Rep. Geran Tarr is a study in contradictions. After holding forth on Monday about how she doesn’t like the budget and how the $1,600 dividend is bad for her constituents, she votes for it anyway.
“Unfortunately, now I don’t have that opportunity, I think some of the things for one-time spending or studies are not as critical as the needs of individual Alaskans to be able to support themselves…” she said.
She had voted for a full $2,700 Permanent Fund dividend a week earlier, clearly a budget buster that cause the House majority to fall into disarray toward the end of last week. That amount was then cut to $1,600, which she voted against, but then voted for in this budget vote.
Note that at the end of the video below, Tarr lingers, unable to hit the red or green button, until finally capitulating and becoming the final vote in favor of the budget she had moments earlier said was unacceptable.
