Rep. Sam Kito, who represents the most liberal district in Alaska — downtown Juneau — was removed as chair of the Legislative Council yesterday. House Speaker Bryce Edgmon has appointed Rep. David Guttenberg in his place.
On Saturday, Kito nearly held up the adjournment of the Alaska Legislature by demanding the removal of Rules Chair Gabrielle LeDoux, and asking for $40 million more for the Alaska Marine Highway System. Otherwise, he’d be a no vote on the budget. In the end, he backed off of those demands.
Kito was a member of the Democrat-led majority but left the caucus earlier this year and said he would not run for his seat again. His replacement as chair of the council, Guttenberg, is also not running again.
The Legislative Council is a standing committee of 14 members of the Alaska House and Senate that conducts the Legislature’s business between sessions.
Wow! No thank you to Rep. Kito for doing a fine job or even a thanks for his service and wish him well. Just boom, you’re all through – clean out your desk. This says more to me about Edgmon’s two years as Speaker than it does about Kito. The impacts of Westlake, Fansler and Parish, the constant push- back from LeDoux (aka LeDon’t), and the pasquinade on anything remotely fiscal from Seaton have been cumulative. We may have the first House Speaker who puts in for a PTSD disability. Edgmon was not cut out for the job. And when the only person in your corner is Friar Tuck; enough said. Edgmon knows it. I would bet he is glad it’s over.
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