Committee assignments in the Alaska Senate were released Tuesday, after the Alaska Legislature gaveled in for the first time this year, and Democrats should be happy.
In half of the committees, Democrats outnumber Republicans, 3-2, even though Alaskans voted in a majority of Republicans in the Senate. The Senate is comprised of 11 Republicans and 9 Democrats, yet Democrats outnumber Republicans on five of the 10 committees, as three Republicans have been excommunicated from the bipartisan caucus, which is chaired by Republican Senate President Gary Stevens.
Here’s how the committee assignments shaped up, as assigned by the Committee on Committees, in the document signed by Sen. President Gary Stevens, Sen. Cathy Giessel, Sen. Click Bishop — all Republicans, and Sen. Lyman Hoffman and Sen. Bill Wielechowski — both Democrats:
Community and Regional Affairs: Democrats-3, Republicans-2
- Dunbar, Olson, Gray-Jackson, Bjorkman, Giessel
Education: Democrats-3, Republicans-2
- Tobin, Stevens, Bjorkman, Kiehl, Gray-Jackson
Finance: Democrats-3, Republicans-4
- Stedman, Hoffman, Olson, Bishop, Merrick, Kiehl, Wilson
Health and Social Services: Democrats-2, Republicans-3
- Wilson, Kaufman, Tobin, Dunbar, Giessel
Judiciary: Democrats-3, Republicans-2
- Claman, Kiehl, Kaufman, Giessel, Olson
Labor and Commerce: Democrats-2, Republicans-3
- Bjorkman, Bishop, Gray-Jackson, Merrick, Dunbar
Resources: Democrats-4, Republicans-3
- Bishop, Giessel, Wielechowski, Kawasaki, Kaufman, Dunbar, Claman
Rules: Democrats-1, Republicans-4
- Wielechowski, Stedman, Stevens, Giessel, Hoffman
State Affairs: Democrats-3, Republicans-2
- Kawasaki, Claman, Bjorkman, Wielechowski, Merrick
Transportation: Democrats-2, Republicans-3
- Kaufman, Wilson, Tobin, Kiehl, Myers
Some senators received many committee assignments:
Sen. Cathy Giessel: 5 committees
Sen. James Kaufman: 4 committees
Sen. Jesse Bjorkman: 4 committees
Sen. Forrest Dunbar: 4 committees
Others received no committees:
Sen. Mike Shower and Sen. Shelley Hughes, both Republican.
