Bi-partisan caucus takes over in House

Democrats pull in Independents, three Republicans, organize in House; in Senate Republicans stay in control; new speaker, president

KRISTEN NELSON

Petroleum News

Three Republicans and two Independents have joined rural and urban Democrats to form a new 22-member House majority caucus for the 2017-18 Legislature which gavels in Jan. 17.

Rep. Bryce Edgmon, D-Dillingham, is speaker-elect, the group said Nov. 9.

Rep. Gabrielle LeDoux, R-Anchorage, will chair the Rules Committee; Rep. Paul Seaton, R-Homer, will co-chair the Finance Committee along with Rep. Neal Foster, D-Nome. Rep. Chris Tuck, D-Anchorage, currently minority leader, is the new majority leader. Rep. Louise Stutes, R-Kodiak, will be majority whip. Rep. Les Gara, D-Anchorage, will be vice chair of House Finance.

Edgmon, Foster, LeDoux, Seaton and Stutes - along with Rep. Jim Colver, R-Palmer, who lost a bid for reelection - broke with the current majority caucus over Permanent Fund issues earlier this year and formed the Musk Ox coalition.

“The severe drop in oil revenues, coupled with legislative inaction, has contributed to the current recession that threatens our economy, the livelihoods of thousands of Alaskans, and essential services like education and safety,” Edgmon said. “The members of the new House Majority are dedicated to passing a legislative agenda that addresses the fiscal crisis and the root causes of the crisis,” he said.

House Resources, a focus for resource-related legislation, will be co-chaired by Reps. Geran Tarr and Andy Josephson, both Anchorage Democrats. The two are minority members of the current Resources Committee. Rep. Adam Wool, D-Fairbanks, a minority member of the current House Special Committee on Energy, will chair that committee in the new Legislature.

With at least one race undecided, House Republicans, now in the minority, had not announced leadership or committee assignments when this issue went to press.

Results from the Nov. 8 general election are not final, subject to counting of outstanding ballots.

The Republican-dominated Senate announced a new 15-member majority Nov. 9, with Sen. Pete Kelly, R-Fairbanks, named Senate president. Sen. Peter Micciche, R-Kenai Peninsula, is majority leader; Sen. Kevin Meyer, R-Anchorage, current Senate president, will chair the Rules Committee and Sen. Anna MacKinnon, R-Eagle River, and Sen. Lyman Hoffman, D-Bethel, will co-chair Senate Finance. MacKinnon currently co-chairs Senate Finance with Kelly.

Sen. Cathy Giessel, R-East/South Anchorage, continues as chair of Senate Resources.

Senate Finance members continuing from the current Legislature - in addition to the co-chairs - are Sen. Click Bishop, R-Fairbanks, Micciche and Sen. Mike Dunleavy, R-Wasilla. Sen.-elect Natasha Von Imhoff, R-Anchorage, will also serve on Finance.

The Senate Democrats said Nov. 9 that Sen. Berta Gardner, D-Anchorage, will continue as minority leader.

Sen. Donny Olson, D-Golovin, will once again sit on Senate Finance, and Sen. Bill Wielechowski, D-Anchorage, will continue to serve on Senate Resources.