LeDoux gets deal from House majority, gets committees

DEM-LED MAJORITY REFUSES TO SEAT AFRICAN-AMERICAN VET ON ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE

Rep. Gabrielle LeDoux has rejoined the Democrat-led House Majority, and was given a seat on the Joint Armed Services Committee and Judiciary Committee. She also was restored “points” allowing her to hire an extra staff.

LeDoux says she did not, in fact, rejoin the majority.

With a 24-member Majority that has seven Republicans in it, that leaves the Minority with 16 members in the Republican-only caucus.

The deal LeDoux made to be allowed to return to the Majority caucus was not made public.

LeDoux left the combined Democrat-Republican caucus last May when it came down to voting for the Permanent Fund dividend, which was cut in half by the majority.

LeDoux was the only member of the House at the time to accept the first version of the budget from the Senate, saying she saw it as her only chance to get on record as voting for the full Permanent Fund dividend. Ultimately, the Senate cut the dividend in half.

LeDoux’s appointment to the Armed Services Committee came over the objection of the 15 members voting members of the minority, (Rep. Mel Gillis was absent).

Rep. Ben Carpenter of Nikiski pointed out on the record that there are six members of the House who are actual veterans, and he recommended that Rep. Sharon Jackson of Eagle River be given that appointment. She is an Army veteran and handled military issues for U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan when she was on his staff.

Carpenter’s remarks were backed up by Rep. Laddie Shaw of Anchorage, and Rep. David Eastman of Wasilla. All are veterans. Rep. Tammie Wilson also spoke in favor of putting another veteran on the committee; she is married to a Vietnam veteran.

Only two members — 20 percent — of the Joint Armed Services Committee are veterans.

But Rep. Louise Stutes of Kodiak objected to the notion that one must be a veteran in order to care about veterans.

“To suggest you need to be a veteran to support veterans is foreign to me. I’m not a veteran, but trust me, I support our veterans wholly,” she said.

Over in the Senate, chaos in the Senate Republican majority consumed much of the day. It appeared that Sen. President Cathy Giessel was preparing to remove Sen. Mike Shower from the joint military committee as punishment for his vote for a full Permanent Fund dividend. Shower is an Air Force fighter pilot veteran.