Mat-Su legislators score big in the new Republican-led organization of state House

Mat-Su legislators scored big in the new Republican-led organization of the state House announced last Wednesday, June 18.

Not only is Rep. Cathy Tilton of Wasilla the new Speaker of the House, but four others from the region were named to key leadership positions.

The appointments were still informal on Thursday and won’t be finalized until the Senate adopts its Committee on Committees report. Members of the committees, in addition to the cochairs, will also named then.

The new committee chairs, however, will include Rep. DeLena Johnson, of Palmer, as cochair of the influential House Finance Committee; Rep. Kevin McCabe of Big Lake as chair of the House Transportation Committee; newly-elected Rep. Jesse Sumner as chair of the Labor and Commerce Committee, and veteran Rep. George Rauscher of Palmer as one of two Majority Whips, a position that helps set priorities.

Eagle River Repulican lawmakers, who typically align with Mat-Su on legislative issues, are also solidly in leadership positions. Rep. Dan Saddler, a former legislator returned to the House by voters in November, is the new House Majority Leader.

Newly-elected Rep. Jamie Allard, also Republican, is new chair of House Education Committee, a panel that will be deeply involved in education funding this year.

Mat-Su Republican senators haven’t fared as well in the new Senate organization that includes Democrats and independents as well as Republicans. Sens. Shelley Hughes and Mike Shower, who were the Senate Majority Leader and chair of the State Affairs Committees in the last Legislature, are on the back bench with no significant committee positions.

However, Sen. David Wilson, a third Mat-Su senator, retained his previous chairmanship of the Senate Health and Social Services committee, which handles health care legislation.