By COLLEEN SULLIVAN-LEONARD
As a former Mat-Su legislator, and, long-time armchair quarterback, I have been involved with the Legislature and legislative process for many years. In most recent years I have seen a pattern that concerns me greatly. The Minority members’ ability to speak is being stifled based on a personal agenda and this is not in the best interest of the body.
In a legislator’s ability to represent his or her districts as a Minority member in the Legislature, many times their voices are heard during House “Special Orders.” This part of the floor proceedings allows a legislator to present on several topics, from the Iditarod, birthdays, news or topics of the day etc. It is a legislator’s time to discuss issues of interest on behalf of his or her constituents.
This session has shown that the voice of my district is not important, as time after time, my representative’s ability to speak on my behalf has been interrupted, stifled, and reduced to a few comments and then dismissed by the Speaker and House Majority Democrats.
This form of tyranny in the House is unacceptable. All legislators, whether you like them or not, are allowed a voice on the House floor. Instead, personalities have replaced what our Mason’s Rules sought to achieve — proper debate and the ability in the Legislature for the Minority members to be heard, on behalf of their constituents.
Previous Speakers in the House of Representatives set a precedent of allowing members to speak, especially Minority members, who at that time were Democrats, so that they could use the special orders of the House floor proceedings to voice whatever subject matter they liked.
I recall former Rep. Les Gara going on for several minutes about the foster care system, an issue he was very passionate about, he was allowed this out of the courtesy of former Speaker Mike Chenault, who understood proper decorum on the House floor and the importance of allowing everyone to speak their mind, regardless of Majority or Minority status. Speaker Chenault is one of several great Speakers who are missed in the legislature today.
In previous legislative sessions there have been moments of challenges that our representatives have faced, ie., natural disasters, fiscal challenges, a pandemic, overreach from the Federal government, and more.
But what we see now is straight out of the playbook from the DC Democrats — shutting down discussion, decorum, debate, and overall freedom of speech in our Legislature. Again, this is unacceptable, and Alaskans should be outraged by this. In Mason’s Manual sec 578 (5) it clearly states that the Speaker of the House may not interrupt a member speaking who has the floor, if the member does not transgress the rules.
In the past year in a half the bias on the House floor is visible. Last week Rep. Zack Fields was allowed to speak poorly of a Minority member with no recourse. In the previous month, Rep. Ben Carpenter couldn’t finish his speech on the House floor because those in the Majority cut him down, believing he may possibly say something that may impugn the motives of another member.
These constant attacks on the Minority’s ability to articulate their positions on a certain bill, or present during special orders on behalf of their constituents shows poor knowledge of Mason’s Manual by leading officers of the Democrat-led House Majority.
Do better, Speaker Stutes and House Majority members. Alaska is watching, even from our armchairs.
Colleen Sullivan-Leonard served Wasilla in the Alaska House of Representatives from 2017-2021.
