Tammie Wilson out as Finance co-chair, leaves caucus

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REP. JENNIFER JOHNSTON IS NEW CO-CHAIR

Rep. Tammie Wilson, who joined the Democrat-led Majority in February to become the powerful co-chair of House Finance, is out of the Majority.

News of her departure from the 25-member caucus spread quickly through the Capitol as she began packing her spacious Finance Chair suite to move into one of the tiny offices that minority members are assigned to.

The original majority caucus had eight Republicans and is now down to six of them, after Rep. Gabrielle LeDoux announced her departure from the group in May. LeDoux voted against the operating budget because she agrees with those who believe the $3,000 Permanent Fund dividend is statutorily correct.

Reps. Gabrielle LeDoux, center, and Tammie Wilson, right, are no longer part of the Democrat-led Majority.

Wilson on Wednesday was the lone vote against an override of Gov. Michael Dunleavy’s $444 million vetoes of the budget. For this, and for having attended the alternate legislative meeting in Wasilla, she paid the price.

The way she left the caucus is also subject to different versions. She said she was kicked out; the Majority caucus framed it as thanking her for her service and wishing her well in her future endeavors.

Wilson told reporters she would be heading home to Fairbanks. The Republican Minority, which Wilson left in February to join the Democrat-led Majority, has reached out to her, but it’s unclear where she stands. After LeDoux left the Majority, she is alone without a caucus, and the same may hold true for Wilson.

The House Majority is down to 23. In actuality, there are 23 Republicans elected to the House, but Reps. Louise Stutes, Bart LeBon, Steve Thompson, Gary Knopp, Jennifer Johnston, and Chuck Kopp caucus with the Democrats, leaving the Republicans with just 16 in their caucus.

[Read: 24 hours: House Majority looks for a Hail Mary]

44 COMMENTS

  1. Down to 6 treasonous scoundrels in the House. Will the Republican Party take action on these RINOs?

  2. Tammie learned a tough lesson: power is a fleeting thing when you don’t have a foundation from which to rule. Her brief flirtation with the House Democrats was only to present a “showing” of a unified coalition. She allowed the Democrats to use her so she could imagine herself as a power broker. Now, she has squat.

    • Tammie should have learned a lesson from this experience but observing her attitude in the past I don’t think she understands what she did. Her desire for ‘power’ in politics has ruined her political career. She was willing to sell out her friends and Party supporters for something she thought was power when in reality it was her fantasy that she was creating. Never trust a backstabbing lying turncoat. They will hurt you whenever they think they can take advantage of your support. Next, she will beg forgiveness, say she is sorry and will not do it again. But it will happen. A greedy power-hungry person can never be trusted.

  3. Kind of interesting to see the dims turn on their ‘own’ (Tammie). She did everything she was supposed to do and look what happened. That wasn’t enough for them and they immediately turned on her. How’s that feel, Tammie? Your “new friends” payback for betraying your constituents and party? Better late than never I guess. I don’t think you will be able to run again as a republican. A lesson is better learned late than never, but that “lateness” can have a way of destroying best laid plans Maybe you should check on your ‘day job’. They may have gotten to that too. At least your “friends and constituents” are still there. Or are they?

    • The only thing majority members were required was to support the budget and Wilson, by her vote against the override, clearly violated that requirement-she knew she would face consequences (much like LeDoux) but, I suspect, she felt like she was doing what her constituents wanted.
      After all she is a pol and it’s always about getting re-elected.

      • Bill,
        I have to admit that your comment…
        “After all she is a pol and it’s always about getting re-elected.”…
        Is a spot on observation of both the Red and Blue “gangs” organized in Alaska.
        To see these immature tactics on both sides of the aisle only reconfirms what I have already thought for years.
        So much for reinstating “trust” in our government…maybe next election?
        If the Democrats were really concerned about Alaska, maybe they could have brought the repeal of $B21 to a vote or even brought up the topic of an income tax (even though the Fuhrer would have vetoed anything across his desk).
        The big question is why are we paying millions a year to fly these politicians around the state when it is obviously a failed system of “Representation”?
        Sadly it appears even those in the system believe it is a complete failure.
        Nastasha Von Imhof stated:
        “This is the behavior we often see in failing democracies. The last time I checked, Madame President, this is not a dictatorship. We live in a democracy,” she said.
        Well, maybe we are on the “cusp”?

        • Your position that these are “immature tactics” is just your opinion here Steve.
          Our system of government insists on the bias of its representatives (it can’t be helped, it seems) to want to be re-elected. They can rationalize it say to allow another term to get the job done-whatever their argument they’ve got themselves covered and they clearly must make some effort to appease their constituents to be re-elected.
          Pretty hard to argue against that last thing about appeasing their constituents IMO. However it gets done, it will most likely require much flying around the state and expense to determine what it is their constituents want.
          Clearly you and I could do a much better job but you and I probably couldn’t get elected. Heheh!

        • The Fuhrer? Really Steve? Ever hear of Godwins Law. No sense of history, no sense of the present. Just nonsense, in the same sentence you complain about “immature tactics” and then you compare our govern to Adolf Hitler. Get a grip man.

          • Steve-O…
            Maybe you should get a grip on the meaning of words.
            The word Fuhrer simply means “leader” in German and without jumping off the cliff with your “Godwin’s law” B.S…..I can tell you that the word Fuhrer was in the German language for a few hundred years before Hitler took his seat.
            But at least I got you to THINK.

          • Oh please Steve, peddle you crap elsewhere you said “the Fuhrer” trying to claim that it was anything besides what you are now claiming strains your limited credulity beyond the limit. It’s like this guy saying his swastika is a Tibetan symbol http://www.ktvu.com/news/ktvu-local-news/man-says-swastika-lawn-display-is-tibetan-symbol-neighbors-complain
            Yep it’s a Tibetan symbol that the Nazi’s used and is known worldwide as a symbol used by the Nazi’s. The Fuhrer is Adolf Hitler, only a fool would argue otherwise.

        • In another thread you said that I had assured you that these overrides would take place on
          Wednesday, Steve-O. That comment was a lie and you know it.
          And did you have a point here? I tend to avoid bullchitters Steve-O.

          • Bill,
            You are the King of “bullchitters”. Every one of the 273 comments you made in the last week prove that point. The leadership and those in attendance in Juneau were simply putting on political theater and nothing less. You tried carrying their water and failed, as did they.

            I provided this link so you could hear it from the horses mouth. Tammy Wilson, who tried carrying the water for the idiots that are in leadership in the House spilled the beans on the plan.

            House leadership has failed this state, Senate leadership has failed this state. Liberal idiocy has failed everywhere it is tried.

          • Steve-O, you are nothing but a liar. Go ahead and try to change the subject but it can’t change the fact that you plain lie.

          • Bill,

            So in the 549 comments you made last week you didn’t say or imply that you knew or had inside information that the veto override would happen?

          • Bill,

            Just a point of fact, you are the one changing the subject. You know, while we are being honest and all.

          • Steve-O your comment was not that I implied it either but that I had assured you that was the case. It was bullchit then and it’s still bullchit now. Nowhere did I either say or imply that.
            You plain lie and can’t man-up either.

          • Steve-O your antics have earned you the nickname “four-flusher.” You were particularly confused (and shrill) over those override issues but your lying comment was the next day so this is just about being honest. Four-flusher describes you perfectly.

          • That’s the best you got Bill? Come on man, where’s your sense of pride? You keep telling everyone how smart you are and how dumb they are and all you got is four flusher? This special session is really working you over huh…take a break man enjoy the summer stop trying to insult people with your juvenile name calling, maybe try and learn a thing or two by reading what others write instead of writing nonsense all day everyday. Or just keep doing what you’re doing and failing at it…your choice.

          • Four-flusher, you either lied or you didn’t and the proof is on you. You can’t back up your statement or you would have attempted, by now. The best you’ve come up with so far is the now somehow I’ve implied what you said I said but you’ve not been able to show that either.
            Man-up or put up Four-flusher.

  4. I’ll take Wilson and Stedman and von Imhoff over the Johnny come lately libertarianism = religion wing-nuts. Alaskans will stick, and the PFD carpet-baggers will get run out on a rail.

      • Said the open-borders Koch/Soros bumpkin.

        .

        I voted for Dunleavy. Oops.

        .

        The sad part is that long time Alaskan right wing politicians are going to get saddled with the legacy of this Soros/Koch bootlicking.

    • Libertarianism is a camouflage 4 Tea Party members in Alaska.
      Most Libertarians in Alaska do not even follow National Party guidelines.
      This is obvious with support of the renewed “War on Drugs” in Alaska…which the DOC estimates will cost the State at least an additional $100 million every year.

      • Most people do not understand the Libertarian platform, unless you’ve been doing some studying you are included in that group. Not long ago you thought being a Libertarian meant that you just let people walk all over you and you cannot defend your own beliefs, those aren’t Libertarian values.

        • Steve-O,

          .

          See Tucker Carlson’s monologue from January 2nd, 2019 and he’ll sum up my general problem with the Dunleavy/Romney/Bush crowd.

          .

          Sure, I’m a “Democrat”. Lulz.

          • Any chance you can narrow that down? I don’t watch Tucker Carlson and I have no idea how long his show is, but I can only imagine he covers a lot of stuff during his show.

          • The opening monologue from his January 2nd, 2019 show: “Leaders show no obligation to the American voters”.

            .

            Also if you are interested in the David Koch/ George Soros connection research the Quincy Institute.

        • Steve-O…
          If you stick with the example that I laid out (Libertarians = Camouflage 4 Tea Party with “war on drugs” showing hypocrisy) You will see this mentality is NOT inline with the National Libertarian party views.
          The Libertarian website reads:
          “The War on Drugs is ineffective at limiting access to dangerous drugs and, instead, empowers dangerous gangs that make incredible fortunes on the black market for these illegal drugs.”
          So my point on “Camouflage” is we have AFP in Alaska claiming Libertarian roots yet avoiding to support National Libertarian politics in AK?
          Obama brought this point up to the attention of the media back in 2010 (yet most Americans have short memories)…
          “You don’t know if it’s a foreign-controlled corporation,” said Obama. “You don’t know if it’s a big oil company, or a big bank.” 
          (Speaking to Slate on the subject of AFP)
          https://www.lp.org/issues/war-on-drugs/

          • You are confusing issues here Steve. Citing Obama as a source of what Libertarians believe also shows your continued lack of understanding of Libertarian beliefs.

            Also I am not going to stick with your pigeonholed example of something you continuously show a lack of understanding on.

            If you want to talk about how certain people try and re-brand themselves as something they are not, then let’s talk about all the Republicans that aren’t Republicans, or the Democrats who dare not run as Democrats. Or the non-partisans and undeclared, all of these have pretty clear political leanings…some just try and hide it more than others. Welcome to politics.

    • Wilson may have learned a lesson. LeDoux, I don’t believe, has the intellectual horsepower to process the issue.

  5. Alaska’s recipe for success? Send legislators on a retreat to a remote location inhabited by public sector union employee residents in favor of spending more and infiltrated by lobbyists in favor of spending more. No wonder our outcomes are best in class.

  6. Tammie, Tammie, Tammie, Libs make strange bedfellows don’t they? Really now. What did you expect? I am curious how they are treating you in North Pole right now. I’m a kind and forgiving person and I hope they are nice people and are kind to you. You have put in some good years of service. But, you essentially ditched your party for a power move and got in bed with the libs. They shivved you when you didn’t kowtow to their “plan”, demoted you, fired your staff and now what? What’s your next move? I liked it better when you had that big binder of budget amendments, conservative thoughts, and your scalpel. Had you just held on to that…………..

  7. Dear Tammie and Dave: The Living Dead has spoketh to you through his brother’s hand, The Dying Living (See Terrence Cole article, FDNewsminus, July 12, 2019, page A4). The Identical Cole Dwarfs have opined outside of the safety of their long begotten classroom on the Mountain Top. Tammie and Dave, you should be ashamed of yourselves for not apprising fellow Alaskans of the Standards of Thinking to which the Cole Dwarfs insist. After all, nobody understands the realities of Alaska better than the Living Dead and the Dying Living. We Alaskans are mere Mortals compared to the Twin Dwarfs. Our Alaskan Spirit must be measured by an examination Given by the Coles, a test, of what it means to be a Real Alaskan. If you doubt this, go the cemetery, where the Immortal Dwarfs can be found roaming in real time, searching the true meaning of the State Constitution and of Alaska Life, itself. All the while, Praying that somebody …..Anybody …..will recognize, and be smart enough to name a building after them. The Cole University of Alaska? Maybe. When one is half dead, or half alive, this must be Contemplated before the Last Lecture. And have it Painted. Place it in the Great Hall. Hang it on High. “The Last Lecture.” An artistic Rememberance of a Time when Alaska was really great, and patrolled by the Dwarf Twins. A Time when Alaska was being Saved. A Time when the Coles taught us how to Think. AHMEN!

    • We have all Heard on High. I’m sure Dunleavy can squeeze a few bucks out of the budget to purchase some reprints of the “Last Lecture.” Are they going to paint the Coles on the Cross too?
      Two Crosses for the price of One.
      They don’t take up a lot of space.

  8. Judie, thank you. I feel my Alaska spirit cleansed just knowing that the Cole twins are watching over us. Their holy water has been jettisoned over us in biblical proportions. And thanks to the daily bread of the Newsminer for spiritual conveyance. Now I know for sure, we are all sinners just as the Coles have submitted. We are nearing the End. But please, would it be too much for one final, last lecture? For some of us, the Word on High sinks in s l o w l y.

  9. Obviously too slow for the Coles. If Dunleavy can expedite six grand into their pockets, they can purchase their plots on time share.

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