147483647_2013031017

Full text of House Bill 69

legis.state.ak.us/basis/get_fulltext.asp?session=28&bill=HB69