Rep. Laddie Shaw showed up at the Alaska Republican Party’s State Central Committee meeting in Fairbanks on Friday, and was given a hero’s welcome and a standing ovation.
Shaw had been denied a seat in the Senate after six Senate Republicans voted against his confirmation to Senate Seat M. The seat is vacant after the passing of Sen. Chris Birch in August.
Shaw was introduced Friday night along with other lawmakers present, including former State Senator Pete Kelly and House Representative Dave Talerico. The audience applauded for all of them, but the heavy applause and whistles were reserved for Shaw, who was seated in a place of honor next to Gov. Michael Dunleavy.
Shaw was nominated to be the District M senator by Republicans in his district. His name was among three forwarded to the governor, who had interviewed all three candidates before choosing Shaw.
On Thursday, the Senate Republicans met and split the vote 6-6, which denied Shaw the seat in the Senate.
Alaska Republicans, meeting in Fairbanks, voted to not conduct a Presidential Preference Poll in 2020, and they approved a resolution to pledge all of their delegates to the National Convention to President Donald Trump.
“Today, the Alaska Republican Party State Central Committee (SCC) elected to pass an interim rule allowing it to determine that conducting a PPP would serve no useful purpose when we have an incumbent Republican president, such as President Trump, running for the Republican nomination for President. As that is the case in 2020, no PPP will be conducted for the 2020 presidential cycle,” the party’s statement said.
The Presidential Preference Poll is an all volunteer exercise that is like doing a caucus via ballot. It’s a complicated exercise that is conducted in all 40 House districts by party volunteers, and is especially hard to conduct in the very rural rural districts that have small communities hundreds of miles apart, and few Republicans.
The vote to cancel the PPP came as most delegates to the State Central Committee realized that the $2,500 that is charged to candidates to qualify for the PPP would likely not cover the cost of producing the event, and that the minor candidate who might pay the amount would certainly not gain the 13 percent of the vote they’d need to earn one of the 28 voting delegates to the National Convention in Charlotte, N.C., Aug. 24-27, 2020.
The decision to forego the PPP frees up party activists to work on local and state campaigns, as well as the Congressional and Senate race.
Other states parties in Nevada, Arizona, Kansas, and South Carolina have cancelled their primaries. State parties have until Oct. 1 to tell the Republican National Committee what their plans are for how they will apportion their delegate votes.
Alaska Democrats are holding a full-on privately run primary on April 4, to include absentee ballots, electronic voting, early voting, and paper ballots. They have numerous candidates to choose from, as the Republicans did in 2016.
The Alaska Republican Party voted against sanctioning Reps. Jennifer Johnston and Chuck Kopp for their role in enabling the Democrats to take control of the House of Representatives through their actions in joining the Democrat caucus in February, 32 days into the session.
The caucus with the Democrats formed after the longest legislative standoff in Alaska history.
Kopp represents District 24 and Johnston represents District 28, both Anchorage districts.
The vote was 40 against sanctioning them, with 21 in favor of the motion to sanction.
The tally came after vigorous, but respectful debate about the importance of enforcing party rules vs. allowing the sanctions to emerge from the local Republican districts first, before a state party vote is held.
That’s the sequence that occurred with the sanction of Rep. Gary Knopp of Kenai in a State Central Committee meeting in May. The party had also sanctioned Reps. Gabrielle LeDoux and Louise Stutes previously, for the same general offense of joining the Democrats’ caucus and installing a Democrat speaker.
In January, Kopp and Johnston, along with Reps. Steve Thompson, Bart LeBon, Tammie Wilson, LeDoux, Stutes, and Knopp, formed up a majority with the minority Democrats, and staged the equivalent of a coup against the Republicans, who had chosen District 6 Rep. Dave Talerico as the House Speaker.
The Republicans had a clear majority until the eight defected.
Since then, Wilson and LeDoux have left the Democrats’ caucus, leaving six Republicans with the Democrats. Wilson has rejoined the Republican caucus, while LeDoux remains without a caucus. But the Republicans still don’t have enough to regain control of the House.
District 9 Chair Carol Carman of Wasilla offered a motion to withdraw party support for just Kopp and Johnston, since they were the two who tipped the balance of power, which enabled a Democrat to become speaker and control the House’s appointment to the redistricting board.
“The party realizes we are all trying to do the right thing. We’re all invested in making Alaska a great place for future generations,” Johnston said.
Alaska Republicans gathering at their fall meeting in Fairbanks gave their full-throated support to Congressman Don Young and Sen. Dan Sullivan.
The vote taken on Saturday may seem perfunctory, but it serves notice to any other Republicans who might have thought of challenging them for the House of Representatives or Senate that the window has closed; the party can now expend funds to help Young and Sullivan to get reelected, and can freely deploy volunteers or other resources to assist them in their campaigns. It will not support contenders, who would have to simply go it alone if they filed for office.
Young has been Alaska’s congressman since 1973, while Sullivan was first elected in 2014. Both will stand for reelection in 2020.
Voters choose their representatives and senators for a multitude of reasons and there are a multitude of votes and policies that every legislator must deal with.
Sometimes, a legislator is unable to complete their term and a vacancy occurs. There is time-honored process for filling the vacancy. First, the local volunteers of the incumbent’s party (Democrat or Republican, typically) nominate replacements.
Then usually the governor selects a nominee from the list provided by the volunteers representing the vacant district of the same party as the person originally elected.
Finally, the members of the House or the Senate of the same party as the elected incumbent vote to approve or disapprove of the governor’s nomination.
There is give and take, and safeguards to ensure no one person or group can control the process. When the govrnor ignores the local volunteers, the Legislators usually support a nominee of the volunteer citizens.
The point is always to allow the people of the district to have the primary input, as long as the person they nominate is qualified.
The Legislature has never tossed aside the united advice of both the local party volunteers and the governor. Ever. That would be the height of arrogance and heavy-handed politics of the worst type.
Nevertheless, Senate President Giessel substituted her demand for purity over the residents of District M and the governor.
For the first time in the history of the State of Alaska, a person elected to the Legislature from the District, nominated by the volunteers representing the Party in the District and appointed by the Governor, has been rejected by the Senators of that Party.
The vote was six to six. There is no way to sugar-coat this: Such arrogance and disrespect has never been exercised before. Senate President Cathy Giessel lead just five of her colleagues (Senators Click Bishop, John Coghill, Natasha Von Imhof, Gary Stevens, and Bert Stedman) to reject Rep. Laddie Shaw.
They had no reason, no grounds, no honest objection, except they hate the Permanent Fund dividend. Their hatred for your PFD trumped all other issues, process, and precedent.
This is a dismal end to the long career of Sen. John Coghill. He has always previously done his best to uphold the Constitution and the principles of good government. Not this time.
However, the person responsible for this outrageous rejection of Laddie Shaw — a retired Navy SEAL, former director of the State Trooper Academy and Executive Director of the Police Standards Council, and someone who replaced Chris Birch in the State House, and was elected in a landslide — is Senate President Cathy Giessel.
Sen. Giessel has confused personal power with high standards of public service. Her arguments are ridiculous and disingenuous. She is quoted as making the assertion that since Sen. Birch had been opposed to the statutory Permanent Fund dividend, she would only allow someone who shared his views on that specific issue to be approved.
Never mind that the actual voters, the people of Senate District M in Anchorage who voted for Mr. Birch, also voted to elected two representatives who favored a full statutory PFD. The people of Senate District M are not rigid, one-issue voters.
The reality is that the Senate District M voters supported Mike Dunleavy for governor. Those same voters elected Laddie Shaw and Josh Revak to the State House and Chris Birch to the Senate. They knew what they were doing, and they were not simple one-issue fanatics.
It is pure arrogance and an absurd and preposterous demand that all applicants now bow to Cathy Giessel’s and Natasha Von Imhof’s hatred of the full PFD.
Their argument is that since Chris Birch was against a full PFD, only an identical person can be approved for that seat. But the voters of that same District elected two Representatives who are in favor of a full statutory PFD and a Governor who supports a full, statutory PFD.
The voters made complex choices based on many factors, Cathy Giessel and the five Senators who followed her lead substituted their desire kill the PFD and win at any cost and tossed aside a respected, elected, honorable veteran with a sterling record and character.
As the former Chair of the Alaska Republican Party, I am disgusted by the irrational statements and arrogance represented by this vote.
Chris Birch and I were political friends. I strongly supported his election to the State House and then to the State Senate. Certianly, he and I fiercely disagreed about the PFD. He opposed a full PFD, I supported a full, statutory PFD (as does the Alaska Republican Party). We did not let that one disagreement pollute our friendship or political partnership. Senator Giessel has embarassed herself, failed in her leadership, and staked a horrible red line: only if you hate the PFD will you be welcome in ‘her” Senate.
It is not “your” Senate, Ms. Giessel. Your frenetic desire to “win” at any cost and your twisting of the process and the purpose of the law has cost you my support.
I have long supported Senator Giessel through multiple elections, but will never do so again.
The U.S. House of Representatives this week unanimously passed legislation introduced byU.S. Senator Dan Sullivan and Alaska Congressman Don Young, easing stringent Environmental Protection Agency emission regulations for generators in remote Alaska communities.
The legislation, heading to the president’s desk for his signature, paves the way for more affordable and reliable power for rural Alaska and may prevent a life-threatening crisis.
S. 163, the Alaska Remote Generator Reliability and Protection Act was cosponsored by U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski.
“Currently, rural communities in Alaska that are isolated from the power grid are subject to a federal regulation that just doesn’t work for them,” said Sullivan.“This bill changes that, and is a huge step forward in ensuring rural Alaskans have access to safe and reliable electricity without having to bear the burden of expensive costs or worry about whether the heat and lights will stay on. I urge the EPA to quickly implement these new standards so that rural Alaskans can power and heat their homes in the coming winter months.”
“New generators are very costly, and families shouldn’t be burdened by an arbitrary ban made by EPA bureaucrats four thousand miles away,” Young said. “Many Alaskans depend on diesel generators to heat their homes, run their appliances, and keep their lights on, and Washington D.C. shouldn’t be getting in the way of their everyday lives. I am proud to have worked with Senator Sullivan on this issue that affects so many rural families. I have been working on a legislative solution in the House for quite some time, and pleased to see this critical bill finally reach the finish line.”
In remote areas of Alaska, nearly 100 percent of the electricity used in villages is supplied by diesel fuel. Villages rely on diesel generators that are between 10 and 30 years old. These systems do not last forever and many small utilities are looking for ways they can purchase new generator sets to improve efficiency and reduce the maintenance costs of worn out engines. Under the current regulations, which set specific standards for diesel generators in “remote Alaska,” all new generator sets that are not connected to the federal highway system must install certain emissions controls on their new engines.
Credible reports indicate these emission control technologies are having difficulties working in remote areas of Alaska. If anything goes wrong with certain control devices, the generator shuts down. Only a factory-trained service technician with the proper codes can fix the problem.
In remote Alaska, those technicians are at least one to two days away and extremely expensive. It is not uncommon, especially in the fall and winter, for villages to be without flights due to weather or extreme cold for multiple days or weeks. If a failure in the powerhouse occurs during one of these times, the village could suffer significant damage to its infrastructure and potentially lead to the loss of life.
Congressman Young sponsored H.R. 422, companion legislation to S. 136.
Rep. Sarah Vance, upon learning that Homer students will take part in the global strike over climate change, published an offer for an alternative activity for them.
Vance is hosting an on-campus listening session to be held at Homer High School during the hour-long strike.
“About 25 percent of Alaska students are chronically absent, meaning they missed more than 10 percent of days, or more than three weeks over the course of a school year, according to the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development,” she said. “I want to encourage students to stay in school. We can have productive conversations about important issues without neglecting education. I intend to utilize this time to listen to students’ concerns and emphasize that meaningful conversation precedes meaningful change.”
Vance will make herself available at the high school during the student strike for any students who want to talk to a lawmaker about their concerns.
Senate President Cathy Giessel asked Rep. Laddie Shaw, a two-tour Vietnam veteran and retired Navy SEAL, if he looks down on people who haven’t served in the military.
Shaw was being interviewed by the 12-member Senate Republican Majority for Senate Seat M, after being named to the seat by Gov. Michael Dunleavy. The interview took place in a private meeting in the Legislative Information Office in Anchorage.
Another senator asked Shaw if the governor called a special session for Fairbanks, but the Senate President wanted it to be in Juneau, where would Shaw go — Fairbanks or Juneau? Shaw answered that he would follow the law.
Those were among several pointed questions Shaw answered during his 45-minute interview with the Senate Majority today. The majority of the questions were about his views on the Permanent Fund dividend.
The questions indicated pretty clearly how each senator intended to vote.
In the end, six senators voted to not confirm Shaw, and six voted to confirm him, but that split was not enough to carry him over the line.
The votes are secret but Must Read Alaska has counted the votes against Shaw: Senators Giessel, John Coghill, Gary Stevens, Bert Stedman, Click Bishop, and Natasha Von Imhof.
Voting for him were Senators Mia Costello, David Wilson, Peter Micciche, Mike Shower, Lora Reinbold, and Shelley Hughes.
Senate Republicans were instructed by their leaders to not speak to the press and to not reveal the vote because it could split up the Republicans. All of the senators left the building promptly after the decision came down, and a press release was issued a few minutes later.
But House Republicans were under no such rule. They said the vote is an insult to District 26 Republicans who offered Shaw’s name for the seat, and is an insult to the process.
“Our entire caucus is absolutely shocked that Republican leadership in the Senate refused to confirm Rep. Shaw to fill the open seat,” said Rep. Lance Pruitt, House Minority Leader.
“If Alaskans want to understand why Juneau is so dysfunctional, they need to look no further than the actions of the Senate Republican leadership today in rejecting a decorated war veteran, respected law enforcement leader, and former deputy commissioner — all because he told them he could think for himself and do what’s best for his district,” he said.
“This is absolutely unbelievable,” added Rep. Josh Revak, who also serves the residents of District M.
“If they’re not looking for a pragmatic, sitting House Representative, former Navy SEAL, former Director of State Veterans Affairs — a guy who dedicated a good portion of his life to training State Troopers — well then, I’m not sure who the hell they’re looking for.”
“We join thousands of other Alaskans in thanking Rep. Shaw for being willing to step up and serve in this seat,” added Rep. Pruitt.
“We are grateful to have such an honorable man in our caucus and look forward to working with him to continue the work of the people, and we thank our colleagues in the Senate Republicans who did support the confirmation of Rep. Shaw through this process,” he said.
Rep. DeLena Johnson from Palmer wrote: “It is a sad day when a man who is an American hero (Seal Team 1), had a standout professional career (Trooper Academy instructor and more), an incredible legislator and man of integrity is not confirmed. I’m absolutely shocked (and disappointed).”
Sen. Mia Costello took her dismay to Facebook:
“I’m distressed to have to report that Rep. Laddie Shaw’s appointment to the Alaska Senate was not confirmed by the Senate Republicans. I believe that Laddie is an Alaskan of the highest caliber, and I’m proud to have enthusiastically supported his confirmation today,” she wrote.
“I find our Senate leadership’s refusal to confirm to be an shocking act of disrespect to Rep. Laddie Shaw, whose character, integrity, and honor are all beyond reproach. Laddie is a former Navy SEAL who has dedicated a major portion of his life to serving the public, whether as a SEAL, as a Navy reservist, as an Alaska State Trooper academy instructor, as the Police Standards Council director, as the director of the state’s Division of Veterans Affairs, or as a State Representative.”
Costello continued writing, directing her comments to Rep. Shaw and his district: “To Laddie: please don’t let this dissuade you from continuing to do the right thing and representing your constituents well. You have a record of honor that all envy — but few can match.
“To the residents of District 26, please know that you are represented by a good man, one of the absolute best. Representative Shaw is a man of small stature — but he towers nonetheless. He has nothing to be ashamed of. I wish we could all say the same.”
Sen. Shelley Hughes filmed a Facebook video, where she expressed her disappointment:
“I am disappointed to report that he was not confirmed,” said Sen. Hughes. “I publicly stated I was supporting him. I believe he would have been an excellent addition. He’s a team player, he’s very fair, reasonable, open for discussion and working things through. He would have been a great asset to the Senate majority. I”m disappointed, and am shocked really, that someone who was a Navy SEAL was not supported. He’s not only a great Alaskan but a great American. Also a press release went out from the Senate Republicans, and I didn’t agree with what it stated … My vote was not a secret so you know where I stand.
“I wanted to say directly to Laddie: Thank you. Thank you so much for stepping up. You’ve been a tremendous leader in the House and I know you’ll continue that. I expect great things, and even though you didn’t get added to the Senate at this point, I know you will work hard, because that’s just who you are.”
Sen. Mike Shower also went to Facebook and stated that he voted for Shaw.
“I voted for Laddie Shaw’s confirmation today in the senate. Wanted that to be perfectly clear for those who are going to ask which way I voted on his nomination,” Shower wrote.
“A veteran Navy Seal with 2 combat tours in Vietnam and time teaching at the Trooper Academy (the only civilian to be allowed to do so I’m told), he has been a dedicated servant to our state and nation – pretty much his entire life. Hard to find a better individual – even if one disagreed with some of his positions on a particular issue.
“I am disappointed he was not confirmed and agree with his assessment as posted in today’s ADN article – the no vote on his nomination is about his position on the dividend (supports). It’s open knowledge the senate has been highly divided over the PFD.”
Sen. Peter Micciche wrote on Facebook:
“Many of you are asking about my vote today regarding the confirmation of Representative Laddie Shaw to the Senate.
“Laddie is a great American, great Alaskan, career Navy Seal, (second) career trainer for the Trooper Academy and a lifelong adventurer. I am impressed by his honor, integrity and impeccable credentials. I am not posting to bash others for their vote, but I proudly supported Laddie with my vote today and hoped to welcome him to the Senate.
“Needless to say, I am sincerely disappointed. Luckily, we are still blessed to have Representative Shaw continuing to serve in the House. below is my August 30 post when I prematurely congratulated him with a warm welcome to the Senate. The longer I serve in politics, the more perplexed I become.”
And finally, this evening, Gov. Michael Dunleavy posted his views:
“Today, a majority of Senate Republicans failed to confirm Representative Laddie Shaw to fill the vacancy to Senate District M – the seat held by the late Senator Chris Birch. Laddie Shaw is well-qualified, there’s no question. He was overwhelmingly elected into office, his District put his name forward among a group of highly qualified individuals, and he has a history of service as a Navy Seal, as a decorated was veteran, and a public servant. Laddie Shaw was someone well-deserving and qualified of this appointment.
“In a statement issued by Senate Republicans, it appears now they are pushing a political litmus test based entirely upon the PFD. Senate District M is more than a single issue district. District M deserves qualified representation based on a wide variety of issues, not just one.
“I want to thank Representative Shaw for going through this process and look forward to our continued work together. I now have ten days to fill this vacancy, as prescribed by law, and look forward to updating you again shortly.”
The Senate Republicans voted against confirming Rep. Laddie Shaw as a senator for South Anchorage today.
The Senate Republicans gathered today at the Anchorage Legislative Information Offices, where they interviewed Shaw, who represents District 26, for the position that is vacant subsequent to the death of Sen. Chris Birch.
Shaw, who represents half of the Senate Seat M district that the seat covers, was interviewed for about 45 minutes by the Senate Republican Caucus, and said the questions went from soup to nuts, but that senators were especially interested in how he feels about the full statutory Permanent Fund dividend. He characterized it as a grilling.
Shaw said he could only stand by where he has been all along — the statutory formula is the law for the Permanent Fund dividend, and he has consistently favored the formula, which could be changed by law.
“I went in there with honesty, integrity and independence,” Shaw said.
Shaw was Gov. Michael Dunleavy’s choice to fill the vacancy. He serves House District 26, the same seat left by Sen. Birch as he moved to the Senate in January after winning the Senate Seat M position in November.
Shaw won the D-26 seat with 62 percent of the vote from his district.
Shaw is a retired Navy SEAL and Vietnam veteran (two tours) who spent eight years with the SEAL Reserve component; and seven years with the Alaska Army National Guard (Airborne).
In 1999 he was appointed to the position of State Director of Veterans Affairs for the State of Alaska. He has also been an instructor at the State Trooper Academy in Sitka.
He has also been an instructor at the State Trooper Academy in Sitka.
Shaw, Dave Donley, a former state senator and member of the Alaska State Defense Force, and Al Fogle, a U.S. Army combat veteran, were the other finalists for the position. Their names were advanced to the governor, who interviewed all three and chose Shaw.
The governor will have to pick another name in the next 10 days and the process will repeat.
Alaska Republican Party Chairman Glenn Clary said that the party had done its job and submitted three names to the governor.
“The Alaska Republican Party continues to pray for the family members of the late Senator Chris Birch,” he said. “The Alaska Republican Party completed their responsibility to fill the vacant Senate Seat M, by forwarding three names to the governor as set out in Alaska Statute and Alaska Republican Party rules. The governor completed his responsibility by choosing one of the names and appointing Rep. Laddie Shaw to be considered for confirmation by the Republican Senators. Ultimately, it was their decision and they made it today. It’s clear that a deep divide exists among Republican senators. The Alaska Republican Party stands ready to facilitate unity and cooperation.”
How senators voted is a secret, but Shaw felt that he had six votes in the Republican caucus. The votes were likely made according to how each senator feels about the full or partial PFD.
UPDATE: SENATE MAJORITY PRESS RELEASE
Senate Republican caucus released this statement:
Today, Governor Mike Dunleavy’s appointment to Senate District M, Representative Laddie Shaw, did not receive the majority vote of approval from Senate Republicans needed to be confirmed to the seat. On August 7, a vacancy was left in Senate District M when Senator Chris Birch died suddenly from an aortic dissection. When a vacancy occurs in the Alaska Legislature, state law requires the governor to appoint a qualified candidate to fill the seat within 30 days. The appointment is subject to confirmation by a majority of legislators in the same house and of the same political party as the person who left the vacancy.
In this case, at least seven Republicans in the Senate must agree to the governor’s choice. Today’s vote means the governor now has 10 days to appoint another candidate for Senate Republicans to consider.
Senate President Cathy Giessel, R-Anchorage, released the following statement.
“Today’s vote in no way reflects on the exceptional qualifications of Representative Shaw, a man to whom we all owe much thanks and gratitude for his service to our state and country. Rather, it reflects our commitment to the people of District M and the sanctity of the votes they cast in November.
“Senator Chris Birch was one of – if not the – most energetic proponents of updating the dividend formula. He displayed strong leadership during his tenure in the House on reforming the dividend and protecting the Permanent Fund and proudly took the issue directly to voters during the recent election.
“The duty of the Senate is to confirm a replacement to District M with deference to the views of the late Senator Birch and, most importantly, those of all the people in the district he served.”
