How the bipartisan Senate Majority fell apart
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How the bipartisan Senate Majority fell apart
On Monday night, the day before the 32nd Alaska Legislature gaveled in, the House and Senate had still not organized. But on Tuesday morning Senate Republicans hastily announced they had formed a majority with Senator Peter Micciche (R – Soldotna) as Senate President. This was the culmination of months of negotiations between Republican senators, who are deeply divided on critical issues facing Alaska.
A lot can happen in politics in a week. And last week was no exception. Last week a bipartisan coalition in the Senate had all but been announced. To form a majority in the Senate you need 11, and they had 12. But something happened that made the deal fall apart.
JUNEAU, Alaska Alaska lawmakers convene Tuesday amid economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic and a near decadelong run of budget deficits. Reserve money is depleted, and tough decisions are ahead on how to use the state’s nest-egg oil-wealth fund. It’s unclear who will lead those debates: neither the House nor the Senate has organized […]