Time to track attendance and voting records of incumbents

In the airline industry if a pilot is sick, or injured, he stays home and a “reserve” pilot takes his place — because the flight schedule and the customers must be served. When a truck driver, who has customers that depend on his or her service is sick or injured, someone must take their place. The customers, in time or schedule sensitive jobs or callings, must be served. Is the Alaska State Legislature any different? Can the entire government, or lawmaking body, shut down due to the absence of one legislator? The Alaska legislature has no reserves. There is no way, under Mason’s rules, or Alaska Statute or Constitution, for a replacement to proxy your vote — whether a procedural vote, or a final vote on an important bill. The problem for Alaskans when a legislator gets sick or injured is highly visible today. From PFD theft, to budgetary shenanigans, the loss of a single vote can be catastrophic to all Alaskans. And this is an even larger problem when the missing legislator is in the minority. The adage “majority votes, minority talks,” comes to mind. If a minority legislator must stay home, they cannot talk or debate. Thus, fellow minority caucus members are left without the voices they need for effective deliberation. And Alaskans suffer further. When a politician runs for office there is a contract between them and their constituents that he will show up for work when he or she needs to be there. Short term, emergency absences are dealt with as needed. But a long-term absence, is an abuse of the system and one which causes a lawmaker to miss almost 70% of the votes, is failed representation on a large scale. The entire district, and indeed the entire state, is affected when a legislator is missing for long periods of time — especially during session or special session. When a legislator becomes so obsessed with keeping his job, for insurance or other reasons, that he fails his responsibilities — fails to consider the impact he is having on Alaskans by not being there — then the entire state suffers. It is time to insist attendance, along with the voting records of incumbents be tracked and made so they can be researched. Members of who have been in the legislature for many years, and who are part of the problem. Serving in the legislature should not.

Tom Oels

Wasilla