By SUZANNE DOWNING
On Wednesday, the leadership of the Alaska House of Representatives announced a very public about-face: An additional “energy” payment to Alaskans, in addition to some, as-of-yet-determined portion of their Permanent Fund dividends.
The purpose of this this relief is something about which Gov. Mike Dunleavy and Republicans have been pounding on the table for months: skyrocketing Biden-induced inflation that is eating Alaskans’ buying power, and the steep climb of oil prices is punishing families at the gas pump and in their heating fuel bills.
The global rebound in oil prices, driven in part by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, has also put Alaska’s treasury in a true surplus position, the first time in nearly a decade.
The press release from the Democrat-dominated House caucus made two things clear: Anti-PFD legislators can no longer rely on arguing against paying a fair dividend by saying it is unaffordable, and the House majority is — clearly and without shame — a proxy for the gubernatorial campaign of former Gov. Bill Walker.
Before Alaskans had time to refresh their browser on the press release from the House, Team Walker issued a glossy press statement on social media, complete with focus group tested quotes by both the gubernatorial candidate and his running mate Heidi Drygas, a former commissioner and lobbyist. Walker had advance notice from the House majority.
The timing was more than suspect, and is leading to real eyebrow raises inside and outside the Capitol. This informal collaboration is a sign of more actions that sync up coincidentally for the political benefit of the former governor.
In September, to much fanfare, the Walker campaign announced its co-chairs, including several sitting lawmakers Bryce Edgmon, Adam Wool, Ivy Sponholz, and Andy Josephson, along with Joey Merrick, the husband of Eagle River Representative Kelly Merrick (a follow-up press release in October by the Walker campaign also announced the recruitment of Rep. Tiffany Zulkosky to the campaign co-chair coterie).
The “Walker Caucus” in the Legislature has been consistent since 2016, when then Walker unilaterally vetoed the Permanent Fund dividend for the first time: The PFD, long an important and untouchable part of politics, was now a hindrance to the government paying itself first. The legislators in the Walker Caucus have consistently voted every single year against any form of a dividend that is not a surplus or ‘leftover’ amount for Alaskans.
In fact, when the House Majority organized in 2021 after another deadlocked beginning to the Legislature, there was one guiding principle cobbling the members together: To oppose Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s attempts to reconcile the Permanent Fund Dividend issue by acting as fiscal conservatives, and stopping any dividend payments in amounts close to what Dunleavy and Republicans proposed.
So, what changed?
Like the national poll-sensitive pivot of the Democrat Party away from Covid-19 mandates in schools and on citizens, Walker’s campaign and proxies in the Legislature are realizing that running against the dividend is a losing argument with voters. After three years of aggressive opposition to the efforts of Gov. Mike Dunleavy to resolve the PFD issue and to get Alaskans what they are owed, the ‘even year transformation’ is beginning, with the apparent dual goal of face saving in Juneau for lawmakers while helping unseat a governor hated by Walkerland.
After all, the lawmakers quoted in Wednesday’s “energy relief” check announcement included Walker campaign co-chair Bryce Edgmon and Walker campaign co-chair spouse Kelly Merrick. The communication director for the Walker campaign is the former communication director for the House majority. It all fits quite nicely.
It is yet to be determined if the mainstream media is going to cast a skeptical eye on such overt politicking between lawmakers and a statewide campaign. With members of the House being open proxies for Walker in the halls of Juneau, using the media tools afforded them by tax dollars to assist a partisan campaign, we would do well to remember the old adage: Whose friends are these?
Suzanne Downing is publisher of Must Read Alaska.
