Groundhog Day: Giessel, Edgmon try to override vetoes from last year

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A special joint session of the House and Senate has been called for Friday at 10:30 am by Senate President Cathy Giessel and House Speaker Bryce Edgmon, who have worked closely together to defeat Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s budget decisions since he took office.

The purpose of the session is ostensibly to consider overriding budget vetoes of Gov. Mike Dunleavy. Those items are school bond debt reimbursement and a $5 million appropriation to the ferry system, two items that Dunleavy vetoed last year. There could be other items tacked onto the list once the override items are introduced.

The news started circulating throughout the Capitol late in the afternoon on Thursday. By then, three legislators had already left town for the weekend — Reps. Ben Carpenter and Mel Gillis, and Sen. David Wilson. Those will be no votes on Friday.

It takes 45 of the body to override a veto. It appears doubtful that the joint session will have the 3/4 votes needed to override the governor’s vetoes, but there appears to be a secondary purpose, which relates to difficulties in the Republican Majority in the Senate. As with many things in politics, there is more to the story.

Senate President Cathy Giessel has a side conversation with Senator Tom Begich today, leading up to the decision to call a joint session to override Dunleavy vetoes.

Earlier today, a move to force all members of the Republican Majority to sign a pledge that would bind them on budget votes was ditched at the last minute.

Add to that, Giessel already faced an embarrassing defeat earlier this week when her Senate reorganization was only accomplished with help of all the Democrats in the Senate, and less than half of the Republicans.

[Read: Boody Tuesday as Senate org. chart leaves conservatives out in cold]

If the more fiscally conservative members are indeed kicked out of the Senate Majority, it will mean a shift in committee memberships, as well as a reduction to their office staff. Updated: A source in the Senate said the vote will not, in fact, be a decision point for who can stay in the caucus.

Senators Mike Shower, Shelley Hughes, and Lora Reinbold are particularly at risk, since they represent conservative districts and were punished by Sen. Giessel earlier this week when she stripped them of most of their committee posts.

16 COMMENTS

  1. Stedman is leading this from the finance committee. Today, he had testimony from the Revenue Commissioner and assistants. Stedman basically went straight to the Permanent Dividend Fund and cut out the testimony on other cash building investments like mining, fishing, etc. He needed the testimony and figures of the fund to bring about the override and veto of the Governor’s actions this last summer and session. So, the “three Musketeers” are working as a group to stab the governor in the back and the constituents of each..and of course, the governor..

  2. This Socialistic movement that is taking over Alaska and the entire United States of America must be defeated. Socialism is the root of Communism, Fascism and Nazism. Seymour Marvin Mills Jr. sui juris

      • Fascism is at the other end of the political spectrum from communism, btw. What a concept. Take all the “isms” we don’t like and lump them together as one giant evil “ism”… complete nonsense, but it sure sounds good to the low info folks.

  3. Repeal SB26 and restore the Dividend from 2019. Where was the Veto Override for Walkers Money Grab. It seems the Joint Sessions are only called to help the special interests and not for the people of Alaska, who elected them to fund full dividends and use their portion available outside of the BAD SB26 power grab with no responsible adjustments to high government spending. Time to vote no on the override and show us you can actually cut the budget and give the people a full accounting of their earnings by paying a full dividend.

  4. Republicans had the majority after our last Alaska election.

    There is no way any of this makes sense UNLESS we have multiple Republican wolves in Dem sheep’s clothing in Juneau (Does the name Gary Knopp ring a bell?)

    The smiles of Giessel and Edgmon in the above pic look like they’re on the George Soros NGO/PAC/Nonprofit/Shell Company payroll.

    Soros pays BIG money for this kind of action to bring down the Union, state by state. These are large amounts. Most likely in the millions, depending how big of a domino the state is perceived as being on the globalist chessboard.

    These corrupt funds are all dispersed via multiple shell companies using offshore accounts and other Soros money laundering weapons of mass destruction.

    *Notice: It is highly likely this comment will be edited or deleted by the “publisher”.

  5. It is time for the conservative members of the Senate to just break from the caucus rules. Giessel is gunning for them and they have absolutely nothing to lose and everything to gain in time. If this were to happen you would see a change in Giessel who I intend to see outed.

  6. I don’t want any of my elected representatives to commit to any agreement to vote one way or another on anything until they have actually seen it and made sure it aligns with the wants/needs of their constituency.Any attempts to force this are downright tyrannical. Who in the hell does Giessel think she is!

    • The problem for you Brian, as I see it, is that these elected members have already committed to certain things in order to remain members in their caucus. For some reason you blame Giessel but she has only the power given her by her caucus.
      That all said, there is no reason that these rules can’t be changed but until then expect some heartburn for some members that sign on to these rules and then later do not comply. This heartburn tends to be in the form of losing committee positions and staff members, essentially neutering many majority caucus members. Of course they clearly have the freedom of voting how they wish to, but there is usually consequences if they can’t live up to their earlier commitments.

  7. So, Gov vetoed, first special session, good guys in Wasilla, so no vote for veto over-ride. Second veto, no special session cause our good guys refused. So, Friday is day 5 so last chance. Same good guys will vote no.
    I’d love to have our good guys in the Senate, all seven, to split and have their own caucus. That put the Cathy in a position where she either has a three way splint or to caucus with the socialist and put Begich as the Majority Leader. Oh how I’d love to see that! The final nails in the coffin will be pounded.

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